Every journey has an origin. An intuition, an encounter, a heartbeat behind the scenes.
In our Women’s Inspirational Journey, that heartbeat has a face, a voice, and a deep story: her name is Erika, and for almost twenty years she has woven her life together with that of Morocco.
After telling you what makes this women-only experience so special, today we’re taking you inside the soul of the project.
In this interview, Erika opens the doors to her world: her bond with Essaouira, her love for horses, her encounter with Destinazione Umana, and the genuine motivation that led her to create a journey designed to guide women through a path of deep reconnection.
Who is Erika? Tell us about your story, your bond with Essaouira, and with horses.
My story begins in 2006, when I decided to travel alone to Morocco. I arrived in Essaouira and, as often happens in life-changing journeys, I let curiosity guide me: I booked a horseback ride at the Ranch de Diabat. And that’s where I met Omar.
We fell in love. And after just twenty days, I returned to Italy only to say goodbye—I decided to move to Essaouira for good. Nineteen years have passed since then. I built a family with Omar, we have two children, Soraya and Ryan, and we still work side by side every day.
Horses? They were our first children. The symbol of our love, and the foundation of everything we’ve built. Our project, our life, was born with them. And it continues to be that way.
Essaouira isn’t just home: it’s the place that embraced me, deeply. When I first moved, I missed Italy and my family. Leaving everything behind wasn’t easy. But Morocco knew how to welcome me in an extraordinary way. Its people—especially in the countryside and small inland villages—taught me what it means to host, share, and welcome with your heart. And that’s the spirit I try to pass on to those who arrive: the purity, simplicity, and beauty of authentic people.
What does it mean to you to have been chosen by Destinazione Umana for this journey?
After the difficult Covid period, I felt the need to take time just for myself. So, I joined a women-only trip to the Aeolian Islands, organized by Destinazione Umana. It was there—between volcanic landscapes and the wild energy of Stromboli—that something inside me reignited. It was my first solo trip in many years, and it helped me find myself again. To remember who I was, beyond roles, responsibilities, and routine.
Destinazione Umana gave me a transformative experience. It restored my strength, my light, and that deep connection with myself I had put aside. That’s why collaborating with them today, and bringing this kind of journey here to Morocco—the land I chose as home—means so much. It feels like giving back, with gratitude, what I myself received: creating a space where every woman can feel welcomed, heard, and free to rediscover herself.
Why did you want to create a journey exclusively for women?
I felt the need to create this journey because I know how rare it is, in everyday life, to find a space where women can feel truly welcomed, heard, and seen. A space where you can let your guard down, where you don’t need to prove anything, where you can simply BE.
My collaboration with Silvia Salmieri and Destinazione Umana was born precisely from this shared desire: to offer an experience that goes beyond a vacation.
When a group of women meets in an authentic context, far from daily pressures, something powerful happens. A spontaneous sisterhood arises, a sense of trust and openness that is hard to experience in “normal” life.
I’ve seen women who, even without knowing each other, understood one another immediately. Who supported each other, listened, hugged without judgment.
This is what I want to offer with this journey: an opportunity to rediscover the value of connection among women. Because when you feel welcomed, you find the courage to look within yourself. And that’s where real change begins.
What really happens during these journeys? Tell us about a special moment that stayed with you.
There are two moments from the latest edition that I carry strongly within me. The first was the night of the bivouac, on the cliff overlooking the ocean. We had known each other for only a day and a half, but that circle around the fire made us feel instantly united. Some women chose to open up and share things they had never said before. Emotions were intense, words held back for years finally found space. We laughed, cried, listened deeply. It was a powerful, genuine moment.
For me, it was transformational—not as a guide, but as a woman.
The second moment was the day of departure. We hugged with true affection, as if we had known each other for years. Those hugs carried a different weight: they were filled with gratitude, respect, and the desire to stay connected.
When we say this is more than a journey, we mean exactly this.
What would you say to a woman who would like to join but is afraid to travel alone or not feel “enough”?
I would tell her that she doesn’t need to “be enough” for anything. This journey is not a test to pass—it’s a gift to receive. No competition, no expectations to meet. There is simply an open space where each woman can be herself, with her own pace, her own silence, her own desires.
This experience welcomes all ages, all stories, even the most fragile or tired ones. In fact, those often shine the brightest within the circle.
Travelling alone, in this case, is not a limit—it’s a powerful choice. It means choosing to listen to yourself, to give yourself time, and to open up to true encounters with others. When you make space, others arrive more easily. And when you let go of control, magic happens.
Every woman should gift herself something this authentic at least once in her life.
What do you hope each woman brings home with her?
I hope each woman returns with an invisible but powerful gift: the courage to put herself at the center, without asking for permission.
The courage to listen to the voice that has been locked away for too long, to give space to her desires without guilt, to say “yes” to herself.
This journey doesn’t promise solutions—but it offers a safe space to rediscover yourself and begin taking the first steps toward what you truly want.
And if there’s something I hope even more, it’s that no woman feels alone afterward.
Because out there are many other women looking for a new way to walk—and the thread that united us during this journey continues to exist even after. I keep in touch with many of the participants, and every time I hear how these seven days helped them take concrete steps toward themselves.
And that, to me, is the greatest gift. Because this isn’t just a trip—it’s a beginning.
Erika and Destinazione Umana are waiting for you, together with a group of extraordinary women—just like you!
The next Women’s Inspirational Journey will take place in November.
If you feel that something inside you is asking for space, listening, and authenticity… maybe this is the right moment to leave.
Let yourself be guided through an experience of freedom, sisterhood, and rebirth. You will discover that you are not alone—and that the world can still surprise you.
