The problem with how I thought about Morocco was that the things that I had learned about the country (whether through books, entertainment or the media) were only a part of the story. Some of the things were true, but only partly. For instance, there are many deserts and camels in Morocco, but there are also cities and roads, highways, buses, planes, and cars.
While in Morocco, I found out that I did have a lot in common with the people there. For instance, even though our styles are different, Moroccan girls love to dress up and put on jewelry just as American women (like me!) do. They love to paint themselves with henna, get together for dancing, and hang out with each other. I also learned some new skills like cooking, weaving mats, embroidery, and how to grind up spices. Another interesting thing that I discovered is that my name Jazmin (or Jasmine) comes from the name Yasmine, which is an Arabic name. The people in the village that I stayed in were very excited when they heard my name, and it was fun seeing the children running through the streets shouting my name when I walked by. I'm not going to lie: it made me feel like a celebrity!
I had been right in one respect, though: Morocco is a beautiful country. I enjoyed spending my days in a little village at our desert oasis and even got to see where scenes of Game of Thrones were filmed. While I was in Morocco, I couldn't speak with my host family very well because I didn't know Darija, the Arabic language's Moroccan dialect. I could understand their warmth and kindness, though. My host family and I would spend the evenings staying up late, laughing and eating as we tried our best to communicate.
