December 29, 2017

cuba // a video.


a little something to remember you by, cuba. xo 
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December 28, 2017

places I love // cuba.



if you've known me long, you know that my sister is the luckiest human. need someone to win your sneaker raffle? looking for a gal who can come home with the bingo jackpot? like having friends who somehow end up with an on-court family pass after a suns game at madison square garden? she's got you covered. 

it shouldn't have surprised me that sharing a photo on instagram ended with her winning two spots on a coveted trip to cuba with el camino travel

generally we prefer to go it alone, but we'd followed el camino for a while and had always talked about going on one of their adventures. the stars aligned, and here we were. a group trip. with strangers. here goes nothing. 

the good news is, el camino truly whips up magic with each trip. the 6 other travelers and our cuban guides made the perfect group, and 5 days later I couldn't have loved the experience more. not to mention they also gifted us with simone - our travel buddy and official vacation photographer (nearly all the photos here are her handiwork). 

CUBA - I have such a crush on you. I went in with minimal expectations, and came out with so much love for you and your vibrant, big-hearted humans, colorful streets, old-timey charms and insane food. I can't tell you where to stay, what to eat, or where to go, because - if I'm honest - the minute we won I threw my hands up and let someone else worry about the details for a while. on night one our guide, sara, told us she didn't want us to see cuba, she wanted us to feel it. and it. felt. perfect. 

I might not know the name of that restaurant we went to, but I remember watching ivan cook his heart out making some of the best food i've ever had with the simplest of set ups. 

I can't tell you which casa particular we called home, but I remember the face of each one of the people who worked there and how warm and helpful they were even when we could absolutely not communicate. 

I don't have directions to the neighborhood we were in, but I can still smell the coffee brewing as we sat in Orlando's godmother's home and heard stories about her life. 

I have never been to a place with friendlier people. people who are so proud of their home and so willing to share it...if you ever get the chance to visit, don't think twice. 

xo

*one of the coolest things about el camino is that they send a super talented photographer with you to document your adventures. simone absolutely killed it, and the photos are some I will treasure forever. most of these beauts are the work of her talented eye. check her out here!




























































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