Cassie Stockamp

So… Morocco! I wanted to go somewhere a little more exotic, and yes, I had a wee bit of hesitation. So many blogs warn solo female travelers to “beware.” Wellll… none of that has been my experience (okay, except having my necklaces yanked off by a passing motorcycle, but honestly—that could’ve happened anywhere). 😆

Trigger warning for some.

I started in Casablanca, a concrete jungle of 4 million. Not exactly inspiring, but the perfect place to get oriented. The young volunteers I worked with had traveled all over Morocco and taught me how to navigate the trains, buses, money, and culture.

One of our first outings was to a hammam (public bathhouse). Let’s just say… I saw more skin than I expected. 😂 Women soaking, chatting, laughing—and then the scrub-down. A rough mitt, a lot of dead skin, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so clean. The whole two-hour experience? 100 dirham… about $11!

Morocco is 99% Muslim, and five times a day the call to prayer echoes across the city. I actually love the idea of an entire country being invited back into the present moment.

The students at the language school were bright and ambitious—future pilots, doctors, engineers—boys and girls. Everyone learns Arabic and French, and many add a third language. Super impressive.

And because I can’t help myself, I asked three young women if I was going to hell. They answered sincerely: at the grave, I’d be asked who my Lord is, who my Prophet is, and what my religion is. I told them my answers wouldn’t match the Qur’an. They simply suggested, kindly, that I “do my research.” No judgment. No pressure. Just calm certainty.

What struck me was how similar this is to fundamental Christianity… and in both cases, I’m not on the “saved” list. Food for thought.

And now I’m off to explore Marrakech, Rabat, Fes, the desert, Chefchaouen, and Tangier. Yes, I’m one lucky woman. ✨

#Morocco #SoloFemaleTraveler #Hammam #Casablanca #TravelStories #itsallgood #slowtravel