Right after Êid al-Fitr in early May, we received our first group for a cultural tour of Morocco. Twelve people participated in The Navigator Program, which we designed in order to give people the opportunity to not only learn about culture in general, but also to gain experience with the cultural concepts we discussed. We call this program an “immersive educational experience” because it’s more than a tour; the group explores Morocco while also learning how to navigate cultures. The goal of our time together is for participants to better understand and appreciate culture in general, equipping them to navigate the cultural contexts they encounter at home. We spent about ten days together, visiting Casablanca, Fes, Azrou, and Rabat. We went on tours, attended workshops, shopped in medinas and souks, ate many delicious meals, and interacted across cultures. Here’s what we, the hosts, learned during our first cultural tour.

We are still learning.

We very quickly realized that hosting this group for an educational cultural tour met that we were supposed to be subject-matter experts on everything about Morocco! However, that is just not possible, because we are still learning. But there were so many questions asked on a daily basis (and sometimes it seemed there were questions every minute!). I (Cailyn) had just finished the book I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet by Shauna Niequist before the group arrived to begin their tour of Morocco. That phrase, “I guess I haven’t learned that yet,” was so helpful for me to tell our new friends, “I am still learning about Morocco, about culture, about how we are all just trying to be human here together.  And I guess I haven’t learned that yet.” Culture is complex, with the parts that we can see, and also the parts that lie below the surface and often go without being said. We are still learning Moroccan culture, but also our own culture. And it is okay to be a learner; in fact, it’s encouraged!

Moroccan hospitality is even more impressive than we thought.

Our visitors were blown away by the level of hospitality shown by Moroccans. Whether it be by locals met on the street, or by servers and cashiers in restaurants, the Moroccans we encountered went above and beyond to accommodate our group. One particular place that stood out to me (Michael), was a lady working at a restaurant in the Borj Fez food court. The members in our group knew very little Arabic, but the younger Moroccan lady used the English she knew to help register the order. Moroccan’s have a gift for learning languages, and in this moment I was impacted by her effort to make the guests feel welcome.

Morocco is a beautiful country for experiencing not only diversity in the landscape, but also in the culture.

Our group only had time to visit coastal and (low) mountain settings, and in a future trip will try to make it to the desert. When we travel from Casablanca to Fes in our personal vehicle, it takes about 3.5 hours if we don’t stop. However, in the private vehicle we hired, the trip was longer (around five hours) due to the limitation on highway speed (80km/h as opposed to 120km/h). The slower pace allowed our group to take in the beautiful rural landscapes filled with trees, agriculture, and farm animals. One of the visitors was surprised by how green everything was. A few days later, as we stood above the city of Fes near the Hotel Les Mérinides, again we were impacted by the size and beauty of Fes’ ancient Medina. Culturally, our group experienced not only Arab culture but also Amazigh culture. In Azrou, capital of Amazigh culture, we visited a women’s co-op and partook in a delicious couscous meal prepared by hand.

We are so thankful for the opportunity to keep learning, even as we are supposed to be the experts!

Here’s what one of the participants, Janel, had to say about The Navigator Program: “Wow! What an experience! The ten-day cultural tour of Morocco was amazing! First off, the food. It wasn't just nourishment it was an experience all on its own. The opportunity to be a guest in a Moroccan's home, to shop at the local market, to picnic on a mountain, and even to eat snails was something I will never forget. Second, the education. I learned so much about hot/cold-climate cultures, direct and indirect communication, Islam, Moroccan hospitality and I even had the opportunity to take a class on Moroccan Arabic before I arrived. Third, and most importantly, the people. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the finest people on the planet. The teachers at the cultural center were friendly and engaging, the hosts at the Riads we stayed in went above and beyond to make our stays memorable, shopping at the Medina was so interesting, and our driver Hussain was the best! Michael and Cailyn really outdid themselves on this tour. They were intentional about each place we visited, each meal we ate, each experience we had to give us the best possible immersion into the Moroccan culture.  The biggest takeaway I had from this tour was that with just a little understanding bridging the gap between two cultures really isn't that difficult. I learned lessons that will stay with me for a lifetime and influence the way I interact with people in my own city. Thank you for a fantastic ten days!”

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