Day 811: 2019 Year in Review

Rachel, Day by Day

Downtown Chicago on a beautiful day.

Well, 2019 is almost over. There were many ups and downs, but I thought I’d focus on the good. Overall we had a lot of fun times! Here are some of my highlights from this year.

 

Highlights of 2019

New Years Day party with friends

Sledding (first time for my son)

Many fun outings with my moms group

Visit for Barb’s birthday

Son made it in online magazine for fun kid’s event

Fun activities and outings with friends and our kids

Went to nice restaurant for Valentine’s Day

Stayed at Lake Lawn Lodge for a weekend with my family

Lake Lawn Lodge with Uncle John.

St. Patrick’s Day parade and party with friends

Son’s birthday at the children’s museum and party with friends and family

A fun birthday for this kiddo.

Editing conference in Rhode Island

Family vacation in Philadelphia to visit Chris and Renee

Philadelphia with friends.

Holidays with family (Easter, Mother’s Day, etc.)

Son’s Little Kickers soccer class

My work annual conference in Nashville

Found out I’m pregnant with a girl!

Children’s Museum with family

Gilmore Girls Trivia with my mom

Fourth of July party with friends

Architecture tour in downtown Chicago

Architecture Tour in Chicago

Swam with family over the summer

Swimming!

Basement flooded since our ejector pump stopped working

Trip to Grand Rapids, Mich., just the three of us

A nice family vacation.

Hillside concerts

Family visited and went to Maggiano’s Little Italy

Galena trip with college friends

Fun with friends!

Arlington Racetrack with friends

Son started preschool

First day of school.

Wisconsin Dells trip with family

Wisconsin trip with family.

Rader’s Farm visit with family

Son’s T-ball class

Sonny Acres visit

Scott’s Grandpa’s 90th birthday

Our basement is now finished

Went to Lake Geneva with my Mom and son

Thanksgiving with Scott’s family

Thanksgiving with family.

Polar Express with Scott and son

Meeting Santa on the Polar Express.

Early Christmas with family

Son’s Christmas Program

Christmas at home

New Years Eve countdown kid’s event at a local restaurant

I don’t really have any resolutions at the moment, just try to be a good mom as our baby girl joins us soon. There is one thing I’m proud of in 2019, though. I became more brave and outgoing. I finally feel like I wasn’t so shy and spoke my mind numerous times throughout the year when I didn’t think I would. I hope I can keep this up and continue it for years to come.

I might take a little break early in 2020 since we are having a baby girl soon, but Happy New Year!!

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Day 810: Work Travel

Rachel, Day by Day

On the road again…

How many of you walk to work? Drive? Take the train? Bike? Cab? I’m pretty sure I’ve been driving to work for all the jobs I’ve ever had, except for babysitting. That was the one time I walked since it was only a few houses down.

I always thought it would be neat to take the train, but then I could see myself stressing about missing the train or the train running late. I like the idea of being able to sit, zone out, read, or do whatever you want on your commute. But then you might have to walk a bit once you get to the train station. Bad weather would not make that fun.

I’ve had a lot of different driving paths over the years. For my summer job in high school and college, it was only a five minute drive with maybe only five lights to go through. For my first job after college, it was probably a 10 minute drive home with the same amount of lights. Traffic was never bad, and it was nice getting home in such a short amount of time.

The worst drive I’ve had was when I moved about an hour away during my first job after college. I moved in with my fiancé, so the move made sense! I was very happy moving in with him (the town and his house were great), but I wasn’t ready to give up that job in the other town, so I stayed and did the long commute for two years. It was 57.5 miles one way on the highway. It was the most boring drive of my life. I kept looking at the clock hoping time would move faster. I mostly put the car in cruise control for that one hour and would sing along with the radio, but time felt so slow. Mornings in the fall and winter were the worst. I started work at 7:30, so my commute was extremely dark. There were no lights on this highway as well. Fog, heavy rain, and snow made the drive bad on some of the days. The fog would get so heavy in the morning, I’d follow other cars just because I could see their tail lights. There was one day the rain was so heavy, I couldn’t see at all. So I pulled over, slowly drove home, and took a sick day. I didn’t want to chance it. I don’t miss that highway. (I left that job and moved away with my husband.)

