Feb 24

Feb 24 "Returning to Rabat" by Emilia Perez

Salaam blog!

My name is Emilia and I’m a Junior at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. This is my second semester studying in Rabat, and I’m so excited to continue learning Darija! My goals are a little different than last semester, but I can’t wait to continue exploring the region and learning about the culture!

I initially came to Rabat to get a better handle on Fusha, or Modern Standard Arabic, but now I’m planning to include a lot more Darija, the Moroccan dialect. My host family has already been amazing by giving us a Darija lesson each evening at dinner and even letting us bring our notebooks to the table!

I brought some novels from home, and love borrowing from Amideast’s extensive collection of books from MENA authors! My goal is to spend more time reading at Rabat Beach, my favorite place outdoors. It’s a great place to people-watch and enjoy the sounds of the waves and soccer players.

The coastline of Morocco as the waves come up to the cliffs on a sunny day with a blue sky — A view of the ocean from the L’Ocean neighborhood. Photo credit: Perez, 2026.

It’s easy to find delicious, local, and BUDGET-friendly meals in Rabat. This semester I hope to decrease my spending, utilize the neighborhood mahlabas, and try more sandwiches, msemen varieties, and fruits for lunch. These options are affordable and introduce you to the flavors of the community!

Two plates of thin Moroccan bread folded up sit on a table with a white and black design next to two cups of Moroccan tea — My language partner introduced me to Msemen M3amar, or msemen stuffed with onions, peppers, and other vegetables and spices. Now it’s my favorite Moroccan snack! Photo credit: Perez, 2026.

Emilia is a student at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, and studying abroad in Spring 2026 on Amideast’s Area and Arabic Language Study Program in Rabat, Morocco.