Susan, my traveling companion and Marianne’s partner of 27 years, is a delight! She is happy, hilarious, kind, easy to be around, smart, deeply caring, and someone I fell in love with instantly! (Actually, I fell in love with both Susan and Marianne instantly, but for different reasons. More on that later.) Susan and I ran a close tie for our ‘isms’ on the trip. If anything a little whacky was going to be said, it would be by either Susan or me. And each time it would take each of us a bit of time to realize the hilarity of what we had just said. We are alike that way, I’m proud to say.

There are mountains in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia called the Atlas Mountains and they are inhabited mostly by the Berber people. In Morocco there are the High Atlas Mountains and the Anti Atlas Mountains. We were very near the highest peak, Toubkal, on our last day in Morocco. On that day we drove to the Ourika Valley, a beautiful area with lush trees (including the most lush weeping willow trees!), a fast-flowing river with snow melt from the Atlas Mountains, and beautiful little villages.

When Susan saw the snow-capped mountain of the High Atlas Mountains, Toubkal, she waved and said, “Hi Atlas!” Hahaha. It was adorable and funny and so typically Susan. Delightful and happy Susan!