What do you do when life hands you a dead dolphin, a dusty desert crystal, and a meltdown in a cramped Moroccan car? - Spain & Morocoo Part 7
I recently went on a trip to Spain and Morocco that turned out to be one of the hardest experiences I’ve had in a long time. Over the next few weeks, I’ll continue sharing the lessons and stories that came out of it. My intent is not to rehash the drama, but to explore the human experience when life doesn’t go the way we planned.
Sometimes the most beautiful growth hides inside the messiest moments.
These posts will be written in a more personal, I/Me storytelling style, but no matter where you live, where you’ve traveled, or what you’re walking through right now, I think you’ll find a piece of your own story in mine.
They’ll be a bit longer than usual, but don’t worry, here is the link to the audio version if you’d rather listen.
I feel like I’m on a Gen Z car trip.
Oh, wait, I am.
I was looking forward to today because anything that doesn’t include dressing in a smelly, marshmallow fit wetsuit and surfing in freezing water and reckless crowds sounds like a treat. But now that we are heading to a local market in Essaouira in a cramped car, listening to girly pop music at an unpleasantly high level, I am equally uncomfortable.
There are retreat members who are around my age and older than me, but they are staying behind in Imsouane because they are sick, presumably from the water.
The other girls in the car are nice, but are Gen Z girly girls, some of whom are over twenty years younger than me, and I have been having a difficult time relating. This music selection widens that divide right now.
We’re only about fifteen minutes into the hour-long car ride, and I am feeling extremely irritated by the loud, gimmicky, formulaic songs and cutesy chatter of the passengers. I know if I feed into the irritation, I will be a raging bitch by the time we hit the market.
Breathe.
Fortunately, I have a window seat. I focus my attention on the passing scenery and ensure that I am taking deep, full breaths. My focus is interrupted by a question.
“What do you think, Angie?”
The retreat owner is engaging me in conversation with her and another girl. I can’t tell if I am relieved or not. She starts asking me about my business, and I sense that she can tell I am not fond of this car ride. I don’t know, maybe it was the standoffish body language and disengagement.
I do start feeling relieved as I talk to the two young ladies. Even though they are about ten years younger than me, they feel more relatable, and the conversation is comfortable and enjoyable.
The Medina (old city) souk (market) reminds me of the Diera souks in Dubai, except in Essaouira, the city center has a castle feel, with fortified walls.
The historical influence is mesmerizing, but my fascination is interrupted by a street performer wearing a New York Yankees baseball hat playing “Your Body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer.
It’s crazy how, anywhere you go in the world, there is always an infusion of American impact, especially music.
We have lunch in a tucked-away restaurant that only has three tables in a loft area. Luckily, one of the tables is big enough to fit our large group. There are mismatched pillows on the benches. The overall, mismatched, eclectic décor and architecture are right up my alley. My spirits are lifted because this is the first time I have resonated with Morocco.
After lunch, we shop, of course. After buying a rug and some earrings, a few of us stumble upon a shop that has crystals outside. I am drawn to the display with the intensity of a magnet.
The retreat owner and I start exploring the crystals as the shop owner appears. I pick up a white, sphere-shaped crystal that is about the size of a golf ball and feel it’s smooth surface. It feels comforting.
“It’s from the Sahara Desert,” the shop owner tells me. “It’s for protection.”
Protection? Yes, please!
“Oh, really?”
He takes the sphere from my hand and covers it with a clear plastic bag. He then pulls out a cigarette lighter and takes the flame to the plastic. It doesn’t burn.
“See? It’s protecting the plastic.”
This feels like a scam. But I am so desperate for this trip to turn around, and I already know I’ll need protection for the trip home. I immediately purchase the crystal, without negotiation, because it still feels like a steal at the price of 200 dirham that he has offered me.
After paying him, he picks up a different kind of crystal that is also a sphere with a more rock-like appearance. With the retreat owner and me watching, he starts banging on it with one of the other white, crystal spheres. The stone breaks in half to reveal a purple-green crystal inside. It’s beautiful.
The shop owner hands each of us a half as he says, “For good luck.”
Just when I thought this trip couldn’t surprise me anymore, magic found me in a dusty little crystal shop.
The retreat owner and I look at each other in amazement and then start thanking the shop owner profusely. As we walk away, the magic lingers in our auras.
This trip has not gone as planned. There have been many disappointments, including the trauma of fainting and getting injured in the fall. The dead dolphin on the beach was a reminder that there are more trials and tribulations to come, but this special moment infuses me with a second wind of resilience.
The world can be harsh, but it can also be extraordinary.
I still have almost a week left of this trip. I know it’s not going to be easy, but if I made it this far, I can handle the rest with the agility of a surfer gliding through warm water waves with no wetsuit required.
I miss Hawaii.
(To be continued in Part 8)
Video version: https://youtu.be/IOuGN3y0gSs
Freestyle storytelling version: https://youtu.be/cGVU-KODO7Y
Glow Tip:
Choosing Your Energy and What You Allow Into Your Life
In Morocco, I both watched a dead dolphin on the beach and held a crystal I had just been gifted. One symbolized endings, cautionary tales, and things I couldn’t control. The other symbolized protection, magic, and things I could choose to invite into my life.
For decades, I let external circumstances, expectations, and other people’s energy dictate how I felt. I tolerated environments, relationships, routines, and experiences that drained me because it felt easier to play the victim than to reclaim my personal power.
That day, standing there with the crystal in my hand, the reminder hit me loud and clear: life will always throw things you can’t control in your path, but you can control your energy, your focus, and what you allow into your space.
When I consciously chose to embrace the magic, I could invite like the crystal, the moment, my attention, my entire nervous system relaxed.
That’s what self-love actually looks like: not trying to fix the chaos or control what you can’t, but choosing what you absorb, what you honor, and what you bring into your life.
Because the moment you start consciously choosing your energy, you stop surviving and start thriving.
When you show up on your own terms, you start shining from the inside.
Ready to stop letting life’s chaos drain your energy?
For years, you’ve let circumstances, people, and expectations dictate how you feel. You’ve absorbed stress, tolerated what didn’t serve you, and surrendered your energy because that’s what you were conditioned to do.
True power isn’t in controlling everything or forcing yourself to endure the uncontrollable.
It’s recognizing what you can choose.
It’s protecting your energy, curating what you let in, and investing in what nourishes you, especially when no one else sees it.
It’s choosing beauty, magic, and your own protection, even in the middle of life’s chaos.
The moment you stop absorbing everything that drains you
and start intentionally choosing your energy,
your nervous system exhales,
your heart softens,
and your life begins to feel like yours again.
If you’re ready to stop surviving and start thriving on your own terms…
Then, it’s time to book your free Find Your Glow session.
👉 https://www.runninginslippers.com/work-with-me
Here’s what you’ll get:
Clarity – Identify the hidden patterns blocking your confidence, abundance, and joy.
Compassion – Gently reconnect with your emotions and inner voice (without judgment).
Confidence – Leave with a personalized next-step plan to reignite your glow.
Because glowing isn’t about controlling the world. It’s about owning your energy and choosing what lights you up.
With love and fire,
