A select group of Vanderbilt student-athletes and staff ventured to Morocco earlier this month on a service trip in partnership with Soles4Souls. The Commodores spent 10 days in North Africa distributing shoes to local children and immersing themselves in Moroccan culture. Each day this week, VUCommodores.com will feature student-athlete blogs written during their time in Morocco, offering in-the-moment reflections on the opportunity abroad.
Christina Rosca
Junior, Women’s Tennis
Day 1 and 2
So far our trip has been a tiring but exciting journey! During our trip over, we were lucky enough to enjoy a nine-hour layover in Paris, enabling us to sneak out of the airport and get a quick tour of the Eiffel Tower. Through the amazing and careful planning done by Kristen from Soles4Souls and everyone else involved, we were able to get quick passes to the top of the tower, which was beautiful! We could see several classic Paris landmarks such as the Seine River, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe. I had not ventured to Paris since I was very little, so I didn’t remember it very well. It was awesome we got the opportunity to visit two continents in this trip!
When we finally arrived in Casablanca, we took a van to the hotel and set our sights on our first Moroccan dinner. Everyone seemed to want to try a different type of food, because all of it sounded so good! I personally tried a dish called Tangine, which is your choice of meat cooked in a special ceramic or clay-covered pot with special spices and various vegetables. I don’t think I have ever tasted the spices used in the dish before, but the entire meal was delicious. After such a great first night in Morocco, we were all tired, but I think all of us are extremely excited to continue to experience such a unique and different culture for the next week and a half.
