11 Side Effects I Had as a Traveler in Morocco

2. I have a Moroccan name.

Many people I encountered in Morocco, seeing me as a tourist, would ask me to give them a Western name. One of the first people who asked me offered to give me a Moroccan name in return. There is now somewhere a Moroccan named Stephen, and I have the honour of being called Fatima. Friends I made along the way began to refer to me as Fatima, and this continued even after coming home. I’m proud and happy to say that it is a name that has stuck.

3. I can’t have a garden anymore without mint.

Mint tea is a staple in Morocco, so much so that it’s often just referred to as ‘Moroccan Whiskey’. Not only is it delicious, but there is a whole performance around serving it. You have to make sure to pour it with the teapot held as high as possible (some splash back is expected) and to get the right amount of foam on the tea. The Moroccans make it look easy but there is a true technique to it that I certainly couldn’t get on my first try. I felt the pang of its absence when I left, so the only solution was to make my own. I now have nice fresh mint just for that and in true Moroccan style, I always make sure that tea has sugar- lots of it.

4. I’ll never feel as clean as I did at the hamam.

After being rubbed red by a stranger with a scrub glove, a shower doesn’t quite seem the same. Hamam in Morocco is a whole cleaning ritual that doubles as a social event and is the place to catch up on the latest news and goings on. Sitting in a hot room in nothing but your underpants tends to invite people to open themselves up to you. When it’s time to lather up, you can either have a friend or someone from the hamam come to give you a vigorous scrub. When you can feel the dead skin cells flying off, that’s when you know you’re really clean.

5. I have to do all my cooking with a tagine.

Want beef? Tagine. Want veggies? Tagine. Want couscous? Tagine. It’s my one-stop cooking pot and everything from it will be amazing. Sprinkle some cumin on there after and I’ll be really set to go. It’s hard to go back to anything else when you can throw all your ingredients into one pot and have a delicious meal waiting for you. Plus, you get some great looks when you bring one home with you on the airplane.

6. I have a much better sense of direction now.

Morocco is full of medinas- winding streets through the cities that create a literal maze to get lost in. My sense of direction is so bad that it’s a miracle really that I have always found my way home. Navigating my way on main streets and paths has been hard enough, but medinas are an entirely different beast. With no map or marked streets, I had to cross my fingers and hope for the best. When every alley looks the same and has the same bustling crowd to press your way through, it is truly like being thrown into the deep end. Remember which way you came and hope the smell of the spice market doesn’t distract you too much…

7. I’ve become more comfortable with talking to strangers.

I know we’ve all had that warning from Mom “Don’t talk to strangers”, and I’m sorry Mom, but sometimes it’s good when you do. Being pulled into a conversation or starting one myself was the best way to learn and find out the amazing things about Morocco. I didn’t know the dance moves the ladies of Agadir pulled me into, but they were happy to show me the steps. I didn’t know how to play the drums, but a man was happy to teach me as he regaled tales of his life as a nomad in the Sahara. If you trust in others, you never know what you might find.

8. I’ve developed a thicker skin.

In Morocco, touts are common in a lot of the cities, especially the more touristy areas. Touts are the people who, as you walk by them or their shop, will be very pushy trying to get you to buy something. Sometimes they will even start offering you a service you didn’t ask for and demand you pay for it. Saying “Non, merci” starts to become a reflex. At home, someone shouting at you would be a big offence, but here it’s just part of life. It’s not personal, it’s just business.

9. I learned to haggle.

Haggling is one of those things that comes with travelling that I’ve never gotten the knack of. Not growing up with it, I always feel guilty asking for a lower price, concerned about accidentally underselling someone or appearing rude. However the more I encountered it, the more it became a game. Merchants would not only encourage me to haggle but some even offered to teach me: “If you offer a price I don’t like it’s okay. I will still have my merchandise, you will have your money, and we will both walk away happy.” Though some would take pity on my haggling and offer me the “student discount”, my skills still came a long way. By the time I left, I had even managed to haggle a rug that was 2500 down to 1000 dirhams- while not a big accomplishment in the grand scheme of things, I was proud nonetheless.

10. I am more inspired to create.

Morocco is full of artists of all sorts. From painters to sculptors, or to Gnaoua- a music festival attracting musicians from around the world- there is no shortage of creativity. In Essaouira Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley’s visits are still talked about, and I even had the pleasure to meet some camels named after them. But it’s not the big names that make up the creative fabric of Morocco- whether it is pots, mosaics, paintings, or even henna- everyone is always creating. One woman I spoke with was telling me about her seven children, who had all grown up and left home to find their own places. She personally made a handmade rug for each of them, and after seeing one of her creations myself I was flabbergasted. I don’t think I could even make one that nice if it were the size of a napkin, never mind a whole floor rug. Every strand was hand dyed, and every thread hand stitched, combined into a beautiful piece of art. It made me determined to step up my game to see what I could make myself.

11. I am full of positivity.

I don’t know if it’s the sun or the beaches, or just because the bread there tastes so great, but the Moroccans have a positivity that’s infectious. Even the touts who shout at you in the markets can get you smiling. I’ve found that every Moroccan I met had at least one good joke they were itching to tell me. There is a happy energy there that stayed with me long after I left. After Morocco spread it to me, I wanted to do my best to pass it on to others too- a positive outlook was the souvenir I wanted to bring home with me the most.