Morocco: Not My Story

Here on another RyanAir flight, this time piecing together four days in Morocco. There a lot of stories from the trip I'd like to tell you about (like going to a hamam, where a woman threw hot water on a thong wearing Jeff, Scott and I) but right now I want to share a story that was shared with me by Patrick.

I met Patrick on a bus coming back from a day excursion outside Marrakech. He and I were given the same seat number. Luckily there was a few empty seats and he and I ended up sitting next to each other. Once we sat down it became apparent that someone had vomited in the seat not too long ago. Joking about the horrid smell got us talking.

Patrick is 28. He grew up in Switzerland. He's been traveling for 3 years. He likes Bali the best. He had been in Morocco for two months. He studied economics at university. He lived with his girlfriend when he was 19 and thought he was gonna marry her. He only own a backpack and, at the moment, three surfboards. He says he's looking for answers. He thinks he wants to settle down eventually but isn't sure he could ever leave the freedom. He teaches me about hash. He tells me to go to India. He collects unemployment money from France. He takes a lot of pictures. The bus ride was three hours. He tells me about Arnold.

Patrick met Arnold two years ago. At the time Arnold was 83. Arnold is American. At the age of 16 he forged his mothers signature to enlist in the army. He was sent to China. There he learned Mandarin and traveled around Asia. By the time he returned to the US the 50's were ending and the hippy era was beginning. He began to work in journalism and travel again. There no knowing how many countries he's been to but at the time Arnold was fluent in 4 languages. He began in Europe and from his early thirties on he never stopped moving. On a hippy bus called the Magic Bus he traveled from Spain to India by land. There he met his wife, a photographer and fellow traveler. Together they roamed Europe and Asia. It was in Spain that they decided to make their home base.

From there they went on to travel the world. They made money where they could. Patrick told me about the ways life time travelers make their money. Many of them buy and sell goods. For instance they buy saffron from Morocco and sell it for more in Europe. One guy worked in precious stones and bought in Africa and sold wherever he went. Arnold and his wife did such jobs along with their journalism and photography. He never said when she died but he inferred that it was not too long ago.

Thirty years they must have spent traveling. Never settling down longer than a few months. Always moving. Never a resident. I've traveled six weeks and the affect its has on me is hard to write. I've seen many of the different ways that people live their lives but until I heard Arnold's story I never imagined traveling for a lifetime. After his wife died Arnold kept moving. Age hasn't slowed him down in the least. About ever two months he writes about his travels and email blasts all his family and friends. I wish I was on that list. Arnold like to organize spends card games with other hippy travelers from his era. To Patrick, Arnold is a spirit guide. He thinks of him often when considering his own life. The things he must have seen.

I had a lot of questions I felt needed answering when I left Los Angeles. My year in LA had filled me with doubt. I've spent a lot of time letting life happen. Pushing in a direction but without a clear reason why or who the person at the end of the journey is. What kind of person do I want to be? Is this industry what I want? What kind of personal life will it allow? What kind of personal life do I want? It was time to make choices. Now near the end of this trip I can finally close my eyes and see a person. It's someone I want to be. He's bolder than I am now but I'm working on it. He's smarter than I am now but I'm working on it. He's much more open with his friends and family but I'm working on it. He's not afraid to get hurt but I'm working on it. He's stronger in his beliefs and lives his life by them. I think when Patrick closes his eyes he sees a young version of Arnold. I definitely have discovered some wanderlust in me but I need my friends. And I want to build something big and worthy of pride. And I need my friends.

Wish I could stay but excited to be back soon.