Salem mallekum friends.
First of all, sorry for the lack of posts! April has been a CRAZY busy month. I am not complaining because it has been an AMAZING month, but it’s definitely been hectic!
(I’m currently writing this pool side in Marrakesh, Morocco. ☀️☺️)
This past month has contained a lot of firsts for me. Multiple new countries, and then this weekend a new continent! With every trip, comes a lot of other “firsts.”
I’m struggling to find the words I need to eloquently describe my thoughts and feelings on my recent experiences, so today I’m going to do something a little different… Continue reading to see some of my random ideas.
1) Marrakesh — ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ HOT. Definitely a great place to visit, but I don’t think I would come back. (Too many other great places in the world that I would like to see first.)
2) Oporto — 💜💜💜💜
LOVE. Oporto is definitely a tourist city, but it is not quite as evident. I would definitely visit again! I would love to see more of Portugal.
3) Porto Wine — 🍷💯
We visited a couple of wineries. Super cool. I would definitely recommend it! Porto wine is a desert wine, and for someone who always needs desert to finish a meal this definitely hit the spot.
4) Markets in Morocco — 🙈🙉
SO HECTIC. You need to bargain with them. Very different than the American culture. There isn’t and never will be a “click to buy” option in Morocco. This business style is part of their culture. It’s very easy to get a sensory overload @ the market.
(Yes, this is a photo from Google but this is EXACTLY what it looked like) 
5) Monkeys — 🐵💔
I took a picture with a monkey in the plaza. It’s a great tourist attraction, but I definitely broke an ethics code. The animals are treated so poorly. It broke my heart. (There are also snakes you can take pictures with🐍)
6) Large group travels — 😁😐
Can be a lot of fun, but definitely can be tough! A mix of strong personalities and an array of agendas makes it very difficult to be efficient. (#work)
7) “Favorite body of water” — 🌊
My “favorite body of water” is definitely the ocean. Whenever I’m on vaca I always choose the beach over the pool, so it was a nice change in Marrakesh to be poolside, but I was definitely in my favorite element in Porto on the beach.
8) Morrocan sunset –🌅😍
Breathtaking. We watched the sunset from a rooftop restaurant. I’ve never seen anything like it.
9) — 🐪🐪
Yes, I rode a camel. It’s a cool thing to say you did,but I felt bad for the camels. They were being attacked by flies. (I guess they’re used to it, but still…)
10 — 🐐 in a 🌳
YES. I really did see goats in a tree. It was really cool. (These goats were placed in the tree by farmers as a tourist attraction, but goats really do climb these trees on their own accord)
11) — Silver 😀💍💞
So hard NOT to buy jewelry in Morocco. It’s like NOT buying wine in Portugal. IMPOSSIBLE. The quality is good and the price is even better.
12) — Morocco 😩
I still struggle spelling the country. Sad day.
13) Learning experiences — 🌏📕🌍
Every time I talk to my friends and family at home, they always ask me if I’m even going to school here since I’m always in a different country. It is true that I have a lot less homework here than I would in the USA, but I am learning SO much every single day. Meeting new people and seeing new things. I am learning skills that translate into becoming a better and more understanding person.
14) — Coming home 😔👎🏼
I’m definitely not ready yet. Maybe I will be in a couple of weeks, but I’m happy I get to travel some more and see my family in Poland before I come back to the USA.
15) — Architecture 🏠
The architecture in Oporto and Marrkesh are VERY different, but I think I appreciate both styles. The environments are very different leading to different type of construction (reasonably so). I absolutely loved the historic district of Oporto.
16) — Living abroad 🏠🌎👎🏼
I love traveling to new places and visiting new cities, but there are very few I would actually like to live in. I would not want to live in Marrakesh, or even Oporto (a city I loved), for a long period of time. I appreciate their cultures, but I wouldn’t want it to be my culture.
17) — Getting lost 😩😕😠
“Allow yourself to get lost in a foreign place…” I guess I’ve subconsciously taken this advice to heart because I’ve gotten lost A LOT recently. When you can speak the language it’s a lot less stressful. I think these experiences will become great stories in the future, but in the present moment it can be quite frustrating.
18) — & losing your things 😢😤
We just got back to Madrid and I lost all my ceramics that I bought in Marrakesh. I’m quite upset. I don’t understand how they just vanished. I’m trying to get over it quickly because there is nothing more I can do, but it still stinks. (Sorry Paulina 😔)
19) — EVERYONE has something to offer ☺️✔️
Traveling with new people has forced me to get to know people who I wouldn’t approach in my everyday life. This has taught me very important lessons. Even the people you would assume you have NOTHING in common with, can offer you some type of something. So take the time to get to know someone on a personal level. I bet there is some type of common ground you can find.
Peace&Love,
K
Salamanca, SPAIN. 