DORÉ

As you can tell from this week of stories, our time in Marrakech was incredibly special for all of us. For me in particular, it was incredibly emotional. There were a lot of factors (it was a new moon, I had my period…) but at the end of the day, I think the outpouring of emotion comes down to the fact that it felt incredible to be immersed in a beautiful setting with an incredible group of strong, smart, entrepreneurial women who are all facing similar challenges and had so much to share.

We were honestly so impressed by the women who joined us that we worried we might not even have that much to teach them, that maybe they would be the ones teaching us. And in many ways, they did—although I think we taught them a few things too, and opened them up to some deep introspection and contemplation. But this group of 20, who were completely random (they were just the first 20 women to sign up for the trip), was so kind, complex and engaged. Everyone was eager to keep talking, to keep learning, to try new things and explore. Everyone was so incredibly open that it took the trip to a different level than what we had expected.

We spent the week doing yoga (well, at least the beginning of the week…), having leisurely breakfasts on the rooftop of El Fenn, gathering together for amazing workshops, and going out into the city to try our hand at making tile with Popham Design and pottery with local artisans with Chabi Chic. We visited the new Yves Saint Laurent Museum, and the Majorelle gardens with its beautiful Berber museum. We dined together, under the stars at Nomad and at the very special Riad Jardin Secret. We got lost in the beautiful El Fenn and eventually found each other around Moroccan mint tea. We wandered through the Medina, negotiating for beautiful shoes and textiles and spices. And a few of us visited our friends at Marrakshi Life where we saw their craftsman weaving the fabric for our caftan.

The retreat was really a dream come true for myself and Garance, it’s been a project we’ve been working on for years, and we are so excited to continue to bring these experiences to you. We’re already working on the next one…