I've always been drawn to the exotic. The more exotic the better. It seems the farther I travel from home and the farther I step out of my comfort zone, the more I have to gain from the experience. Many times, I have stretched my own limits--from sleeping in the African wilderness in a tent, hearing lions roar in the distance, to watching my tuk tuk driver in Thailand play chicken with oncoming traffic. Scary as it may be, I can appreciate the thrills of the unknown. These moments remind you of who you are and where you come from, and how much more there is to explore. We live. We learn. We laugh. With these risks, I have found big rewards, much like I hope to discover in Morocco.
From what I hear, Morocco is a place of beautiful chaos and mystery. I have wanted to go there for years. I would love seeing the magical bowls of color at the tannery in Fez and wandering around the maze-like medina. I would make friends with the snake charmers in Marakesh, and take note of the donkey carts passing by as commonly as SUVs in Colorado. I would sneak away to the Sahara and ride a camel into the sunset. I would spend the day relaxing in a riad escape, only to rock the casbah later that evening, learning how to belly dance like the best of them.
Earlier this summer, Expedia.com launched a new website called Expedia Viewfinder. It's a collection of real travelers with real stories that are sure to inspire you. You may recognize some of their authors--including Captain and Clark and Midlife Road Trip, fellow Rand McNally and USA TODAY Best of the Roaders like me, TravelingJules & TravelingJoan. What's awesome is that Expedia Viewfinder breaks down the art of travel, so you can easily find content that matches your style and interests. As part of a new "Find Your ____" contest, Expedia will be sending someone special on a magical filmmaking trip to Australia, Paris, London, Seattle or Morroco! Where would you go? It's a tough call, but for me, Morocco is calling my name:
Earlier this summer, Expedia.com launched a new website called Expedia Viewfinder. It's a collection of real travelers with real stories that are sure to inspire you. You may recognize some of their authors--including Captain and Clark and Midlife Road Trip, fellow Rand McNally and USA TODAY Best of the Roaders like me, TravelingJules & TravelingJoan. What's awesome is that Expedia Viewfinder breaks down the art of travel, so you can easily find content that matches your style and interests. As part of a new "Find Your ____" contest, Expedia will be sending someone special on a magical filmmaking trip to Australia, Paris, London, Seattle or Morroco! Where would you go? It's a tough call, but for me, Morocco is calling my name:
Find Your Spontaneity with TravelingJules and Expedia.com.
My story will include lots of surprises, like this:
Adventure. Riding through the Sahara desert on the back of a camel? SIGN ME UP! "DUNE" is like my middle name! My brother use to call me DUNE-E-ANA before he learned to pronounce my name Juliana. Plus, I'm kind of a wild woman on one of those dune buggy contraptions (I blame it on all those wild years snowboarding that really built up my threshhold for adrenaline): Dune Buggy Adventure in Las Vegas. 
Culture. My mother once told me, if someone invites you to their home--go. It's the most authentic part of a culture. That's why I'm so intrigued to see the inside of someone's home. I'd love to spend some time in a riad and shoot the breeze. My first time to Korea, an older couple invited me into their home after I missed the last bus home from the airport, and it was an education. There were piles of shoes at the front door, magical buttons on the toilet, and a stone "matteress" under the sheets! Spa. Speaking of culture, I think it would be interesting to test out a hammam. And, after all that time in the desert, we'll probably need a good scrub down.
Dance (Sports). One of the main highlights for me in Morocco is belly dancing! Having learned the basics, I'm ready to take my shimmying skills to the next level. I'd love to learn from the pros and take a few new moves home as a souvenir Time to warm up my snake arms and undulations! 
Food. Coming from a land famous for Rocky Mountain Oysters, it seems fitting I would want to compare them to the Moroccan delicacy, 'white kidneys," right? Hey, I'm no Andrew Zimmern with Bizzare Foods, though I did once inhale a chocolate covered cricket. But do I really have to eat snails? Here goes nothing! Lucky for you, this will be entertaining. I'm told I have a pretty good "Ewwe" face: TravelingJules eats Rocky Mountain Oysters. I'll be more than happy to eat my way around the food carts--I LOVE markets! I can't wait to sample the cuisine and see those heaping piles of spices!
Flying Solo. One of the things I love most about traveling solo--is that you have the freedom to do whatever you want! You can shop in the souqs as long as you want, with no one nagging you to hurry up! You also get to meet more people. As a party of one, people open up to you and you are more open to them. I make friends on airplanes and in the supermarket, so there's no telling what kinds of snake charming characters we'll meet in Morocco. 
I started the TravelingJules blog in 2006--it was one of the first travel blogs! During a time when mass emails and chain letters were getting stale, I began directing my friends to my blog to keep up with my adventures. I traveled and documented my stories like it was my job. And hey look--now it IS my job! :P Back then, I visited some fun and far out places--twirling with Dervishes in Turkey, and singing kareoke in Korea. Each time, I returned with rich, compelling pictures, and great written articles, but no video. I didn't even own a video camera. I've now discovered that video is my passion, and I am hungrier than ever to share my experiences on camera. I want you to feel like you're right there with me. Let's fly by the seat of our pants and see where this magic carpet ride takes us in Morocco! You will surely want to jump out of your seat, book a ticket, and get ready to Find Yours! I'm ready and willing to leap out of my comfort zone to explore the unknown, all in the name of spontaneity. Who knows what we will find. Who knows if we will be miserable or have the best adventure of our lives. Much like the time I thought it was a good idea to go camping in the middle of winter, I promise my Moroccan adventure will be an experience you don't want to miss. :P
Lipstick and Powder, Outside TV's The Final Cut
To watch all the touching, emotional, heartfelt Find Yours stories, click over to the Expedia Viewfinder blog.
This one is my favorite:
For more details on the Expedia Viewfinder contest, or to see more entires, click here: http://viewfinder.expedia.com/toronto/expedia-film-contest-with-nffty
For your travel planning and booking, you know the drill: hop over to: http://www.expedia.com/
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