Once upon a time, I went to Cuba for Winter Term Study Abroad in College.  It was INCREDIBLE and I cannot wait to go back (pending Raul and Fidel getting their acts together). Enjoy a couple of photos (taken on a Kodak disposable, haha) from the trip.

Lessons I learned while in Cuba:

1.  Salsa music is king - it reflects the passion, soul and joy that Cubans have maintained over years of hardship and dictatorship.  If you need more proof, put "Buena Vista Social Club" on your Netflix cue, its infectious beats will have you swooning and downloading faster than you can imagine!

2.  Mojitos are amazing and delicious and best made with the freshest mint you can get your hands on.

3.  Despite a difficult 1/2 century in the political realm - the Arts (music, dance, visual arts, painting, poetry) have thrived since Fidel Castro took over in 1962.

4.  There is a beautiful, breathtaking dichotomy between the old and dilapidated parts of Havana and the restored or well-preserved that is unexplainable and which I have not yet seen in any other city in the world.

5.  The people are amazing - infectious laughter fills the streets, everyone is your new "compay", the children want to know all about the USA and the NY yankees (boo!), and somehow, even when the electricity is cut off early in the evening and restaurants run out of ingredients, parties continue and happiness is all around.  One truly learns from the Cuban people that survival can be beautiful in an otherwise bleak situation!