Finding Hope and Purpose in Morocco

Nancy Crann visited Morocco for the first time at the end of 2022, in a trip that was about more than just adventure and discovery. It was also about loss and hope, pain and recovery. A cathartic release to ponder the next phase of her life. Little did she know the effect that Morocco would have on this journey.

Through the safety and ease of a guided tour, Nancy met fellow travellers from around the world, and discovered the kindness and generosity of native Moroccans, keen to welcome her into their homes and shops. 

Deep conversations and genuine interactions illuminated everything from food to music, language and architecture: stories of grief and joy that Nancy shares with Azdean on today's episode.

An avid photographer, throughout her trip Nancy rediscovered her passion for light, framing and perspective. In fact, this would then drive her decision to return to Morocco later this year, and embark on an even longer adventure. 

In their conversation today, Nancy shares what she has learned about travelling in Morocco: how to dress, what food to order, how to connect with locals and how to become a confident, assertive Moroccan traveller. Her and Azdean talk about responsible tourism and giving back, including a special project that Azdean is working on for his home village. 

Tune in for this inspiring episode about warmth and inclusion, community, storytelling and discovering all this and more when you travel to Morocco.

Do you dream of exploring the enchanting land of Morocco?

Destination Morocco is your ultimate travel experience for those seeking luxury and adventure. We specialize in crafting bespoke itineraries tailored to your unique tastes and desires.

If you're a discerning traveler who values an immersive, curated adventure, visit www.destinationsmorocco.com, and let us bring your dream Moroccan vacation to life.

Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

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Transcript

AZDEAN: 0:45

Do you dream of exploring the enchanted land of Morocco? Discover the magic with Destination Morocco, the ultimate travel experience for those seeking luxury and adventure. We specialize in crafting bespoke itineraries tailored to your unique tastes and desires. If you are a discerning traveler who values an immersive, curated adventure, then visit DestinationsMoroccocom that's DestinationsWithinS Moroccocom and let us bring your dream Moroccan vacation to life.

NANCY: 1:26

One of the big draws for me in going to Morocco was the desert, so when you ask about moments climbing that sand dune in the dark by myself on Christmas morning. As a matter of fact, oh, my goodness. I was sitting there and just watching the light come up and suddenly having people join me and to sit in that silence.

AZDEAN: 1:46

Wow.

NANCY: 1:47

In that space. That was a pretty personal experience for me.

AZDEAN: 1:56

Welcome to the DestinationsMorocco podcast, the show that takes you way to the beautiful country of Morocco. I am your host, azadeen El-Mustakim. In each episode, we explore Moroccan culture, history, attractions and activities Real and practical information coming from experienced travelers and native Moroccans like myself. And now let's go exploring. Welcome back to the DestinationsMorocco podcast. Into this episode we have Nancy Cran. She has traveled to Morocco a few times and she has an amazing story that I believe it's going to be really, really helping a lot of our audience. So, nancy, welcome to the podcast and would you please share your story with our audience, if you can.

NANCY: 2:47

Certainly. Thank you guys for the opportunity, the generous invitation to share my story. It has been a little bit of a challenging personal journey for me the last few years and having Morocco woven into that is kind of unique and very surprising and turning her to be part of a catalyst for my story. So I am Canadian. I live just outside of Edmonton, alberta, in the western part of Canada, a few hours from the Rocky Mountains. I work in the energy industry. I have for about 15 years. I'm fortunate to be a reasonably experienced traveler. I've been to almost 30 countries. I've been fascinated by other people and other cultures and places for a long time. As a young girl I remember sitting in my grandfather's office, paging through National Geographic magazines, fascinated by the pictures and the stories and the people and knowing that that's something that I always wanted to see and to do. Wow, even in university I studied anthropology and archaeology, so that learning has always been part of who I am. I'm also a photographer. My mom gave me my first camera when I was about 10 years old.

AZDEAN: 3:49

Oh, my goodness.

NANCY: 3:50

I've been dedicating a lot of my childhood allowance to buying and processing film and took a lot of pictures on that little Kodak 110. Still have the first photograph that I ever really took. That was beautiful, still hanging in my office. So even in Morocco that was something that I put my camera down for a number of years and picked it up again when I was in Morocco, so that helped me rediscover that.

AZDEAN: 4:14

That's pretty nice.

NANCY: 4:16

Personally, I was married for many years. My husband was in the Canadian forces. We shared a passion for the outdoors and exploring. He traveled a lot with his work. Obviously, my first overseas trip was actually planned while he was serving in Afghanistan. I did all the detailed planning with the spreadsheets and the timetables, and it was a great distraction.

AZDEAN: 4:39

Oh, my goodness.

NANCY: 4:40

And we took that first overseas trip when he got back and it was amazing.

AZDEAN: 4:44

Oh, wow, so we were very fortunate, that's incredible.

