{"id":80583,"date":"2025-01-16T05:16:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T18:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=80583"},"modified":"2025-03-06T05:50:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T18:50:08","slug":"travelling-with-strangers-post-election-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travelling-with-strangers-post-election-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"How travelling with strangers eased my post-election anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Amid the uncertainty and anxiety of the US presidential election news cycle, Leah found her way back to a place of hope among a group of strangers in Morocco.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The passenger on my left opens her window shade and the morning light floods into our row. The flight attendant announces we\u2019ll be landing soon. I\u2019ve been in and out of sleep for seven hours, but it only feels like a few minutes. I swipe open my phone and continue to hit refresh on my cellular connection as we get closer and closer. The plane touches down. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Welcome to Morocco,\u2019 our captain says. Refresh. Refresh. Connected. I open the New York Times app and read the words: <em>Donald Trump has Won Pennsylvania, Democrats\u2019 Path to Victory is Slim.&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I try to keep reading but my attention is quickly taken by the movement around me. I grab my bags, deboard and make my way through customs and the crowded airport. I\u2019m physically and mentally exhausted from a week of volunteering to get out the vote followed by 14 straight hours of working at the election polling location in my town immediately before this flight.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I stand outside Marrakech International Airport surrounded by people speaking 100 different languages, my phone buzzes. The Associated Press has called it. Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States. Again. Suddenly the chatter around me is silent and I feel entirely alone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"80585\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Leah-madam-president.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80585\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Leah-madam-president.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Leah-madam-president-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Leah-madam-president-585x780.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" data-id=\"80584\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Leah-get-out-the-vote.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Leah-get-out-the-vote.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Leah-get-out-the-vote-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Leah-get-out-the-vote-585x780.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">Leah in the lead-up to the election.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I was in Morocco to join a group of six strangers in their 20s and 30s on a week-long trip through the country. I\u2019d been dreaming of this trip for so long \u2013 to escape the hustle of New York City in November, visit the iconic Sahara and maybe even make a few friends along the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I spent my first 24 hours in <a href=\"\/morocco\">Morocco<\/a> in my hotel bed, in complete darkness with nothing but expensive calls back home, candy bars from the airport and a whole lot of tears. I felt incredibly lucky to be here, but suddenly all I wanted was to be with my friends and family at home. The uncertainty was overwhelming, and so many thoughts were running through my head:\u00a0What does this mean for reproductive rights? What does this mean for gun laws? What does this mean for our climate? What does this mean for the future of democracy?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I wasn\u2019t sure how I was supposed to pull it together to meet my fellow travellers for the start of our trip the next day. When the time came, I deleted my social media apps, washed my face and did my very best to leave the situation in my hotel room.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I met my group of five young solo travellers from the UK, Ukraine, Canada and Australia. Being the only American in the group meant our conversations didn\u2019t veer into election talk \u2013 the only thing I had been hearing for the last few months. That night, we strolled through the medina, tasting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/morocco-food-connection\/\">Moroccan food<\/a> and getting to know each other. When it ended, my spirits were much higher, and I had hope that <em>maybe <\/em>this trip could at least be a good distraction.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was so far off. It was so much more. Over those eight days, I built friendships deeper than I could have ever imagined with people I would have never met if it weren\u2019t for this trip.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-group.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80597\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-group.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-group-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-group-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-group-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-group-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-group-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leah&#8217;s group of solo travellers from the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Ukraine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When we arrived in the Sahara, it was everything I had always dreamed of: rolling hills, camels in the distance and warm orange sand as far as the eye could see. We dropped our bags in our glamping tents before eagerly venturing into the desert. We were like kids again, playing with sand and rolling down dunes at full speed. When we returned to our camp, I was exhausted and covered in sand. I couldn\u2019t imagine a better day, and yet the best of it was still to come.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After changing into new clothes and enjoying a meal, we met up with another group of travellers and locals around the fire pit. Local men played drums and sang songs. The beat quickly picked up, and before we knew it, we were all dancing around the fire to songs we\u2019d never heard, running in circles and holding hands with people we\u2019d never met \u2013 every one of us smiling from ear to ear. As the music and laughter died down, the group dwindled as people wandered off to their tents to sleep. It was just me and one of my fellow travellers left, Matt, a 29-year-old British man, by the fire. We began chit-chatting and sharing stories of our lives back at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignright has-text-align-left\"><blockquote><p>Before we knew it, we were all dancing around the fire to songs we\u2019d never heard, running in circles and holding hands with people we\u2019d never met.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As we spoke, the sky dimmed, the stars erupted and the voices of our fellow travellers drifted into silence, but we didn\u2019t mind. I opened up to Matt about my family, my career, my hopes and my fears around the election, and in return, he did the same. Eventually, he told me that just two years prior, exactly to the month, he had lost his mum. I was taken aback. After a day of acting like children, I couldn\u2019t fathom the thought of losing my mum. He shared beautiful stories that gave me a glimpse into the wonderful person she was. I could see Matt had been on a long journey through grief, and opening up about her was part of his healing process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His willingness to share her with me reminded me that we\u2019re not alone in this life, and how incredibly meaningful it is to share our vulnerabilities with others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/matt-leah-jackson.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80603\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/matt-leah-jackson.