Your heart knows the way. Run in that Direction.–Rumi

Write what should not be forgotten.–Isabel Allende

Travel to have more to remember.–Cindy McCain

Have you vowed that writing will be a priority in the new year? Do you have travel tales you would like to tell? Are you ready to make new memories and create the ultimate souvenir–remembrance–of a time and place you never want to forget?

Whether you are just starting to write or a pro honing your craft…wanting to journal your journey in a an exotic land or transport others with a travel narrative piece… this writing retreat is for you. 

Though I’ve journeyed across 27 countries, nowhere like magical Morocco provides me with as much rest, adventure, and inspiration. While living there 2014-16, I fell in love with diverse landscapes, rich cultural experiences, and wonderful people. I returned Summer 2018 to some of my favorite writing spaces to prepare this retreat for 2020 when I can share them with you. I hope you’ll join me for a Beauty Break for the Soul.

Imagine yourself with journal or laptop perched on the ramparts of the Atlantic coastal town, Essaouira  , formerly known as the Port of Timbuktu. Anything’s possible here, where goats (not pigs) fly.

Imagine wide, open spaces where you write on the mountain terrace of a Berber village overlooking Toubkal, highest peak of the Atlas Mountains and northern Africa.

Here Martin Scorsese filmed Seven Years in Tibet starring Brad Pitt.

See your inner child (creative unconscious)  freed to play in pools and secret gardens. Or learning to cook from local ladies.

Enjoy sharing over dinner with new friends.

Taking a photo walk. Volunteering.

Journaling beside mosaic courtyard fountains, writing in the salon and outdoor terraces of a private riad, and reading your work on the rooftop overlooking the medina.   

Truly, Morocco has been a creative hub for generations of artists, each meeting his or her respective Muse there. Edith Wharton, Tennessee Williams, Paul Bowles… Josephine Baker, Jimi Hendrix, Cat Stevens … Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas.  Here Laurence of Arabia, Indiana Jones, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones came to life. Teaching, writing, and wandering there, my life felt epic, too.  

Join me in Morocco for my favorite local experiences from the Atlas Mountains to Marrakesh to the African coast. Choose what your soul needs:

• yoga
• photo walks with a community of explorers
• prompts for journaling your journey
• beautiful spaces to recharge, relax, reflect, create on your own
• study of the craft of travel writing, analyzing works of master storytellers inspired by Morocco who infused elements of journalism, personal essay, narrative, and poetic prose.
• Workshop and instructor feedback
• a rooftop/salon reading

Package Includes:

• 5 Sessions: Craft/Prompts/Workshop with Feedback
• One-On-One Session with Instructor
• Rooftop or Salon Reading of Your Work on Final Night of Retreat
• 7 Nights in Private Suites (5 in Marrakech in Private Riad and 2 in Essaouira
• Seaside Villa)
• Airport Transfers
• Private Transportation to Essaouira and Berber home near Toubkal, largest mountain in northern Africa, for mule trek, class, and lunch on terrace
• Medina Guided Tour and Entrance to Bahia Palace, El Badhi Palace, and Jardin Majorelle
• Free Time to Write and Wander
• Luxury Resort Pool Day
• 7 Breakfasts
• 4 Lunches
• 4 Dinners (one in the  former palace of “Lord of the Atlas,” Pasha of Marrakech from 1912-1956)

Spots are limited. Contact me at cindylmccain1@gmail.com to reserve a place or ask questions. 

Not Included in Package/Paid by Participant:

• Airfare
• Proof of Travel Insurance
• 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners, Tours/Activities during Free Time
• Alcohol
• Tips/Gratuities
• Local hotel tourist tax collected by riad and villa

Itinerary

*Signifies lunches and dinners not included in package price

Day 1

• Arrive in Marrakech by Noon
• Transport to Private Riad/Welcome with Moroccan Tea and Pastries
• Lunch together at Amal Women’s Center
• Neighborhood walk (We are located near some of the best spas, shops, and restaurants in the Medina.)
• Dinner Together at Riad

Day 2

• Breakfast at Riad
• Class Session
• Guided Medina Tour/Photo Walk
• Lunch Together at my Favorite Rooftop Lunch Spot near Koutoubia Mosque and Jemma el Fna Square
• Ensemble Artisanal
• Writing/Free Time
• Dinner in the Former Palace of the “Lord of the Atlas”

Day 3

• Breakfast
• Class Session
• Resort Pool Day with Lunch—Palais Namaskar or La Maison Arabe Cooking School/Country Club
• *Dinner on own (May be ordered at our riad for 20 Euros. Many other options including fresh produce, local bakeries, groceries, mall food court, and restaurants/cafes at all price points. Next to our riad is the iconic La Maison Arabe and its jazz bar.)

Day 4

• Breakfast
• Private transfer to Berber Village near Toubkal, highest point in Atlas Mountains and Northern Africa. We’ll mule trek to a Berber home where lunch and class will be held on the terrace.
• Stop on way back to Marrakech at Sir Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot https://www.virginlimitededition.com/en/kasbah-tamadot for a *drink
• *Dinner on own

Day 5

• Breakfast
• Private transfer to Essaouira
• Check into sea villa
• Medina and ramparts walk (*Lunch on your own—many cafes and fresh seafood served at port stalls)
• Dinner on Rooftop above the Sea

Day 6

• Breakfast
• Class Session
• Free time/Writing
• *Lunch and *Dinner on Own

Day 7

• Breakfast
• Return to Marrakesh
• Free day to write or explore/*Lunch on Own
• Suggestions: Shopping, Yoga, Hammam/massage, Pool Day (resort or near riad near Medina), Jardin Marjorelle. Contact me prior to trip if interested in volunteer opportunities in Marrakesh, such as Project SOAR or  Mule and Donkey Rescue .
• Dinner together at Riad—Salon or Rooftop Readings of Your Work

Day 8

• Breakfast
• Transfer to Airport

About Your Instructor:

I live in Nashville, Tennessee where I’m a writer and have taught university writing and literature courses for thirteen years. I’ve led educational trips abroad for over two decades, and my Travel Tales course at The Porch, an independent writing center for adults, has been a best-seller. Please see my portfolio for links to freelance publications and Southern Girl Gone Global collaborations with travel brands and tourism boards. Southern Girl Gone Global was named a Top 50 Travel Blog of 2016 in the UK and has been featured by US News and World Report, Expedia and Orbitz.

When not on the road or in the classroom, I’m spending time with my grown kids, the loves of my life; dancing salsa with friends; storytelling about my travels  ; and writing my No-Mom-Left-Behind memoir, Roses in the Desert. More of my story here.

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