From what I understand about Morocco so far, it is beautiful. And one big photo-op. There are brightly colored slippers and tunics; fabrics and rugs hanging against backdrops of pinkish clay on the buildings. All against the bluest of skies. There is the brilliant brown of the Sahara desert. Camel brown, I’d call it. There are food markets filled with various kinds of olives, dried fruits, and spices. The meat markets filled with animal heads, brains, intestines and various other parts. Then there are the people and the places they visit. The buildings and mosques; snow-covered mountains and arid landscapes. It will be a photographer’s dream!

According to the Delta Airlines website I depart for Morocco in 18 days. What? So soon? That’s not a lot of time to pack. For me, anyway. It’s always such a complicated thing to pack for an international trip. Not only do I not want to forget a favorite item but I somehow believe that whatever I might forget will not be available in whichever country I’m going to, which isn’t always the case. But take Antarctica. Had I forgotten something important on that trip I wouldn’t have been able to buy it unless it was available in the ship’s store or in Stanley, Falkland Islands or in the Grytviken, South Georgia museum or post office! And then there was Tibet where hardly anything was similar to what I can get at home. So who knows about Morocco and Turkey! All I know is I want to bring just enough without bringing too much. So I’m starting now by laying out things to bring and then paring the pile down. For the next 18 days. I know two years ago when I wrote on this blog about the packing dilemma of a backpack trip to Japan I said I wouldn’t over-pack, but this time I really mean it. No, I really do. Seriously!