NANCY: 4:47

We've set a ton of the world together. I lost him last year. Jay died of cancer.

AZDEAN: 4:53

I'm so sorry for the loss.

NANCY: 4:54

Thank you. In June of 2023, he was just 44 years old, oh wow. You know, during his illness, we spent a lot of time talking about what I would do and how my life would change and what I would go on to do, and those were tough three years.

AZDEAN: 5:09

Oh, I can imagine. Absolutely.

NANCY: 5:11

Grief and stress changes you, but those years were also filled with a lot of love and a lot of gratitude. So as I came through last year and dealing with my loss and my grief and trying to figure out that new path with Blake, I definitely found myself craving an escape. I needed some space, I needed some change and was looking to find a return to something that could fulfill me and comfort me and remind me of who I was. So for me, that's travel.

AZDEAN: 5:38

Oh wow, that's amazing.

NANCY: 5:41

So Morocco is on my list, as, I'm sure, as many of the people that are listening to your podcast. Having studied in university, I knew a little bit about North Africa and about the Middle East, and Morocco was obviously very exotic and so much rich history and culture. I was looking to escape Christmas. I'll be honest, it was not something that I really wanted to do last year was the whole Christmas thing, so being a Muslim country was also a new experience for me as well. Escaping a Canadian winter is also always a good idea. Morocco's climate in December was much nicer than Edmonton in December, and, unlike my previous travels where I was very digital in the planning like I mentioned, excel spreadsheet and timetables I didn't have the mental capacity to do that for this trip. I just needed to go. So I found a reputable tour company, chose a small group tour where all the planning was done for me and that I would have a guide the entire time I was there, and so it was just easy and exciting. Absolutely, absolutely.

AZDEAN: 6:41

So it was your first time going to Morocco, and how did your family really react when they knew that you're going to be traveling to a Muslim country, and especially in Africa, and also as a solo travel or female travel who did not even speak the language?

NANCY: 6:55

Yeah, I'm really lucky to have family and friends that know me well and trust my judgment, so they know that I'm thoughtful and that I'm careful, but that I'm also pretty confident in adventures. And you know they did check in with me to make sure that I was ready to travel after having such a tough year personally. They had questions. Of course. I assured that I had chosen a good tour company, that I would have the benefit of having a tour leader with me all the time. I shared with them what I knew about traveling as a single woman in a Muslim country, the reading I had done around Morocco because and you've said it on previous episodes that there's a lot of misinformation out there or incomplete information. I think too, but based on the reading that I had done, and how I approached traveling as a guest in a country, knowing that I had every intention to be respectful and as a traveler, I don't do anything in another country. I wouldn't do it in my own country, so I'm not going to venture out by myself at night in a place that's unfamiliar. So I did a little research on the customs, I understood some of the personal safety and I felt quite comfortable in my decision and they were very supportive of that.

AZDEAN: 8:00

I'm glad to hear that. So what are some of your favorite memories about your trip to Morocco?

NANCY: 8:06

Oh, that's it's. It's a tough question because you have. The wonderful thing about Morocco is that there's so many wonderful things about Morocco. It's got this depth which, having traveled to you know a few other countries. Morocco has a depth and a layer of experiences that you don't get everywhere else. You know the history, the food, the culture, the people, so picking a favorite is very tough. I was there for 18 days, as on the tour I did extend my trip by week. I called my boss and said I'm not quite done, I need a little bit more time. So I spent a week by myself in Marrakesh at the end of my trip, and so that was amazing. One of the big draws for me in going to Morocco was the desert. So when you ask about moments, yes, yeah, climbing that sand dune in the dark by myself on Christmas morning as a matter of fact.

AZDEAN: 9:02

Oh my goodness.

NANCY: 9:04

I'm sitting there and just watching. You know, the light come up and suddenly having people join me and to sit in that silence.

AZDEAN: 9:09

Wow.

NANCY: 9:10

In that space. That was a pretty personal experience for me.

AZDEAN: 9:14

Oh, I can absolutely relate to the feeling. You know, just thinking about my own experience, I can relate to it 100%. It's the tranquility, it's the peace, it's you're taking in everything, you're feeling everything. So that's amazing. Wow, that's incredible.

NANCY: 9:30

And there were just so many moments like that, even on the opposite end of the spectrum. I think about my last day in Morocco, my last day spent in Marrakesh, having come into this foreign country by myself, not speaking the language. By the end of the 25 days I was there, I was getting up in the morning, having breakfast, walking to the Medina, shopping on my own having coffee and watching people taking photographs enjoying dinner on a rooftop and confidently walking home at night by myself and feeling completely comfortable and knowing that that place gave me back a little bit of the independent, adventurous spirit that I need to have.

AZDEAN: 10:12

Oh, absolutely, absolutely, so you stayed somewhere close to Jam Al Fina.

NANCY: 10:18

Yeah, I stayed in Grolitz.

