Over the last 9 days we have covered close to 900 kms of north Morocco by car. I am quite the expert at travelling light. It feels great not to have any additional weight on my shoulders, carrying unnecessary stuff. How refreshing it is to not be tied with extra baggage. How liberating it can be to have nothing but the things you absolutely need.
As we moved from city to city, we realised we could have carried even less with us. Very much like in life, the less baggage we carry, the more free we are to move around.
Travel always gives me the opportunity to reflect. On one of our many car journeys; I thought to myself ‘It is not where you are, it is who you are with.’
Long plane and car rides would be much more uncomfortable had I not had my husband’s shoulder to sleep on. Local curfew nights or walking to the top of mountains would be lonely had my soul not been filled with laughter. The stars wouldn’t have shone as brightly over Chefchaouen had I not had someone to share my dreams with. My tagine or couscous wouldn’t have been finished had I eaten alone. The cities I walked through would have felt empty, had I not had someone to see them with.
In my time in Morocco, I was reminded it doesn’t matter where you are, it matters who you are with. You can be sleeping in a train station in Meknes, or staying in a luxurious hotel in Fez or the sofa at home, and none of it would matter. The place, the location, the time – that is all arbitrary. The people we share it with is what makes the difference.
Sure, it is nice to travel to distant lands and explore new cultures, but having that little piece of home with you always makes the road seem more friendly, so whenever I travel I am always in touch with my family and friends. I guess what I am trying to say is this: Leave home, but come back to see how much you have grown. Learn about yourself so that you can teach others about themselves. Keep your loved ones close to your heart, because when the world gets cold, that is the one place where your memories will always keep you warm.


* The author is a consultant and coach. Instagram handle: @miss_shefa,  Website: missshefa.com