AI: Life in Rabat moves at a calm and steady pace. The city blends old traditions with modern life, with people spending time in local markets and cafés and along the coast. The weather is usually mild, and the streets are often busy with families, students, and workers going about their day. There is a strong sense of culture and history throughout the city, while it still feels relaxed and welcoming.


Me: Rabat was everything I expected Morocco to look like from the beginning. The fancy tiles, the bazaar markets, the small winding streets, this felt like the Morocco I had pictured before I ever got on a plane. Casablanca was stunning in its own way, but Rabat hit differently. We arrived around 10 in the morning, and I already knew this place was going to be something special. We are lucky to be staying within the medina, which is the most beautiful part of the city historically. The medina has got everything you could ever want. Fresh food, spices, wallets, soccer jerseys—it’s all within reach. The streets are narrow and winding and packed with people at all hours of the day. It’s almost overstimulating in the best way to walk through it. The smells alone hit you from all sides: spices, fresh food, and the city itself. You see the locals stopping to talk to each other like they’ve known each other forever. The people here are some of the nicest people I’ve met. been with. My host family is an older couple and their 33-year-old son, who is currently abroad in Turkey. I met him through FaceTime, and he spoke to me in English, which was a nice surprise. The family offered me tea and cake the minute I walked through the door and kept trying to feed me even after I’d said I was full. That was instant warmth. About 5 in the evening, Father took me for a walk through Rabat down to the beach. The man moves through a crowd as if he were born in it, colliding with people, stopping traffic mid-street without a second thought. I was just trying to keep up. When we got to the beach, he climbed down the rocks so fast and so effortlessly that I thought he was going to slip. He didn’t even miss a step. I was struggling. Dinner was simple chicken, a side salad, bread, and Coke. It was one of the best meals I have had in a very long time. The family speaks French and Arabic all day, and I have been getting by mostly in French, which I know a little of. It has been a rewarding challenge.