AZDEAN: 10:20

Oh, giles, okay, oh yeah, giles, yes, it's nice, nice area Very walkable. Yeah, it was built by the French, it was back in the early 1920s and, yeah, very nice neighborhood, very, very nice. So when you spoke about your trip to Morocco, you talk about, you know, the food. You talk about the diversity, the layers of history. What are some of the experiences that stuck with you, the local that you have met and experience you did with locals, or interactions, or food, or riyadh or whatever you stayed, something that really made a difference in your day or in your location, nancy.

NANCY: 10:56

For me. The people were such a pleasant surprise and the care and the kindness that I was showing, not only by the Moroccan people but even just the people that I traveled with, was amazing. I couldn't get over how kind people were, how interested, how truly curious they were about me and my story and where I come from. So we had this great exchange of curiosities. You know, I was there to explore their country and learn about them and they were equally as curious to learn about me and my life. So it was a nice balance.

AZDEAN: 11:31

That's really, really amazing. I mean, I hear these stories all the time and you know that's one of the things you know. Just to get back to your point, when you do your homework, when you do your research, there's a lot of incomplete information. I hear this all the time that perception versus reality are completely two different things. The way that we are perceived in the media in the US versus what's actually the reality when you get to Morocco whether you're visiting fast because of long come or cash, and it's just a it's a really pleasant surprise for a lot of the guests that visit Morocco in way.

NANCY: 12:04

Absolutely, and I think the humanity of people you know. You asked me about one of my favorite experiences. I did find a local photographer. I spent the day with him in Marrakech. He took me through the Medina. He introduced me to a man who was responsible for the furnaces for the Hamam. And this man invited me in. We sat and had tea and you know, he shared with me that his mentor had passed away the night before and he expressed his sadness to us and we kind of sat with him in that and he allowed me to take his portrait and again it was just this, really human interaction.

AZDEAN: 12:37

Yes.

NANCY: 12:38

Yeah, that could have easily been a very touristic experience but ended up being something a very emotional exchange and a very respectful sharing of ideas. And, yeah, it just speaks to the level of openness of the Moroccan people and the welcomeness to treat us as guests as opposed to just tourists.

AZDEAN: 12:57

Absolutely, I completely agree. So I want to ask you a little bit about the food scene in Morocco. What are some of your favorite dishes, nancy, something you had either in Marrakech, or any suggestions your tour leader has made? Can you share that with us please?

NANCY: 13:13

The food in Morocco, as so many of your guests said, is just incredible. I had an idea of what Tajine was before I went, but no clue as to the variety and how different it is, and I had chicken Tajine with preserved lemon and olives like five different times in five different places, and it was amazing and different in each place.

AZDEAN: 13:34

Exactly yeah.

NANCY: 13:36

So the Tajines are all wonderful, try them all. We actually did a cooking class at one point, so I got to build some skills and bring that home with me, nice, so I can make Tajine at home now, which is amazing. You know the special, the recipes around Koussouce, which I think you've mentioned before, and how it's so different in so many places, but also the story that goes with it and how it's prepared on Fridays and it's prepared as a family meal and that's really enriching as well. Yeah, one of the things we tried was goat yogurt in Cheshawn.

AZDEAN: 14:05

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it is so good.

NANCY: 14:11

Yeah, there was a couple extra servings that day at lunch and there was definitely some elbowing to try to get to the extra. It was amazing. Honestly, I don't think I had a bad meal when I was in Morocco, between the Tajine, the Tajia in Marrakesh.

AZDEAN: 14:26

Marrakesh yeah.

NANCY: 14:27

The Koussouce, the breakfast, the breakfast. Like I'm a girl that has a cup of coffee and some yogurt in the morning, but we get these full breakfasts.

AZDEAN: 14:36

Yes, yeah, the breakfast is just massive in Morocco. Yeah.

NANCY: 14:39

And the bread and the olives and the orange juice. I think you've talked about that before too. It's incredible it's orange juice that tastes like orange juice should taste.

AZDEAN: 14:48

Yeah, and I remember when Max went and she said the same thing, she talked about the bread, because they serve you piles and piles of bread. I was like, oh my God, for us, the locals, we eat bread a lot, but for a lot of guests when they come in, they're not used to the bread culture, if you would. So it's quite a bit.

NANCY: 15:08

Yeah, the bread is quite incredible, and even actually one of the things you see is that in the Medina is the communal happens, where they're baking a lot of the bread too. That's a pretty unique thing to see as well. The other thing I find interesting too is that there's the street food. You know whether you're getting it in the square. I had the opportunity to when I was with a guide in the Medina. He had to go to a very local place where you go and you buy your roasted meat in one place and you go and sit in another place.

AZDEAN: 15:34

Exactly.

