Welcome to my Travel Blog where I will be sharing my travel adventures, tips, and all things Food! I have been traveling for over 30 years and have had the pleasure of living overseas for five years in Saipan, Northern Marina Islands. I recently went on a 10-day cultural experience to Morocco and I am thrilled to share my adventures with you so buckle up and enjoy the ride!
I am a planner by nature and this is the first time that I flew Internationally and was unable to select my own seat. This really made me nervous as I usually select the aisle seat being that I have long legs, am somewhat claustrophobic and don't like tight spaces. I was also worried about the airline, first time flying Royal Air Maroc, and oh my gosh the reviews were horrible, however there was a direct flight to Casablanca and you could not beat the price! So I took the leap and purchased the ticket.
I flew into Dulles early that day and had some time to kill, so I had a delicious salmon sandwich at a nice restaurant and relaxed at the USO. I was surprisedly very relaxed when it was time to checkin for the flight, received my boarding pass and seat selection and boarded the plane. The "Boeing 787 Dreamliner" was very spacious, with two wide aisles. a large middle section and plenty of leg room. I searched for my seat number, found my row and was pleasantly greeted by a very friendly woman sitting in the window seat. She had the nicest smile and as I settled down in the middle seat next to her, I learned she was Moroccan and was going home to visit her family. She had such a calming voice, a pleasant disposition and I liked her instantly. We exchanged small talk about family life and how she prepared weeks worth of food for her husband before she left. We laughed about the things we had in common.
The aisle passenger finally arrived and she was also a Moroccan woman, but she did not speak any English. We greeted each other with smiles and she sat down while holding a large bag on her lap. I gestured to the over head bins and tried to ask if she wanted to store her bag. The Moroccan woman at the window explained in her native language and as they chatted back and forth, she translated to keep me included in the conversation. I nodded and smiled and enjoyed the exchange between them.
As we waited for the flight to depart, the woman in the aisle seat pulled out the safety card to review. She started pointing to the open over head bins and starting tapping her head, while pointing at the safety card. I said No, no worries, I asked the woman in the window seat to help explain that the crew will close the bins before the flight departs and nothing will fall on her. Once she realized that the bins did not stay open during the flight, and nothing would fall on her head, we all joined in laughter, she thought it was a funny situation!
As the flight took off, I relaxed into my seat and heard this beautiful prayer. The aisle woman was softly chanting, lifting her hands up and bowing down. She did this repeatedly and as I closed my eyes, I felt like she was praying for me too. All of a sudden tears filled my eyes, I was overwhelmed with emotion and I could feel a powerful and calming presence. I immediately felt comforted and embraced, it was a very special and spiritual moment.
As I sat and took in all in, I realized that at this time, in the middle seat, in this very moment I am right where I am supposed to be. If I was in another seat, I would have definitely missed this wonderful blessing and experience.
The Dreamliner had a large flight crew who moved efficiently around the plane. They served two full meals, and plenty of drinks. If you were sleeping, they even woke up up to ensure you don't miss a meal. I had never seen that before. The crew also passed out a headset, eye mask and socks. I usually can not sleep on flights, but I tuned to some soft music and I was able to sleep peacefully for several hours.
So overall it was a good flight and a pleasant experience. Although we were from different cultures, and traveling to different destinations, we were all just women, sisters, who took the time to be kind and courteous to each other. We all shared common decency, which in some instances can be a rarity these days.
Sometimes its good to just let go and be open to a new experience. Life is meant to be enjoyed, Smile, Be kind and be prepared to embrace the adventure. This was a great start to my Moroccan journey and I could not wait to see what was in store for me ahead!