Now I’ve been at my current job for five years, about 17 miles away from my house. On a good day it takes 25-30 minutes, but I run into a lot of traffic, so the commute home is longer (around 40-45 minutes). It still takes less time for me to get home now, and way less miles. To be honest, I’ll take traffic any day over driving fast 57.5 miles one way. There are other cars around me now, and I don’t feel so alone or surrounded by trucks. It’s still a frustrating drive at times, but that’s part of many commutes.

In an ideal world, I’d go back to that five minute commute, but that’s hard to find these days.

As strange as it is, I’ve only been in one car accident during my commutes, and it was during my first job after college (the 10 minute drive). I was heading through a green light when another car ran a red light. I ended up hitting the woman’s car, but she was at fault since she ran the red light. My car was totaled, but I was fine.

The moral of the story? Not sure, but it’s information I thought I’d share!

Day 809: Pet Peeves

Rachel, Day by Day

Here’s a nice, scenic photo for you.

For this month’s blog post, I thought I’d give you a list. We all have shorter attention spans these days, so why not give you something shorter to read? Here’s a list of 20 of my pet peeves. There’s probably more I could add, but I didn’t want to go too crazy. You’ll start thinking I’m annoyed at everything in life, which I’m not.

Pet Peeves

1. When someone interrupts you in the middle of a conversation. A specific example: When you are telling a story and someone interrupts saying, “I’ve done that” or “I’ve been there!”
2. Walking behind slow walkers.
3. Someone leaving the toilet seat up.
4. Dishes in the sink.
5. When someone starts a conversation by saying, “Have I told you this already?” Well, I don’t know, because I don’t know the story.
6. People who laugh at something they are thinking about or laugh at something you said but don’t explain why.
7. Being late or someone you are meeting is late.
8. Overposting on social media.
9. Body shaming.
10. Slow and out of control drivers.
11. People who think they are a big deal.
12. Oversharing medical conditions.
13. Having someone tell you, “You look tired.”
14. People who recline their seats back on airplanes.
15. The word percolate.
16. Having to repeat myself numerous times.
17. When someone says, “I have to tell you something. Oh, never mind.”
18. The word whatever.
19. Mom shaming.
20. Using an apostrophe when there shouldn’t be one (e.g., the Miller’s).

So, what are things that annoy you?

Day 808: Michigan Trip

Rachel, Day by Day

Cute little waterfall.

In July, my husband, son, and I went on a trip to Grand Rapids, Mich., just the three of us. This was our first getaway as a little family, so it’ll always have a spot in my heart. We were able to drive, and it really wasn’t that far, which is a perk! I thought I’d share the highlights of our fun vacation.

Quote of the trip from my son: “Mommy, you have salad and lemonade. Daddy, you have a margarita.”

Day 1: On the way there, we stopped in Holland, Mich., at the Dutch Village. My three-year-old son loved the windmill and playing on the playground. The flowers and grounds were beautiful. It was a nice stop to stretch our legs. Then we finished the rest of the drive and checked in at a new Embassy Suites. That evening we had dinner close by at a sports bar and grill and walked along the river. The waterfall and sunset were beautiful. Then we relaxed at the hotel.

Day 2: The hotel included a free breakfast, and it was amazing! There were waffles, eggs, omelets, bacon, sausage, bagels, muffins, etc. We then drove to the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, which was large and beautiful! The gardens and flowers were pretty. My favorite was the Japanese garden, and my son had a fun time playing in the toddler area with little boats and a tree house. We ate lunch at the hotel and then went to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. My son got to play a lot and went on a carousel from the 1920s. We then went to the happy hour at our hotel for snacks and drinks, then Rose’s Restaurant on Reeds Lake. The view was great. I had recently gotten a FitBit, so I had a lot of steps this day!

