this is what i do in PRAGUE.

October 26-28, 2009 - Marrakech, Morocco.

These 3 days made up what will probably be one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. I had a lot of firsts: traveling to Africa, riding a camel, going to a Muslim country, seeing a real life snake charmer, even doing a double decker bus tour. Shit, I didn’t even drink during the entire time we were there! That says a lot, by my standards.

Seriously though, I think I achieved a new state of calm in Marrakech. There was this one moment during our first night in Marrakech that was so simple, but I don’t think I will ever forget it. I was lying down, just reading The Wild Things in the nook of the rooftop terrace after a day of going through the souks, eating delicious tagines and couscous, being pampered head to toe in a hammam, and experiencing a night in Plaza Djemma el Fna, and I just had this moment where I was completely and utterly content with life. Even with the constant calls from the men in the markets of “Konnichiwa!” and “Japanese?” (which I attributed to the likelihood that Japan is their only/most common conception of Asia) That moment was just perfect.

I would elaborate further, but there’s just too much and it’s getting too late that I’m just going to list out my experience in Marrakech:

• Being stuck in passport control for an hour after our ONE EURO flight because we didn’t know the process and no one would explain it to us
• Finally getting to our “hostel” aka riad aka beautiful Moroccan courtyard home
• Not knowing what was going on for our first hour since we didn’t bring a guidebook, we didn’t have a map, and the only person in our riad was the cleaning lady who only spoke French (but turned out to be one of the sweetest women in the world)
• Moroccan mint tea!
• The friendly Canadians who showed us around
• Bargaining in the souks
• The best free breakfast ever
• Getting scrubbed down and basically bathed in the hammam
• Streetfighting, storytelling, henna artists, medicine men, and the outdoor food booths that fill the Plaza Djemma el Fna by night
• Literally having the waiters at every food booth do everything possible to get you to eat at theirs, finally going back to the #26, the first one we saw, and being greeted by applause and handshakes, eating delicious food, and taking pictures with our super friendly waiter
• The best fresh-squeezed orange juice of my entire life, and the smiling man in the stall who rewarded his loyal customers with extra OJ
• Taking in the sun and the sights on top of the double decker tour bus
• Driving through the Ourika Valley and being continually amazed by the simple beauty of nature
• CAMELS.
• Having the most delicious tagine in the home of a traditional Berber family
• Finally seeing a dog after coming across wayy more cats than I’d like
• Crossing the sketchiest bridges and hiking up a really rocky path up a mountain, and being rewarded with the beautiful waterfalls at the top
• Squeezing in a tanning session on our last morning there, sipping on some OJ, and truly loving life

October 24-25, 2009 - Seville, Spain.

Probably one my favorite places in the world. Seriously. Gorgeous weather, even in October (We were able to tan! Words can’t express how happy that made me), super friendly people, streets that just come alive at night, beautiful buildings and gardens, and such delicious food - pretty much everything you could ask for.

The first night, we did as the locals do and went tapas barhopping, which I would highly recommend to anyone who visits Seville. Luckily for us, our hostel was located right in an area full of really great tapas places. You get great food, a new experience at every place, as well as a nice buzz by the end of the night to get you going for a night out.

We went barhopping in Alfalfa, which is known for attracting mostly students and internationals. Most of the bars are small, though, so people literally just spill into the streets. Every bar even has someone handing out plastic cups for you to pour your drink in before you go outside. It really made me wish America would embrace public drinking already because it is quite possibly one of the best things ever.

In terms of the sights, Alcázares Reales is seriously a place that cannot be missed. I couldn’t get over the place - it was SO breathtaking. It also got me super pumped to go to Morocco since the palace was originally a Moorish fort.

The Giralda Bell Tower of the Seville Cathedral was also well worth the 34 flight climb up, as it gave great views of the city. And the cathedral itself is beautiful as well.

Drinks-wise, Agua de Sevilla may be my new favorite. It’s made of a sparkling white wine, 4 different kinds of liquor, pineapple juice, and topped off with whipped cream and cinnamon. Basically an adult pineapple sundae, so strong and soo good. We had it at La Carboneria, which is this awesome half-indoor half-outdoor place with free flamenco shows and of course, great drinks. We ended out trip to Seville there, and it was definitely the cherry on top of a fantastic weekend.

October 23, 2009 - Milan, Italy.

I have to be honest - out of all the places I’ve traveled to, Milan is probably at the bottom of my favorites list. Not that I didn’t like it - I definitely did. I just didn’t get that same character out of the city that I’ve gotten from every other place I’ve been to.

Unlike most other places in Italy, Milan really is a city and it mostly markets itself as that. And that’s exactly what I got out of it. I mean it definitely had a lot of great things to see, but it was kind of just another city. Perhaps it’s because we were only there for the day and didn’t get to go out, since Milan is supposed to be known for their nightlife. I suppose I’m just biased.