NANCY: 15:35

They give you a table, they give you bread, something to drink. You know he's asking me like how many pounds of meat I want. I'm like I have no idea, Like we don't generally order meat by the pound where I come from. But he brought this huge platter of lamb and you've got this cumin and salt to dip it in and the bread, and it was very local, very authentic.

AZDEAN: 15:56

Yeah, it's called shua ormshwe.

NANCY: 15:58

Ormshwe.

AZDEAN: 15:59

That's what it's called and it's like barbecue beef or lamb or a goat. Yeah, normally that's how we eat it. In terms of spices, we don't use black pepper, where you use cumin and salt in two separate containers or bowls or on the side of the dish. I just want to explain a little bit to a lot of the listeners what you have done, nancy. This could easily make somebody go sick and get sick 100%, but you did it the right way, because there's so many places you can have the same dish, but if you don't know where you're going, it will absolutely get taken advantage of. For example, just a simple thing If you just you may not be used to drinking faucet water and when you drink it it will definitely make you sick. And also the type of dish that you have just described, nancy, you cannot just come and eat it. You have to be in Morocco for some time, in Marrakesh for some time, couple of weeks. You have to ease your system into it, your stomach into it, because if it's your first day, I promise you you're going to feel your stomach rumbling for the next three days. So you did it the right way and you were in good hands.

NANCY: 17:02

And the other end of the spectrum is that I was there over New Year's Eve and then again a few days after that. We ate at some very nice fine dining restaurants, in Marrakesh especially which did a really interesting modern take on some traditional Moroccan dishes, very elegant service. So I feel like I got this spectrum of food experiences from street food to, you know, white linen tablecloth dining, and it's all available.

AZDEAN: 17:28

And that's what you find, especially in Marrakesh and Fass. They're really, really known for their foods and food, but Marrakesh with the street food definitely stands out. But also, just to give a lot of the listeners an idea, when you go to Morocco in December, especially the last two weeks but I want to talk specifically the last week where there's Christmas we may not celebrate Christmas in Morocco, but it's busy People you'll see the trees, you'll see the Santa Claus people wearing, you know, just having fun. You see the culture has changed a little bit. And also the hotels. Just like you said, nancy, when you're in a fine hotel, you will see the decorations, you'll see the tree, you'll see the ornament, the Christmas ornament, the holiday it's just like if you were in the US or in Canada or your local country the bookings you have to do those bookings six months, nine months ahead of time, because it just it's really really gets both quick. Then the other thing is the culture in Morocco, when it comes to, especially in the year, everything is closed, everybody drinks everywhere. There is there's alcohol everywhere. It's not what you think, it's not what you watch on TV, but I'm just telling everybody, especially when you go to bars and hotels One thing about hotels that a lot of people may not know each hotel have, besides their own bar, they have their own nightclub. Each hotel has their own nightclub and each nightclub they have a specific celebration or party celebration, especially for New Year, and it costs pretty penny to get in unless you know somebody and stuff like that. So just to give people an idea, if you're planning your trip to Morocco during that time, do it really really ahead of time. And also, if you want to celebrate Christmas, you can still celebrate Christmas at the hotel. There's decorations, there's. Anywhere you go, you'll see there's the Christmas spirit as well. But then at your hotel there's nightclubs, so you don't have to go anywhere and it's safe for you. You can party at your hotel and go back to your room. A lot of people don't know that, but I always recommend minimum of nine months.

NANCY: 20:10

If you go in in December, yeah, that's fair, I know for us. You know again, thankfully for our cheerleader, he had made our arrangements. We were actually and that's a weirdo for New Year's Eve. He wasn't coming on with us. We got switched to a different guy, but he had booked ahead and we had dinner that night that was reserved. And what a party.

AZDEAN: 20:27

We were right on the ocean, I can imagine.

NANCY: 20:30

I was fortunate to be there with a family from New Zealand that I had been traveling with for 15 days already, and just the music and the food and, yes, we had alcohol and it was and we danced and I came home covered in sparkles and glitter and it was very memorable, new Year's Eve for sure.

AZDEAN: 20:50

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NANCY: 22:39

Yeah, I did spend a tremendous amount of time in the clubs. It was two nights that I can recall that we went out. One night, actually, we were in Chef Xiao and ventured out to find a glass of wine, as a matter of fact, and so our tour guide, again, was very accommodating and helping myself and my roommate, my new Australian friend, find a glass of wine that night. But you're right, the music is extremely varied. I quickly figured out what Shazam was and in order to capture some of the music I was hearing, because it kind of becomes a soundtrack of your journey. But, yeah, definitely a mix between African music, arabic music songs and we learned to sing in Joriza French music, electronic house music, american influence music, which was always remarkable to hear, and even Middle Eastern takes on, like Ed Sheeran songs, for example. And so it was a real mix New Year's Eve. At that restaurant where we spent that evening, they had some live musicians as well, playing traditional instruments that got everybody out dancing and clapping and having a great time, and the dancers as well, and it was just. It's a big, big party and everybody was dancing, from the little kids with it in Casablanca. No, we were in a Sawera.

