Hi, my name is Danielle and I am from The Netherlands. I grew up in a famous Dutch cheese town named Gouda until the age of eleven when my family moved to London. After England I also found a wonderful temporary home in Italy and now I am living with my partner and daughter in Morocco.

1. Why did you move abroad?
As a child I’ve always been surrounded by curious things from around the world. For business my father travelled a great deal and I remember being fascinated with the exotic images on the postcards he sent from far places. My parents also liked to travel and a we spent long summers in France and Spain. As a young adult I travelled a great deal and I’ve always known that I would one day settle down in a country where its culture would fascinate me and where I would find inspiration for my creative ideas.

2. How do you make a living?
My husband and I are building a luxury guesthouse in the Hight Atlas Mountains of Morocco. We live a blink away from Marrakech in the Ourika Valley. It is a region mostly populated by the Berber people and here time has managed to move at a slower pace. A life back to basic, challenging and incredibly beautiful.

Our guesthouse ‘Dar Zohra’ is now almost ready to open its doors to travelers who want to experience the peacefulness and beauty of the Ourika Valley. Each room is spacious and decorated to feel ‘at home’ with a stunning view of the valley.

During the many years that we have travelled through and lived in Morocco I have developed a great fascination for the Berber arts which are generally products made for household use such as pottery and carpets. This fascination has turned into a very enjoyable small business and I sell beautiful Berber carpets to clients all over the world.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
Internet and the social networks are such wonderful ways to keep in contact with family and friends. On a daily basis we communicate through short messages and photo sharing. On a weekly basis we have telephone contact with home which somehow always temporarily erases the distance in miles!

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Marrakech?
Marrakech is an enchanting city. There is so much to discover and it always seems to be moving, changing and disclosing new secrets. It is also hectic, exhausting and confusing, to feel happy in this city you need the right state of mind. I love the fact that I have all the time in the world to explore this city at my own pace. I am not bound by limited time. We live so close to Marrakech and yet I have the choice between the peace of the mountains in which we live or the hustle and bustle of the city.

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Marrakech?
Marrakech can be very hectic. Traffic is horrendous, common courtesy hardly exists and you really need to forget everything you’ve learned about traffic regulations. The city is time consuming and all things take three times as long as it would in Europe. A trip to the supermarket can take as long as a flight to Paris and don’t even get me started about paper work or local authorities!

6. What do you miss most?
Central heating! In The Netherlands almost every house has a central heating system and with one button a whole house is regulated to the desired temperature. In the winter it can be really cold here in the mountains and we depend on wood stoves and gas heaters to warm the house but it never really is very comfortable.

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
My husband speaks Darija (Moroccan Arabic) and I am learning and practicing. This has opened many doors to friendships with Moroccan people.

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
Women in Morocco are often dressed in what in Europe would be considered pyjamas and house slippers. I’ve got used to seeing women dressed like this at markets or on the streets but I still find it one of the oddest habits. On the other hand it is very practical and comfortable! Just slip on a Djellaba (traditional dress) over your pyjama and your ready to go!

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
There are a lot of myths about Morocco which is to be expected of an enchanted kingdom! I prefer the myths to live on, they make life so much more interesting!

10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
The cost of living is much lower in Morocco than in Europe when it comes to Moroccan manufactured or produced products. Imported articles however are often twice as expensive, this is because of the high import duties.

11. What advice would you give other expats?
It really helps to learn the local language. People appreciate your efforts and it generates a lot of goodwill. In my opinion language also is the key to understanding a different culture.

12. When and why did you start your blog?
I started to write a blog when I could no longer keep up with the mail correspondence with family and friends. It seemed like I was repeating and telling the same stories over and over again to different people. Sometimes even copying and pasting messages which felt very impersonal. A blog was the answer to the time consuming email correspondence and endless uploading of photos.

Danielle's blog, Beyond Marrakech

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