A few weeks ago I started the second half of my study abroad session in Morocco. So, as I said goodbye to the amazing friends that I made during summer 1, I anxiously awaited the arrival of the new group. Even after a few short weeks I can already tell they are going to be a great group. Last weekend, I accompanied them on their first excursion to Volubilis & Fes. Despite the fact that I had already done this trip with my original group I decided to tag along for a few reasons...

1. I truly wanted to get to know the new members of the ISA program, and from past experience, I remember how getting lost together on excursions served as a strong bonding moment with my friends from summer 1. 
2. It was free...hey, I will take a private & air-conditioned ISA bus over the Moroccan train system any day.
3. Shopping!! If there is anything, and I mean anything, that you need to find/buy-it will be in Fes. So, I used this trip to purchase some early christmas gifts and to take advantage of the outstanding quality and prices of Moroccan leather. 
4. Lastly, I wanted to make a video! During the last session I got no footage from my excursion to Volubilis. This time around, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to make a video with the new members of summer 2. 

Before I attach my video, I should probably explain what Volubilis is! Voluilis (aka Walili) is located midway between Meknes and Fes. It is a archeological site of Roman ruins complete with corinthian columns, mosaics, and other well preserved remnants of the former city. I think I managed to capture the beauty of these ruins in my video {So Enjoy Everyone}

ISA Blogging

Recently, I was hired on as a featured blogger for ISA (International Studies Abroad). Essentially my job is to write a minimum of two blog posts on ISA's blog . This past week I wrote my first entry reflecting on my time abroad in Morocco thus far and why I decided to keep a blog. Attached to this post is a link to my first blog entry. Feel free to view and comment on the post. Also, make sure to look at my updated page on "people on my travels that I've met and liked." {Enjoy}

ISA Blogger: Taylor Renee {link}

Las Ramblas {Barcelona}

                  

Hello Everyone, please excuse my idleness. The combination of final exams and traveling has forced me to neglect my blog for longer then I liked, but I'm back with a lot of new experiences and stories to tell! Last week I  spent about six days in Spain & Catalonia. Half of my trip was spent in Madrid and the other in Barcelona. Despite the beauty of both cities, Barcelona was undoubtedly my favorite place. I was really amazed at the architecture and the overall vibe of the city. Everywhere you turned there is something new and exciting to capture your attention. I think the video montage that I made to document my time in Barcelona will express this notion. The video is a jumble of food, architecture, and primary sites in Barcelona. Most of it was shot on Las Ramblas which in now my favorite street in the city. Las Ramblas is a long stretch of interconnecting streets that forms one long pedestrian mall. I loved it because of the fact that there was always so much to do and see in this area and you could always find excellent paellas along this street. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my video. Stay tuned for   more pictures from Barcelona & Madrid & check out the new updates on my "people on my travels that "I've met and liked" page. 

The Cities by the Sea: Tangier & Asilah

.

This past weekend, I went on a final excursion. I traveled to two gorgeous cities, Tangier & Asilah. The sole purpose of the trip was to relax (i.e. no monuments or tours). Thus, all of us fled to the beautiful beaches of Asilah. After the long weekend, Asilah quickly ended up being my favorite city in Morocco. Not only was the city calm and undeniably peaceful, but it consisted of two of my favorite things, art and water. Art seemed to be one of the unmistakeable themes of the city. Almost every person I met there was artisan. Moreover, the art of Asilah is mostly displayed along the cities sprawling white walls. Large vivid murals cover commonplace residential walls throughout the city. Besides its thriving artistic culture, Asilah is most significantly a beach town. The endless expanse of beach is breathtaking. An entire day could literally be spent relaxing along the ocean. Anyway, here is the video from my last excursion, I hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed making it!

This Side of Wanderlust

One of the hardest parts of running a blog is narrowing down and selecting pictures to post on it. As not to clutter the site I try to limit my picture uploads. However, this presents a conundrum because there are many more pictures that I would love to share. So, I have created a tumblr account as a more efficient forum for my images. Here is a link to my new tumblr page "This Side of Wanderlust," I really hope you enjoy the miscellaneous cluster of images, music, video, and inspiration from my travels.

