Out of all the pictures I took, I reckon these photos greatly capture the essence of my trip:
🌟25 days focused on trad climbing in Morocco's Anti-Atlas mountains.
🌟 My longest break I've had from the digital world – and business development activities – in 20 years.
🌟Exploring different peoples attitudes to climbing.
🌟 Networking with a wide range of UK climbers, aged 24-80.
🌟 Putting up new routes – literally being the first person to identify, clean, and climb a specific route.
I have mentioned previously that I will be taking a 'grey gap year', and here is my reflection of it so far:
🟢 Setting a clear start date and departure deadline was a good move. Dedicating 3.5 weeks in Morocco ensured a clear beginning for my next life phase. Otherwise, I might have drifted along until April, still "faffing about" at home. It was also practical – my new campervan, "Dignity," was being built in March. No need to wait for spring when it exists further south!
🟢 The opportunity to experience the healing power of quiet, calm natural environments was invaluable. Being in cultures that aren't in a "high-alert" state – constantly stimulated by dopamine – was refreshing. The Berber people, the indigenous population of the Anti-Atlas, live a simple, agricultural life. I don't romanticize it, but their pace allows them to connect, respond, and even offer help. This willingness and kindness shine through in many interactions, from hitchhiking to receiving help with a flat tyre. Life has its problems, but knowing others would come to your rescue or offer hospitality is a reminder that the best things in life are free.
🟢 New experiences and places readily generate new ideas and possibilities. They also highlight ingrained thought patterns. Time away from the daily grind allows for reflection and hindsight.
🟢 It's been great applying the community building, social, and networking skills I've honed over decades to help others connect over meals and belaying each other! Climbing is a partnership that can last a day or a lifetime. The trust required creates deep relationships, formed or lost quickly.
🟢 This month off was just the beginning. I still need to learn to be more comfortable slowing down, being less productive and busy, and having fewer demands or expectations on myself and from others. I'm wired for purpose and activity, but right now, I know I need a break from that relentless pursuit. I need to learn to pay less attention, relax, and recover. The future can wait, and I only need to take care of myself.
So, I suppose this month in Morocco was all about creating a stopping point for one chapter (business development head) and starting another – living a different pace of life in different places, at least for a while.
What have you done to disrupt your usual patterns to create a life shift through physical and mental dislocation? Or what would love to do?
#digitaldetox #newbeginnings #adventuretravel
Design and enterprise support for sustainable communities 💚 Co-design and placemaking 🤲 Green Map maker ✍️ Design training 💡
1yWell done for holding on in there and keeping your eyes open all the way. Organisation and service development really is a roller coaster of a ride, and not one that seems to have an end, just big loop the loops.