@the_wanderlustista

class="content__text" It's been a few months since my last post, but I am so happy to be getting back to my passion project! I've spent the last few months focusing on some personal and family issues. Glad to say that all is well again! *It's going to take me some time to get caught up with all of you, so please be patient with me. Thank you!* A few months ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Cuba, aka the Motherland! It was an overwhelming and emotional experience, and one that I've had difficulty putting into words. I was finally *legally* able to visit the country my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents were born in and, eventually, forced out of. My family came to the United States as immigrants, leaving everything they had behind. Until recently, visiting Cuba was understandably a bit taboo in my family. As a first-generation American, a visit to Cuba would be a journey toward understanding and discovery for me; a fundamental part of the answer to the “who am I?” question. So, off I went on a journey in search of my roots. What I found is that Havana is an incredibly vibrant city. It captures you in its rhythm. Its spice and heat are seductive. Its heartbeat, addictive. The streets, the people, the sights and sounds all seemed so alive. A big part of the reason I love to travel around the world is to experience new cultures. This trip was different, though. This culture wasn’t new. Cuba’s culture *is* my culture. It felt surprisingly like home. I knew these beats and sounds. I was familiar with these sensations. I felt them in my bones. I walked the streets my family used to walk. I visited the neighborhoods they worked and lived in. I imagined what life must have been like for them back then. I imagined what it must have felt like to leave everything behind. I wondered what my life would have been like had I been born and raised there. I took photographs of everything. I salsa danced. I drank rum. I moved to the music. I talked for hours and hours with the locals in Spanish. I connected. I identified. I started to understand more about myself, my family, our culture, and Cuba’s politics and hardships. *continued in next comment*

February 24, 2018

class="content__text" Traveling is amazing for so many reasons. What people don’t tell you, however, is how hard it can be to come home. When you commit to going on a trip – however far away, for however long – there is excitement in the buildup. You have so much to look forward to. You spend time planning, researching, dreaming, packing, and preparing in the days, weeks, and months leading up to your trip. To me, the lead up is as electrifying as going on the actual trip. While you’re on your trip, you’re immersed in a new culture, a new city/country/continent, you’re learning, exploring, adventuring…your senses are completely maxed out processing all the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes you’re experiencing. You’re busy living! I try so hard to live in the moment, but sometimes my post-trip blues start to creep in while I’m still on vacation! I think, ‘Oh man, I only have XX days left on vacation before I have to go home.’ The last day of any trip and the journey home are always tough for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always happy to see my loved ones after a trip, and sharing my photos and stories with people extends the thrill of the trip, but then, it’s just…over. Reality sets in. You get back into your day-to-day routine. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and memories start to fade. The shimmer of a life-changing trip starts to dull. So, I start daydreaming about where I’d like to go next. I read blogs and travel journals. I start the process all over again and feel blissful as I work toward another journey. As long as I can immerse myself in planning, scheduling, learning, researching, or anything related to my next adventure, I feel satisfied. I love to have a new trip to look forward to! Who doesn’t? But, what happens when there is no next trip? What happens when you can’t plan your next adventure (for whatever reason)? I think the key for me is to turn my attention to the things I’m passionate about, including this page and the travel blog I’m working on! Those are both ways to be completely immersed in travel without actually going anywhere! How do you defeat the post-trip blues? Please share your tips and stories!

February 24, 2018

class="content__text" I was fortunate enough to visit Mexico City for work. I found the food, the people, and the sites to be absolutely fabulous! I mean, any place that serves tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner HAS to be fantastic, right?! Seriously, though, I love tacos. The Greater Mexico City population is estimated to be over 21 million people, making it the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world! The city’s gross domestic product makes it one of the economically largest metropolitan areas in the world, and certainly, one of the richest in Latin America. But, what sticks out in my mind from my visit, is the huge disparity between the socioeconomic classes. According to a report from Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Mexico’s elite includes 1.7 percent of all the country’s inhabitants, with another 8 percent added to that to round out the country’s upper class. By contrast, the country’s lower class represent 59 percent of the country’s total population, leaving roughly 30 percent of the population in the middle class. To put this in perspective, for every upper-class person in Mexico there are 49 in the lower class. Driving around in Mexico City, this gap is glaringly apparent. There is a stark difference between the very rich and the very poor, neighborhood to neighborhood. It’s been several years since I’ve visited Mexico, so I’d love to visit again to see what has changed. I’d also love to visit the beach towns and maybe do some whale watching (bucket list item)! Have you ever visited Mexico? If so, what is your favorite city/town? Would love your recommendations!