                                                   
                                                                                               ---CLICK HERE---

Adventures & Wanderlust

 

This past weekend I went on a 1 day excursion to the quiet towns of Ifrane and Azrou. Unlike many of my previous excursions, this trip lacked a lot of the hustle and bustle that has come to define a lot of my time in Morocco. This particular excursion was different. Walking through Ifrane during the early hours of the morning and being surrounded by the wide open space of Azrou was incredibly peaceful. In the video above, all of the footage is from my time in Azrou. My goal was to try and capture some of the memorable moments from my hike. So, hope you enjoy the video! Until next time.

moroccan hammams

{hammam + chefchaouen}

Thus far, one of the most memorable experiences i've had in Morocco has been my visits to the "hammam." First, you might be wondering what exactly is a Moroccan hammam. It is a public bath separated for both men and women. Essentially, imagine a modern steam room combined with a traditional Turkish bath. Hammams are usually visited once a week or based on personal preference.  Moreover, the primary function of it is to cleanse & rehydrate your skin.They are very much apart of the community, meaning that women, children and men of all types frequent the hammams.

Visiting a Hamman: 

Bring all the things that you would normally use in the shower. Also, when going to a hammam one has to bring a plastic bucket for water. Once there, ask for the "black soap"- the soap is made form all natural products and makes it easier to remove dead skin from your body. Lastly, a plastic mat is necessary so that you don't have to sit directly on the marble floor. 

What to Expect: 

So far I have visited two hammans; one in Meknes and Chefchaouen (pictured above). The initial entrance fee is about 10-16 dirhams ($1.13-$2.03 USD). They all have the same basic layout. There is always a changing area, however, it can be private or public. For the actual shower, there is a communal hot room with individual cisterns. 

Also, for a about 25 extra dirhams ($2.83 USD), a hamman attendant will scrub you with a kiis-which is a mitt made of a harsh material meant to remove layers of dead skin from your body. 

Overall, the hammans are so interesting/ and fun because of the fact that it is such a new experience. Once you get over the initial awkwardness it instantly becomes one of the most relaxing places to go after my three hour Arabic class. 

rhapsody in blue

Hopefully, you've all seen my video from Chefchaouen!  While in the city I took a staggering amount of pictures. After weeding out the shots where I was clearly too trigger happy, I narrowed it down to seven of my favorites. Overall, my favorite pictures mostly consist of children in Chefchaouen, blue doorways, and empty streets. However, I think these images do justice to the overall essence I this picturesque city. {enjoy everyone}

The Tale of the Blue City

       

This past weekend I took a two day trip with some friends to the quaint city of Chefchaouen. The city is in the northwest of Morocco and situated around the Rif Mountains. One of the most notable distinctions about Chefchaouen is the various shades of blue that serves as the primary color for nearly every building in the city.  So far this is one of my favorite places in Morocco. The people in the city were incredibly nice and extremely accommodating. I primarily fell in love with the atmosphere of the city. It is nearly impossible to be stressed in such a beautiful place. While on this trip I decided to do a video to capture some parts of Chefchaouen that were most notable to me. This video is entirely dedicated to the friends that I made during my two day visit. {enjoy}

What happens in Fez

{adventures in Fez} 

the apartment

       

{the apartment + meknes}

I have been in Meknes for about a week now and I thought it was time to show off my Moroccan home. enjoy! 

the layout:

2   bathrooms

3   bedrooms

3   balconies 

1   set of loud neighbors

2   vivacious roommates 

1   cook named Nora 

2   doormen {both named Muhammad}

casablanca excisions

{palace in casablanca}

{detailed doorways}

{olives in the market}

{moroccan doorways}

Before we left Morocco we were taken on a tour of Casablanca. Initially we were taken to various buildings and significant sites around the area. After we visited a market where there were numerous men selling olives. However, all of us got severely sidetracked by the beauty & detail of the Moroccan doorways.

hassan II mosque

{Hassan II Mosque + Casablanca}

 Last week my study abroad group went to the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. I decided to make another video because pictures were not able to capture the detail & grandeur of this space. Hope you like the video. Enjoy!

Casablanca

{view from Hotel Prince de Paris + Casablanca}

{my favorite concierge} 

{the beach in Casablanca}

along the way

I’ve been traveling for about a week now. In that amount of time I have met some amazing people that have ultimately enriched my traveling experience this summer. Solo traveling is possibly one of the most daunting and rewarding things I have ever done. On the one hand you are completely alone without the aid of anyone that you know. This essentially makes you vulnerable to all kinds of traveler dilemmas. However, traveling by yourself opens you up to new possibilities and ways of thinking. So, this blog entry is dedicated to those who have so far been positive influences on my travels. 

