Journey to Fez: The Unspoken Lessons of Connection
Author: Jackie Bultman (Class of 2026)
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It is 7am in the Saharan Desert and I just dismounted a camel named Mini Cooper. Today there is one destination in mind: Fez. Anticipated travel time: seven hours. Buckle up! Except we can’t…the seatbelts are broken in the backseat.
One taxi. Three Americans. Two Germans. One Moroccan driver. The space between us clashes with a symphony of Arabic, French, German, and English, a sound both beautiful and intimidating. My rusty French and the driver's nonexistent English create a delightful communication barrier. |
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The first two hours are spent asleep, our necks hanging at deathly angles and our mouths catching flies. We are jolted awake by a sudden stop and followed by a consuming cloud of dust. “COFFEE,” our driver exclaims. There is no confusion about the intention of this stop–we are all in need. Thirty minutes of browsing leads me to the back of the store - a mother cat and her kitten nestled together. The entire shop seemed to gravitate towards them, their pitches raising as they spoke to the animals in their own language.
The next four hours are a series of memorable stops. Our first pit stop: a gas station with a lone trampoline. As the driver refueled and disappeared for a snack, the five of us were overcome by childish giggles. Lost in the moment, we hadn't noticed the Moroccan reappear. Another coffee clutched in hand, his booming belly laugh broke our trance. It was clear this stop was an intentional decision. |
Then a quick stop for lunch. As we chowed down on tagine and couscous, the collective silence confirmed what we were all thinking but couldn’t say: wow this is really, really good.
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Once again we were on the road. Spotting a monkey foraging near the road, I launched into a full-blown plea with the driver (completely unintelligible to him). My goal? Just a quick stop, please! With success, we fed the monkeys peanuts and the Moroccan teased them with his car keys (not funny sir, I do want to make it to Fez eventually).
As the final hour ticked by, the Moroccan driver nudged his phone towards Diego with the YouTube search bar open. After a moment of buffering, his beat-up speakers erupted with Shakira’s anthem "Waka Waka". A chorus of voices, each off-key and in a different language, filled the car–in the moment, differences were the last thing that mattered. |
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Imagine yourself in a scenario such as this. You don't understand the language swirling around you, yet a warm smile from a vendor or the playful laughter of children transcends the barrier. A raised eyebrow in confusion is understood universally, and a helping hand offered to a stranger laden with bags speaks volumes. These nonverbal cues, these gestures of kindness, form a universal language that cuts through cultural divides and reminds us of our shared humanity. That is the magic of communication– it transcends the spoken word.
Communication isn't just about fluency; it is about the desire to connect, to build bridges of understanding. On our seven hour journey, we fostered a connection without a single word exchanged. A shared smile, a moment of empathy, or the simple act of listening attentively can forge deeper connections than any perfectly conjugated verb. So next time you find yourself feeling isolated or nervous to communicate in a foreign land, remind yourself the most important words you carry are not in your phrasebook; but could be something as simple as a gesture in the warmth of your smile.
Communication isn't just about fluency; it is about the desire to connect, to build bridges of understanding. On our seven hour journey, we fostered a connection without a single word exchanged. A shared smile, a moment of empathy, or the simple act of listening attentively can forge deeper connections than any perfectly conjugated verb. So next time you find yourself feeling isolated or nervous to communicate in a foreign land, remind yourself the most important words you carry are not in your phrasebook; but could be something as simple as a gesture in the warmth of your smile.