Traveling alone for the first weeks
While writing I'm in my second week of travel sitting in a super tours bus on the way to Oulad Teima ( the spot where I will be teaching german). The bus ride takes like ages, so there is a lot of time to reflect on the past week and give you some Insights 😆 Hopefully we arrive before the sun goes down, but Inshallah!
Images: WM ( 2:0 morocco/ belgium, rooftop view, meeting mostafa a local surf instrucor talking/relaxing
With this Post, I'm just telling you about my feelings about traveling on my own in this african craziness.
Sometimes I do have the feeling that I don't have a clue how to travel on my own. 😁
Mostly I am just traveling without a plan.
Just after arriving at a place you'll find me somewhere drinking tea and then something happens - a waiter starts talking to me, another guest in the restaurant, sometimes I'm reading something or nothing happens.
Somehow always something is happening. We're in Africa guys 😁
Sometimes I do feel stressed about not knowing what to do or what to see. I guess that's because it always looks like everyone is having a great itinerary while traveling. If you look at social media. (..) I would say I'm not the best decision-maker.
So on the first day of arriving in Essaouira, I felt again a bit lost. 😆 Sorry for telling it again but it's just the truth. Images are not showing the inner troubles which I would like to emphasize herewith.
(..) But more and more I am getting a feeling of what I want and what I don't want.
That's for me the coolest but also the hardest thing about traveling alone. I have to decide what I want.
You don't need to explain or make plans with anyone else. (..) for me, It's really interesting to see finally what happens.
For example:
I stayed now almost one week in Essaouira, I booked an Airbnb one day prior.
During my stay, I found myself just relaxing and doing not that much. (..)
If I'm looking at my pictures, I'm reflecting that I saw/ experienced a lot.
Every day I explored another part of the small town. I spent time in a variety of cafes and restaurants and just enjoyed watching the people walking through the streets.
Somehow I was in the need to spend just time on my own and to reflect on those intensive first days in Imlil and also on the past year. Therefore it was great that I had a small little Airbnb where I could spend some time just relaxing on the amazing rooftop, watching the birds, enjoying a cup of tea, doing some yoga with having a nice breeze around my nose, and also catching up with family and friends back home. Which was amazing!
Just those little things (..)
What did I think before coming?
Well actually, I thought Essaouira will be the place where I will give kite surfing a try but I was not in the mood to do it.
So I didn't. Which was fine.
Somehow I wasn't in the mood for it and also I did not want to do sth. where I need brain capacity. So just hanging around was the perfect thing for me.
I found myself as well crying on the beach. But in the end, it was amazing if you see this endless sea and you have some sad thoughts. It can be nice though. I just accepted my sadness.
I was sad thinking about my past relationship and also being in a country where men always start talking to you which can be quite annoying. If you are not in the mood.
Having a phone call with Miriam a good friend of mine from Mannheim - helped a lot as well. She is from Morocco originally. So she knew my struggles.
I was telling her about some moments when I felt like a piece of meat that men are watching.
She had some nice words that helped a lot. "Sure you are now like 9 days in the country, you are still accepting this cultural shock. And if they start talking to you just don't reply and just keep walking. I know you're always like to be kind but honestly, I would not watch them in the eye just keep going"
(..) and one of the best things she told me was: "Miri, just accept the sadness. In Munich you had a great time, but also there was not so much time to reflect on the past" (..) which is quite true.
Somehow I was pushing the past away without realizing it. So I accepted this sadness for the moment.
(..) somehow I was in the mood for a joke - so I asked her:
"Miri what do you think? They are also selling those happy muffins here on the beach with some hash - maybe that could be uplifting" 😁
"Better not! It's emphasizing the emotion in which you are, so it's I guess not the best deal in your current mood! (..) and I don't want to pick you up in Morocco" 😂
To sum it up:
"Me time" is really important from time to time. Just reflecting and living on the inside instead of the outside. I know I'm probably not the best with it, but I just wanna let you know about those feelings.
Traveling alone seems to be like a rollercoaster. But it feels worth it 😉
Fortsetzung folgt 😊
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