Long Way from Wisconsin, A Netherlands Nanny’s Travels in Morocco

By Sadie Korn (travel mate from the United States, we met in Bled, Slovenia)

Hello!

My name is Sadie Korn, and I am happy to have met Tanner during my travels through Slovenia last September. This guy knows his stuff! A little bit about myself: I grew up in the small town of Westby, Wisconsin. Yes, I do love cheese and if you’re ever stopping through, grab some Westby Cheese Curds. You won’t be disappointed! Throughout high school and my freshman year of college, I was very confused with what I wanted to do. Therefore, I took a leap of faith and left my little town behind to live in Utrecht, Netherlands for a year to work as an Au Pair! To say I was scared would be an understatement. I was a 19 year-old who knew nothing about the world, going to live with strangers to look after their three energetic boys… All on my own.

My year abroad ended up being, by far, the best thing I have done to this day. I never realized how big the world was until I lived there. I never knew how independent I could become in such a short amount of time, but I guess doing things on your own really does that to you! I felt more at home than I had ever felt before. The friends I made and the memories that were created will be in my heart forever, along with the most perfect little Dutch boys I helped raise for a year.

While working as a nanny in the Netherlands, I had a ton of time off to travel. I had never been outside the United States, and I am very proud of myself for traveling to 13 different countries during my year abroad. Some of my favorites were: Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands… Obviously!

Along with those beautiful countries, one stood out to me in such a different way. I thought Europe was a huge culture shock for me… Until I went to Morocco. Something about the people, the atmosphere, the vibes, the food, and everything in between stood out to me. It felt like it was my place within the first moment of being there. It’s hard to describe, because it’s such a personal feeling. I hope anyone reading this has a place like that in their mind.

Morocco: A Special Trip to a Special Place

When I first arrived at Morocco’s Marrakech airport, I had a shuttle pick me up. I had no idea what I was doing. I still have no idea what I’m doing, but that’s life! My driver was super friendly but didn’t speak English… HA! We laughed a lot, but I don’t really know what we were laughing about. He dropped me off in the city center, and I was picked up by one of the guys working at the hostel I was staying at. His name was Salim. I think they’re all very friendly with the women, because he immediately bought me a necklace at the outdoor shops on our walk to the hostel. Wonderful hospitality, right?! The hostel didn’t have a roof in the main sitting area. It had a huge tapestry with Bob Marley on it. I noticed that right away, along with the beautiful blue walls and all the different colors and patterns. As soon as I dropped off my bags, we were on our way to the one bar in Marrakech. It was the most unusual bar experience I have ever had, with ladies dancing in their beaded skirts, a band singing songs I didn’t know any words to, and plants galore! There were so many plants, it was insane. Wonderfully insane.

The morning after, I was off to Ouzoud Waterfalls. This is where I met my amazing friend Julio who is from Peru. That’s probably my favorite part about traveling: Meeting people from all around the world! Anyway, these waterfalls were absolutely breathtaking. The water was very brown, but it was still amazing. They took us on the cutest row boats right next to the waterfalls. We were so close we were soaked! Monkeys were all over the path we had to walk on to make it to the falls. I fed one as it climbed on my shoulders! Not thinking, I put my bag on the ground before taking a picture and a French dude yelled, “The monkeys WILL steal your belongings!” Thank God for that French dude.

The day after the falls, Julio and I hung out before he departed home. We walked for ages to this park he wanted to go to. It actually wasn’t that impressive, but we definitely got to know a lot about each other on that walk. Julio is an artist, a truly amazing one. He drew a picture of a building while we were chilling at the park, and I thought it was so perfect I took a picture of it. We had a nice dinner with two new Dutch friends before Julio left. It was right in the city center. The lights and music were booming at night. The city center was insane. It was full of life, people, markets, monkeys and snakes on chains (very sad but it’s their culture), and women coming up to you, grabbing your arm, and giving you a Henna tattoo. Yes, this happened to me. Yes, they threaten you if you don’t pay them. Also, it didn’t even look cute! I’m over it though.