February 24, 2017

class="content__text" I took my own advice and decided to be a tourist in my own backyard this weekend! Best part about it is that it was cheap (yay!) and easy. Luckily, my backyard happens to be the beach, and the weather in Miami is perfect this time of year (mid-high 70s F/20s C), so I packed a bag and took a stroll down to the water. A very good friend of mine recently introduced me to the Danish term hygge, which inspired this post. Associated with relaxation, indulgence, and gratitude, hygge, pronounced “hoo-guh,” is a quality of coziness that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being. The word is derived from hugga, a sixteenth-century Norwegian term meaning “to comfort” or “to console,” which is related to the English word “hug.” My interpretation of hygge is the ability to create a sanctuary or a safe space in the midst of your normal routine. An escape. Somewhere you go or something you do which creates peace in your life. For some, this may mean snuggling up by a fire with a hot cup of cocoa, or putting on your most comfortable clothes, grabbing a cup of tea, and getting lost in a great book for a few hours. It could be as simple as lighting a candle or having a conversation with a friend. Hygge for me is an afternoon spent on the beach with my favorite playlist blaring through my headphones, and a good travel guide or magazine to thumb through. The beach is my hygge. I don't go often enough, though. I get so caught up in my daily routine and responsibilities that I forget to take a break. But then, on perfect days like we had this weekend, I remember. "Oh yeah! The beach!" There's something about the ocean, the sun, and the sand that's so energizing and refreshing. Spending a day lounging by the water is like hitting a reset button for me. I always leave feeling relaxed and happy. What's your hygge?

February 24, 2017

class="content__text" Had a crazy idea while I was traveling through Central and Eastern Europe to scrap my previously made plans and go off course for the day to visit a tiny town on the Germany/Poland border (I took this photo of the St. Peter and Paul church on the Poland side of the Altstadtbrücke bridge)! I was in Berlin for a few days and was craving an adventure, so I Googled nearby towns and day trip options. Up popped Görlitz, one of very few areas in Germany that was not destroyed during WWII. There wasn’t very much tourist information about the town on the Internet, but it looked beautiful in pictures, so I wanted to check it out. I looked up the train schedule and found that there were several trains going in that direction, so off I went on the 2.5-hour journey to the easternmost town in the country! Görlitz is a picture-perfect town with very few tourists and gorgeous views around every corner. It’s the perfect town to get lost in (I do practice what I preach 😊)! It’s not very big, so you can’t get TOO lost (thank goodness for me), but wandering around aimlessly resulted in finding hidden alleyways and amazing vistas. I swear each street I stumbled upon was more beautiful than the last. It seems that Hollywood has taken notice of this picturesque town as it’s been the backdrop for several big films, including Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Have you ever scrapped previously made plans in favor of an adventure? If so, what was it?

February 24, 2017

class="content__text" I started 2017 off doing exactly what I love to do most: travel! I got to ring in the New Year in Prague, one of my favorite cities in the world, on a dance floor surrounded by friends, old and new, from all over the world! My latest travel venture was unforgettable. I went away with intentions and itineraries, and came away with magical memories and experiences to last a lifetime. Traveling opens your mind. It opens your eyes. And, most importantly for me, it opens your heart. You can plan to see statues, landmarks, and landscapes, but what you can’t plan for is the feeling you’ll have when you experience those places in person. You can’t plan the people you’ll meet. The encounters you’ll have. The memories you’ll make. It’s indescribable. I’ve found that the best moments I’ve experienced are never planned. That’s why I always leave room in my travel itinerary to stray from the path. To get lost. In cities. In cultures. In people. In myself. Those unexpected moments, beautiful surprises around the corner, laughs you share with strangers, the awe you feel from experiencing something bigger than yourself…that’s what it’s all about (in my opinion). Even if you can’t get to a faraway place, you can explore in your own backyard. Be a tourist in your own city or town. Take a road trip! Or, a detour. Stray from your path just to see how it feels. Maybe you’ll meet someone new or see your town from a different perspective. Who knows? The adventure is worth the leap, that’s for sure. So, this year, open your hearts. Open your minds. Expand your horizons. Dream. Get lost. Get found. And then, do it all again. That’s my plan! Where are you planning to “get lost” this year?