AZDEAN: 23:51

Oh, nice, nice, Nice. Yeah, sawera is known for its music Sawera. Just to give the listeners an idea, it's somewhat really similar when it comes to music. To Austin Texas they say keep Austin weird. Sawera is the same way. Sawera has been weird and it's still weird for a long time.

NANCY: 24:07

It's weird in the best way, though.

AZDEAN: 24:09

Exactly in the best way possible. And the food is just wow. Yeah, the seafood is just incredible, so wow. So tell us a little bit about your tour, what itinerary? I know we've talked a little bit before. Can you just give us a little brief of your itinerary? For example, you did Casablanca, you know Shevchevon, first on the North and you go back to the South.

NANCY: 24:29

Yeah, absolutely so. From Canada, I think, a lot of places in the US as well, the easiest point of entry is Casablanca, so that's where my tour started. So we met at the airport, brought to our hotel Typically we do the briefing we met our tour leader that night, have a welcome dinner and then spent the night. The next day. We toured the mosque, the second mosque, and we were off to McNess.

AZDEAN: 24:53

Okay.

NANCY: 24:54

McNess, we did. I'm going to get these in the wrong order, I'm sure, but followed through this and we're back. Then we were a couple nights in Shevchevon, which was, as many people have said. It's just stunning.

AZDEAN: 25:05

Oh, 100% yes.

NANCY: 25:07

Then we were in Fez for a couple nights. Then we started to make the trek towards the desert, so we stayed one night and our food Our food yes yes, at a beautiful hotel.

AZDEAN: 25:17

Beautiful. Yes, oh my God, I can imagine yes.

NANCY: 25:21

Yeah, that's a hotel that I would go back to and stay for a few days. It was stunning. Then we spent one night at the luxury camp in the desert in Missouri. We did the camel ride in, watched the sunset, had the beautiful dinner, the music around the fire and then, of course, back out to the sand dunes to look at the stars. After Mersuga we headed to Ded's.

AZDEAN: 25:43

Ded's yes, oh nice.

NANCY: 25:46

We did some great hiking while we were there as well, so that was excellent. Hiking is something I do home in my Rocky Mountains, so it was nice to have that experience in Morocco.

AZDEAN: 25:55

Oh, definitely, definitely.

NANCY: 25:58

After Ded's we were in Weorgan, weorgan, okay, and then we were in Tamerikash for a couple nights. The extension after that was two nights in Asawira. In Sawara and then back to Tamerikash, oh wow, and the tour ended in Merikash. And now that's how I ended up staying an extra week there by myself.

AZDEAN: 26:16

Oh, wow, that's incredible. That's a really, really good itinerary because you gave each city the time that it really deserves. You know, she's shown definitely today's fast minimum of two days. Macanus is incredible. It's a small city between volubilis and fast and it's also one of the Imperial cities, the Nidhidarabad, which is an Imperial city, the capital now and Kazablanca is really a must and the good thing about Kazablanca it doesn't really take a long time to visit Kazablanca A couple hours, you're good and yeah. So how did your trip to Morocco compare to other experiences? I know that you have said that you have traveled quite a bit to other countries and you're really an experienced traveler. How you know ranking Morocco experience against the other experiences or next to the other experiences, if you would please, nancy?

NANCY: 26:59

Yeah, it's Morocco special, I mean, for me. I think timing and the trip in my life obviously made it more so. But there is something exceptional about Morocco. Again, it has so much depth. There are simply so many layers to what you can explore, as far as whether you're interested in the history or the culture or the languages there's so many languages the architecture, the food, just the aesthetic. I know it's very popular with you know Instagrammers, because there is a certain aesthetic and a certain exotic feel to Morocco. This was my first time traveling with a tour leader and having local tour guides. That in itself was remarkable. For me it was by far the most beneficial thing to my trip. That level of care and enhancement and enrichment that a tour guide brought was simply from looking after us, making sure we were all safe and comfortable and you know all the behind the scenes thing, to simply being a really good travel companion, really personable, sharing stories, making us laugh, bringing the group together. I have never done a small group tour before and certainly for me this point in my life, traveling alone was the right thing. The care that was given to me by the people I traveled with was pretty special. We had a really good time.

AZDEAN: 28:21

I'm so glad to hear that. You know I tell people all the time that when you go as a solo traveler, there's thousands of different ways that you can experience Morocco. But doing it the right is, in my opinion, is a must. And you have done it the right way, because when you have that tour guide with you, the local tour guides, when you have the tour leader with you, the distance between stop one and stop two goes really fast. The scenery changes, the stories, the history behind the scene, Just like you said, that's really, really what makes the trip. But anybody can get in the car and drive, you know, throughout Morocco, but then the experience is not the same. And that's the type of tour that we do. We book everything for you, from A to Z. We take care of everything for you. You don't have to lift a finger. Everything is done for you, Everything is taken care of for you and at the end that experience stays with you. It never leaves you for the rest of your life. And in your case, Nancy, I know you made a decision you want to move to Morocco. You're going to go back in August and then after August, you're going to stay in Morocco, live in Morocco for one year. So what led you to that decision to move to Morocco? How did you make that decision to stay for one year?

