How a Four-Months-Pregnant Adventurer Found Magic—and Herself—in Morocco. Article sponsored by Wired For Travel.
Words :: Robert Artspool
When Kaela Stradiotto tells people she spent part of her second trimester camping in the Sahara Desert, the reactions tend to range from awe to polite disbelief. “Pregnant and traveling alone?” she laughs. “Yes, and it was the most alive I’ve felt in years.”
At 39, Stradiotto—a Thunder Bay native and long-time community volunteer—wanted her babymoon to mean more than poolside lounging or resort spa days. “This was my babymoon to myself,” she says. “I’m going to have an adventure.”
She did just that, with the help of Sarah Bencic, a full-spectrum travel agent with Wired for Travel. The two met serendipitously at an event at Sleeping Giant Brewery in Thunder Bay. “We felt an immediate connection,” Stradiotto recalls. “She was super down to earth, chill, friendly, easy to talk to—just open to different ideas.”
For Stradiotto, who’s used to group travel through programs like Canada World Youth, venturing solo while pregnant was a bold leap. “Especially as a woman, traveling alone, it was really good to have that guidance,” she says. “Sarah goes above and beyond. I felt like I had a friend. She didn’t judge me for asking too many questions—she was always there and always helpful.”
Bencic is an independent agent with Wired For Travel who specializes in custom itineraries for the discerning adventurer, who creates amazing experiences for her clients worldwide, including expeditions to Antarctica with her partner agency HX Group.
Stradiotto’s Morocco itinerary, designed in collaboration with Bencic, unfolded like a dream.
After landing in Marrakech, she was immersed in the city’s vibrant chaos: “Super bustling markets, narrow cobblestone alleys, and then a pickup truck will come by with hundreds of chickens—it’s just this constant bustle,” Stradiotto says.
But the heartbeat of her trip pulsed slower in the desert. “We had a couple of nights camping in the sand dunes of the Sahara,” she recalls. “It was beautiful. There’s nothing like that silence.”
The contrast to her home in Thunder Bay couldn’t have been starker. “Morocco is a different flavour,” she says. “Totally different from what I’m used to.”
In coastal towns, she wandered winding streets, explored artisanal shops, and learned how locals use public ovens to slow-cook tajines for hours. “They bring it to the butcher, and he watches the fire all day. The whole community shares the space. It’s amazing.”
Along the way, Bencic’s support proved invaluable. When Stradiotto’s airline lost her luggage, Bencic was immediately on it. “When my flight was delayed, Sarah found a way for me to get there so I didn’t miss the start of my tour,” she says. “She does the before, during, and after. She was the steady presence behind it all.”
Even as a seasoned traveler, Stradiotto says Morocco shifted her perspective. “There’s something about that place—the rhythm of life, the hospitality. I felt grounded. The culture is so immersive, so spiritual.”
More than just an epic babymoon, the trip became a rite of passage. “I’ve always done travel with groups—volunteering, mission work—but this was for me,” she says. “It reminded me who I am, and who I’m becoming.”
Back in Thunder Bay, with the baby’s arrival on the horizon, Stradiotto still carries Morocco with her: the cadence of prayer calls echoing across Marrakech rooftops, the hush of the desert wind, the warmth of strangers who became storytellers.
Would she do it again?
“In a heartbeat,” she says. “What would’ve been crazy is not going.”
Traveler’s Companion: Wired for Travel
Travel agent Sarah Bencic offers far more than bookings—Wired for Travel is built on creating journeys that are personal, immersive, and stress-free. Her full-spectrum service includes pre-trip planning, in-the-moment support, and follow-up care—making her a lifeline for travelers navigating the unpredictable. Learn more at www.wiredfortravel.com
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