February 24, 2017

class="content__text" Can you believe 2016 is almost over?! I sure can't! This year, I've experienced so many great highs and a few lows, but, all things considered, it's been a great year. I feel so very blessed to have had so many incredible opportunities this year, but also very proud that I have taken so many chances. It's one thing to be presented an opportunity, and completely another to actually take it! I used to live in fear of the "what ifs"...What if it doesn't work? What if I fail? What if I'm scared? What if it hurts? What if...what if it goes well? What if it goes GREAT? What if I love it? Eventually, I turned those fears around and moved forward with the confidence that things would work out. I figured that, if I failed, at least I'd learn a lesson, and, if things went well, all the better! I started slowly, dipping my toes in to see what it was like, and then took progressively bigger risks. Some risks paid off and some didn't, but, I'm grateful for every experience I've had this year, regardless of the outcome. I've met incredible people, visited incredible places, eaten incredible food, learned incredible lessons, and loved an incredible amount. In the coming year, I hope I continue to be a student of life every single day, take leaps big and small, and find the brightness in every situation. I wish you all a Happy New Year and a spectacular 2017! Do you usually make a New Year's resolution? If so, what are you resolving to do more or less of in 2017?

February 24, 2017

class="content__text" Happy everything! I hope everyone is having a great holiday season so far! Between work, travels, and holiday events, I've been seemingly on the go nonstop since Thanksgiving! It's a beautiful exhaustion, though, and I'm grateful for it. I've gotten to spend so much time with my family this holiday season. It isn't often that we're all in the same place at the same time, since we all live in different parts of the U.S., so I've soaked up every single moment of these last few weeks with them. I can't imagine a better way to spend the holidays! And, now, I'm off to explore new, faraway lands for a few weeks. I'll be adding some new countries to my list (I'll be up to 21 after this trip - yay!), and visiting a couple of old favorites (double yay!). I'm so looking forward to getting lost in new cultures, languages, foods, winding roads, centuries-old villages, and landscapes. There's no better way to close out a great year, and kick off a brand new one, than by starting a new adventure (in my opinion). So, away I go! Are you doing any traveling this holiday season? If so, where? I'd love to hear about your adventures!

February 24, 2017

class="content__text" Merry Christmas to all of you from the beach! Being Cuban, Christmas Eve, or Noche Buena (which literally translates to "the Good Night"), is a bigger celebration than Christmas Day. We celebrate by cooking a big feast centered around a lechón (whole roasted pig). This tradition dates back to the 15th Century when Caribbean colonists hunted down pigs and roasted them whole as the family gathered for Christmas Eve. The day before Noche Buena, we butterfly and clean the pig (usually 80+ pounds), then marinate it using a mixture of onions, garlic, sour orange, lime, salt and pepper. On the morning of, we score the pig skin, put it in the roasting rack and transfer it to the Caja China (Chinese Box), which is a wooden outdoor roasting oven with an aluminum top. The Caja China is then covered, hot coals are placed in the aluminum top, and then it roasts for hours and hours until the skin is super crispy (chicharrón) and the meat literally falls off the bone! Family and friends gather around the pig as it roasts all day, chatting and toasting to the holidays. When it's done roasting, the pig is unveiled, usually to applause, and then...we eat! White rice and black beans, and plantains usually accompany the lechón. Delicious! What holiday traditions do you enjoy?

