All posts tagged: morocco

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Anya Peters

“There was a moment, in Marrakech, Morocco, that reassured and amplified my philosophy of feasting… One year ago, my sister and I went to work at the carpet shop she takes pictures for – measuring and documenting the thousands of carpets that are sold there. It was a long afternoon of holding up rugs while learning Darija (Moroccan Arabic dialect). We went in for lunch for a home cooked meal by Zoubida. We all settled into a small room lined with brightly colored, subdued and rich carpets on the floors, walls and rolled into stacks against the stairwells. A low round table was set out and my sister and I sat cross-legged on the floor with a bunch of Moroccan businessmen and merchants talking politics and agriculture, flowing in and out of Arabic to ask our opinions. Zoubida set before us the biggest tagine I’ve ever seen that smelled so divine. Loaves of semolina bread were broken and passed around the cipher. We dunked our piece of bread into the stewed tomatoes and they let us choose first which part …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Austin Willis

“Morocco…there’s still so much I want to see of the country. It’s refreshing to get away and kinda be off the grid and fully live in the moment. The food and people are amazing as well. The people of Morocco made me feel at home. I think it’s also due to the fact they thought I was Moroccan so I got a really unique perspective when I was there. A few people allowed me into their homes to meet their families and enjoy conversations about life over some delicious mint tea.“ – Austin Willis // @visualsbywillis   Photo by Hanif Castle    

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Mengly Hernandez

“As a rule of thumb, I travel with various scarves wherever I go. Partly aesthetics and partly practicality. I find that a scarf is one of those accessories that can be functional to cover the face from dust, help you along on a bad hair day, and even serve as a blanket or pillow. On the aesthetic side, it’s one of my favorite accessories because it can add an adorning element to any outfit when worn either on the neck, head, or hip/waist as a sash. Visiting Morocco was a real treat because it fueled my love of textiles and scarves. As a designer of scarves, I felt extremely insured to see so many traditional patterns, specifically geometric shapes that are all around the predominately Islamic country. Their aesthetic harmoniously connected with my love of lines and color combinations. It’s definitely a country I would like to revisit and further explore…”  – Mengly Hernandez AKA @missmengly   025/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Rebecca Hill

“I took a quick trip to Morocco in the summer of 2009 while attending a friend’s wedding in Andalusia, Spain. I was the only American on the ferry and got looks in Tangier as a woman traveling alone rolling two big suitcases along the bumpy, narrow sidewalks. This was the first international trip I had taken flying solo, in a country where I didn’t know the language at all but got by with a smattering of French. On my second day there, I got the courage to go to a local cafe by myself and write, as if I were William Burroughs. The waitstaff was a bit confused, waiting for someone to join me, but no one did, and having ordered a fair share of mint tea and pastries, I was left well enough alone. I hope to go back to Morocco this summer, continuing on my journey to learn Arabic and the beauty of the culture.” – Rebecca Hill AKA @lymie16   008/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

More Than A Single Story…

“Stories matter, many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and malign. But stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people but can also repair that broken dignity.” ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story I had the honor of meeting a lovely little girl named Fatima and her beautiful family during my travels through the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Their grace and generosity despite whatever life circumstances they faced was the very first time I truly understood the danger of a single story as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie brilliantly discussed in her moving TED Talk. I began to see the world and the value of travel differently after this encounter and am forever blessed for it. I find it very important to experience and portray the balanced dynamics of life – both luxury and struggle; joy and pain; laughter and depth; love and loss and any other manifestations of emotion one can think of. As a result, I try my …