Essaouira was the next stop on my trip, as this city was right on the ocean. I just love the ocean, so that was really the only reason why I went there. I have never been to Greece, but I have obviously seen pictures. Essaouira gave off those vibes. It was very windy and chilly that day, so I didn’t go swimming, but it was a nice getaway from the vibrant city of Marrakech.

I originally wanted to go to Morocco, because I wanted to ride a camel and see the Sahara Desert. This was my last and most favorable excursion of the trip. It was a three-day excursion, so I warned my mom I wouldn’t be in contact with her for at least three days. She was worried, but clearly, I made it back just fine! There were two vans of people from all around the world going on the same trip, so I made some friends along the way. Two German girls, two guys from Argentina, a French couple, and more! Our first stop was at this random hostel in the middle of nowhere, as it was a 12 hour drive to get to the Sahara. The guy working at that hostel was named Couscous. He was strange in the best way. He wore these sandals that had fur on them. They made me uncomfortable, and I’m not an uncomfortable person. Couscous and I became good buddies though and have one another on Facebook now! We had Tagine for dinner that night, the typical Moroccan dish. It’s delicious, but eating it every day for a week gets old after a while. Around the table, after dinner, we sat on the floor on beautiful handmade rugs, drinking tea and playing the Tbilat (Moroccan drums). It was in that moment I felt at peace.

The next day was the day I was waiting for, I would finally get to ride a camel and see the Sahara! After an early wake up and long drive, we finally made it. It was sand for daysss! The purest, softest, smoothest looking sand you will ever see. We had to wear these head wraps, because the sun BEATS on you and the wraps helps block sand from getting in your eyes and mouth. Mine kept falling off, of course. Getting on a camel is quite scary, in my opinion. It’s also quite bumpy and uncomfortable. The experience was worth it, although my butt hurt afterwards. We rode on the camels for about two hours until we arrived at our camp.

It was insane to think I was doing this; I was spending the night in the Sahara Desert, and I was doing it on my own. Once there, we hiked up a huge sand dune to get the best view of the sunset. I didn’t bring water with me and regretted it. I love hiking but hiking up sand is HARD. You don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere, because you continue to slide back down. Seeing the sunset on the sand dunes in the Sahara was the best moment I have ever had in my life. It was the most peaceful, beautiful moment I’ve experienced to this day. I have always struggled with my mental health, but sitting there, watching the sunset, I knew I was going to be okay. It’s that memory that pushes me to continue traveling. Those are the experiences we should all be striving for.

In the tent that night, I’m not sure how, but our tour guides made us Tagine. Tagine is a mixture of meat and veggies, by the way. I have no clue how they did that in the desert, but I avoided the meat, as I had heard a lot of people have gotten food poisoning from that. We played some more drums around the fire, while drawing pictures with our hands in the smooth sand. As we had to be up early to see the sunrise that morning, we all went to bed early. I underestimated how cold it would get in the desert that night. I was FREEZING. I dealt with it though and made it through. As we rode our camels for another two hours that morning, watching the sun rise over the massive sand dunes, I was so beyond thankful. It was that trip that made me feel more independent than ever.

Sunrise in the Sahara — The sunrise in the morning was amazing!

Sadie in the Sahara Desert with Her Camel — Camel selfie! He’s definitely smiling!

I used to be afraid of being on my own. I used to be afraid to talk to people I didn’t know and afraid to ask for help. Looking back at my old self and seeing where I’m at now makes me realize the importance of getting out of your comfort zone. It allows the heart, body, mind, and soul to grow, blossom, and for you to become who you are truly meant to be. If I hadn’t gone to the Netherlands, I probably would have never gone to Morocco. Once this Corona Virus is over AND once I have money, I plan to take trips all over the world. Now, I have the confidence to just go. I’m not afraid anymore, and I owe it all to the Netherlands. It’s a big and beautiful world out there, and we need to see it.