How Travelling Makes you Realise what Really Matters

After driving more than 1,400 km in Morocco in 9 days I’ve become a lot more closer to my husband, happier (if that’s possible), and learned heaps about myself, the world and others. Here is a brief summary of our trip to Morocco.

We hired a car and drove from Marrakech to Ouarzazate then to Zagora and then to Merzouga. Merzouga was a desert. We stayed there a few nights. We then drove back to Marrakech staying at Todra Gorge then getting lost for an extra 3-hour drive to a remote part of Morocco, then driving to Skoura where we stayed two nights and then back to Marrakech through Aint Benthou longer but scenic route!

We stayed at 10 different hotels; some were rubbish and some spectacular, however, that’s part of the travel! What have I learned from this trip? Here is my two cents worth.

Travel is much more glamorous in hindsight

When people travel not many mention uncomfortable things. We all see the beautiful photos of the trip but never see the actual reality of it. For instance, I had a migraine for three days! It was terrible! Thank goodness I had my migraine pills with me. I do suffer from bad migraines. The one mosquito that didn’t let us sleep almost the whole night and we were knackered the next morning.

The time when I was desperate to go to the loo and all you see for miles is the desert!!! I learn to drink less water but then the side effect is dehydration. Clean clothes become a rare find in the bag too even though I’ve thought of everything or so I thought! The list continues. It’s difficult to mention the not so glamorous things because the travel itself has given me so much more than those details in hindsight.

You see no one really wants to see the bad, the ugly and uncomfortable. Why? Because it destroys peoples’ ideas of travel. Travel is considered to be glamorous these days. I have never considered travel glamorous. I’ve travelled for work and lived in between countries. Trust me travel is the least glamorous thing I’ve experienced in my life.

However, I won’t ruin the idea of travel for you. Anyway, people learn not from what others tell them but through their own experiences. My mum used to say to me: ‘A stupid person learns from his/her own mistakes a smart person learns from other people mistakes.’ Human nature sometimes overtakes people and they learn from their own mistakes either way people learn!

Travel is the biggest education

We’ve been to the parts of Morocco where their market stall is on the ground. They sell goods on the ground without any stalls. It’s in a super remote part of Morocco not the rest of it though. People are simple. My husband felt like a walking dollar bill and everyone tried to rip him off! But that’s the culture here you’ve got to haggle!

The Moroccan’s are cool. We are just the passes by they’ve got their lives to get on with once we’ve driven by. When we were in the desert I had not much apart from my book and my husband. No TV. Yes, we did have wifi so we didn’t feel so cut off. However, there was nothing. You were forced to deal with yourself and whateverwas going on with you good or bad.

After I had finished my book and exhausted the options online what else is there. “The Moroccan whiskey” the tea that flows freely with breathtaking views of the desert. Life is pretty simple to eat good food, give and receive love and make sure the family is ok. Everything else is secondary and additional.

First world country vs Third world country

The basics of human life are food, sleep and being clean which to me is the most basic requirement in any country. Morocco has got it nailed when it comes to food, sleep and being clean! The food in Morocco even in the remote part is the best food I’ve eaten ever! You will not find crappy sandwiches with ham (ham is considered the cause of cancer).

Ham is found in the first world countries in all airports, road shops, restaurants and cafes! In Morocco which is considered a third world country, you won’t find ham. That to me is sickening how on earth is a first world country give cancerous meat everywhere to everyone? In Morocco, people wash every day not once a week or once a month as in some first world countries.

Third world first world it’s just a word to me simply because the justification for the UK, or indeed America, being a first world country is simply skewed. To me, good food that doesn’t have cancerous meat and people being clean is the basic requirement of human life. If that is not there then I am not a human.

To Travel or Not to Travel that is the Question

I will always say yes, however, be aware that travel is much more glamorous in hindsight. Travelling doesn’t have to be expensive either. I am no expert but we managed to not spend a huge amount. The way we did it, we researched the places, asked for recommendations and checked the prices before we booked anything.

Travelling makes, at least me, realise what I have and cherish every single bit of it. I am a person that prefers to stay at home but as it happens I end up travelling a bit because of the family and friends. If I have to pick one thing that travels taught me so far is that love is the only thing that matters in life. It doesn’t matter if you are in a remote village in Africa or Morocco or in Lithuania.

So spread the love and joy wherever you are.