Tomorrow Is Another Day...

Marrakech By Air & Land

Our second full day in Marrakech brought with it some of the most stunningly beautiful travel experiences of my life.  Waaaaay back in my younger years, (I thought this would be funnier because I was joking about how long ago it was, but... it actually was a pretty long time ago, so it's mostly just sad...) I made a 30 Before 30 list that comprised an assortment of goals of varying degrees of achievability.  (I should probably change the name of that list now that I am, um, more than 30.)  One of the items on that list was to overcome my gut-level terror of heights and ride in a hot air balloon.  When I started researching activities in Marrakech, a hot air balloon company listing immediately leapt out at me.  Upon reading the reviews I was able to ascertain that there have been no horrible Hindenberg level catastrophes, and many people who also possessed a fear of heights described an incredibly transcendent experience.

So, we woke up at oh dark thirty and trudged outside to meet the driver arranged by Marrakech by Air, the ballooning company we booked through.  We picked up another couple from their hotel and then began our drive out into the desert to our launch location.  The drive actually ended up being the most terrifying part of our journey as our driver was BATSHIT INSANE, but in a weirdly lovable way.  When we arrived at the launch point, we joined up with another ballooning company Ciel d'Afrique.  I don't know if maybe in the high season they do separate balloons, but if you're agonizing over which company to use don't worry too much since they seem to use the same balloons and pilots.  We stood outside waiting for the balloon to be ready, and it was MUCH colder than we had anticipated and packed for.  One of the drivers took pity on our shivering souls and invited us to sit in his car with the heater running until launch time.

  

We had just enough time to thaw out, and snap a few pictures of the sun beginning to spill over the mountains before it was time to climb into the basket and take off.  There was one moment of shuddering fear as the balloonists untied the ropes and let go of the basket, then suddenly we were drifting gracefully into the air and it felt completely natural and perfect.  We went up high enough to get a stunning view over the Atlas mountains and Berber villages for our glorious, magical hour-long ride.

When we landed, there was a traditional Moroccan breakfast set up under the tents and we enjoyed some time chatting with our fellow passengers, one of whom was a gentleman who runs a bucket list themed travel company out of California and was researching packages to offer his clients.  What a life!  From there, it was back into the cars for a somewhat less terrifying ride back into Marrakech where we met up with some delightful dromedaries.

The most alarming part of our dromedary (not camel--they have two humps!) ride was the mount and dismount.  The handlers would have the animals kneel down then help you onto the saddle, but it's a rollicking ride as they stand back up.  We did a 15-20 minute dromedary ride through a palm grove near one of the Morrocan princes' houses, then were driven back to our pick up point.  

Since we had such an early start, it was still just barely lunch time.  Brittany was feeling a little bit of Africa belly, so we decided to slow things down and go hang out in a Starbucks in the newer part of town for a couple of hours and the people watching was absolutely delightful.  After our break, we went to the Jardin Majorelle where we enjoyed the peace and quite outside the craziness of the medina.

Then it was back into the fray as we battled the taxi drivers for something incrementally cheaper than an astronomical tourist rate, and rode back to the Djema el Fnaa (I honestly cannot figure out how to properly spell this, there are about fourteen different options according to Professor Google) the bustling square in the center of town.  We wandered around taking in all of the vendors, the storytellers, the snake charmers, the monkey handlers, the acrobats, and searching for a good spot to park ourselves for the evening.  We found a cafe overlooking the square and after a little bit of patience got a table at the edge where we could watch all of the activity from the relative quietness of our retreat.

After we'd had enough of that show, we went back to our riad to drop off all that we'd acquired throughout the day, then went in search of the highly recommended Le Salama, which did not disappoint.  We had a mouthwateringly delicious dinner, my favorite part of which were these delightful meatballs in a tomato sauce with an egg cooked in the center.  Then finished up with this sweet little chocolate mousse fez.