Waterfall at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

Day 3: This morning we walked to the Gerald R. Ford Museum. My son wasn’t a huge fan since there wasn’t much to play with (he liked the president’s chair in the Cabinet Room), but I thought it was really interesting. There’s a lot I didn’t know about Gerald Ford. I felt like I learned a lot in such a short amount of time. When my son was in the president’s chair, I asked him, “So, Mr. President, what should we do to improve our country’s economy?” He said, “Pancakes!” Then we had lunch at The Old Goat. It was a neat restaurant with charming décor and a hipster style. We then went swimming at the hotel and relaxed at the happy hour. We walked around downtown in the evening and went to a Mexican restaurant.

Day 4: This was our last full day in Grand Rapids. We walked to the Children’s Museum and my son had an amazing time. There were so many things to do (bubbles, cars, grocery store, instruments, etc.). We had pizza for dinner that night, walked around, and had a very relaxing evening. The sunset with the river and scenery was breathtaking.

My little family.

I enjoyed this vacation because we went at a slower pace. We had our list of things to do, but they didn’t make us tired or fill up the whole day. The three of us still talk about some inside jokes we had while there, and they still make me smile. It was a small vacation, but I’ll never forget it.

Day 807: Miscarriage

Rachel, Day by Day

I thought I’d give you a nice, scenic photo to look at.

In early December 2018, my husband and I found out I was pregnant. We were happy, nervous, and excited about the new baby to come. This child would be our second kid, and I liked imagining our three-year-old son playing with a sibling. I was already going through lists of baby names to see what I liked and making lists to prepare.

WARNING: THE REST OF THE POST MIGHT GET DETAILED, SO PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU DON’T THINK YOU CAN HANDLE IT (SEE TITLE OF POST).

On December 30, I noticed I was spotting in the morning and didn’t think much of it. I read that it can happen during pregnancy. It got worse throughout the day, though, and I was bleeding heavily. Since it was Sunday, the doctor’s office wasn’t open, but I called the emergency line to ask about this. He didn’t want to confirm, but he told me it sounded like a miscarriage.

I went to the doctor’s office the next day where he performed an exam. He couldn’t see much, just a lot of bleeding. So I got a blood test and a bunch of ultrasounds (transvaginal ones hurt me like hell, by the way). That day involved many tests and waiting around, and when I glanced at some paperwork, I couldn’t help noticing it said possible spontaneous abortion. I tensed up when reading those words. At the end of the day, here’s what my doctor concluded:

• My progesterone level was at 2.7 when it should have been between 11-44.
• There was no fetal heart tone.
• My hCG (blood) level was at 2,288.
• I was 6-7 weeks along.
• There was an abnormal appearing intrauterine gestational sac in the upper uterus. There was no fluid around the sac, but a yolk sac was present.
• The due date was August 24.

With all of this information, my doctor still wouldn’t confirm 100% what was going on. For a while, he just kept saying it’s probably a miscarriage. My thought was, if it wasn’t a miscarriage, wouldn’t all of this sound really bad for the baby? The lack of confirmation was freaking me out.

A few days went by and I was still bleeding. I threw a New Year’s Eve party and went to a New Year’s Day party. I wanted to keep myself busy so I wouldn’t think about what was going on behind closed doors, but now that I think about it, it wasn’t the greatest idea. I was hurting physically and emotionally, and it’s hard to ignore that.

I had another doctor’s appointment on January 3 with a different doctor. She confirmed that I had a miscarriage, but it was still going on. She told me I didn’t need a D&C (procedure to remove tissue from inside your uterus) since it was early on in my pregnancy. Instead, I could have taken Cytotec, a pill to help induce miscarriage, but she told me it would be very painful. I decided against it that day for some reason. Everything was happening so fast, and I wanted time to think before making any decisions. She scheduled another ultrasound for that Saturday, January 5.

