A collective gasp fills the cabin and the wheels bounce hard enough on the Rabat tarmac to cause an instant head ache to pulse at the base of my neck. After we fishtail to a stop, I collect my things and am grateful for solid ground even as wind and sideways rain knock against my cheeks. Bleary-eyed from jet lag and cranky from the absence of anything resembling a gluten-free meal in the Casablanca airport, I nearly cry when the border patrol can’t comprehend how I cleared customs in Casablanca the night before (even though I have a stamp on my passport) and then almost hug Mohamed (the In-Country Program Director of Cross-Cultural Solutions) when I finally make it through customs and see him holding the familiar CCS sign.

Given the darkness on my arrival, I have no idea what to expect of Rabat when I wake up for orientation the next day. My first impression when driving through the streets? It feels like someone has reached beyond me and turned the dial to black and white. After growing used to India’s colours and her assault on your senses, Morocco feels like a muted and monochromatic sister. From the grey skies to the neutral head scarves to the legion of old white taxis on the dusty streets, my first day leaves me shivering in the night chill and feeling a little despondent.

Then, I remember how I typically feel during the first 3 days of a volunteer placement in a new country. In spite of living out of a suitcase for the past 2.5 years, I still dislike the first night in a new bed, the feeling of not knowing where I am within a city, and the small talk of first conversations. While buried under a pile of blankets and feeling homesick for a place (anyplace) I have traveled before, I go to bed on the second night telling myself to give it time.

And I’m glad I do. Like a bride hidden beneath a veil, I see that if I am patient, even the most reserved of places reveals her true beauty.

From succulent tajines drenched in cinnamon and spices, to riveting conversations ranging from the history of Islam to traditional wedding celebrations, I come to see the the sweetness of this place. From the Parisian architecture and vibrantly green grass of Rabat, to the cavernous and ornate Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, to the woman who asks if we are lost and walks with us to the train station, to the child who claps his hands in excitement when we show him how to turn a plastic cup into a hat, I can now imagine a day when a group of cancer survivors join me in a country that will forever leave an imprint on their lives. I am grateful for this week and grateful to the staff at Cross-Cultural Solutions for making Rabat feel a little bit like home to me.

The more I travel, the more I come to appreciate the lessons it has for me. This week is no exception. Life is not about comparing and contrasting experiences and always seeking the “best” place to go. It is about surrendering to every experience. It is about allowing people and places to reveal themselves in their own time and in their own way. And, it is about staying open enough to appreciate how each place can help you see the world from a new perspective. As Marcel Proust says, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

Will you join me in Morocco via Pinterest FCAF Africa – Morocco or Tanzania? and here at A Fresh Chapter? I will continue to share my adventures with you and will let you know if or when you can expect a #FCAFAfrica program to launch in Rabat, Morocco.

For now, I must continue the journey with an open mind and heart. Tomorrow I will travel to Fez to explore potential once-in-a-lifetime experiences for Fresh Chapter Alliance Foundation (FCAF) participants. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, I am excited to see what the “Mecca of the West” & the “Athens of Africa” has to show me. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you. What has travel taught you? What place in the world has surprised you most? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Hearing from you helps me stay connected to a piece of home, even when I’m on the other side of the world.