Amid the uncertainty and nervousness of the US presidential election information cycle, Leah discovered her means again to a spot of hope amongst a bunch of strangers in Morocco.
The passenger on my left opens her window shade and the morning gentle floods into our row. The flight attendant broadcasts we’ll be touchdown quickly. I’ve been out and in of sleep for seven hours, but it surely solely looks like a couple of minutes. I swipe open my telephone and proceed to hit refresh on my mobile connection as we get nearer and nearer. The airplane touches down.
‘Welcome to Morocco,’ our captain says. Refresh. Refresh. Linked. I open the New York Instances app and skim the phrases: Donald Trump has Gained Pennsylvania, Democrats’ Path to Victory is Slim.
I attempt to maintain studying however my consideration is shortly taken by the motion round me. I seize my baggage, deboard and make my means via customs and the crowded airport. I’m bodily and mentally exhausted from per week of volunteering to get out the vote adopted by 14 straight hours of working on the election polling location in my city instantly earlier than this flight.
As I stand exterior Marrakech Worldwide Airport surrounded by individuals talking 100 completely different languages, my telephone buzzes. The Related Press has referred to as it. Donald Trump would be the subsequent president of the US. Once more. Abruptly the chatter round me is silent and I really feel solely alone.
I used to be in Morocco to affix a bunch of six strangers of their 20s and 30s on a week-long journey via the nation. I’d been dreaming of this journey for therefore lengthy – to flee the hustle of New York Metropolis in November, go to the enduring Sahara and possibly even make a number of associates alongside the way in which.
I spent my first 24 hours in Morocco in my resort mattress, in full darkness with nothing however costly calls again dwelling, sweet bars from the airport and an entire lot of tears. I felt extremely fortunate to be right here, however abruptly all I wished was to be with my family and friends at dwelling. The uncertainty was overwhelming, and so many ideas have been working via my head: What does this imply for reproductive rights? What does this imply for gun legal guidelines? What does this imply for our local weather? What does this imply for the way forward for democracy?
I wasn’t certain how I used to be supposed to drag it collectively to fulfill my fellow travellers for the beginning of our journey the subsequent day. When the time got here, I deleted my social media apps, washed my face and did my best to depart the scenario in my resort room.
I met my group of 5 younger solo travellers from the UK, Ukraine, Canada and Australia. Being the one American within the group meant our conversations didn’t veer into election speak – the one factor I had been listening to for the previous few months. That evening, we strolled via the medina, tasting Moroccan meals and attending to know one another. When it ended, my spirits have been a lot larger, and I had hope that possibly this journey might a minimum of be a great distraction.
I used to be up to now off. It was a lot extra. Over these eight days, I constructed friendships deeper than I might have ever imagined with individuals I might have by no means met if it weren’t for this journey.
After we arrived within the Sahara, it was all the pieces I had all the time dreamed of: rolling hills, camels within the distance and heat orange sand so far as the attention might see. We dropped our baggage in our glamping tents earlier than eagerly venturing into the desert. We have been like children once more, taking part in with sand and rolling down dunes at full pace. After we returned to our camp, I used to be exhausted and coated in sand. I couldn’t think about a greater day, and but the most effective of it was nonetheless to return.
After becoming new garments and having fun with a meal, we met up with one other group of travellers and locals across the fireplace pit. Native males performed drums and sang songs. The beat shortly picked up, and earlier than we knew it, we have been all dancing across the fireplace to songs we’d by no means heard, working in circles and holding palms with individuals we’d by no means met – each one in every of us smiling from ear to ear. Because the music and laughter died down, the group dwindled as individuals wandered off to their tents to sleep. It was simply me and one in every of my fellow travellers left, Matt, a 29-year-old British man, by the hearth. We started chit-chatting and sharing tales of our lives again at dwelling.
Earlier than we knew it, we have been all dancing across the fireplace to songs we’d by no means heard, working in circles and holding palms with individuals we’d by no means met.
As we spoke, the sky dimmed, the celebrities erupted and the voices of our fellow travellers drifted into silence, however we didn’t thoughts. I opened as much as Matt about my household, my profession, my hopes and my fears across the election, and in return, he did the identical. Ultimately, he advised me that simply two years prior, precisely to the month, he had misplaced his mum. I used to be greatly surprised. After a day of appearing like kids, I couldn’t fathom the considered shedding my mum. He shared stunning tales that gave me a glimpse into the great particular person she was. I might see Matt had been on an extended journey via grief, and opening up about her was a part of his therapeutic course of.