On January 4, I received a call from the doctor with some results. My hCG level was at 162. He didn’t want me taking Cytotec anymore since my level was so low, so I had to wait it out at that point. He cancelled the ultrasound appointment, too. So at this point, it was a waiting game to see when I’d stop bleeding and when my hCG level would get back to zero.

The one thing I didn’t realize until later was that I was technically still pregnant this whole time. Until your hCG level gets back to zero, you are pregnant. If I took a pregnancy test, it would have come back positive. Crazy.

On January 11, the doctor checked me out and wanted another blood test. I was first told I’d be getting a urine test, but that didn’t happen (lots of confusion between doctors I guess). I had to go back another day since the office was pretty much closed and no one was there to do the blood test. Yay. On the plus side, the receptionist said I had beautiful hair, and I should be in a Hallmark movie.

On January 12, I got the blood test done. Yay.

On January 14, I found out my hCG level was at 6. They checked again on January 26 and it finally reached zero. I stopped bleeding on January 11.

I thought everything was over, but weeks later I started bleeding again. I called the doctor and he said it’s rare to get your period that early, so he thought I started bleeding again from the miscarriage. This lasted almost two weeks and I was finally DONE in mid-February.

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So, now that I told you my detailed story, I wanted to share my thoughts. During this whole ordeal, my emotions kept going up and down. It was strange doing everyday things like going to work and going to parties while all of that was going on. I was sad, upset, and hurt by all of the confusion and losing my baby, but then I’d feel guilty since it’s a common thing and I already have a son. I was angry when anyone (even the doctors) talked about trying again. Technically I was still pregnant, so why would I be thinking about that at the time?

I wanted to share my story (to whoever reads this) for a reason. I don’t want you to say I’m sorry to me after reading this post. I wanted to share my story because this whole ordeal was extremely confusing to me, and we need to talk about miscarriages more. Why are they such a secret? I had no clue what was going on most of the time, and it was completely frustrating. I didn’t understand any of the terminology (D&C, cytotec, spontaneous abortion), so I had to keep asking, “What is that? What does that mean?” over and over again. I didn’t know you could bleed twice. If we knew more about this and shared our stories, maybe it would be easier to understand.

I also realized during the miscarriage that I needed to grieve. I lost a child that was growing inside of me, and that’s something I’ll think about the rest of my life. There was a while I didn’t cry because I wanted to be brave, but that made grieving even worse. I just broke down one night and hyperventilated in my husband’s arms. It’s still hard to think about August 24, my due date. It felt like a death in the family that no one ever met but I shared a connection with. I imagined how the baby’s room would look. It was strange for a while to see everyone around me moving on when I didn’t. A part of my heart will always be broken when thinking of this baby.

So please, share your stories, thoughts, and feelings on this. I hope the confusion and silence on this will end. We haven’t been talking enough about this subject.

Day 805: Next Year in Havana Book Review

Rachel, Day by Day

What an amazing book.

A while ago I finished reading Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton. It’s two stories in one; Elisa Perez lives in Havana, Cuba, a 19-year-old girl in 1958, who lives in a time of political turmoil and doubt while things are changing in Cuba. Her family has a high status as she is the daughter of a sugar baron, and she falls in love with a revolutionary. Marisol Ferrera, a freelance writer, lives in Miami in her 30s in 2017. She’s the granddaughter of Elisa and goes to Cuba for the first time to spread her grandmother’s ashes. She hopes to learn more about her family and Cuba, and meets a man of her own, too.

I connected with this book on a deeper level, more than I could have ever imagined. I felt excited during certain scenes, and I felt myself tearing up at times. I’m also glad I read this after my trip to Cuba; it means more reading about the sights and beauty I already experienced. I am a Cuban-American, with other nationalities of course, but it’s there in my blood.

When reading Marisol’s stories, I felt like I was partly reading about myself. She was searching and trying to find meaning in her Cuban heritage. I’ve always felt the same way. She struggled with her Cuban identity, as do I occasionally. Both Marisol and I weren’t born there, but our family members were (her grandmother and my father). We both didn’t go to Cuba for the first time until we were in our 30s. We both figured out what it means to be Cuban, even though we weren’t born there.