 In France 

Peyton: To one of my best friends who I had the pleasure of experiencing Paris with for the first time. #memorable moments.

Alyssa: Four years ago we went to the same summer camp together and by sheer coincidence she was studying abroad in Paris when I was visiting. Thanks for making me understand the true meaning of the term “yolo” {you. only. live. once}

Navid: Taught me that the best conversations happen in Paris between the hours of 1-5am. 

Rita: The amazing sixty-four year old Canadian women that I had dinner with in Roissey. She was also a solo traveler who was backpacking through Europe. We bonded over our agreement on the notion that the people you meet while traveling are sometimes the most impactful. 

                                      Also, special thanks to the man that randomly gave me 10 euros for taxi fare.

 The plane 

The Johnson Family: Five amazing people from Boston who were flying to Morocco for a conference. Barbra and I had an amazing talk during our two hour flight. Also, special thanks to her 11 year old son Jordan who kept me company with an enthralling conversation while waiting at baggage claim. 

vignette 2

{paris + film}

As my days in France slowly draw to a close, I wanted to make a video to comemerate my time in this amazing place. Over the past couple of days I have tirelessly documented all my favorite sites in Paris using video. enjoy! 

Parisian adventures

                       {creme brûlée}

{{Paris + day three}

Paris day two

{paris + second day}

                                                                         {breakfast+ the arc+eiffel tower+shakespeare and co}

My second day in Paris was amazing! It was definetley the most "tourist-y" day i've had so far. Yesterday, Peyton and I went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower & Notre Dame. My favorite place was undeniably Notre Dame. Being in the space was breathtaking.  It is one of those places where you just have to sit and take in the entire church. Here is a link to panoramic picture that I took of the inside and outside of the church {http://360.io/3eMfvj}& {http://360.io/7b88XH}. Enjoy!

http://360.io/7b88XH http://360.io/3eMfvj

Paris continued...

{the ritz hotel + paris}

{laduree+macaroons+paris}

{escargot}

{the view+peyton's balcony} 

Paris. [day one]

{paris}

I made it to Paris! Being here is such a surreal experience. Yesterday, my friend picked me up from the airport and we spent the rest of the day walking the city. Here are some of the pictures I took along the    way.

                                      {scenes from the Louvre & the cafe "Paul" inside of it} 

travel necessities

{what. to. pack}

Finally! it is the night before my departure to Paris. I have successfully narrowed down the contents of my carry-on. so far my necessities include... 

Camera: there is always time for impromtu photo sessions...always 

Moroccan & French phrase book: so that I can actually sound competent on my travels

Arabic textbooks & flashcards: in the end it is called "study" abroad 

ipod/ ipad/ macbook: it felt wrong not to bring the entire fleet of apple products 

wallet; passport; money [3different currencies]: obvious reasons 

extra set of clothes: in case the unthinkable happens [lost luggage]

for the explorer

{wanderlust}

When I travel I have this habit of not fully absorbing or appreciating the place I am in. So, before I go abroad this summer I thought it would be good to highlight some of my personal mantras that I want to remember during my travels. 

DIY

{sneakers} 

So, one of my current loves are sneakers. Two years ago I had an exclusive commitment to high heels, but recently a significant portion of my money has gone towards sneakers. The pictures above are a few of my personal favorites. Especially the Marimekko Converse [top left] and the high-top wedges by Marc Jacobs. 

{diy |customized converse}

In full commitment of my sneaker obsession I decided to customize a pair of all white Converse. The whole project took about 2-3 days, but I think they turned out great! For inspiration I based a lot of the design on the Converse designed by Vena Cava and Lupe Fiasco.  After getting a firm idea of what I wanted, I added a few of my own personal touches to it [ie. the logo on the tongue and the Arabic along the back of the shoes]. Overall, I think they turned out really well. Can't wait to try this on a pair of Nikes or Toms next. 

current obsession

{maxi skirts | dresses} 

One of the most daunting parts about traveling....packing! The entire task just makes me anxious and unhappy. However, in preparation for Morocco I have stocked up on my current clothing obsession, maxi dresses/skirts. I can completely see this being a versatile outfit to wear while abroad [let's hope].

images taken from pinterest.com 

summer travels

{paris | chicago | meknes}

So looking forward to three months of traveling. I start off in Chicago [for a conference]. Then visiting a friend [who is studying abroad] in Paris. The remainder of my summer is going to be spent in Morocco for my own study abroad program. Can't wait!

images taken from pinterest.com