I’ve done the math, and I have been to 19 different countries since 2011!! I look back and sometimes I have a hard time processing how lucky I am and how grateful I am to have been able to see and experience so many great memories in so many far away lands.

With this said, my trip to Morocco last week was without a doubt one of my top 3 favorite holidays I have ever taken!!

Forgive me... but this is going to be a pretty long post, as I had so much to write about!! It could honestly be double this, but I'll try to keep the word-count down.

Prior to going, I received countless warnings. “Be careful with that country, its practically the middle east” “Isn’t that a Muslim country? Why would you want to go there?” “I knew someone who’s friend's wife was kidnapped from a supermarket and she is still missing to date” And while yes, traveling is dangerous, I proceeded to carry on my travel plans regardless of the “dangers” and “terrors” people felt so strongly about.

Truth be told, Morocco is actually a very safe country to travel to. As long as you keep your wits about you and you avoid situations that could potentially put you in danger, the world is my playground! On April 2nd, I packed my bags and caught my first of THREE flights to Marrakesh. This trip was going to be a little bit different than previous trips, as Alex and I decided to invite a 3rd party on board our adventure. Another cam girl, Alex was from Canada and had the same thrust for exploration and traveling as we had. All three of us caught our flights and landed within 2 hours or each other in this unknown land.

We rented and airbnb that had more than enough space to accommodate us and was quite reasonably priced. We were thrilled when we finally arrived through the maze like roads of old town Marrakesh. It’s hard to describe how it was to get there, because it was unlike any other “city” i had been to. All the walls and houses were essentially made of a beige clay and as we were guided in, there were 90 degree turns that i can only describe as feeling like a strange labyrinth.

We arrived on the property and we were greeted by the groundskeeper/house keeper who lived on site, Bahavia. She didn’t speak a word of english and we were forced to muster up the most god awful french you had ever heard in your life. Bahavia would become someone I will never forget and the most friendly, happy woman, it brings me joy just thinking about her and her big friendly smile.

We took the first day to have a “sea-lion day” - which means we essentially lay around like sea-lions basking in the sun doing absolutely nothing. It was magically. I need more sea lion days in my life. Bahavia cooked for us every meal we requested and made traditional breakfast and the most savory and perfectly spiced lunches and dinners you could imagine. Of all the food we had in Morocco, hers was bar none, the best. She spent hours on it, and you could smell the aroma of the lamb or the chicken cooking in the Tanjines all day long. She seemed to take so much joy in cooking, that alone could have been my entire vacation!

After our sea-lion day we did a few guided excursions, we saw the City of Marrakesh, the waterfalls (a 2.5 hour drive from our house) and we ended up on a 3 day/2 night trip to the Sahara Desert. A place I had always wanted to see! We stayed at a hostel our first night in the middle of a gorge with huge red rocks hundreds of feet high. We saw countless “ancient” villages and rubble that took my breath away every turn. After two days of driving and about 800km later, we got to the Sahara, where we had camels waiting to take us in deeper. We boarded our camels and rode them for about 1.5 hours to our tent that was made up of nothing more than thick blankets. No running water, no electricity, no wifi. It was the most detached I had ever felt. And it was freeing. If only for one night, it was magnificent. We took the opportunity to go sand boarding, had a campfire prepared, and watched the stars from the dunes for hours. It was a once in a life time trip and I look back at it and I am so overjoyed they are memories that are mine.

It was a 10 hour car drive back to Marrakesh, where Bahavia was waiting for us with a smile and some tasty lamb and couscous (and like 3 other dishes). We took our much needed shower and passed out by 9pm. We had just one more full day in Morocco after that, which we deemed should be another Sea-lion day. We lounged around the pool, and we were even able to have massages come to us and rub us down for 60 minutes right before a lady who did henna cam by to give us our souvenirs of henna tattoos.

The next day I departed at 4am to catch my 6 am flight. Its always bittersweet to leave, but this time I felt even more sad to go than many previous trips. I loved the country, and the culture. It may sound weird, but I actually enjoyed being modest and keeping my shoulders covered. many would say that is oppression and feminists would scoff at me, however, it felt kind of nice to keep covered. Maybe I’m just a sucker for change, and anything different appeals to me for a short while, but I found it refreshing. The culture is so preserved, and it seemed virtually untouched by western society. No supermarkets, no wal-marts, shit, not even a Starbucks! Everything was “mom and pop”. The vegetables were bought from the side of the road, and the meat was slaughtered and hung right there in front of you (which was unnerving.. but that's how it's done!)

I loved my trip here, and I wouldn't have changed a thing about it - (except maybe fly a helicopter instead of drive 10 hours, but I just like flying helicopters)

I hope you enjoy the photos!! Thank you again for all your support and memberships to my site. It’s because of you that I’m able to experience these things and then share them!

TL;DR Morrocco is the shit. The people are fantastic, and it was a trip of a lifetime!!

XOXO Aspen