Cubans faced many issues in the late 1950s during the revolution that they still face today. They had mixed feelings for the government back then and still do now. People stood with Batista while others sided with Fidel Castro. These conflicts were shown in the story.

So, what does it mean to be Cuban? It means being political and having hope, faith, courage, love, pride, perseverance, among other things. It means being positive in bad situations and making the best of it. It means embracing your culture and history. Everyone in this book stood up for what they believed in. I need to work on some of these things, but I’ll get here, and I’ll be a proud Cuban-American woman.

While reading this, I thought about many of the struggles I’ve never seen. Can you imagine having to make a decision for your family on staying or leaving your country? Can you imagine the dangers of being tracked and worrying about every move you make? Would you fight for your country if it meant putting your family in danger? These are things I’ve never had to think about.

I felt like I was on my trip to Cuba again, and it made me think even more about the politics, history, love, and hope this country has. My grandparents, father, aunt, and uncles left Cuba, but Cuba was always in their blood. And it’s in my blood, too, and always will be. The trip changed my life. This book changed my life. It makes me want to fight more for what I believe in. I never really knew what it meant to be Cuban-American until recently. We eat pork and black beans and rice on Christmas Eve, but beyond that I never knew much about my heritage, until my trip to Cuba and reading this book.

Here are some of my favorite quotes and lines from the book:

• “To be Cuban is to be proud—it is both our greatest gift and our biggest curse. We serve no kings, bow no heads, bear our troubles on our backs as though they are nothing at all. There is an art to this, you see. An art to appearing as though everything is effortless, that your world is a gilded one, when the reality is that your knees beneath your silk gown buckle from the weight of it all. We are silk and lace, and beneath them we are steel.”
• This line is exactly how I felt when I arrived in Havana: “All my life Cuba has been this mythical entity, at times tangible, at others an ephemeral presence removed from my grasp. But now it’s real, and while there’s nothing romantic or glamorous about the arrival hall, excitement fills me.”
• “This is family, home, the most fundamental part of me. I could be sitting in my grandparents’ elegant residence in Coral Gables, or off in Europe, and all it takes is the scent of mojo, the sound of my people, to ground me.”
• “That’s the thing about death—even when you think someone is gone, glimpses of them remain in those they loved and left behind.”
• “Never forget where you come from. You come from a long line of survivors. Trust in that when things get hard. And in each other.”
• “Then you know what it means to be Cuban…We always reach for something beyond our grasp.”

As I read the last page and closed the book, I was seeing things in a new light. I felt like my identity was seen in this book. Thank you for such a wonderful story.

Day 803: Cuba Trip, Part II

Rachel, Day by Day

Beautiful Havana, Cuba.

In my last blog post, I wrote about the first half of my trip to Cuba last June. Here’s the second half of my Cuba journal for you!

 

Day 7: Cienfuegos, Escambray Mountains, Trinidad

A group photo in the Escambray Mountains with the local coffee farmers.

In the morning we left Cienfuegos and headed to the Escambray Mountains. The best Cuban coffee is made in the mountains. Once we reached the top, we went on a walking tour, saw the coffee plants, and saw how the coffee is made. At the end of the tour, we got to try the coffee. It was strong, but good! Then we stopped and met the coffee farmer and his family. He explained the process to us and invited us in his home. I bought some coffee beans, too.

After that, we all ate lunch together (pork, potatoes, rice and beans). The potatoes were delicious! We then stopped at the lookout point and I walked up the 142 stairs to the top! The view was incredibly beautiful. Something I’ll never forget.

On the way to Trinidad, we stopped at Azariel Santander’s home. He makes pottery and showed us how he does it. He’s so fast and great at it! He made a lid to go on top of the pottery without even measuring it. We then went to a paladar for dinner and ate delicious seafood paella. Yum! Some of us played with the band, too. Then we went to our hotel in Trinidad (Las Brisas Trinidad del Mar) and had a drink before bed.

