Making a Dream Come True to Cuba by Nina Medina   

In Early January, I had finished watching a Netflix series of Celia Cruz, I was admired and fascinated by her hard work in the music industry. She made want to visit Cuba someday, little did I know that one person would make my dreams come true. It was mid-February when professor Mabel Cuesta came to one of classes to talk about the trip to Cuba. It felt like this was an opportunity coming and I had to take it.

When time came I was so excited I couldn’t sleep the night before, this was all a dream and it felt so unreal. Stepping out of the Cuban airport was the sun hitting my pale skin, “great sun burn,” I thought, “I am going to turn pink.” Instead I showered in my sweat when I first got there. Yuck! The first thing I noticed was the cars Chevrolets, Buicks, and Fords it felt like I was in the 1950s. I did not know anyone when we first arrived in our B&B, I was afraid to make new friends since I am shy and soft spoken. But I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate, Emilse and I made a quick bond and I finally had the guts to ask her to become my roommate. We some things in common that most of the time we spent it together. The first two night in Havana I must admit was still in shock, it took me time to get used knowing that I was in another country.

Seeing and touching the beauty of the architectures took to a story behind each wall. Walking into the building were famous writer Ernest Hemingway once stood made me feel as if he was here.  It was another dream come true, knowing that there was an American writer living in this country.

 

I quickly fell in love with the art, the literature, the history, and especially the dance. I loved how every dancer moved, the rhythm they put into the music it makes you want to dance. The time they put, you could tell how passionate they seemed. I’ve have never seen so many people so happy to do what they loved. All those wonderful colors, the twirls, shimmies, moving from head to toe. I have never seen nothing so beautiful, watching them and knowing that every sweat was worth it. Every art I have seen and being told that this is what they do for living, getting paid so little yet doing something they love is what makes them so happy. It is nothing compared to what I have been told, “in the world of arts it’s hard to make a living.”

I met one dancer along with his other friends, Jean Marcos, he gave so much hope dreams I learned so much from him. I have never meet someone so sweet that puts so much dedication into something they love.  In such short time, I never thought that I would care for someone so much and have a strong bong of friendship with someone. He became my dance partner when he was teaching us to dance salsa. But almost every night that we went out, he was always teaching me new dance moves or either making me laugh.

                                               

 

Part of an honor I did have was working with my classmate who also happened to be my roommate we both worked translating Abel Gonzalez poems. I learned so much from him and knowing why he wrote a certain way. I was just so amazed. Working with a writer is something you don’t do in America. One thing I will admit his poems were challenging and hard to translate, but luckily Emilse and I took our time to find the perfect word for every sentence. After we were done we both felt accomplished, and a bit relieved.

One thing I did learn was to have so much patience, I am a server myself and I know what it feels like being over whelmed. I took almost an hour for our food to arrive, feeling so hangry I understood that there were only little servers and one or maybe two cooks. Although Houston weather is hot, I am a city girl and I am used to just being around A/C. After walking under the sun for so long I have never loved water so much, everywhere we went I had to order cold water or frappe lemonade. Little things like this it had never occurred to me on how much things I take for granted.                               

 

Like I said I am a city girl, I am not much of a beach person or going outside and tanning myself. But Varadero is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to. I have never seen water so clear, so white, or so blue. I could close my eyes and feel the soft white sand sink the bottom to my feet.

 

Words cannot describe how much I feel, if I could ever reverse time I would go back to Cuba. I could show so many pictures of this amazing adventure. Coming back to Texas and having my family and friends ask me how was Cuba? All I can say its breath taking and a dream come true. A memory I have attached to me forever. It is a country I recommend anyone to go. I am ready to go back and relive my adventure again. I am ready to go back a learn something new. I am ready to go back and get all sweaty. I am ready to go back and have Cuban coffee. Like the girl from the hotel said, “it’s better than Starbucks.” I am ready to go on a motorcycle ride. I am ready to go back and relive my dream again.