February 24, 2017

class="content__text" Before setting out on a new travel adventure, I love reading up about and studying the cities/countries/areas I’m visiting to learn about the local history, customs, must-see attractions, and more. This not only helps me get a better sense of the place(s) I’ll be visiting, but it also helps me plan my time effectively. Since I usually take quick trips, I have to do whatever I can to maximize and make the most of my time. I certainly schedule time to see each area’s “must see” or famous attractions, but I always, always plan to have time to wander aimlessly around. It’s my favorite thing to do while traveling. It’s fulfilling to see and experience famous attractions and then check them off my list, but what I enjoy the most, is not having an agenda or checklist of things to do and see. I love mulling around a beautiful area and getting lost. It is usually then that I find what become my favorite spots, discover the best places to eat, and happen upon excellent photo opportunities. These spontaneous occurrences usually end up being my favorite parts of each trip! This is exactly what happened when I captured this photo! I was at the gorgeous Skógafoss waterfall in Skógar, Iceland, admiring the majesty of the falls, when I happened to turn around to see this incredible sunset over the mountain. The vibrant colors, the great open sky, the reflection of the sunset on the water…it took my breath away (and still does)! I live for these moments, and I’ve found that you can seldom plan them as perfectly as they turn out when they happen randomly. Do you prefer to fly by the seat of your pants when you travel, or do you prefer to plan everything out?

February 24, 2017

class="content__text" Salvador, an architectural gem, is the capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia. As one of the oldest cities in Brazil, founded in 1549 by Portuguese settlers, it served as the first capital of Brazil, and remained so until 1763. Much of the impressive, historic, and well-preserved Portuguese colonial and baroque architecture still exists. The cobblestoned streets and array of buildings from the 17th through the 19th centuries in the historic city center, Pelourinho, are considered the largest colonial set in the Americas. Pelourinho gets its name from the former whipping post in its central plaza where African slaves received punishment for various infractions (so sad to think about that happening). Salvador, one of the oldest cities in the New World, is the site of the first slave market on the continent. Now, this area, which is part of the Upper City (Cidade Alta), is a popular destination for lively music, delicious cuisine, and a roaring nightlife. It’s an easily walkable area of the city filled with vibrant and colorful buildings (like the ones you see in this picture), as well as churches, cafes, restaurants, and shops. The area was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, and is a focal point of the city’s tourism. As you might have noticed in the pictures I’ve posted on this account, I am a sucker for bright and bold colors. That being said, I really enjoyed walking aimlessly around Pelourinho for hours just taking in the historical buildings and gorgeous palette of colors. It was a beautifully rich experience! What are some of your favorite things to see when you travel?

February 24, 2017

class="content__text" One of my favorite spots in Beijing, the Lama Temple, or the Yonghe Temple (as it’s formally known), is a temple and monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Constructed in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty, it was originally a residence for court eunuchs, but was later converted into an imperial palace for Emperor Yong Zheng in 1722. In 1744, it became a lamasery (a monastery for monks of Tibetan Buddhism), housing monks from Tibet and Inner Mongolia. After the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, the temple was declared a national monument and closed for 32 years. The most renowned Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet, it reopened in 1981, and continues to serve as an active place of worship today. It’s a magnificent complex with ornately decorated buildings topped with yellow-tiled roofs, prayer halls, courtyards, and several beautiful incense burners. I found the temple to be incredibly peaceful and stunningly beautiful. Worshipers come from near and far to pray, clouds of incense billow throughout the grounds, and monks walk solemnly around in silence. I loved the Hall of Harmony and Peace, the main building in the temple, which houses three bronze statues of the Buddhas of the Three Ages: the statue of the Gautama Buddha (Buddha of the Present, center), the statue of the Kasyapa Matanga (Buddha of the Past, right) and the statue of the Maitreya Buddha (Buddha of the Future, left). Not to miss is the last, and grandest of the five central halls, the Tower of Ten Thousand Happinesses (Wanfu Ge), which houses the temple's prizesd possession, a gift from the seventh Dalai Lama to Emperor Qianlong, a 60 foot (18m) tall Tibetan-style statue of Maitreya (the future Buddha) carved from a single piece of Tibetan white sandalwood. Incredible! Have you been to the Lama Temple in Beijing?

February 24, 2017