 

Day 8: Trinidad

Me in Trinidad, Cuba.

This morning we did a walking tour around Trinidad. We stopped at the home of a local family and visited a local artist. He makes art carvings out of shutters and things. Gretel took us to the ration shop where families get their monthly allowed food using their ration booklet. They get rice, sugar, oil, etc. We then went in the church of Trinidad, visited shops, and had a mojito at one of the local restaurants. Then we went back to the hotel (Las Brisas Trinidad del Mar) and had lunch at the buffet. We later played dominoes with Mary and Gretel for a while! We had drinks at the bar and walked to the ocean. We went to El Dorado paladar for dinner. We had vegetable soup, a welcome cocktail, and I ate grilled shrimp. We ended the night with a drink at the hotel.

 

Day 9: Trinidad, Cojímar, Havana

Beautiful view of Havana, Cuba.

After breakfast in Trinidad, we had a longer bus trip back to Havana (4-5 hours). We stopped in Cojímar and had lunch at Café Ajiaco with local fishermen. We had soup, chicken, rice and beans, ropa vieja, etc. One of the fishermen named Charlie showed us the photo of the biggest shark ever caught in 1945 in Cuba. There are 188 fisherman boats.

After lunch, we went to the marina and saw their boats. Ernest Hemingway would visit this area in the 1950s. They told us about their fishing trips and we saw a boat destroyed by the hurricane.

Once we arrived back in Havana, we saw El Cristo de Habana statue, The Jesus Christ of Havana. The view of Havana was beautiful. We also saw a statue dedicated to those who helped during Hurricane Irma, and we saw Che Guevara’s headquarters building.

We then had free time, so we all went to the Hall of Fame bar. We later had dinner at Paladar al Carbon. We ate arroz con pollo, lamb, fish, appetizers, and flan. It was delicious! We sat at a table with Marlys and Charlie and had a great time with them. Then we got drinks at the Hall of Fame bar and went to bed.

 

Day 10: Havana

Las Terrazas, Cuba.

This morning we drove one hour to Las Terrazas, a small community and nature reserve west of Havana. We had a welcome cocktail and talked about its history. The village was created in 1971 and 970 people live there. We visited the school and saw the kids in their classrooms. We then stopped at Ariel Gato Miranda’s studio. He makes recycled paper using discarded office paper and turns it into art.

We then had lunch at El Romero, a Cuban ecological restaurant with vegetarian cuisine. It was good! Then we took the bus back to Havana. We had some free time, so we walked around to the liquor store and souvenir shops. Then we all had a drink at the bar and sandwiches in the lower level café at the hotel for dinner. We ended the night with a drink at the Hall of Fame bar.

 

Day 11: Havana

My mom, brother, and me outside my father’s childhood home in Havana, Cuba.

We started the day driving to Ernest Hemingway’s house. The house was very well maintained and big. Everything is still original, and there’s an original Picasso in the dining room. We saw the guest house, pool, boat, etc. We weren’t allowed to go in but could look through doors and windows. Then we saw Malpaso Dance Company perform. They were amazing and toured the U.S. in early 2019!

After this, we drove to my dad’s old neighborhood. We walked around a bit and actually found his house! I immediately burst into tears. The people currently living there let us in and walk around. We took a group photo and talked for a bit. Then we took photos outside the house. I touched the building before leaving, too. This was an experience I’ll never forget.

After that, I went to the Revolution Museum with my brother, Marlys, and Charlie. It was very interesting to learn about some of the history. The museum is housed in the Presidential Palace where all Cuban presidents used to live. Behind the building is the Granma Memorial, a large glass enclosure that has the Granma, the yacht that took Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and Raúl Castro along with dozens of other revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba for the revolution. There are also many vehicles and tanks used in The Revolution displayed outdoors. We then had a few drinks back at the hotel.

