On Crescent Island in Lake Naivasha, there are no large predators. So when you walk among the giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and eland, no one’s heart rate is up — yours included. They graze. You walk.

We were sitting on a hillside in the Atlas Mountains sharing a meal after a long day of hiking, The conversation had turned to weddings, and our guide was describing how Amazigh weddings in his region are three-day festivals. Entire surrounding villages come. The men do the cooking and serve the feasts — enormous spreads for enormous crowds.

I asked why the men cooked for the wedding when, on a daily basis at home, it’s usually the women cooking in Morocco.

His answer floored me.

In October 2023, my Morocco retreat group was set to arrive less than two weeks after a devastating earthquake. Friends and family were worried. A few people asked if we should cancel. Canceling never crossed my mind—but changing our approach did.
The first thing I did was reach out to my friends in Morocco—people I’ve known for years through decades of performing and from traveling there—and ask the only question that mattered…