Journey J

A Travel Blog

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Hi, I’m Jess. I’m a neurodivergent digital designer and illustrator gathering art inspiration while travelling around the world. My primary animus is building an intentional, sustainable, creative life.

  • Marrakech

    Ah, Marrakech – where do I even start?? I LOVE this city. Morocco in general has such a warm and friendly vibe, but it’s understandable the Marrakech Medina has the reputation it does – it’s bustling with warm, playful, creative energy, and there are stunningly beautiful things to look at almost everywhere you turn.

    If you’re into fashion, particularly local sustainable fashion, I highly recommend a visit to the shop Funky Cool Medina run by the absolutely lovely and delightful Fahd (@funkyfahd on Instagram). I spent a few days there shopping and getting to know the group of guys working there and I had a blast! The clothes are amazing – Fahd collects local vintage fabrics and reworks them with master tailors to make truly one-of-a-kind items. Here are a couple of the items I brought home.

    This amazing striped jacket was made from a vintage rug and lined with colourful silk. And I love the versatility of the striped set below. Funky Cool Medina is for people who want truly unique statement pieces while also supporting a local sustainable business.

    As soon as I arrived in the Marrakech Medina for the first time in 2024, I knew it was a place I’d come back to again and again. As someone who spends a lot of time thinking about art, design, and fashion, I find every single visit there inspiring. There are so many beautiful places in the world I still intend to explore, but Marrakech is a lover and muse I know I will keep coming back to.

  • Taghazout

    Taghazout is a small Amazigh fishing village on the coast north of Agadir. It is a charming, relaxed, friendly, sunny place. I went on a day trip from Atlas Kasbah.

    I sketched by the ocean and enjoyed a smoothie while sitting near the water, it was great. A young guy selling snacks came over to me while I was sketching but he didn’t want to sell me anything, he just wanted to show me that he’s learning to draw too, and showed me his Instagram – it was a very wholesome interaction. All the dogs and cats are super chilled out here too, everybody’s just here to relax and have fun by the sea.

    There were lots of murals:

    Oh and just LOOK at some of the doors here! (This will not be my only blog post featuring Moroccan doors.)

    Love you, Taghazout, hope to chill with you again one day. ❤

  • Kasbah Offerings

    The Kasbah carries some local products for sale, such as rugs, clothing, and skincare products, most made by local women’s cooperatives in the area. I have two kaftans (a blue one and a yellow one) that I got there that I wear quite a lot and I’m obsessed with how light and breezy they feel (I could, and probably will, write a whole blog post just on how much I love lightweight Moroccan fabrics).

    If you’re looking to shop for some special treasures though, you should arrange a day trip to the Amazigh/Berber souk in Agadir, I found some truly excellent babouches (leather Moroccan slippers) and carpets there. I absolutely LOVED this souk.

    There are lots of day trips that can be arranged by the Kasbah that include a variety of activities such as hiking, quad biking, visiting local village souks, parks, and nearby cities – such as Agadir, Essaouira, Taghazout, Taroudant, Tiznit, Tafraout, Immouzzer, and Souss Massa National Park.

  • Atlas Kasbah Ecolodge

    I began my trip at a place I’ve been before (and enjoyed very much) – the Atlas Kasbah Ecolodge in Morocco, located in the Atlas Mountains within a UNESCO-protected argan forest. This sustainable Amazigh (Berber) accommodation is less than half an hour from Agadir, and a couple hours drive from Marrakech.

    I discovered this fantastic place last year while on a painting retreat run by an artist whose work I really love, Elly Smallwood. Thanks, Elly, for introducing me! (And for teaching me how to paint <3)

    You can stay as a visitor anytime, or you can book the whole Kasbah for your private event (which is what Elly did for the painting retreat).

    Everyone on staff was wholly lovely both times I was there. Everyone, seriously. The service is excellent, the entire staff exudes warmth, generosity, and friendliness, and I always feel very much at home when I’m there.

    The food is excellent overall – really great tangines! – but my favourite part of the Kasbah’s menu is definitely their selection of flavourful herbal teas, made with local organic ingredients. One of the best food pairings I had on my trip was one night at the Kasbah where a (lemongrass + rosemary?) herbal tea was paired perfectly with some traditional Moroccan pastries. Yum! I go through so many pots of tea whenever I stay here that the staff started to bring me a larger sized teapot every time I ordered, knowing I would inevitably order 2-4 pots per meal.

    The Kasbah has several amenities: a lovely saltwater pool, hammam, salt room, yoga room, and massage treatment rooms.

    They also have many delightful on-site workshops. I took a calligraphy class last year and learned how to write my name in both Amazigh (Berber) and Arabic, which was fun. There was a presentation and demonstration of Moroccan women’s beauty rituals where we learned all about traditional makeup and the local natural ingredients that are used. They also took us up to the roof for an astronomy lesson underneath the stars, and the view was beautiful! There is an area where you can take a pottery or tadelakt lesson, too. Last year we all took a pottery class and watched the instructor very impressively make a perfect tagine pot in about a minute – but it is quite a bit more challenging than he made it look, as it turned out. This year I learned tadelakt, which I was not very good at, but had an enjoyable time learning about. One of the things I really love about this place is that it’s an extremely relaxing place to be, but you also don’t seem to run out of things to do.

  • 40 days / 40 years

    I just returned from a solo 40-day vacation for my 40th birthday. I had some anxiety about how it would turn out, since that’s the longest I’ve taken time off work in years – but it turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever done!

    I began in April 2025 and returned home to Canada at the end of May. I visited Morocco (Atlas Mountains/Marrakech/Chefchaouen), Spain (Barcelona), Sweden (Stockholm, Orebro), and Norway (Oslo, Bergen, Leirgulen). Everything was absolutely perfect and I can’t wait to share all the beautiful things that happened to me while I was exploring these truly magical locations.

    Stay tuned!