Gretel surprised us before dinner and we all took convertibles there! Our driver went slowly so we could take in Havana. It was a beautiful experience. I will never forget that drive. At dinner we had our own private room at a restaurant called Habanera, a 1930s home. Gretel gave a speech about our nice time together. I ate ropa vieja, rice and beans, and flan. I had a mojito and some wine, too. Back at the hotel, we said goodbye to Charlie and Marlys. Then we had a drink at the Hall of Fame bar before bed.

 

Day 12: Havana, Home

Last day in Havana, Cuba. I went for a walk by myself and found this beautiful spot.

We had our morning free, so we slept in, packed, relaxed, and had breakfast. I then walked around the hotel by myself and found a path that led to a big, neat Cuba sign. It was a beautiful view! Then we left the hotel and said our goodbyes to Peachy and Gretel.

What an amazing, educational experience that I will never forget! It will be in my heart always.

Day 802: Cuba Trip, Part I

Rachel, Day by Day

Revolution Square with friends and family, Havana, Cuba.

Last June I went on a 12-day life-changing educational trip to Cuba with family and friends. My father was born there, and this place has been No. 1 on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, so many classmates thought it was strange that I wanted to go there. My dad and I always talked about going to two places: Spain and Cuba. Unfortunately we never made it to either place together. So, one of my greatest goals in life has been to go to both places in his honor. I went on an amazing trip to Spain in 2003, and I went on this trip in 2018. There were so many amazing moments I will never forget. Here are some highlights from my journal for you from the first half of the trip (second half will be in another blog post).

Day 1: Miami

I traveled to Miami with my mom, brother, and three family friends for Day 1 in Miami. This day involved meeting everyone in our Cuba educational tour group and going through all the information we needed. We had four others in our group (Mary, Nese, Marlys, and Charlie), who were all very nice! When we arrived at our hotel, we had a shot of rum for my dad. We walked around South/Miami Beach and had a bad experience at a restaurant with rude staff, but I won’t go into the details! I did drink a good margarita, though. That evening we had drinks in the lobby bar; there was a guy playing bagpipes, too. Random!

 

Day 2: Miami to Havana

Christopher Columbus Necropolis Cemetery, Havana, Cuba.

For the flight to Havana, I somehow got first class! They gave me sparkling wine after I sat down. When we landed, everyone clapped, and I couldn’t help but tear up. Once we got through the airport, we met Gretel, our tour guide, and Peachy, our bus driver, at the bus.

Our first stop was Il Divino Farm and restaurant (many of the restaurants are privately owned, called paladars) for lunch and we got a tour of the organic farm. I ate crab, rice and beans, plantain chips, and ice cream. Then we went to the Christopher Columbus Necropolis Cemetery. It’s 138 acres and 146 years old. We saw the grave and statue of Amelia Goire de la Hoz, or La Milagrosa. She and her baby died and were buried together (the baby was placed near her feet). Years later her tomb was exhumed by her husband. Once it was opened, the baby was in her arms. People go to her grave and pray to her and leave notes and flowers.

After this, we went to Revolution Square. This is where Fidel made speeches, and his longest was nine hours. After this, we went to our hotel (Hotel Nacional de Cuba) and drank mojitos at the outdoor bar.

For dinner later, we went to a paladar called La Moraleja. We ate chicken croquets and lobster. I had a Cuba Libre and a shot of rum.

Things we learned:

• Cuba has the best skin and lung cancer treatments. People fly there for it.
• No crime, no guns, no drugs, no racism.

 

Day 3: Havana

The Muraleando, a community arts project, Havana, Cuba.

This morning we went to a lecture on the history of Cuba. He told us three homes collapse every day. Everything was mostly built between 1900-1958 and is now aging. The average state monthly salary is $27. For apartment buildings, people just maintain their own space, so common areas aren’t kept up. Tourism is up since Obama visited (2016) and the Rolling Stones came (2015), but it’s declined a bit since then. Education is free by the government.

After the lecture, we went to La Merced Church and talked to people at the senior center around the corner. We then went to a small craft market and passed Floridita, Ernest Hemingway’s favorite bar. He used to drink daiquiris there.

