Our last morning in Cuba was quieter than the rest but despite knowing we were soon due to say our goodbyes, the light chatter at breakfast was full of laughter and smiles. The momentum was slow going considering we reached the tail end of our itinerary and our time to exit from the hostel hovered between 9:30 and 10. Though we had fewer people at the table, we remained lively as we reminisced over our time in Cuba with the consensus that it would’ve been lovely if our stay was just a little longer. The days passed by in a blur of good food, new sights, and sweet memories to take home that paired with a dynamic glimpse of life in Cuba. 

In the hours before the flight, I spent my time on the roof to soak in the last warm morning I’ll have til spring reaches the frigid north. Our temporary cut of the street sat adjacent from main roads dotted with hotels that stood over the homes in the neighborhood and a stone throw away from the billowing ocean that lay along the Malecón. On more than one occasion I and a few others walked along the windward side of the neighborhood to watch the ocean as we talked into the night. A mist of ocean spray reached us sitting on concrete benches when the waves crashed into the wall and swelled upward. The first day in Cuba, I made the mistake of walking where the seawater settled on the sidewalk and slipped. A few locals sitting on the wall helped me up and shared a token of wisdom about the area; don’t step in puddles, there can be seaweed. The fall was well worth the view of the Atlantic at sunset, though it might be wiser to keep that in mind when trying to capture the scenery, it’s always good to be observant of the environment around you!

   The drive to the airport felt like a goodbye to the city we had just gotten acquainted with, passing homes, parks, statues, and scattered urban farms on the way to our last stop in the country. Havana is blended like any other city, but as we left the city’s more densely urban neighborhood the land gave way to farming operatives rather than suburbs or untouched fields. Larger buildings, like the Hemingway House or Centro Fidel Castro, had greenery mixed into the landscape giving a vast feel to the property. Nature and light seemed key to Cuba’s architecture, front gardens and terraces being a staple to many of the buildings we entered. 

Much of the land we passed was dedicated to farming. Growing crops in the city is hard given the close quarters but people make it work with careful engineering and a lot of resourcefulness. We visited one such farm early in our stay and I was amazed by the tight knit system, crops were grown relative to each other’s needs and organic litter became the basis for composting and maintaining soil. It made my little environmental science heart sing to see a level of organic agriculture that many urban farms in the United States dream of. Cuba had little other choice in the matter due to the embargo and the fallout with the Soviet Union which was the main supplier of fertilizer prior to the 90s. The turn to green agriculture came as a means of allowing farming to continue long term rather than bolster yield and destroy the soil. It was my favorite moment during the trip and watching the greenery roll by in the window only solidified my stance. 

Old cars traversed the roads alongside us as familiar, no longer a jarring feature to an unfamiliar culture and country. We learned plenty about Cuba’s relationship with the United States; the impact the embargo and fluctuating diplomatic relations have on the country and how Cuba responds to said challenges. Trade restrictions make it near impossible for companies to sell in both the United States and Cuba, but that doesn’t mean some brands don’t stake their ground on the island. Some China-based auto manufacturers have made their presence known, though it’s surprising to see the occasional new model among classics. 

It was a little hard to imagine how it will feel to return to our normal; the island made its impression on us from our drive to our temporary home and reminded us of all of its features on our way back. As we shuffled our way through the airport, we bid farewell to our guides, the city, the country, and island, grateful for our stay and the opportunity of a lifetime. Not after long we reached our home state and parted ways, a little wiser, and looking forward to whatever life brings next.