Las Manos Pa' Arriba
This is a short video I made of my trip to Cuba. Hopefully this gives you the chance to see a bit of Cuba through my eyes. Although this video gives you an inside look, it only gives you a taste of what I experienced there. Although, I hope it gives you a but more motivation to travel to the marvelous island that is Cuba. Sit back, enjoy y suban las manos pa' arriba!
How was Cuba?
A lot of
people have been asking me this question since I got back from Cuba. It is
honestly an extremely difficult and loaded question, which is the reason why
I’ve been delaying this post for so long, that, and coming back to a million assignments. I can sit here and write
about what I thought about Cuba; but the truth is, Cuba is such a unique travel
experience and it’s different for every person that makes it there. Not to mention that it’s really hard to put
my whole experience into words. Now that I’ve actually been there, I
understand why I couldn’t get an idea of what my trip would be like from the
online forums I had looked through. I’m going to try my best to tell you about
my experience, but just know that its completely possible for you to go next
week and have a completely different experience from what I had.
Being that
my trip was a rather short one, at least
I thought so, I didn’t really have a chance to get to know any of the
people I went with, except for a couple
class meeting here and there. So we all jumped into this brand new country
with no familiarity of one another, and
no Internet if I might add. Although in the long run, these were the best
circumstances. It allowed us all to get much more intimate with each other without
the distractions of our devices. We spent almost every night drinking bottles
of Havana Club on the porch, talking about subjects that actually mattered.
This was especially convenient for me because: sometimes I find myself trying
to bring my friends on my trips with me, through my devices. However, this
allowed me to really disconnect and focus on what was in front of me.
Due to all
these circumstances, Cuba became quite the ultimate trip for me. With the new
mates, I went out exploring and got to ride through Cuba as more of a local and
less of a tourist, which is always my main
goal. It allowed for plenty of reality checks and recognition of my
privilege living in the U.S. It gave me the opportunity to see a country that
is constantly criticized in the U.S. for what it is and not what it’s made out
to be. Not that it’s perfect, but lets be
honest, neither are we. It allowed me to recognize that we are just as
brainwashed as every other country we criticize. While exploring the old city,
we got the opportunity to meet a local member of the community who took us out
and about to the real parts of the city. He showed us what was real and what
was commercial, and he even went out
clubbing with us. Cuba is honestly filled with so much beauty both
internally and externally. The Cuban people are so embracing you can’t help but
fall in love. The amount of times I was confused as a Cuban was too many to
count. When I told them I was Dominican they embraced me just the same and
labeled me as an hermano. I can truly say Cuba influenced my perception of the
world, as well as my own personal life and going was one of the best decisions
I’ve ever made. If any of you guys get the opportunity to go, TAKE IT!! You may
have a different experience then what I had, but it will be too unique of a
trip to ever regret taking.
I'm Off to Cuba
Ever since I was kid, I've had this tradition I follow before
a trip. Right before I'm about to leave for the airport, I'll write a quick
reflection about how I feel in that moment. Clearly I wanted to be a writer since adolescence. I figured now that I have this blog, I might as well share
my thoughts with the rest of you. I am leaving for my flight in a few hours;
I'll be spending the night in Miami and then leaving Saturday morning for Cuba.
Somehow it still doesn't feel real, it doesn't feel like I'm going to be in
Cuba in a day’s time. As always my anxiety level is at a high. Hahahah. No
matter how frequently I travel, I can never get rid of that preflight anxiety.
At least I know that the moment I get on that plane, all that anxiety will turn
into pure excitement. I am so excited for this trip because unlike my other
trips, I don't know what to expect. Few people have gotten the chance to see
Cuba for themselves so there isn't too much advice out there. Although, I'm
completely fine with exploring the mystery behind Cuba. I cannot wait to go
walking through the streets of Havana and find hidden gems throughout the city.
I'm packed and I'm ready. Wish me luck!
NYC SALT
In college, it’s very easy to get wrapped up in schoolwork, jobs, internships, etc. Sometimes you forget to take a step
back and remember where you came from and how you got there. There’s a special
program that I hold close to my heart that I want to dedicate this post to. NYC
SALT, “ a non-profit photography program serving inner city teenager. Through
professionally led instruction, we seek to engage, inspire and empower kids to
have a voice in their world and become all that they are created to be.” To the
public this might seem like a well-crafted mission statement used to appeal to
the masses. Looking at this statement now, I know all too well how accurate
these words are. SALT was so much more than just an after school program to me,
it was a home away from home. As a kid I was always interested in photography,
which is what first brought me to their front door. Little did I know I would
learn so much more then just photography skills. They taught that sometimes
things don’t come automatically; every skill requires you to keep working on it
week by week; each time improving just a little more. They taught me to always
be open to criticism, because every critic is a new opportunity to learn. At
SALT, I learned to look deeper into things and find different meanings. I
remember when our assignment was to shoot clutter; I took a picture of my
grandmother’s room. At the time, I just saw a messy room; although now, after
my grandmother has passed away, I see so much more in my own picture. I see so
much of whom she was and what she believed in, (things I wouldn’t normally see in
glammed up pictures of her). SALT was more than just a photography class. They
took the time to help whenever we needed them. When it came to inquiring about
scholarships, or just looking over college essays they were always there. So I
just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to everyone at SALT, although I don’t show
it enough, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’ve helped
shape who I am today.
I'm Young, I'm Sexy, and I'm Broke
If you guys are really interested in
traveling and want good advice on places to go/things to do, I would definitely
recommend: Off Track Planet’s Traveling for the Young, Sexy and the Broke.
It is hands down my favorite travel book! I
first came across it at an Urban Outfitters, and it immediately left an
impression on me. I didn’t buy it right then and there, but I made a mental
note that I would to buy it soon. One day, I got really eager to find out what
it was all about so I bought the e-book. I don’t know if I’ve ever inhaled a
book that quickly, but it in a matter of a few hours I was done. I kept
flipping back and forth through the pages; which got annoying after a while on
my iPad. That’s when I decided I needed to buy the physical copy. Now that I
have the physical book, I can flip through the pages whenever I want. What I
love about this book is that it’s so relatable. When I travel I enjoy looking
at historical monuments for a while, but I am much more interested in
experiencing the life as a local. I like walking around the streets at random
and getting my party on at midnight. A lot of other travel books I’ve come
across always sound like they are geared towards older tourist who want to
spend most of their time at historical attractions. This book feels like
someone my age is talking to me about traveling and its giving me all the
advice I was REALLY looking for. Also, if you get the book and immediately get
hooked like I did Off Track Planet also keeps a magazine blog that posts a new
issue every Tuesday. It’s my home screen
when I open safari, hahaha. But seriously guys if you’re interested check
it out. The book really opened my eyes to places I didn’t know I wanted to go
to, Thailand for example, Check it out!
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