travel: cuba

Earlier this year Sam and I traveled to Cuba. It was a last minute decision that we will never regret—one of those magical moments when everything just lines up. Seriously, Sam and I both had expired passports so when this idea came up, we weren't sure if this fantastic voyage would happen. Luckily National Passport Day was that week and we landed new passports a few days prior to departure. Thank you City of Los Angeles! One of those moments that can only be described as the Universe had our backs. Our impromptu trip was booked and little did we know it was going to be LIFE-CHANGING.

Now I'm not going to dive into all the reasons it was life-changing. { Sad trombone } Some of those details need to be shared in person, over coffee, or better yet...over las canchanchas at mi casa. If you love a good story, feel free to reach out as I'd love to share with you all the epic things that occurred on that adventure. Trust me, there are some good ones. Luckily for us both, Sam and I have plenty of videos and images to share. I'll be sharing the series over the next couple of weeks. It’s impossible to put it all into one. But to kick it off for this post I do have a few words to share:

Have you ever had a trip where it impacted your life so much that you cried once you were home? You realized that experience could never be repeated again hence the tears. That’s what this trip was for us. Being off the grid from mainstream culture had both Sam and I in a rare state of: why the hell did we come back. Don't get me wrong, we adore Los Angeles and the states (well, given the current state of things, we are delighted to be in California). It was refreshing to step away from the consumer hype machine and the celebrity obsessed culture. No Starbucks on every corner. No venti option. No internet. Yes, you read that correctly. (*Some people in our group had limited access but Sam and I preferred not to plug back in.) Cuba was an experience of a lifetime for us and because we weren’t connected online, we connected with each other and the group we were so fortunate to have been paired up with. If you are looking for inclusive getaway, I say this with love, then Cuba isn’t for you. Now if you are craving a colorful adventure filled with the energy of life, then the uniqueness of Cuba is it. Hurry before it gets its first Starbucks. 

Big thank you to Andrew from Coast to Costa. Viva Van Life and Jorge!

Cuba: Part 1 / Tobacco region of Viñales