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It’s been a good day in Morocco when…

[Shannon and Alec posted this update on their Facebook page-- they are in North Africa for 3 weeks.]

• you drive over what seems like the rocky mountains (can’t believe there is so much snow in North Africa), into wildflower covered fields, followed by a Moroccan grand canyon and then arrive at the dunes of the Sahara Desert in beauty shock.
• you realize your i-phone picks up wi-fi in the Sahara Desert.
• you are excited to eat at road side vendors because you haven’t gotten sick yet and tagines taste SO good.
• one of the road side vendors gives you a fossil after eating at his restaurant.
• the berber guild your brother picked up at the top of a Sahara sand dune deserves to have you look at his jewelery at the end of the hike—you are relieved when after seeing ten “made in china” bracelets, he pulls out something Jurassic that your mom will like.
• 

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  you find the RADDEST old guy out in a farm field who LOVES to have his picture taken and looks like he’s been hiding out for 400 years because he left his pirate ship. *pictures to come, he’s one of my favs

• you get another cup of mint tea
• you laugh while watching your brother jump away from snake charmers who are trying to show him some tricks.
• you are lead through an ancient city by someone who’s family has lived there all their lives (no, not you Carlsbad) and they take you to their mud house and let you see inside.
• on a snowy mountain road, you see a herd of 200 sheep walking in a single line on the side of a mountain and you are OH SO GLAD you have your camera.
• you wake up and get to go on a sand hike.
• you realize that out of all the African countries you’ve visited, Morocco has an amazing absence of large bugs—much to your delight.
• your traveling partner is your one and only brother and much to the surprise of everyone around you, you speak a special language called “OP”—passed on to you by your parents and used when you need to talk without other people understanding you.

It’s been a bit of a bad day in Morocco when…

• You don’t speak French or Arabic
• You realize that superstitions in the country say that an evil spirits lives in the shutter of a camera—-you are there to photograph the country.
• 

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  because of #2, 9 out of 10 of your photos (especially of women) depict a face that reminds you of the scowl of the wicked witch from wizard of oz. *pictures to come

• You realize that you might have to watch your brother watch his spit ball roll down a sand dune….one more time.
• Mcdonalds becomes a good meal option (this hasn’t happened here yet)
• you forget to ask for NO SUGAR in the jus de banana and because so you feel like you are drinking a cup of banana syrup from a sno cone shop.
• you wear out your welcome at the chicken killing/defeathering booth at the local market (whoops)
• you and your brother have a hard time figuring out which train is yours without making a scene. (ha ha)

Author Profile:  Shannon Varis is a public speaker and international photographer who has traveled to several continents with her camera in tow, capturing the sights of Africa, Europe, Asia as well as all parts of the United States. Everyone that knows her confirms her words, "I am an expert at making something out of almost nothing." Three words that describe her-- passionate, creative, encourager. Her interests include: family, community, graphic design, art, traveling, volleyball, beaches, mountains, coffee, throwing parties, dessert, snowboarding, making things, my mac, my nephews, learning the violin & french, learning to live like Jesus. Her photography can be seen at http://www.redcouchphoto.com Read more from this author