The Cubans

By Michelle Calderón

July 1, 2019

The countdown began as I only had one week left to prep myself to leave on July 8, 2019. With one full week left, everyone around me was freaking out and I had no idea what to expect.

July 8, 2019

It’s five in the morning, as I lay in my bed knowing I have to get up, but my body doesn’t react. Finally, I hear the puppies barking and I get up, I start getting ready, I head downstairs and tell my parents it’s time to go. I arrive at the Bush Intercontinental airport, see the group, take a deep breath and summon all the courage in to get on the plane. “I’m doing it” I say to myself, “this is it” I think one last time before the plane departs and head to Cuba. 

Later that day, July 8, 2019

As I sat in my seat, I couldn’t believe I was doing this, never in a million years would I have taken this experience myself without the push I had gotten. Going alone, without my parents, my family, only a group of strangers that I met once or twice. This was definitely a new experience of life for me. 

Still later that day, July 8, 2019

Arriving to La Havana’s airport, “wow” was my initial reaction, the size of it, the amount of people, the smells in the air, nothing in the United States could compare. Finally passing the first sliding doors, stepping into the city of La Habana. I still couldn’t believe where I was. Where I’d be for the next two weeks. So colorful, so much life, so many people crying because they haven’t seen their family members in a while. Once I breathed in the air, reality hit me and I wanted to get to know this country. To my right I see beautiful 1950’s to 1970’s vintage cars and my left the bus that will take us to Matanzas! 

July 9, 2019

Matanzas, A small, but beautifully eluding city at the same time. Oh how it reminded me of the summer times I spent in Zamora, Michoacán. Waking up very early stepping out of our hostal, seeing so many kids running up and down the streets with such confidence and safety, seeing neighbors stepping out of their windows and doors to shout out to the people that are walking by to say hello or good morning. Seeing all this humble, kind humility warms my heart and makes me think that the great United States does not have this kind of thing. Walking everywhere to get to your different destination every time, getting Internet at the plaza, or taking a dip in the backyard of someone’s home is a different type of reality. 

Varadero, a beautiful beach with clear waters that once you stepped in the sand you can see all the fishes swim around you and your toes sink in the sand. Walking around to see the small little stores and ding out that a lot of their product is made of coconut or bamboo. So many unexpected surprises. 

The most amazing part was being able to see how books are being made. With such creativity and uniqueness. Each book had their own detail that another book won’t have. Every small crevice has a significance that the book gives you. At the end made with such delicacy and patience. Just beautiful. 

July 10, 2019

What was so fascinating was that two weeks in Cuba is not enough. All the days that I spent there I learned something new. Learning about the people, their cultures, their traditions, their routines, the things that they have to go through everyday because something always happens. Everybody is an artist, they live their lives to the fullest with such happiness and gratitude. We had to work translating chronicles and the beautiful part was that those chronicles were written from the heart and the love that they have for their city. The love that is scattered around the entire country. Every little space you walked had a bit of color, so people wouldn’t remember that area as a bad area but a new area with life and color.

July 13, 2019

This experience has taught me so many things that I tend to share with the people that are in my life. Having to live this for two weeks taught me to appreciate what I have. In the United States we have unlimited water, food, air conditioning, electricity that stays on, but yet we live our lives complaining about how horrible our lives are. The people that I’ve met and seen live their life to the fullest. They see you walking by and say hello, good morning, good afternoon, or goodnight. They say it because they want to and not because they have to. Learning to live to the fullest and see how colorful you are able to make because at the end of the day you control your happiness. 

July 21, 2019

At the end of this trip I arrived with a group of strangers who ended up being great people who are now friends, new experiences that I cherish and will use them in my everyday life, new appreciation for things that I took for granted. Loving life to the fullest. 

A new and improved,

Michelle Calderon