The past two months I have traveled to 5 countries and most recently uncovered a new continent – Africa. Visiting Morocco and doing a Sahara tour was on my bucket list for awhile, a trip that felt right in my heart. After 10 days of traveling around Morocco, Dublin’s streets felt so calm and safe, like a welcoming home inviting you to get back to work. Morocco enveloped me in its cultural presence, architecture, history, local art, the golden sands of Merzouga desert and bright milky way in the night sky in the middle of Sahara.
On one of our tours we visited Aït Benhaddou, a town in the middle of Morocco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, where famous Gladiator and Game of Thrones were filmed. Studying Documentary Practice at DCU, and knowing how many powerful films were made in Morocco and Africa in general, it was magical seeing these sights in person. We rode camels and did sand boarding, made our own perfume from organic oils and scents in Marrakesh, visited 6 different museums, including once the largest Islamic school in North Africa, Medersa Ben Youssef, built in 14th century.
Apart from Morocco, I went to Dubrovnik, Croatia; Lisbon, Portugal; Vienna, Austria; Oxford, England for a documentary shoot. Living in Dublin means taking advantage of Ryanair flights and discovering new cultures every other weekend. I have also been hosting many of my friends from United States and Europe, creating a web of cultural exchange.
Dublin became a place of love and growth for me. Now I have my secret spots by the ocean on Killiney Hill where I go to read and have picnics by myself, reflecting on life. I am an Ambassador at DCU, creating videos for our university’s marketing team, I work as a personal assistant to a US film director that I met at NBC during Paris Olympics, and am currently applying to new opportunities for next year. No time to waste, and this year became officially one of my most cultural and fulfilling years of my life.
And by the way – New Year I celebrated with my new Russian friends in Dublin, all immigrants and students in different fields, meeting in Ireland in our adventure called life.
