Day 1: Flying to Havana this morning, a city off limits to most American citizens, was seemingly harmless; in fact, it took less time than my flight from Houston, where I attend Rice University, back to my hometown of El Paso, Texas. However, considering my last trip to Havana required seventeen gruesome hours of traveling, I knew that the legalities and paperwork behind our flight presented far more obstacles than the long line we encountered at Tampa TSA. Despite being a mere 90 miles off the coast of Florida, strained relations with the United States has made travelling to Cuba difficult for most Americans. Although the Obama administration has severely relaxed the strict travel laws implemented by George W. Bush, student visas from both countries remain difficult to obtain, as was the case during my last excursion to Cuba. Despite spending ten days here during spring break this past February, I still do not fully understand the reasons for such complicated travel arrangements or the tense relations that cause them. This is why I decided to return to Cuba: to delve into the complexities that comprise the Cuban nation and to revolutionize my perceptions of government, politics, economics, international relations, culture, and language. I am here to empathize with a nation my home country has ostracized for over fifty years. Inspired by the pre-departure Patrick Symmes article, I too am here to understand what it truly means to be Cuban. There must be much more than Havana Club that makes this island so unique. I have thirty days to begin (but, by no means finish) exploring.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 17:09:04 +0000
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