NANCY: 29:31

When I think back on it, it's kind of an incredible thought process to go through. I came back from Morocco in January knowing that I wanted to return and photography was the drive. There was just some additional work that I wanted to do there and I had made some connections when I was there and had the opportunity to go back with a photographer, with a guide. So August was the agreed upon timeframe. Even when I had been there for that extra week in January, I started to learn more about the country and I had the opportunity to go back to my own opinion, as in Morocco is kind of at a tipping point. They're kind of in this spot between the traditional and moving into a modern world. You know they're dealing with the influx of tourism, they're dealing with climate change is affecting Morocco like it is in many places, and I started just to learn a little bit more about the people. I had the opportunity to speak with some really amazing, brave, strong women entrepreneurs and heard some of their stories and, as a woman who's navigated the business world of here in North America, I was really so proud of them because I mean, as a Canadian woman, I have, you know, every opportunity to me, so I was so admirable of what they were doing and so, even in that little extra time I had in January, I started looking like, well, maybe I'll spend the day and volunteer at an organization or an agency. And it didn't really come together. So when I came home, started planning, but going back in August I thought, well, maybe I'll take a little extra time, find an organization that I can help and just give back a little bit.

AZDEAN: 30:58

Absolutely, absolutely.

NANCY: 31:01

And, as North Americans, we have limited amount of vacation. So I I knew I was going to have to ask for a little bit of grace from my employer, for a little bit of unpaid leave. And when I explained to my manager like what my intention was, he said well, you know, you have up to a year to do that work. My company supports, you know, those type of personal endeavors. And so, strangely enough, standing in his office, I said okay, I guess I'm taking a year.

AZDEAN: 31:26

Oh, my God, that's, that's incredible.

NANCY: 31:29

No idea how I was going to put that together. You know I have a home, I have pets, I have a family and friends here, but I just, it felt like the right decision. So, and in the space of about 72 hours, it all came together like how I was going to take a year out of my life, someone move into my home and look after my house, and I was going to pack my things in the truck. I did some research. I found an NGO that was well established and well respected and doing really important work for education for young women that I reached out to and they were accepting of my offer of help.

AZDEAN: 32:03

Oh, wow.

NANCY: 32:04

And yeah, so it quickly came together to take a pause from my career and in the time in my life we're, having lost my husband last year, that I've kind of at this crossroads of picking a new path.

AZDEAN: 32:18

Absolutely absolutely.

NANCY: 32:20

And then just being grateful for the experience that I'd had there and the opportunities I've had here in Canada that I can go back and help and be hopefully a mentor and a teacher to some of these young women and hopefully a friend as well.

AZDEAN: 32:33

That's amazing. That's incredible. This is going to sound kind of crazy. In my village. I do help when I can, and this is something that I don't really talk about. It's kind of weird, but sometimes, whatever I can do, it's not enough. This is something in my trip I'm going to focus a little bit on and I'm going to talk about it for a little bit more. We are planning to build schools because last time when I went to Morocco, I visited my village and so many outstanding students, bright kids, so smart, and I know for a fact they have no future. In 10 years they'll be out of school, most of them. It just reminded me 30 years ago or 35 years ago, I was in the same situation, but I was from the city. My cousins, the guys that I used to play with in the mountains, we all had the same faith I was lucky enough to finish my school, but all of them did not. So I know the pattern is going to repeat itself. So it is tough, it is very challenging and it's painful for me to talk about it, but the thing is I'm going to help. I'm taking some people with me. They're not paying anything for their trip, but they will donate something and all of it is going to go to that project.

NANCY: 33:48

That's amazing, incredible, and you personally you know what that sense of lack of hope and desperation is like, and especially for those young people that are so smart and so driven and have so much energy that, if they're just given that opportunity, the wonderful things it can do.

AZDEAN: 34:04

Yeah, we take a lot of things for granted being in the West, living in America. $5 to somebody, maybe just a cup of Starbucks, but to those villages that's a lot of money. Still, even with the inflation, even with a lot of, it helps. It definitely helps. My village does not get a lot of credit and they go through some rough times, especially in winter times when it snows really hard and people cannot get out of their houses for a long time. So hopefully we can get some help and hopefully we can help as much as we can. And this is a project for me it's not a one year project, but it's a nonstop project. But we want something that those schools will be built and so it's amazing.

NANCY: 34:47

I don't know if there's anything I can do to lend my energy or my help, oh, definitely.