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/matt-leah-jackson-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/matt-leah-jackson-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/matt-leah-jackson-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/matt-leah-jackson-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/matt-leah-jackson-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matt, Leah and Jackson among the Sahara&#8217;s dunes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One evening, my groupmate Jackson from Australia mentioned he\u2019d be going on a run the next morning. I <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/running-and-travelling\/\">love a morning run<\/a> back home through familiar streets, but I hadn\u2019t really considered it out in the Todra Gorge at a small hotel on a cliff within the canyons. Without thinking, I volunteered to join him. I quickly came to regret this decision when my alarm sounded and the sky was still dark, but I heard him knock on my door and decided to go anyway. Out we went into the&nbsp;vast and open Moroccan wilderness. As a woman in an unfamiliar country, running in complete darkness was daunting, but somehow, I knew with Jackson beside me that I\u2019d be safe.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We ran down the road\u00a0with stars as our only visible light source. We made conversation under our breath and finally slowed at the wall of a canyon. Jackson began climbing the rocky wall and I nervously laughed, but next thing you know, he was reaching out his hand to help me up. Here I was, someone who had been overwhelmed with anxiety just two days prior, taking a risk and putting my weight in the hands of a complete stranger. I climbed a few rocks and eventually found a comfortable position to sit and look up at the stars. Now that we had our footing, my heartbeat slowed to a normal pace.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Out of nowhere, Jackson asked me, \u2018What would you do if you weren\u2019t afraid?\u2019&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d never been asked that question before, and to be honest, I couldn\u2019t find the perfect answer. I rambled off some boring response about travelling the world that seemed to satisfy the question but left me thinking about what I really could\u2019ve said. As the sun started to rise, we climbed down the rocks and began our run back to the hotel. With one mile left, I closed my eyes and remembered the question he asked me\u2026 then ran full speed ahead, freely and blindly under the breaking dawn.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1920\" data-id=\"80601\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-run-road.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80601\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-run-road.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-run-road-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-run-road-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-run-road-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-run-road-1170x1755.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-run-road-585x878.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"80600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Image-30.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Image-30.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Image-30-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Image-30-585x780.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">Leah and Jackson on an early morning run in Todra Gorge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Towards the end of the trip, I stayed up late with Lisa, a young Ukranian woman who lives in Canada. Lisa is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/types-of-traveller-youll-meet-on-a-group-trip\/\">the kind of traveller<\/a> you hope you\u2019ll find on your trip.\u00a0She was kind, funny, radiant and lit up every room. She spoke to me softly about how watching young children run around in Imlil, a village we visited earlier that day, made her miss her little sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lisa\u2019s family lived in Ukraine, and she hadn\u2019t seen her sister since the start of the war. Hearing Lisa speak about her young sister reminded me of my own little sister and how truly lucky I am to experience sisterhood. Lisa told me she hadn\u2019t made many deep friendships since moving away from home a few years ago, until this trip. As the evening wore on, we shared stories, warm hugs and a bottle of wine \u2013 key ingredients to a lifelong friendship.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On one of our last nights, our Intrepid leader Ahmed introduced us to his family. His nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers, mother and grandmothers showered us with love and welcomed us into their home. We were in the middle of the Atlas Mountains with nothing around us but nature and a small community of people who embraced one another fully.\u00a0These moments reminded me of how lucky I am to have travelled and how meeting people from different cultures has truly helped widen my perspective and approach to life back home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also reminded me of what matters most to me in this life: human connection. At a time of uncertainty and extreme dividedness, I bonded with a group of strangers from all different backgrounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-family-h.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80605\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-family-h.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-family-h-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-family-h-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-family-h-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-family-h-1170x658.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/leah-family-h-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Visiting with Ahmed&#8217;s family<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When I landed back home, my mum picked me up. It was her 60th birthday, so my family was getting together for the weekend to celebrate.&nbsp;Her warm hug and beautiful smile reminded me of Matt\u2019s mum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we drove to her house, I told her about Jackson\u2019s question \u2013 what would I do if I wasn\u2019t afraid \u2013 and I excitedly reeled off career plans I\u2019d dreamed up on the plane.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We pulled into the driveway, and I saw my sisters and their husbands and kids. I remembered Lisa and her sister, Ahmed and his family, and all the other people I met along the way. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We didn\u2019t talk about the election, at least not right away. Still, it was there somewhere under the surface. I don\u2019t know what the next four years will bring. With information at our fingertips and a news cycle that prioritises the unfathomable, I know the anxiety I felt at the beginning of my trip will surely creep up again in time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when it does, I can remind myself that taking the time to connect with one another is what gets us through the uncertainty, the headlines and the darkest days.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And after one magical week in Morocco doing just that, I felt like there was hope.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leah travelled on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/morocco\/one-week-morocco-sahara-todra-gorge-159524\">One Week in Morocco: Sahara and Todra Gorge<\/a>, an eight-day trip for travellers aged <a href=\"\/18-35s\">18 to 35<\/a>. Find yourself on one of Intrepid&#8217;s 30 trips in <a href=\"\/morocco\">Morocco<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amid the uncertainty and anxiety of the US presidential election news cycle, Leah found her way back to a place of hope among a group of strangers in Morocco.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16373,"featured_media":80622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1408,3108],"tags":[2181,3178,16,557],"class_list":["post-80583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-good-stories","tag-18-to-29s","tag-18-to-35s","tag-morocco","tag-traveller-stories","ipf_theme-18-to-29s","ipf_region-morocco"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.3.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How travelling with strangers eased my post-election anxiety | The Good Times by Intrepid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Amid the uncertainty and anxiety of the US presidential election news cycle, Leah found her way back to a place of hope among a group of strangers in Morocco.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travelling-with-strangers-post-election-anxiety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How travelling with strangers eased my post-election anxiety\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Amid the uncertainty and anxiety of the US presidential election news cycle, Leah found her way back to a place of hope among a 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