Study Abroad in Cuba: Afro-Cuban Dancing

Being exposed to an entirely different culture is enough to strike most travelers with awe. My tear-filled moment of appreciation came when our study abroad group visited El Callejon de Hamel, the Afro-Cuban hub of Havana. Our professor took us there to see a show of traditional Afro-Cuban dancing. As we entered the neighborhood, the…

Study Abroad in Cuba: Raul’s Dream

During the previously mentioned four-hour hike from hell, we stopped partway to speak with some local coffee sellers and buy some fresh made juices to quench our unspeakable thirst. I had been walking with such dedication, so when I stopped, I felt like I was still moving. After swigging the juice of an entire coconut,…

Study Abroad in Cuba: The Four Hour Journey

Our last day in Viñales, our professor told us that we were going to go on a short walk before leaving to the next town. Unbeknownst to all of us, the “short walk” was actually a grueling 4-hour hike in 100+ degree weather. We learned of our professor’s trickery when we were already headed down…

Study Abroad in Cuba: Introduction to Salsa

Salsa is more than just a type of dance or a delicious chip dip. Cuban salsa is a community that anyone can be a part of. From the moment I stepped off the airplane, until the moment I left, the rhythmic beat of salsa music floated through the air like a butterfly, landing often to…

Study Abroad in Cuba: The Pig Roast

After a full day of soaking in the humid air, intense sunshine, and passion filled culture, our taxi driver, Carlos, spun the car with abandon in the direction of the house we were staying at in Tarará. When we pulled up to the house I had just begun to nod off from heat exhaustion. Carlos,…

New Year’s Eve and The Burning Scarecrow

Coming from a white family, we performed the basic New Year’s rituals: lots of chips and dip, chicken nugget platters, fireworks, and of course gathering around the big screen to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Usually my mom would pass out before the food was even gone, and my dad would retreat upstairs…

Little Patricia and the Milkman

When Patricia was little, she lived out her childhood with her parents, and her grandparents, and her neighbors all around her: in Cuba, she was close with the community. Her mother was a dentist, and her father was in finance. They made very little money despite their high positions, but for Little Patricia, all that…

U.S./Cuba Relations

A faith in the ability for positive transition of power and heated hearts for nationalism escalated Cuba from a small island, to a world-renowned challenger of the United States. After the fear of communism led to the failed attempt at Bay of Pigs invasion, Cuba developed a base to defend themselves with the help of Russia….