Morocco: What Every Woman Needs to Know

Morocco’s reputation as a difficult destination for women precedes itself for a reason. I was forewarned and you probably will be too, but I didn’t let those warnings stop me and you shouldn’t either. Morocco is an incredibly enchanting nation, each city so different, distinct and delightful. Morocco is one of the most diverse nations on the African continent, […]

5th Anniversary!

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” Helen Keller Hard to believe Leap & The Net Will Appear is celebrating its fifth year anniversary! I remember the day I launched this blog like it was yesterday. It was late December 2010. I was feverishly wrapping up aspects of the life I’d grown accustom to. I left my […]

12 Tips for New Mums

This is certainly an aberration from my normal blog fare, but as my son approaches his second year of life (that went fast!) and as I was reminiscing this morning in the shower (my only private place for a contemplative moment), I thought, goddamn, a lot happens from conception, pregnancy, birth, adjusting to a newborn, becoming a full-on […]

Four Under 40!

Four continents. Almost 40. 22 years of intermittent international travel. Not bad…not bad at all! In truth, it’s been an absolute gift. I’m truly grateful for having had the opportunity and ability to reach the destinations I’ve reached so far in my life. Each place has given me unforgettable memories, wild experiences, an expanded worldview, deeper cultural understanding […]

Do Arab Men Hate Women?

“When 12-year-old girls are dying giving childbirth in Yemen, when 91 percent of Egyptian girls and women have had their genitals mutilated, when 16-year-old girls in Morocco are forced to marry their rapists so that their rapist can escape conviction, that is nothing short of a war.” Mona Elthaway is the most provocative voice against […]

Moroccan Eats

Moroccan cuisine combines the aromatic flavors of the Mediterranean, Arabia, Andalusia and France. Common proteins include beef, goat, sheep, lamb, chicken and fish. Spices are used regularly such as cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, saffron and cinnamon, to name a few. A variety of olives, nuts and dried fruits are used as well but if you ask me, I think […]

Hammam

Known by its Arabic name, the hammam is a public bath house and place for communal cleansing. There are variants all over the world, most notably Turkish baths, but also Roman baths and Russian banyas. The Turkish bath became popular in Western Europe during the Victorian Era. Islamic hammams, particularly Moroccan hammams, evolved from the Roman baths […]

Muslim Veils

Magical Maroc

First, a bit of the basics. Morocco is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is one of the most diverse nations on the continent with vast desert, high mountain ranges and rugged coastline. It is one of only three countries including Spain and France to share both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. To its south lies Southern […]

Enter Morocco

Plan A was to relocate to the Dominican Republic. After months of preparation, we landed in Bávaro where we were effectively based for six weeks as we traversed the country looking for a place that felt like home to us. Lo and behold, we never found such a place and after a short month and a half […]