Morocco

I just got back from a solo trip from Morocco and let me tell you, it is one of the most magical places in the world. I have learned the Morocco was the most underrated places in the world of travel, and I recommend this beautiful place to everyone. I will be coming back to this beautiful country one day!

Airfare/flight
I paid about $600 round trip for my Morocco trip. I bought my flight about 3 months ahead of time. On the way there from Chicago wasn’t too bad, it was about 8 hours. But on the way back it took about 10 hours, so get yourself ready for a long flight!

Money
The country of Morocco uses Dirhams, you can get away with Euros in some places as well. The exchange rate when I went was 9.65 dirham to 1 USD

Food
I ate a ton of Tajine de Kefta in Morocco, that was the best dish I had and highly recommend it. Most of the food is trajines, couscous, fresh fruit juice, vegetables, kebabs, salads, and soup. The meals are super filling and healthy. Let me tell you, if you are on a tight budget just share a dish of couscous, none of could could ever finish a dish of it. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you are in luck! They have a number of options for you, everywhere I went offered vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Also, do not drink the water! Buy your water at your nearest grocery store, you will pay 3 to 4 times more at a hotel.

Language
The official language spoken in Morocco is Arabic, they speak a lot of French as well. If you speak English and Spanish you will get by perfectly fine.

Dress attire
Don’t bring your shortest shorts on this trip. Dress conservatively, think loose pants and linen shirts. Do not wear heels, wear some comfy flats, tennis shoes or sandals, the sidewalks are very uneven so be careful walking around. Bring something you can throw a shawl or a cardigan on, many places are still traditional and women are not allowed to show their shoulders or thighs. Plus it will save you any misery in the Medina’s from men hitting on you.

Shopping
I can’t say this enough, haggle, haggle, haggle. If they give you a price, ask to pay for half, so you can at least pay 25% less the first price. This includes taxis, haggle and do not get into the taxi until you agree on a price.

Weather
I went in the beginning of October and it was always 95 degrees and super sunny. Bring a hat, sun glasses and sunscreen!

Additional tips
-Use Google or Apple maps to get around, it’s so much easier than using a map
-There will be young men asking you if you want a guide through the Médina, do not say yes. Just keep walking and you will find your way through it. If you say yes, they will demand money.
-Keep a stern face aka “Resting Bitch Face”, if you smile too much men will take it the wrong way.
-Keep bags and purses in front of you at all times. Morocco is very safe, but like anywhere else in the world there are pickpockets.
-Bring toilet paper or packaged wipes like these, and hand sanitizer. If you do not want to use a eastern squatting bathroom ask if they have western or European toilets.

Keep an eye out for additional blog posts, I will be going into detail about what cities I visited and a review about Topdeck, which is the travel group I used (and highly recommend!)

Con Amor,

Adriana 💕

Living With PCOS

September is PCOS awareness month, and I have honestly been debating on making this post to begin with. I hope that this may bring some enlightenment to some of you, because it’s has been such a struggling journey and it has just begun. 

IG @the_bumpyride

September is PCOS awareness month, and I have honestly been debating on making this post to begin with. I hope that this may bring some enlightenment to some of you, because it’s has been such a struggling journey and it has just begun. 

Since the age of 14 I have had horrible pains during that time of the month, while I haven’t been in labor or had contractions before, doctors have told me the pain I have is very similar to the same pain. It was so bad that I would start throwing up from the pain and my mom would had to call me into school. My intuition told me this isn’t normal, and I was the only one in my family and group of friends that struggled with it. Then once I was in my mid 20’s, I would go on months without Aunt Flow visiting. But when I brought it up to my doctor every year, they kept telling me it was normal and that all I need is birth control to regulate it. 

One day I was listening to a podcast on NPR and the topic was how women are dismissed for their pain or illnesses by doctors. They mentioned how women of color were listened to the least. So that was my last straw, I switched doctors and found one that would listen and support me. She was honestly my breath of fresh air. Right away she started with a full order of blood tests and found out one of my hormones were very high. She was concerned and sent me to an endocrinologist, they were also concerned and sent me out for MRIs to make sure it was not cancer. 

Let me tell you, so many feelings come when someone tells you that you may have cancer. After all of it, thank goodness I didn’t have cancer. And the silver lining was that I finally had an answer for what I have, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. After over 13 years of suffering, I finally had a concrete answer. 

Many people ask, what’s PCOS? Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common health problem caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. The hormonal imbalance creates problems in the ovaries. The ovaries make the egg that is released each month as part of a healthy menstrual cycle. With PCOS, the egg may not develop as it should or it may not be released during ovulation as it should be.

How can you find out if you have it. Well here are the symptoms that you can have if you have it:

• Irregular or absent periods
• Ovarian cysts (on ultrasound scan)
• Irregular or no ovulation
• Moderate to severe acne
• Difficulty in conceiving or taking a long time to conceive
• Weight gain / obesity / OR inability to gain weight
• Hirsutism – Unwanted hair growth on the chin, upper lip, stomach, or chest
• Thinning of hair on the head
• Headache / Migraines
• Sleep problems / Insomnia
• Dandruff
• Darker pigmentation in the folds of the skin – most commonly seen in the back of the neck, under the arms, or creases of the thighs
• Skin tags
• Depression and anxiety
• Sleep apnea
• Fatty liver
• Problems with breast milk production
• Insulin resistance
• Abnormally high LH:FSH ratios

There is no found cure for it and very little treatment done for it. I am currently in the process of looking for some sort of treatment that won’t get me fertile, because I don’t want babies! So this is a new journey I am setting on, and will bring you along the way.

Learn from my lesson, if you know that something is wrong, do not stop until you have an answer. I suffered for far too long and would never want anyone to go through the same thing. Go to as many doctors that you need too, do your research and educate yourself. If you believe in your intuition and search for an answer you will always find it, even if it’s not the best news you could hope for. 

Con Amor, 


Adriana💕

https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/polycystic-ovary-syndrome