Late to the party…

There have been many ups and downs in the rug business. The beginning was the toughest, trying to find where I could buy Moroccan rugs, using my limited Arabic. I was given a tip that outside of the city, there was a Tuesday rug souk in the foothills of the Middle Atlas mountains. So, I left early to be there at 10 am, making sure I would get a chance at the very best selection. However, when I arrived, I realized that everything had already been sold, and there was just a bunch of donkeys standing around.

Did it take me months to figure out where these village souks that sold rugs were? Villagers would bring in their old, vintage rugs to sell, but they arrived around 5 am and were done selling by 7 am. That meant, to make it in time, I had to leave my house in the city around 3 am. I was often standing around, looking at rugs in the dark, with a flashlight. However, this is how I found some of the most beautiful gems and laid the foundation for amazing friendships.