Wild and free in Morocco

In the middle of a deserted stretch of road, in a remote part of Morocco, I found myself. Everything I had used to distract me from my life had been stripped away and there was nothing left but me. In the middle of nowhere I connected with a culture that showed me what I felt in my heart was real.

In my old life in Brisbane I had slipped into the routine of office life, earning money to pay bills and buy things that could never quite fill the pocket in my heart where adventure lived. Finally, my partner Matt and I couldn’t stand the feeling of restlessness anymore. We sold everything we could, packed up the rest and left. A few months later we found ourselves in Morocco.

We arrived in Marrakech to the loud and overwhelming sounds of the market and a million new smells and sights we'd never experienced before. It was overwhelming and unbelievably thrilling.

Our tour guide, Yousef, met us the next morning and piled us into his SUV. We drove through the winding Atlas Mountains and out toward the Sahara Desert. We stopped by the roadside and played with children, ate delicious food at local restaurants and learned about the culture of real nomads. Our guide immersed us in his lifestyle and people who live for the joy of life, with few possessions and hearts full of life. They go where life takes them.

In the middle of a long stretch of dirt road, with nobody else in sight, Yousef pulled over the SUV and jumped out. He climbed on the roof of the car and put his hand out to me, I took it and climbed up next to him. He smiled confidently and told me to hold on tight. "Drive! FAST," he yelled out to Matt, who hopped behind the wheel and took off.

I clung to the roof of the car, terrified. Thoughts raced through my mind, “What if we crash? What if I can’t hold on? What would my mother say if she saw me right now?” I looked at Yousef, his arms were outstretched and he was looking up at the sun, smiling. I realised in that moment it was time to let go of all my fears and give in to my heart.

I exhaled and, in that one breath, I surrendered.

The breeze whipped across my face, the long stretch of road ahead of me seemed endless and in that moment I realised I am completely free. On that empty, remote piece of earth, whizzing along on the top of an SUV in Morocco, I found myself.

I realised how beautiful the world around me is and I gave in to it, allowing my adventurous heart to take over and guide me. Sometimes the best travel experiences are free.