Those are perhaps the most famous words said in the classic movie Casablanca, starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. That’s where I’ve spent that past two weeks: Casablanca, Morocco. My parents have been living there for the past two and a half years due to my father’s work. Although I’ve been there many times before, this was a special visit for me not only because it was Easter (and I hate spending Easter away from my family) but also because my parents are in the process of relocating. So it was a bittersweet visit.

Morocco’s capital is Rabat, but Casablanca is the largest city, and also the financial center. Arabic is the main language but French is widely used since it used to be a French colony and the links between the two countries are still strong today.

So what did I get up to while I was there? A lot of my time was spent lounging around the house, savoring the feeling of having an entire house to move around in instead of just one smallish dorm room. Mom’s home-cooked food wasn’t bad either. I also had to study — it is that pesky time of year where exams ruin all leisure time with guilt-ridden thoughts of “I should be reviewing.” History was my first target.

I did make it out of the house, too. My mom and I went on a jewelry-hunting excursion at my favorite jewelry shop (possibly in the whole world so far). I have an on-going earring collection and Moroccan style earrings are my favorite. It’s just a small shop located in an area called Habous that has stores selling rugs, silver, and Moroccan style clothing in a bazaar. I spent a good deal of time in the jewelry store agonizing over how to make a decision regarding the earrings I was going to buy this time. I made it out of there with three new pairs and a ring to top things off!

Speaking of Casablanca, what trip to this city would be complete without a visit to Rick’s Café? It isn’t actually the restaurant and bar seen in the movie because it never actually existed. An American woman has done an amazing job with a property in Casablanca bringing the movie’s Rick’s Café to life. Its interior is decorated with beautiful and unusual Moroccan lamps, music from the wartime era plays in the background and of course a piano player plays the tune “As Time Goes By” featured in the movie. The icing on the cake is that the food is pretty yummy too. But the reason I go there is because it feels so classy and you get transported back to a rather glamorous time. If only I looked like Ingrid Bergman…

Surprisingly, one of the most memorable “experiences,” if you can call it that, happened at 4 AM maybe two times during my visit. Morocco is an Islamic country, and in Islam you are supposed to pray several times a day. The mosques around the city will remind people to do so by calling out prayers in the minarets. During my first night at home the minarets woke me up, and it was the most goose bump-inducing noise ever: all over the city the sound of prayers come to life and surround you. It’s pretty exotic sounding if all you’re used to hearing at night are people stumbling back from nights out, or traffic.

So there you have it: a good two weeks with my family in a really fascinating country. I hope to make it back soon even if my parents aren’t living there.