The Marrakech Edit
Notes on one of the most interesting place I've ever been.
Spending time in a Muslim country during Ramadan was eye-opening. My boys have had exposure to lots of cultures between our travels and living in NYC but never quite like this.
At 4:30am on our first night, we were awoken by the call to prayer (the adhan) followed by the birds singing until morning. We explored beautiful palaces, historic sites, a madrasa, museums, restaurants, shops and met hard-working artisans and other locals.
Towards sunset, we walked around the souks in the Medina as donkey carts and motorcycles zoomed past us — locals racing home to get ready for Iftar (the breaking of the fast at sundown). Marrakech has a magnetism — a pulse of possibility — especially after the sun goes down and Iftar begins.
We spoke to so many locals who were praying and fasting and learned so much from them about the how and the why. My kids were able to consider the feelings of the locals and were gentler in the afternoons, thoughtful about who they would eat and drink in front of and aimed to be as respectful as possible.
Our kids missed a few days of school for that trip — a decision that wasn’t easy to make — but today instead of our kids looking at Eid as just a day off of school, we now talk about all the Moroccans we met who are now spending the day with their families, enjoying feasts with their loved ones (during daylight!) and celebrating the end of Ramadan.
While NYC is rich with culture, there is nothing like traveling to immerse yourself in a new place and open your eyes to the world! I’m so thankful for my kids to have these kinds of experiences.
The Marrakech Edit
Around this time three years ago, I joined a home swapping platform that forever changed my life. Within a few hours of joining, I got my first offer! A family in Marrakech was interested in swapping homes with us.
We FaceTimed, chatted back and forth and within a day or so we had a plan! They’d come with friends from Lisbon and stay in our home for a week in April while we were at a hotel in LA and the following spring break, we’d plan a trip to Marrakech and Lisbon and stay at each of their homes.
When we returned from LA, they left our home even better than we’d left it with a beautiful pile of gifts from their respective businesses and a note on Max’s chalkboard 🥹
As planned, a year later, in the spring of 2023, we took our trip to Portugal and Morocco.
Their homes were gorgeous. Beyond gorgeous actually. Out of magazines and books (literally) and it was a real pinch me moment that I’d get to stay in these homes at no cost. I spent many months planning what would be our biggest trip yet — and this guide to Marrakech is the result of all those months of planning culminating in the Best. Trip. Ever.
It was truly magical. Sharing this guide with you is something I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. The lists in here are long and in-depth. The commentary extensive and the photos some of my favorite of any trip I’ve taken.
This trip required significant detail and planning in advance for our family of 4. I hope my hard work (over a year of planning!) and time to fine-tune since, will help inspire you and give you ideas for your next trip - to Marrakech or elsewhere.
So, here it goes - notes, photos, musings, and practical how-tos on one of the most interesting places I’ve ever been.
“Getting lost in the souks of Marrakech, I found pieces of who I am."
- Yves Saint Laurent