Vacations Recharge Us
My vacation to Morocco recharged my art and life batteries.
It broke the routine and pushed me to communicate and navigate in a new environment. What struck me most about Morocco was the attention to detail that engaged all the senses. Tea and meals were choreographed displays. Riads had the scent of orange blossoms, lemon, and roses. Music trickled as a backdrop rather than being blasted from restaurants and shops, and the chaos of the streets was balanced with the quiet fountains in courtyards.
Morocco is a mixture of life.
I was aware of the yin/yang of life, the flow from one state to another. Chaotic full streets to quiet courtyards. Colorful patterns to white-washed walls. Spiced foods mixed with sweet honey. Ancient buildings mixed with modern buildings in cities. Streets full of cars and motos mixed with donkeys and pedestrians. The calls to prayer punctuated the mornings, middays, and evenings. And I was aware of silence between rapid foreign conversations. We visited four seasons in a few days from the sun of the Sahara to the snow of the mid-Atlas mountains. We road on well-kept highways and sand dunes.
Inspiration for Painting, Patterns, Color and Life
How can one not want to photograph the amazing colors,textures and patterns that abound in Morocco? I did get tired of stepping around selfie-takers and Instagram influencers at crowded attractions, but I have to say going during Ramadan was incredibly quiet and just my pace for soaking in the sights. Tiles, textiles, pottery, metalwork, and leather kept my creative mind flowing. And the long silences of hours on the road or shaded rest in riads gave room for my imagination to free float. I never paint and sketch much on vacation even with the best intentions. Really, I’m spending time with my husband, soaking in the experiences and catching some photos to keep shapes, colors, and subjects for later. I highly recommend a trip to Morocco at least once in your life to engage your senses and imagination. Finally, the people were so welcoming and everyone from our driver to guides and hotel owners, were welcoming, very present, and unrushed, and many spoke some English. We were served welcoming teas again and again from mountain mud homes and desert tents to city restaurants and hotels. Morocco taught me about art and history woven into daily life and it reminded me that we can treat one another like brothers and sisters. That is how Moroccons lifted our spirits on this journey abroad.