The next morning we did a farewell tour of the city, wandering around the medina in search of last minute souvenirs and breakfast, then it was time to say goodbye to Marrakech.  We were definitely ready to go, and I felt like two days was plenty of time for us to experience the city and get a feel for the culture, the people and the cuisine.  That said, it was an incredible two days, and we made memories on that trip that will be emblazoned in my mind forever.  Traveling as two women, we ran into our fair share of misogyny and aggression, but we also met so many people who were so incredibly kind and helpful and I can honestly say that I never felt unsafe.  It was beautiful in such an unexpected way, and yet it still managed to meet all of my expectations.

May we meet again someday, Morocco, In šāʾ Allāh.

March Stitch Fix Review & Manifesto

When I first heard about Stitch Fix, I knew it was something I had to be a part of.  I immediately ran my little self over to the internet and did a quick search only to discover... they wouldn't ship to my US mail address in Germany.  I pouted for a minute, then moved on to various and sundry other online shopping platforms that were less restrictive in their shipping policies.  When, just a few months later, what to my wondering ears should appear but a local friend raving about this new shopping service she had signed up for, yep, you guessed it, Stitch Fix!  They were finally shipping to us overseas, and I got myself signed up faster than you can say "credit card debt".

After I scheduled my first fix, I started doing some searching to find out more about what others thought and turned up about seventeen thousand million reviews, so obviously I thought, you know what the world needs?  One more Stitch Fix review!  But I still hear lots of questions about the company and what they provide, so I thought I'd do my part and share some of my thoughts on my experience after my fourth fix.

First, a little directly from the company themselves:

"The Stitch Fix experience is not merely curated, it’s truly personalized to your taste, budget and lifestyle. Personal stylists handpick a selection of five items just for you. In fact, no two clients have ever received the same selection of items!

Stitch Fix makes shopping not just convenient, but effortless. Like other online retailers, Stitch Fix saves you a trip to the store by shipping items directly to you. But our personal stylists also save you the time and trouble of selecting clothing and accessories. Many of our clients enjoy the ease and convenience of automatically scheduled shipments that arrive at a frequency of their choosing."

To begin the process, you fill out a style profile giving all pertinent information about your sizing and rating various looks on a scale from "love it" to "hate it".  You can also specify how often you need clothes for work, special occasions, date nights, or casual day to day wear.  Another concern I hear often is that the clothes will be too expensive, but lucky for you, you can also set your preferences for price per item type from "the cheaper the better" up to "$200+".  I have been very impressed with how my stylist has mostly stuck to my price requests and the company claims that their average price point is $55--not bad considering that many of those items are sweaters, pants and dresses, all of which regularly run well over $100 from many popular retailers.  If you choose to keep all five items, you get a 25% discount, which I haven't been able to take advantage of, but seems like a nice perk.  There is a $20 styling fee which is then applied to any items you decide to keep, but if you ship everything back, the fee is non-refundable.

You can also set how often your fix arrives, I get mine once a month and it comes packaged with a style card giving options for how to wear the enclosed item and a pre-paid shipping bag to return unwanted items.  It's easy as pie to toss the items in the bag and drop it at the post office, then you just log into your account and give specific feedback on what you loved, hated or just sorta liked and can communicate with your stylist about your hopes for your next fix.

If you want more general information about Stitch Fix, this link will help you out with lots of FAQs. 

So, onto my Stitch Fix experience specifically.  As I mentioned, I've been getting a monthly box since December, so the March box was my fourth.  I am EXTREMELY picky about my clothes.  I am very aware of what I consider my particular bodily flaws and attributes and I think over the years I've gotten pretty good at knowing what will work and what won't.  I have also had to crack down on myself about only buying and keeping clothes that I absolutely love and shedding the ballast that drags my closet down.

Thus far, I have been quite impressed with the selections in my fixes.  I've never had a homerun fix--one that I've kept every item--but the amount of items I've kept has been steadily increasing which leads me to believe that my stylist is really listening to me and that my feedback has been helpful in communicating my style desires.  In my first box, I only kept one shirt, and in this most recent box, I kept three items--a dress, a jacket and a pair of leggings.  Along the way, I've also acquired a couple of other shirts, a necklace and a scarf.  (You can also tell your stylist about any item categories you don't want to receive--for example, I'm very choosy about my purses and like to select my own, so I asked that they not send me any bags.  I also don't wear bracelets often, so I said yes to earrings and necklaces, but no to bracelets.  I love how specific you can be.)

