Charlotte Observer
Concord native visits Morocco to study its culture
By Madeline Hurley
Kelli Ferguson, 21, on her study abroad trip to Morocco. COURTESY OF KELLI FERGUSON
Kelli Ferguson, 21, had never been beyond the eastern United States until May 14, when she found herself boarding a plane to Spain and Morocco.
Ferguson, a Concord native and graduate of Northwest Cabarus High School, is now a rising senior at Wingate University. She took the 10-day trip through Wingate’s “W’International” program. Ferguson said she chose Morocco because of its uniqueness and distinctive culture.
“Exploring Morocco to me seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Ferguson said. “I had never even seen the western part of the United States, and now I was given the opportunity to see two different countries on two different continents. I just couldn’t pass that up.”
While in Morocco, Ferguson visited the cities of Rabat, Fes and Meknes. She participated in local traditions and experienced the “typical daily routine of a Morrocan,” she said, including a memorable trip to the Medina, a marketplace in Fes.
“The marketplace was one adventure in Morocco that I will never forget,” Ferguson said. “It was slightly overwhelming for me, because everything was happening at once. … I wanted to experience something completely out of my comfort zone, and this was it.”
Ferguson took more away from Morocco than she could have from just a typical vacation. She learned how things she previously thought of as necessities are considered luxuries in many countries.
“Morocco does not have the luxuries that we, as Americans, sometimes take for granted,” Ferguson said. “Things as simple as toilet paper and soap were rare to find in public facilities. … But despite some of the poverty I came across, I also witnessed a lot of good.”
Ferguson will return to Wingate in the fall with a new appreciation for American culture and luxuries, but also a with a new understanding of the differences and similarities between Moroccan and U.S. cultures, she said.
“I would never have guessed the people in Morocco listened to American music,” Ferguson said. “I also assumed all women would be fuly covered or wore a head covering, but most of the younger generation dressed like any American.
“This experience showed me firsthand that stereotypes need to be broken and a culture should be embraced before any judgment is passed,” Ferguson said.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/08/06/3424532/student-traveler-embrace-a-culture.html#storylink=cpy
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