Packing

One of the first things that crossed my mind after I found out I was a finalist was: what do I wear?!

I have never traveled outside of the United States, let alone to a North African, Muslim-majority country. I knew that I had to dress more conservatively, but wasn't sure how to balance modest dress with such warm weather.

Luckily for me, Unique Thrift, Forever21 and Target had my back. I found myself three lovely maxi skirts. Skirts are great because they cover my legs, but they are also loose and breathable and flowy and fun. The fabric isn't too heavy so I definitely won't get too hot. I also have a few loose, flowy, fun patterned pants that I am planning on wearing.

I bought a few nice 3/4 sleeve blouses to wear. I couldn't find any full long-sleeve shirts, since I was shopping in the summer time, but from googling pictures of tourists in Morocco, long sleeves don't seem to be a strict requirement. I'm bringing a couple of high necked T shirts from back home as well.

From what I can tell, the dress rules are relatively loose for tourists/Westerners. Western women are not expected to cover their heads, ankles, or their arms. They are, however, strongly encouraged to cover their shoulders, cleavage, and thighs. I want to be as respectful as I can, so I will probably dress on the more conservative side. I'll take cues from my host family.

To be honest, I have always liked longer, looser clothing. To me, it is far more comfortable and appealing than short, tight, revealing clothing. I have a feeling I will fit right in with the more modest dress style. I can't wait to buy a skirt or a djellaba, the Moroccan all-purpose dress, in one of the souks in Rabat!

Here is a list of some of the other things I am bringing:
-sneakers and flats
-Tissues and hand sanitizer
-A journal
-A copy of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (one of my favorite books, set in Morocco!!) and Yes Please by Amy Poehler (life advice from my favorite actress to be read when I am craving some good English)
-A deck of cards
-A 110-220 volt converter and a European plug adapter
-A money wallet to keep my debit card and passport in
-My Arabic notes from my Level 1 class at B-CC
-Still debating whether or not to bring my laptop....I probably will, I just have to make sure to be extremely careful with it. If I bring it, I probably will try not to carry it outside of my host family's home.
-toothpaste, deoderant, and my preferred face wash (they said to buy most toiletries in Morocco, but alumni recommended getting these items in the US because they might be different or hard to find elsewhere)
-Gifts for my host family! (I got a mug, magnet, photo album, and key chain from the American History Museum in DC, as well as a UMD T-shirt and some homemade soaps and lip balm from the Bethesda Farmers Market. I'm currently working on mix tapes of my favorite music for my host brother and sister)