From Marrakesh to Meknes: The Journey of Becoming an Adopted Daughter - 5/14/25

The past few days have felt unreal here in Marrakesh, Morocco. If you were to tell me that I would be on the continent of Africa, typing away while looking out the window as we drive through the Atlas Mountains, I would not believe you at all. I hope everyone reading this gets to experience Morocco one day if they haven’t yet. I think it's beautiful how sometimes so much good can come from the unexpected. The day started off with breakfast at the Diwane Hotel, and we had to pack our things to check out by 9:30 a.m. as we are currently headed to Meknes to meet our homestay families! But before we hit the road, we visited the beautiful Jardin Majorelle (The Majorelle Garden). While waiting in line, a few students and I played the game Heads Up, where one person has to guess what the others are acting out or describing. It was so fun and made the time pass by even faster, although we probably looked a little goofy acting out how a salmon moves or what a coyote sounds like. 

The part of the Jardin Majorelle that reminded me of an Oasis

At the garden, I noticed an Yves Saint Laurent memorial, which is where I learned that the garden is an homage from Saint Laurent to Marrakech. Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), a fashion designer, discovered the villa with Pierre Bergé in 1980 and was determined to bring it back to life, which I have to say, they definitely did an amazing job doing. After Saint Laurent passed away in 2008, his ashes were scattered throughout the villa, hence the memorial. The best way I can describe the garden is as an oasis. It feels surreal, with palm trees and water, like a mini heaven. It also felt like a place of relief and hope, surrounded by nature, which is what oases are symbolic of, especially in literature. The most notable was an art deco-style building painted a dark yet vibrant blue, accented with complementary colors like yellow and orange. The flowers were gorgeous as well, and as I was walking, I couldn’t help but think how much I wished my mom were there to see the garden with me. My mom loves gardens, and she would absolutely love what the Jardin Majorelle has to offer. 

Me, Ariana, Ashley, Lilian, and Hajiba at Hajibas home!

After the garden, we traveled on the bus for 5 hours to Meknes. I found it interesting how drastically the biome changed. We drove by mountains, grasslands, and forests which was really a great way to see the diverse biomes here in Morocco. It definitely made the bus ride more interesting compared to Indiana, a break from the flat land and corn fields was much needed! And to wrap up our day, we met our homestay families in Meknes! Me and my group only got one homestay mom and her name is Hajiba! We talk a lot with Hajiba through google translate since no one in my group is fluent in Arabic or French, but we still have fun talking! The rest of the students have also met their home stays and hopefully you get to read more about their experiences with their families as well! Hajiba is great, and I cannot wait to continue being her adopted daughter for the next 2 weeks!

Me at the Garden!

One of the beautiful views of our bus ride to Meknes!

Signing Off,

Edith F.