I have never traveled to a Muslim country before, and to be honest, I had only met a handful of Muslim people back home before coming to Morocco. I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of cultural differences, but I can confidently say I have never been in a more welcoming, kind, and inviting environment. Everyone here is so genuinely nice that it almost feels like I’m living in a simulation.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had some incredible experiences that have really opened my eyes to the generosity of Moroccan culture. One moment that stands out was when I was walking out of school alone. A student from my class—who I had never spoken to before—stopped me and asked if I was feeling okay since I had been out sick. He told me both his parents are doctors and insisted that if I ever had any other medical issues, I should call him and they would take care of anything. Then, before dropping me off at my apartment, he took me to one of his favorite local spots for a snack and absolutely refused to let me pay him back.
Another time, I was walking to school when a guy on a motorbike pulled up next to me on the sidewalk. He looked my age, had a backpack on, and was headed in the same direction, so I just said, "ESCA?" He nodded, so I hopped on the back of his bike. He dropped me off at school, refused any payment, and I haven’t even seen him since. Just pure kindness for no reason.
A few days ago marked the first day of Ramadan, and I decided I wanted to fully embrace the experience by fasting. When I told one of my friends from school, she immediately invited me over to her home for Iftar, the meal that breaks the fast after sunset. Of course, I couldn’t refuse such an offer. I went with a fellow Gamecock who was visiting me for the weekend, and her family welcomed us both so warmly.
When the sun went down, it was time to eat, and I have never seen so much food in my life. Every inch of the table was covered, and her family kept piling food on my plate, encouraging me to try everything. After I was stuffed and most of the food was gone, I turned to my friend and said, “Thank you so much for the meal.” Her entire family immediately burst out laughing. Turns out, that was only the first of three courses. Safe to say, I slept 12 hours that night.
Just yesterday, I was leaving school when I ran into some of my friends that I play soccer with. They could immediately tell I was fasting because of how tired I looked. One of them asked where I was headed, and when I said I was going to get a haircut, he told me to come with him—he would take care of me.
I hopped on the back of his motorbike, and we weaved through the chaos of Casablanca traffic for 20 minutes, cutting through the super narrow streets of the old Medina. We finally stopped at a small barbershop where he spoke to the barber for me, and I got a cut for just $2. I love it here. After that, he drove me all over the Medina, introducing me to random people who didn’t speak English but were so excited to meet an American. He even picked up some snacks for me to eat after sunset—again, refusing to let me pay. When I told him I’d pay him back somehow, he just laughed and said, “This is what we do during Ramadan.”
He explained that people spend time together, go outside, drive around, and socialize to help the fasting hours pass by faster. He told me he was happy to spend the day with me and even thanked me for the opportunity to show me around.
With all that said—Ramadan Mubarak. This celebration is truly special, and I encourage anyone to experience it firsthand if they ever have the chance. I am not religious, but I would be a fool not to appreciate the warmth, generosity, and culture that I’ve been lucky enough to embrace here in Morocco.
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