Our final day in Morocco started as so many of our other days had. We met for breakfast on the terrace overlooking Marrakech. With the sun and heat already present, we enjoyed our breakfast with light chats, sinking into our last day in Morocco. We got ready for another full day, beginning with a morning of shopping, putting our bargaining skills to the true test. We meandered through a number of bustling streets, learning, engaging and bargaining with several shopkeepers, collecting gifts and treasures to help us remember our time here.
After lunch, we spent some time packing and organizing ourselves as tomorrow our drop off at the airport is very early. We then spent the remainder of our afternoon, trying our hand at another traditional Moroccan skill, Calligraphy. Our instructor started by reviewing the history of Arabic calligraphy, sharing the various styles and how they are used. After some practice of our own, we got the hang of it, building up to writing our own names!
For our final evening, we took a short drive to a traditional Moroccan home where we were treated to dinner and a show. Gnawa music is a traditional style of Moroccan music found across the country. We were lucky enough to have our own private concert, and engage in lots of dancing as we celebrated all we’ve accomplished throughout the trip. Following the music, we enjoyed our last meal together in Morocco. Our final dinner had all the classics we’ve come to love and was the perfect balance of flavours to end on.
We returned to our hotel for our final reflection and gratitude circle. A gratitude circle is an exercise where everyone has the opportunity to express something they are grateful for, a feeling they felt which they don’t want to forget, or a moment or learning they are thankful they got to experience. When explained, it feels so simple, however this exercise always evokes a mixture of powerful emotions and reflections, allowing students the opportunity to express themselves, and for their peers to further deepen their understanding of what each person values, and what experiences from the trip were the most potent in their minds. It was the perfect evening to what has been an incredible trip.
We’re off to bed, with our alarm clocks set for 3:00am to catch a quick bite before our drive to the airport. At least this time when we wake up at 3:00am we won’t be starting our hike of Mount Toubkal, we’ve already checked that one off the list!
