[A photo of Imintanoute, the town that I visited. photo credit to Karry Kim]

During my school trip to Morocco, I had the chance to speak to a few local Moroccan highschool students who taught me about their culture and their lifestyle.

Morocco is a North African country known for its rich history and culture.

Its culture is a unique blend of Arab, Berber, African and European cultures, shaped by the history of Islam and Spanish conquest of the native Berber people.

These different factors all influence and mold the diverse culture of Morocco.

Last March, I was lucky enough to travel to this beautiful country with a group from my high school.

We spent the first few days in Marrakech, walking around medinas named UNESCO World Heritage sites, and trying tajins and couscous.

I tremendously enjoyed these experiences, but my most interesting and enjoyable experience was talking to local Moroccan high school students.

On my fourth day in Morocco, I spent an entire day with 10 Moroccan students from a local high school.

For all the Moroccan students, English was their second language, with Dirija being their native language.

Despite the challenges of speaking a new language, the students were extremely enthusiastic to speak to their new peers from the United States.

I talked to a 17-year-old student, Imane, who was especially enthusiastic to learn about different cultures and share her culture with me.

Living in a small town south of Marrakech, Imane spends a lot of time learning different languages.

She can speak Dirija and French, as most Moroccans do, and is currently learning English and Spanish.

She explained that one of her favorite hobbies is to learn different languages because learning new languages can give her more opportunities for jobs and studies, reflecting the increasing importance of English in the Moroccan job market.

She also learns languages because she wants to discover new cultures and build new relationships with people around the world.

Imane’s desire to connect with other cultures is shown again through her other favorite hobby, traveling.

She would like to “travel China one day, Insha Allah,” she explained.

Immediately, I wondered, “What does Insha Allah mean?”

Imane explained that it is a phrase important in the Islamic religion, meaning “if God wills” in English.

Religion is a big part of the lives of Moroccan students; our visit was during the first week of Ramadan, a month-long period of fasting, praying, and reflection.

While the non-Muslim students from my school were eating lunch, the Moroccan students, including Imane, were fasting.

When the five prayer times, Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha, arrived, the Moroccan students left from activities and conversations with students from my school to pray.

Imane explained that she wakes up every morning at sunrise to pray.

Even on Sundays, she wakes up at sunrise to pray and goes back to sleep if she wants to sleep in.

It was fascinating to witness the tremendous significance of religion in the lives of these students, influencing their lifestyle and even their language.

Though the Moroccan students have different lifestyles than me and my peers, I also learned that we are all similar, regardless of culture.

Imane explained to me that her and her friends usually spend their time together “joking around,” dancing, or spending time outside.

We also talked a little about our future aspirations.

Many students expressed their desires to study abroad, in countries like Britain and Germany.

Imane explained that she wants to study journalism in college and work with charity to help people in need.

Other students wanted to become doctors, engineers, pilots, judges, and lawyers.

Imane took me around her beautiful town and taught me how to make authentic Moroccan tea.

We finished the day with an Iftar, a fast-breaking evening meal, where I tasted delicious Hirira, a soup made from tomatoes, chickpeas, and meat.

This experience was eye-opening for me, as I had never had a friend outside Korean and American cultures.

I resonated with Imane’s desire to connect with different cultures, and I hope to keep in touch with her in the future.