Morocco

Oct 16

Land & Sea - Morocco Exploration

OCTOBER 2017

Words and Photo by Kat Reynolds

We, as humans, are meant to connect. There is an intuitive calling that comes from so deep within us we feel it in our bones. Sometimes we don’t understand where that calling comes from, or what it’s leading us to. Whether it draws us to nature, to others, our roots, our heritage, or to the deepest part of ourselves. It is an innate compass guiding us on life’s great journey. This calling recently led me to Morocco. A journey I would share with an incredible group of passionate and loving women that would reveal a new part of ourselves through a connection to the land, its cultural tradition and each other… and of course a shared love of surfing. With this beautiful country as the setting, and these incredible ladies at the wheel, this experience was destined to be one for the books.

WE ARE’s mission is committed to the betterment of all beings and the conservation of mother nature, women who resonate with these ideals are attracted organically, creating a diverse community of strong individuals united by passion. Each woman, with the shared value of living a deliberate and intentional life, felt the same pull to connect in this land to honor the concepts tradition, culture, and living sustainability.

I first discovered WE ARE Creative Adventurers on Instagram. A women’s migrating surf and yoga retreat, that is by no means a retreat in the traditional sense. The purpose of the project is to connect and bring empowered women together in breathtaking foreign lands on a different kind of travel experience. The message WE ARE sends to women across the globe is something that resonates in a profound way and drew me in immediately. Particularly, because these trips are not “retreats,” so to speak, but “creative adventures.” A unique experience where women immerse themselves into new cultures, one another, and ultimately, their authentic self. They experience not only an outward, but an inward journey. A journey that follows that instinctive calling of the heart, expanding the horizons of the mind, and aligning with their purpose and passion in order to better live a creative and fulfilling life.

Our journey began in Marrakech. The energy of the city was a perfect mirror to the overall energy of the group. Our Riad was quaint and cozy, filled with color and warmth. The doorways are arched and lined with intricate hand carved tiles. Beautiful traditional rugs fill each room from corner to corner.

We meander our way through the souks, our senses are overwhelmed. It seems almost impossible to take it all in. We are inclined to breathe in every detail. And so, we do. We step into a room filled floor to ceiling, wall to wall, with handmade rugs, blankets pillows, poufs and the like. We are silenced. We take a minute to absorb the reality of all the hands that went into making each and every piece. Each one with its own story. We see our own stories woven into them, told by the hands of women we’ve never met. We want to know their stories, so we take a piece with us to remember and honor them. The markets are fast paced and intense, filled with trading and bartering and lots of movement. Sometimes we go slow so we can watch this new world revolve around us. None of these details are expected to be hidden behind a seemingly inconspicuous, yet beautifully crafted wooden door, much like every other door in this city.

For a moment, I feel like I am looking at the world through rose colored lenses: everything seems to have a blush hue to it. Both figuratively and literally. Each building is another corner to the pink labyrinth of narrow alley ways that make up the blueprint, or dare I say pink-print, of this unique metropolis. The only distinguishable difference are the doorways, providing only a little taste of what might lie beyond them. This is Marrakech.

We make our way into the desert, seemingly barren. Yet still somehow mesmerizing. Our drive to the desert gives us ample time to reflect and pinch ourselves to remind us that we, in fact, are not dreaming, “Is this real life?” The desert Is like that. Much like staring into a burning flame. We watch the rolling hills undulate as we pass by on a pothole filled road. The only traffic we hit are a few men on ‘donkey-back.’ The earth is blanketed in a soft, dry, light golden beige as far as the eye can see. When all of the sudden, over a hill, hidden and tucked away, a cluster of white tents emerge set against the backdrop of the warm desert sky. We are speechless, yet again. For a second we are eight years old again. Young girls. Seeing the world for the first time. And then, we all turn to each other once again, and in unison exclaim “Is this real life?!”. We continue to giggle, because what else do fully grown women do when they're simply blown away at the surrealism of it all; basking in a state of delirious wonder.

“The desert has its own kind of magic. The kind that, without speaking, asks you to heal. To forgive. To strip away everything that doesn’t serve you. Providing space, so much endless space, to begin anew. A blank slate. Or better yet, a blank canvas.”

Staring off into the vast nothingness. A gift that allows us to see clearly the thoughts that travel across our minds. We shed another layer, revealing a new stratum within our being, that had been hidden away with time. Allowing us to gain access to a deeper, richer, more vulnerable part of our soul that we might have tucked away In a box at some point earlier in life for safe keeping, left to be rediscovered only when we are ready. For some, these layers melt away with the desert heat, they have held onto this layer and have waited for some time to release it to the wind. For others, this is a layer that they hold dear. And know I will be a part of them forever. They honor it and cherish it. Some see this layer for the first time. There are tears, because they are reacquainting themselves with a part of themselves that they have never seen, or have lost. This is the magic of healing.

There is truly indescribable feeling of driving up to the ocean after a fair amount of time in a city and desert. It was the perfect contrast and balance to each step we had taken before. Standing somewhere on the line between the yang of the city and the yin of the desert was the ocean in all its majesty waiting to welcome us with open arms. We roll down the windows, feeling the cool ocean air lightly filled with salt. Just enough to taste. We breathe a little deeper.

GIVE BACK - LEAVE YOUR WARDROBE IN MOROCCO

Here, we are reminded of not only the value of connecting to one another, but to the communities in which we travel, and gain a better understanding of a culture that is unfamiliar to us. One of the foundational principles of WE ARE’s mission is the desire to give back to the destinations visited; redefining how we answer call to travel. Each retreat focuses on a different social and environmental cause. No matter the adventure, for every attendee, WE ARE plants a tree through the international movement "Treedom" in order to help rebuild forests, capture CO2 emissions, improve air quality and create a tangible symbol of what the women of WE ARE stand for. On this trip, we donated articles of clothing from our very own suitcases to Project91, a charity that creates opportunities for employment and and education. Project91 collects garments that women donate to sell in their local shop in which 100% of the sale price goes directly to the charity. With the money, women are able to support their families and even send their children to school as this project focuses on the support of young people and providing education. The clothes that were not donated were up-cycled into rag-rugs, in which we weaved our old garments into rugs. In Imsouane, we held a beach clean up, a small and simple effort, that shines a light on the issues of waste, particularly when it pours directly into our oceans. It was beautiful to see and be apart of the true community engagement because as we were cleaning with local surfers (still in their wetsuits) who helped and joined us with this initiative. We cannot simply filter the entire ocean, but we can filter what we are putting and pulling out of it. There is a shift in consciousness all around us, and the types of women who are called to be creative adventurers are also called to be at the forefront of that shift; leading the way, connecting to themselves so they have a better capacity to give to others. Life's great gift.