AZDEAN: 34:51

Oh, absolutely, absolutely Awesome. So the other thing that I want to talk about, nancy, is we have done an episode about how to dress and how to pack to Morocco. How did you dress with all the time that you have spent in Morocco? And also, how are you planning to dress? What type of clothing are you planning to take with you to Morocco or buy while you're in Morocco, for example, to wear?

NANCY: 35:14

Such a good question because I have spent lots of time thinking about what do I take, what do I pack, for an entire year in Morocco. I think you know, and you've covered it in a few of your podcasts too Morocco is, especially in the bigger cities, is very open to travelers. I choose to follow local customs as much as I can, so for me that meant being careful with covering my legs, covering my arms, especially. You know, obviously, when I had covering, having visited the mosque in Casablanca. The sun is no joke either. Especially for us Northern Canadian people, the sun is very strong, so in some cases covering yourself is the best option. I love the Moroccan aesthetic, the clothing, the caftans.

AZDEAN: 35:57

Beautiful, oh my God, yes.

NANCY: 36:00

I could be in a lot of trouble if I do a bunch of shopping.

AZDEAN: 36:02

but oh, I know, I know.

NANCY: 36:04

Dress comfortably. Take things that are easily packable. Take things that are cool and comfortable. You know they're very welcoming to travelers to dress comfortably.

AZDEAN: 36:14

Yeah.

NANCY: 36:15

For the year that I plan on spending there. You know I will be in some smaller places, some more traditional places, so I'll continue to dress very modestly. I am completely comfortable with that. That is a personal choice for me.

AZDEAN: 36:28

What are you going to be during the winter? What part of Morocco are you going to be in during the winter?

NANCY: 36:32

I'll be in the mountains. The village that I'm in will be.

AZDEAN: 36:35

Oh, in the mountains.

NANCY: 36:36

Yeah, it's about 100 kilometers south of Marrakesh.

AZDEAN: 36:39

You know, when you're in the mountains this is my personal experience I wear juleba, especially in wintertime. Juleba is made by the season. You can wear it in the summer, which is really light, and it's kind of fluffy and you know the wind, you know, gets through it, so you feel the breeze and it's kind of cool. But then during the wintertime they're a little bit heavy, may feel a little bit uncomfortable, but they're cool and that's the best way to protect yourself because it goes from up, you know, to your legs and it's a really really nice way also to feel in as a local. Everybody can tell the difference, whether you're a local or you know staying, you know. So it's an amazing thing to have the juleba for sure. That's what I would recommend.

NANCY: 37:16

Yeah, I look forward to buying both a summer and a winter juleba.

AZDEAN: 37:20

Yes, and you know the koftan. This is the thing that a lot of people do not know the fashion in Morocco is just so diverse. It's amazing and unfortunately, a lot of the West when you see Morocco. You see the Kamalistu, the desert, but you don't see the diversity in terms of clothing, in terms of the culture. Koftan represents so many layers of diversity of the dresses in Morocco. There's different types and different all kind of type of koftan. You definitely need not just one, probably need few of them.

NANCY: 37:53

Well, I actually have a really special story that I can share with you about a koftan.

AZDEAN: 37:59

Absolutely.

NANCY: 37:59

One of the things I really wanted to bring home from Morocco was a beautiful koftan, something very special. I was willing to pay a little bit more for it and I happened to mention this to my guide, as we were, you know, shopping in the different Medinas that this was something that I was looking for, and then he asked me to wait. He said, wait until we get to Marrakesh, and so I got no problem. I obviously trusted him. So once we got to Marrakesh, he says you still want to buy a koftan? He said, yes, absolutely. And he says, ok, well, tonight I'm going to take you somewhere to buy one. So he met up with me that evening and took me to a designer in Marrakesh who he knew. This designer opened his store, opened the workshop for me and, yeah, I was personally escorted through the store with the designer himself and he shows me his design books and his fabrics and his workshop and helps me choose the most beautiful cat can. It was very surreal experience. You know my guide's downstairs drinking tea with his assistant and I'm walking through the shop with all of these beautiful pieces of clothing designed by this Moroccan man, made in the shops. They're handmade, and so, yeah, he helped me select a beautiful one, wrapped it for me and I just I walked out of that store going. Did that really just happen?

AZDEAN: 39:21

That's just amazing, that's incredible.

NANCY: 39:23

Morocco has some incredible talent when it comes to so many things, and it was really special now to have this connection with this very, very incredible designer.

AZDEAN: 39:31

Wow, wow, that's an amazing story. Thank you so much, nancy, for sharing it. And you know. Just to talk a little bit about the Kaftan, they're made to measure. Especially when you go to wedding, they may have just one size. When we talk about the ladies that help the bride dress her up and change the dresses, they use one size in those events. The reason is because people, instead of buying them, they just rent in them. So it makes no sense for those ladies to have like a size smaller, medium or large or so, so they have one size and then they fit it into the bride that night of the wedding, which is a lot of work. So that's just incredible. Yeah, and the Kaftans, they're not cheap and they can go from the hundreds to thousands of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. So, yeah, that's amazing.

