I'm slowly losing the signs of my time in Cuba. I removed the last of my 2CUC manicure today, my tan (which was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself) is fading, I no longer randomly get salsa music stuck in my head, or start thinking in Spanish, and this weekend I was actually fazed by the 90-degree weather.
The reverse culture shock was more difficult than I expected after I came back. It's so hard to share a month-long experience like this with someone who wasn't there with you, and there are so few people who would want to hear about it anyway. I really missed my host family and the friends I'd made in Cuba. In the Chicago airport on the way back when I passed men who didn't check me out, hiss, or shout piropos at me I started to wonder if I looked like a hot mess. Then I realized that I was in the US, and it's not acceptable for men to do that here. My first time at the grocery store, I was amazed at the variety of foods available and had a new appreciation for being able to eat whatever you want, whenever you want. My digestive system never quite adapted to Cuban food, but it was not happy on American food for at least a week after I got back. One of my first weekends I suggested to Ryan that we should go kayaking "if it ever gets nice out" he stared at me and asked what I was talking about--because it was 80 degrees out. I guess I'd adapted to the 90-95 degree and super humid weather that was my daily life in Cuba!
Before I forget most of what happened over the month I spent there, I'd like to revisit the journal entries I took while there. I wrote them in Spanish, but I look forward to reminiscing over the time spent in Havana while I translate them to English for the blog here. Below are the links to all of my journal entries turned-blog-posts. Feel free to peruse them to get a better sense of what my time in Cuba was really like!
Cuba #1: Arrival, Orientation & Meeting our Host Family
Cuba #2: Cafe Miramar, University of Havana Tour & Nighttime at the Malecon
Cuba #3: First Class, a History Lesson & Cuban Weddings
Cuba #4: In-Class Cultural Exchanges, El Perro Caliente, Shopping & Los Nardos
Cuba #5: Monument to Corruption & Hotel Nacional
Cuba #6: Playing Hookie in Old Havana, the Plazas, Castillo de la Real Fuerza & the Floridita
Cuba #7: Regla Museum & First Playas del Este Beach Day!
Cuba #8: Museo de la Revolucion & Old Havana
Cuba #9: Club 1830 & John Lennon Park
Cuba #10: Day at the Salon & a Brush with Fame
Cuba #11: Museo de Bellas Artes Cubano
Cuba #12: Old Havana Class Excursion & Ernest Hemingway's Home - Finca Vigia
Cuba #13: Day Trip to Soroa
Cuba #14: Day Trip to Viñales
Cuba #15: Second Playas del Este Beach Day!
Cuba #16: Art Museums & Other Adventures in Old Havana
Cuba #17: A Fruitless Quest for Manicures & First Movie at Cine Yara
Cuba #18: A Long Malecon Walk, Bienal Art & Fabrica de Arte Cubano
Cuba #19: Weekend Trip to Santa Clara, Sancti Espiritus, Trinidad & Cienfuegos
Cuba #20: Plaza de la Revolucion, the Forts & Cañonazo
Cuba #21: My Favorite Bookstore & the Pool at Hotel Habana Libre
Cuba #22: Burrito Habanero, Manicures, Old Havana & a Brewery
Cuba #23: Last Day of Class, Trip to the Movies & Coppelia
Cuba #24: Day Trip to the Beach at Varadero
Cuba #25: Last Old Havana Visit & Yellow Submarine Club
Cuba #26: Parque Almendares, Callejon de Hammel, & Goodbyes
Have you been to Cuba, or studied abroad somewhere else? What were some of your best experiences? Comment below!
xoxo, xenophile
Before I forget most of what happened over the month I spent there, I'd like to revisit the journal entries I took while there. I wrote them in Spanish, but I look forward to reminiscing over the time spent in Havana while I translate them to English for the blog here. Below are the links to all of my journal entries turned-blog-posts. Feel free to peruse them to get a better sense of what my time in Cuba was really like!
Cuba #1: Arrival, Orientation & Meeting our Host Family
Cuba #2: Cafe Miramar, University of Havana Tour & Nighttime at the Malecon
Cuba #3: First Class, a History Lesson & Cuban Weddings
Cuba #4: In-Class Cultural Exchanges, El Perro Caliente, Shopping & Los Nardos
Cuba #5: Monument to Corruption & Hotel Nacional
Cuba #6: Playing Hookie in Old Havana, the Plazas, Castillo de la Real Fuerza & the Floridita
Cuba #7: Regla Museum & First Playas del Este Beach Day!
Cuba #8: Museo de la Revolucion & Old Havana
Cuba #9: Club 1830 & John Lennon Park
Cuba #10: Day at the Salon & a Brush with Fame
Cuba #11: Museo de Bellas Artes Cubano
Cuba #12: Old Havana Class Excursion & Ernest Hemingway's Home - Finca Vigia
Cuba #13: Day Trip to Soroa
Cuba #14: Day Trip to Viñales
Cuba #15: Second Playas del Este Beach Day!
Cuba #16: Art Museums & Other Adventures in Old Havana
Cuba #17: A Fruitless Quest for Manicures & First Movie at Cine Yara
Cuba #18: A Long Malecon Walk, Bienal Art & Fabrica de Arte Cubano
Cuba #19: Weekend Trip to Santa Clara, Sancti Espiritus, Trinidad & Cienfuegos
Cuba #20: Plaza de la Revolucion, the Forts & Cañonazo
Cuba #21: My Favorite Bookstore & the Pool at Hotel Habana Libre
Cuba #22: Burrito Habanero, Manicures, Old Havana & a Brewery
Cuba #23: Last Day of Class, Trip to the Movies & Coppelia
Cuba #24: Day Trip to the Beach at Varadero
Cuba #25: Last Old Havana Visit & Yellow Submarine Club
Cuba #26: Parque Almendares, Callejon de Hammel, & Goodbyes
Have you been to Cuba, or studied abroad somewhere else? What were some of your best experiences? Comment below!
xoxo, xenophile