Pre-Arrival Nerves, Packing Recommendations, and a Lil’ Bit of Meknes (Catcalling and Modesty)

Blog Summary:

• If you are nervous before leaving, love on the people you will miss the most and know that the pain will be quick because when you arrive in Rabat you will immediately be distracted.
• Do not forget a FEW European / Type C outlet adapters
• Bring a couple reusable water bottles
• Weigh your suitcase before you leave the house [I recommend bringing a backpack (school and travel around Morocco and Europe), small rolling suitcase, and large checked bag]
• Put airtags in your suitcases - you can also use them once you arrive in Rabat
• Bring tampons
• I recommend packing modest linen clothing. Modest being defined as covering the shoulders, midriff, and thighs. Some people wear shorts but they typically cut-off at or slightly above the knee.
• You will rarely get catcalled/stared at in Rabat.
• You will constantly get catcalled/stared at in Meknes, my advice is to not engage unless you feel unsafe.
• Do not drink the tap water, so buy water to stay hydrated - it’s cheap.

Two weeks before arriving in Rabat I was extraordinarily nervous because all I could do was await the inevitable. I could not yet focus on the wonderful and exciting aspects of studying abroad in Morocco because I was focusing on how much I would miss my family and friends in the United States. I am very grateful to have such people in my life that I would miss so much. I would advise that my past self seek comfort from those people that you will miss the most and not dread the pain you will feel leaving them. The pain is also short-lived as navigating airports and arriving in a new country will fully distract you. IES Rabat also does a wonderful job keeping you occupied for the first couple of days in Rabat and Meknes. You will also have a roommate in Meknes so you do not have a lot of time to mope around by yourself.

My cohort arriving at Rihab Hotel.

My cohort arriving at the IES Rabat Center.

Jumping back to the subject of pre-arrival, do NOT forget to bring a couple European / type C outlet adapters. I say a few so you can keep one in your room and one in your bag. Also, Amazon doesn’t really exist here so you cannot get specific items on demand. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of shops at very cheap prices thanks to the USD favoring exchange rate, but life is a lot less stressful if you arrive with the essentials. Speaking of arriving with the essentials, soaps and cleansers are a lot heavier than you think so make sure to weigh your suitcases before going to the airport and getting surprised by an overweight fee. I would recommend packing a small rolling bag, backpack, and large checked bag. This backpack will be your best friend as you will use it for school and travelling around Morocco and Europe on the weekends/during breaks since cheap flights don’t give you overhead bin access. You can probably check the small rolling bag at some point in time for free along your journey to Rabat just make sure both of your suitcases have airtags in them so if they get lost you at least know where they are. Also, if you use tampons, BRING TAMPONS because they are not very common here along with any medications you are comfortable with and band-aids. One last thing, bring one or two reusable water bottles.

My Backpack

My AirTag

One of my adapters

When it comes to packing clothes the items that I have worn the most include linen pants, linen shirts, cotton shirts, and maxi skirts/dresses. Most days I wear full length pants with a short-sleeved button up. In Rabat the majority of people dress modestly but you won’t be bothered too much if you wear something a little more revealing. In Meknes, however, I got stared at and yelled at even in my maxi skirts and long sleeved shirts. The staring, in my opinion, was warranted as not many tourists visit Meknes and as a very pale, blonde, light eyed individual I stood out a lot. I am still salty about the yelling though because catcalling is not okay in any cultural context. I unfortunately cannot recommend any actions to take against these transgressors because in my experience giving them any form of attention only empowers them so unless you are in an unsafe situation I would not recommend engaging. 

One last thing, do NOT expect to be able to DRINK THE WATER within your first few weeks of being here. You will get sick from the water at some point, most likely not enough to take you out for the day but your gut will be bubbly and you will be dehydrated. The water here is very cheap though, I usually buy four 2-liter bottles for a total less than $5 USD. 

Here are some examples of my daily essentials, and I aIso recommend knee length shorts and tee shirts when in Rabat.

My thrifted shirt

My flowery patterned thrifted t-shirt

My nylon Athleta pants

My Gap Linen Pants