 The first thing I do when I open my box is check out the style guide.  This has a little note from your stylist that explains why she chose the pieces in your fix, and gives some pointers about what pieces might work well together.  Then, there are five photos of different outfit ideas that incorporate the pieces you received.  It's a nice overview of what you're getting ready to try on.  Then it's onto the really fun stuff--seeing your new clothes or accessories up close and personal!

The first piece I tried was this Randy Stripe Pocket Detail Knit Top.  I knew pretty much out of the gate that it was going to be a no.  I've already got more stripes in my closet than a chain gang and I'm just looking for something a little more special out of my fix acquisitions than a striped tee.  The AWESOME thing about Stitch Fix is that when you send your item back, you aren't just shipping it off into an empty void, you get to detail exactly what it is that made you decide to return the piece and your stylist can take that into consideration when curating your next box.
Verdict: NO

Next up was the Colibri Bird Print Tab-Sleeve Blouse.  I hate starting this review out so negatively, but this is another one I wasn't wild about.  I absolutely adored the print and the colors, but the cut of the blouse was just not right for me.  A teensy bit blousier (imagine that, in a blouse) than I prefer, and the pintucking and sort of mandarin collar did weird things to my top half.  It was almost like wearing a smock.
Verdict: NO

Things started looking rosier with the Kalie Denim Jacket.  This is one of those staple items that I've been meaning to buy for ages and just haven't gotten around to.  I loved the dark wash, the fit was perfect and it'll be a great layer to get me through spring and summer.
Verdict: YES

And the Kelsey Stripe Hem Fit & Flare Dress was yet another winner.  This dress is so adorable on--it has the perfect silhouette with the flared skirt and the somewhat nautical detail of the white stripes gives it that little special sparkle I'm looking for.  I paired it with the Kalie denim jacket, leggings and boots for a baby shower and it will also look fantastic with ballet flats and a cardigan when the weather finally (please, please, please) warms up.
Verdict: YES

I also kept a pair of black leggings, but that's not so terribly exciting, so they aren't pictured, but they are awesome  and proved to me that my stylist is listening because I mentioned on my Stitch Fix Pinterest board that I was on the hunt for a great pair of black leggings.  Which brings me to my Stitch Fix tips!

Tip #1 Get To Know YOU: Communicate, communicate, communicate.  Update your style profile as you hone in on exactly what your style preferences are.  I've made changes to mine over the last few months and I feel like it's evolved into a more accurate reflection of what I like and want to wear versus what I WANT to like and WISH I could wear.  These are two very different things!  Send your stylist detailed notes and tell her if you want something specific.  If you're repeatedly receiving things you hate, take a good hard look at your style profile.  There's a very good chance you've fallen into the wishing and wanting category.

Tip #2 Get Your Pinterest On: On that same note, create a Pinterest board with looks you love, be very specific about why you love them and send the link to your stylist.  You can also follow Stitch Fix on Pinterest and pin things that you're loving from their boards.  Again, be careful to only pin things that you would love to WEAR on your board.  As amazing as I think a girl with boho chic braids, a fedora and a crochet romper might look in her perfectly filtered selfie, this is not a look that I personally aspire to!

Tip #3 Sneak A Peek: This one is pretty awesome.  If you're anything like me and just can't wait until your box to arrive to see what your stylist chose for you, here's a little hack.  Once your fix ships, log into your account, and click the checkout button.  Obviously, don't check out then, but you will see the list of everything that has been included in your box.  From there, you can google to your heart's desire to find images online and get a little sneak preview of what will be arriving on your doorstep.

Believe it or not, I actually do have more thoughts on Stich Fix (so many FEELINGS), but I'll mull them over for a bit longer and we can chat more when I post my April review.  I'll also try to take photos of the actual items instead of using the style guide photos next time.  

I should point out that I have not been asked to write this review and I am not receiving a gol-durned thing from Stitch Fix for writing it, but if you do sign up for the service, it would be fantastic if you wanted to use my referral: Press here for referral link