The Trip of a Lifetime - Morocco - Introduction

I returned from Morocco about 5 days ago; this is my favorite photo of me from our trip. I don't even know how to begin talking about this trip. It was the adventure of a lifetime, an absolute dream come true. I have been dreaming of going to Morocco since I was 14 years old. I decided about two years ago that when I turned 40 in 2015, I wanted to go. I'm not usually one for putting exclamation marks on birthdays or anniversaries with a trip...but this was different. I have felt like I should be 40 for at least 10 years now. I have packed a lot into 40 years and I was really looking forward to feeling like my soul was properly joined with my physical age. I have wanderlust for adventure and travel. I knew that turning 40 would need a proper punctuation and what better way to make this special birthday than with a trip to a long awaited destination? Morocco or bust :).

My sweet husband left all of the details of our trip up to me. He knew how much this trip meant to me and wanted it to be perfect. I spent many, many evenings searching for the perfect riad, the most amazing hole in the wall restaurants, the most choice treasures to buy. And then one day, I put together a 6 page Word document itinerary and it was done. Done! The only left to do was to travel!

We spent 12 days journeying throughout Morocco. We flew from NYC to Casablanca, then hopped a train from Casablanca to Tangier which was roughly 4 1/2 hours away. After a few days in Tangier, we hopped another train to Fes, approximately 5 hours away. After several days in Fes, we met up with our private guide and journeyed through the Middle Atlas and High Atlas Mountains until we came to the edge of the Sahara Desert. From there, we got on camels and trekked about an hour into the Erg Chebbi dunes of the Sahara. We spent the night under the stars; it was one of the most magical nights of my life. The next day we trekked back out and journeyed through the countryside until we hit Dades Gorge and Todres Gorge. Finally we made our way to Marrakech for an unforgettable 3 1/2 days, followed by a cab to Casablanca and back home to San Francisco via NYC.

Whew.

That is the short, short version. In order to really do this trip justice, I will be breaking down the different legs of our journey into proper posts. So settle in and get ready to learn about Morocco! First up, the journey from NYC to Tangier via Casablanca :)