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A Weekend in Safi
This past weekend, I traded my usual routine in Rabat for a visit to Safi, where my friend and fellow Fulbrighter, Catherine, is living and teaching. The train ride was long — about five and a half hours — but it was the kind of journey that lets you settle in, read, stare out the window, and watch the landscape shift from coastal city to open fields to the quieter stretch of Morocco’s Atlantic coast. By the time I arrived, it already felt like a small adventure. Catherine wa
Allyson Gilbert
2 days ago2 min read
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From the Roof
From my rooftop, the city feels different. Quieter, even though it isn’t. I can still hear the hum of cars, the call to prayer, the clinking of dishes from the restaurants below — but it all blurs together into background noise. Down on the street, there’s always something happening. Two restaurants side by side stay busy late into the night. Across the street, there’s a hanut , one of those small corner shops that sells everything you need — water, eggs, chips, tissues, SIM
Allyson Gilbert
Nov 122 min read
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Fall in Morocco
When October rolled around here in Morocco, something felt off. Back home in Maine, this is my favorite time of year — crisp air, colorful leaves, cozy sweaters, apple picking, pumpkin carving, and every kind of fall food imaginable. But in Rabat, the traditional New England fall isn’t really a thing. There are no hayrides or cider doughnuts, no rows of pumpkins outside the grocery store, no smell of fallen leaves in the air. I found myself missing that sense of seasonal chan
Allyson Gilbert
Nov 12 min read
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Cooking, Food, and Culture in Morocco
If there's one thing I've learned in Morocco, it's that food isn't just something you eat - it's something you share. It's a conversation, a gesture of welcome, a sign of care. Meals here don't feel rushed. They stretch out, often over hours, with pauses for more tea, more bread, more laughter. When I first arrived, I thought a dinner invitation at 7:30 meant we would eat around 8:00. Instead, we sat down closer to 9:30 - and didn't leave until after 11. It's not about gettin
Allyson Gilbert
Oct 252 min read
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Conversations About Modesty
When I was preparing to move to Morocco, modesty came up in almost every conversation. “Make sure to bring clothes that cover your...
Allyson Gilbert
Oct 113 min read
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First Impressions of Rabat
Rabat is stunning. Wide palm-lined boulevards, white stone buildings, the ocean just at the edge of the city—it’s a capital that carries...
Allyson Gilbert
Sep 72 min read
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