Image courtesy of Syeda Alisa Ali
This week’s profile is on Syeda Alisa Ali, who is a junior Criminology major with a minor in Arabic at The College of New Jersey, pursuing a Pre-Law track.
This past summer Ali traveled to different parts of Europe with her cousins and with no adult supervision, which Ali was excited about. Her trip was to three countries; she spent 4 days in London, 10 days in Morocco and 3 days in Barcelona.
As she traveled, she was introduced to new cultures and visited beautiful places. She recalls visiting the Jardin Majorelle – a beautiful botanical garden where Yves Saint Laurent’s ashes were scattered. When Ali traveled to Fes, Morocco’s second largest and oldest city, she saw several historical sites and did some shopping and ate delicious food – her favorite being Moroccan tea.
Image courtesy of Syeda Alisa Ali
“My favorite city was Chefchouen, Morocco’s ‘blue pearl’. Chefchouen is calm and serene. I felt at home there and wished to spend more days in the beautiful blue city,” Ali said in an interview.
Throughout her travels there were several instances that stood out to Syeda, but there was one particular moment that truly warmed her heart.“In Chefchouen, I went to a restaurant to eat, and there was a young boy serving all of the tables. He may have been ten years old, and he was incredibly sweet and respectful. He served our food and cleaned our table, and even went across the street to get mint tea for me when I asked. I wondered if he went to school or if he just worked that the restaurant everyday. This kid warmed my heart and was what I want my kids to be like someday – respectful, sweet, and hardworking like this little boy.”
As she reflected upon her journey she was extremely grateful to be living in a country where electricity, clean water, and school are easily available for the majority of its people. Ali said the hardest part of her time abroad was adjusting to different spoken languages and basic cultural differences. At times her trip was difficult to navigate, but luckily she has a background in Arabic and her brother has one in French. Though it was challenging at times, they made sure to communicate and navigate the best they could.
Ali recommends Morocco for all to visit! “I had an amazing time – it’s a lively place where you’re thrown into a strong sense of culture,” she said, also stating she can’t wait to go back!
Keep traveling the world and blessing our Instagram feeds with beautiful images, Syeda! Feel free to follow her travel and life journey @syedaalisaali
Image courtesy of Syeda Alisa Ali