NANCY: 40:19

Yeah, I actually have an event this weekend that I'm going to wear it out, so I'm very excited.

AZDEAN: 40:24

Yeah, you're gonna stand up because they're made in the most elaborate colors and the fit and finish, the embroidery, the attention to detail, the jewelry that goes with it is just amazing. So it's gonna be an amazing party for sure, yeah, it's very special.

NANCY: 40:40

I'm the whole experience around getting that Kaftan as something I will remember forever.

AZDEAN: 40:45

Perfect, perfect, nancy. We're getting close to the end of our session. This has been incredible and I'm very grateful for you to share your story with our audience. What else would you like to share with the audience, please, nancy?

NANCY: 41:00

Oh, there's so many things, I think, as the world kind of opens back up, and if COVID taught us anything is that we're all human, we're all connected. We all need to be a little bit more understanding is to travel. If you've thought about going to Morocco, go. If you've been, go back, share the country with other people and be curious. I'm just gonna share. That's the greatest tool I think we have as travelers is to be curious about other people and how they live, and I think you had Elias on a one of your very earlier podcasts talking about how travel makes us speechless but then turns us into storytellers, and that's such an amazing way to think about it. And there's certainly more moments than I can count of being absolutely speechless in Morocco, whether I was watching kids play soccer in the street or just having the most amazing meal or standing watching a sunset somewhere. There are just so many remarkable moments to be had and connections to make, and truly the people in Morocco, their sense of community, of family and kidnap like this in a place that has exponentially less than what we do as North Americans, is something that we can learn from and certainly something I look forward to learning to appreciate and learn more about in the year that I'm gonna spend living with them.

AZDEAN: 42:21

Absolutely, absolutely. It's gonna be a lot of fun.

NANCY: 42:24

Yeah, I'm so excited for the next year. I try not to think too much past that next year about things I might choose to do. The running bet with the family right now is whether or not I actually come back, so we'll see what happens. I think I need to get there first before I decide on anything after that.

AZDEAN: 42:44

Yeah, for sure.

NANCY: 42:45

I'm truly excited and I just it's funny as to I cannot believe the people that I have met and connected with since I have been in Morocco and since I've been back and made this decision and it's so exciting and I just every once in a while I kind of shake my head. I'm like how did this even happen? Like even this morning driving to work, I'm like I'm gonna do a podcast today, talk about Morocco. This is like, as you are, I'm very introverted. This is not my comfort zone whatsoever, so it's a bit surreal. And again, you know we've talked so much about the people in Morocco, but there is just something I can't put my finger on about how their sense of connection and caring about each other is just. We are missing out as North Americans on how we relate to the people around us, and you go to a place like Morocco that has exponentially less than we do and there's so much happier for it.

AZDEAN: 43:39

Yeah, yeah. You know the funny thing so many people that I have talked to they said the exact same thing. They said the exact same thing. I don't understand. They have sold it, but yet they're so happy Again. It's a cultural thing. It's a little different. I cannot even explain it. To be honest, I really can't.

NANCY: 43:57

It's very special and I'm really looking forward to surrounding myself with that for next year or so.

AZDEAN: 44:02

Excellent, Nancy. It's been amazing talking to you. I'm very grateful. Thank you for opening up to do an episode and also sharing your story. I know it's painful, I know it's really hard, but I promise you it's gonna help a lot of people and I'm very fortunate that Morocco is part of your story. It's an amazing story.

NANCY: 44:23

Thank you so much for the opportunity. You know I discovered your podcast and, honestly, your warmth and your spirit came through and it was easy to talk to and the space that you're making for people to share their stories related to Morocco is really amazing. I was super surprised that Morocco I would never have jumped in a million years that Morocco would have been part of my story going forward. But wow, what a surprise, what an adventure and I just I cannot wait so. I hope your listeners take something from it. I hope they're excited to travel. I hope they're excited to travel with you and your company, because I think they can hear the care and concern that you offer from the people that work with you. So, yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited for my next year. I'm excited to see you and your family and your business and how that grows and expands. Great things ahead.

AZDEAN: 45:12

Absolutely. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, nancy. Thank you. You have traveled the world, but Morocco's allure beckons you. Destination Morocco is here to create the perfect, once in a lifetime Moroccan journey, tailored exclusively to your desires. Let us craft an itinerary that unlocks the secrets of this mesmerizing land, just for you, for a luxurious, bespoke Moroccan adventure of a lifetime. Visit destinationsmiracocom that's, destinationswithinasmiracocom and let us turn your dreams into reality. Your amazing Moroccan experience awaits.