Morocco Eve

Tomorrow begins a whole new phase of this journey. Twelve hours ago, I was panicking a little at the thought of being a woman traveling alone in Morocco. I'm feeling a lot better about it now, thanks to three fantastic women I met in my hostel today. Two of them had just returned hours earlier from five days in Morocco, spent with two other women and one male. They said their experiences were amazing and they wish they had more time there. That's good to hear, but what really reassured me was hearing from another woman who traveled for 12 days alone there earlier this year and who told me that being on her own had been fine. She loved it, and in fact, traveling alone had led to opportunities to meet locals whom she otherwise probably wouldn't have encountered. They all reported lots and lots of harrassment on the streets, but without a menacing undertone. Macho puff, but nothing threatening. They never feared that anybody would actually touch them or do them harm. And they all also reported that most of the people they interacted with for any length of time turned out to be unbelievably welcoming and warm and hospitable.

I'm going to do my best to approach this situation carefully, looking out for my safety, of course, but focusing on remaining as receptive as possible to the people and the experience. What I have always wanted out of this trip was better insight, even if it's just a tiny glimpse, into what the world might look like to people who seem so starkly different from myself. It's not going to be easy, both because it is a complicated society to get to know and also because I am fairly introvered and shy. INFJ, if you like. So I will have to work really hard on this.

I'm reaching the stage where I'm just restless with anticipation, and I wish I were there already. From the moment I got up this morning, it's been almost all I've been able to think about. Oh, except for the new phone that I bought today. I already hate it (the camera is awful, and nothing about it is smooth or intuitive) but it will get me through the next couple of months.

Just realized I hadn't recapped the day at all. Woke up in Toledo. Had a nice lunch in the old city with one of the other hostel guests, a sweet girl from Australia. Took the train back to my beloved Madrid, checked back into the same hostel, bought my phone, bought some food at the grocery store, went for a nice walk and then came back when it started to rain. Easy, comfortable day.