His willingness to share her with me jogged my memory that we’re not alone on this life, and the way extremely significant it’s to share our vulnerabilities with others.
One night, my groupmate Jackson from Australia talked about he’d be occurring a run the subsequent morning. I love a morning run again dwelling via acquainted streets, however I hadn’t actually thought of it out within the Todra Gorge at a small resort on a cliff throughout the canyons. With out pondering, I volunteered to affix him. I shortly got here to remorse this determination when my alarm sounded and the sky was nonetheless darkish, however I heard him knock on my door and determined to go anyway. Out we went into the huge and open Moroccan wilderness. As a lady in an unfamiliar nation, working in full darkness was daunting, however one way or the other, I knew with Jackson beside me that I’d be protected.
We ran down the highway with stars as our solely seen gentle supply. We made dialog underneath our breath and eventually slowed on the wall of a canyon. Jackson started climbing the rocky wall and I nervously laughed, however subsequent factor you recognize, he was reaching out his hand to assist me up. Right here I used to be, somebody who had been overwhelmed with nervousness simply two days prior, taking a danger and placing my weight within the palms of a whole stranger. I climbed a number of rocks and ultimately discovered a snug place to take a seat and lookup on the stars. Now that we had our footing, my heartbeat slowed to a standard tempo.
Out of nowhere, Jackson requested me, ‘What would you do if you happen to weren’t afraid?’
I’d by no means been requested that query earlier than, and to be trustworthy, I couldn’t discover the proper reply. I rambled off some boring response about travelling the world that appeared to fulfill the query however left me desirous about what I actually might’ve stated. Because the solar began to rise, we climbed down the rocks and started our run again to the resort. With one mile left, I closed my eyes and remembered the query he requested me… then ran full pace forward, freely and blindly underneath the breaking daybreak.
In direction of the tip of the journey, I stayed up late with Lisa, a younger Ukranian lady who lives in Canada. Lisa is the sort of traveller you hope you’ll discover in your journey. She was form, humorous, radiant and lit up each room. She spoke to me softly about how watching younger kids run round in Imlil, a village we visited earlier that day, made her miss her little sister.
Lisa’s household lived in Ukraine, and she or he hadn’t seen her sister because the begin of the conflict. Listening to Lisa discuss her younger sister jogged my memory of my very own little sister and the way actually fortunate I’m to expertise sisterhood. Lisa advised me she hadn’t made many deep friendships since transferring away from dwelling a number of years in the past, till this journey. Because the night wore on, we shared tales, heat hugs and a bottle of wine – key substances to a lifelong friendship.
On one in every of our final nights, our Intrepid chief Ahmed launched us to his household. His nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers, mom and grandmothers showered us with love and welcomed us into their dwelling. We have been in the midst of the Atlas Mountains with nothing round us however nature and a small group of people that embraced each other absolutely. These moments jogged my memory of how fortunate I’m to have travelled and the way assembly individuals from completely different cultures has actually helped widen my perspective and way of living again dwelling.
It additionally jogged my memory of what issues most to me on this life: human connection. At a time of uncertainty and excessive dividedness, I bonded with a bunch of strangers from all completely different backgrounds.
After I landed again dwelling, my mum picked me up. It was her sixtieth birthday, so my household was getting collectively for the weekend to have a good time. Her heat hug and delightful smile jogged my memory of Matt’s mum.
As we drove to her home, I advised her about Jackson’s query – what would I do if I wasn’t afraid – and I excitedly reeled off profession plans I’d dreamed up on the airplane.
We pulled into the driveway, and I noticed my sisters and their husbands and youngsters. I remembered Lisa and her sister, Ahmed and his household, and all the opposite individuals I met alongside the way in which.
We didn’t speak in regards to the election, a minimum of not straight away. Nonetheless, it was there someplace underneath the floor. I don’t know what the subsequent 4 years will deliver. With data at our fingertips and a information cycle that prioritises the unfathomable, I do know the nervousness I felt firstly of my journey will certainly creep up once more in time.
However when it does, I can remind myself that taking the time to attach with each other is what will get us via the uncertainty, the headlines and the darkest days.
And after one magical week in Morocco doing simply that, I felt like there was hope.
Leah travelled on One Week in Morocco: Sahara and Todra Gorge, an eight-day journey for travellers aged 18 to 35. End up on one in every of Intrepid’s 30 journeys in Morocco.