We then went to Amos Photography where we learned about Alex Castro and Rasmés Batista’s business. They both shoot beautiful photography for a living and hold free workshops for younger kids. We had lunch there and ate black bean cream soup, lamb, chicken, egg plant lasagna, rice and veggies, plantain chips, and guava marmalade for dessert.

After lunch, we walked around the city center of Havana. We saw the oldest hotel in Havana and the tree planted by Michelle Obama. We saw a fortress and went to the Plaza de San Francisco. We then went back to the hotel and all had drinks by the pool.

That evening we went to Muraleando, a community arts project. There’s art and murals everywhere and everything is made from recycled materials. Classes and events are held here, too. It originally was an abandoned water tank with garbage in the neighborhood. We had dinner there and danced!

 

Day 4: Havana

Fusterlandia, an artistic community filled with colorful and whimsical mosaics, Havana, Cuba.

Today we started out taking bike taxis (bici-taxis) to the market. We bought some food and brought it to the local day care center. In one of the rooms, they surrounded me and I played for a bit with them!

After that, we walked to the historical center of Havana, Plaza Vieja. We had lunch on our own and chose a restaurant on the second floor. The view was great looking down at the plaza! I ate a Cuban sandwich and tried sangria. Then we walked around the Plaza de San Francisco for a bit.

Once we got on the bus, we stopped at an old rum factory called Ron Legendario. We got a small tour and I ended up buying some cigars. We then relaxed back at the hotel a bit and got drinks. A peacock was bothering my brother in the courtyard area, and he was very nervous about it!

That night we went to Fusterlandia, an artistic community filled with colorful and whimsical mosaics. It was started by José Fuster, and we went to his house. It reminded me of a beautiful playhouse. His son, Alex Fuster, was there and explained the house and paintings to us. I bought a rum bottle with beautiful art. We then ate dinner there (rice and beans, fish, and chicken).

 

Day 5: Havana to Cienfuegos

A beautiful view of Cienfuegos, Cuba, at night.

In the morning we took the bus to Cienfuegos for 3.5 hours. When we arrived at La Union Hotel, we had some lunch and free time. We walked around craft markets and then had a piña colada by the pool. As a group, we then walked around the historic center right by our hotel. We listened to the Cantores de Cienfuegos sing. They were amazing! They travel internationally and won many first-place awards. We all danced at the end, too.

We then went to Villa Lagarto paladar for dinner and it was right on the water. The view was gorgeous. We ate pork and black beans and rice. We ended the night by having drinks on the rooftop bar. I had a delicious margarita.

 

Day 6: Cienfuegos

Children dancing at the Jardines de la UNEAC, Cienfuegos, Cuba.

This morning we went to the Cienfuegos Botanical Gardens. There were so many trees and plants from other countries. Everything was beautiful! We did a small walking tour around the gardens. We then stopped at Jardines de la UNEAC (Union of Writers and Artists in Cuba). We walked around to local artists’ galleries, and one artist even quickly made a drawing of my brother! Then we had lunch at a local restaurant on our own. I ate a Cuban sandwich!

We then went back to the Jardines de la UNEAC to watch the children dance. They were great! We all got up and danced at the end. Then we shopped a bit and had a drink on the rooftop at the hotel.

Later that night we had dinner at Finca del Mar, a nice paladar. I ate ropa vieja, squash soup, rice and beans, and flan. It was great eating authentic Cuban food! On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Palacio de Valle, a historic villa once owned by the Valle family. It’s now a hotel and restaurant. The building was beautiful. Then we went back to the Jardines de la UNEAC and listened to Los Naranjos play music. Many people danced, which was cool to see. We then went to the rooftop bar at the hotel before heading to bed.

More to come! Stay tuned.

Day 787: Trip to Dallas

Rachel, Day by Day

A beautiful view of Dallas!

Back in May, I went on a work trip to Dallas! It was a fun and educational time. This photo above is the view from my hotel (the Dallas Omni). It was a beautiful hotel and was actually a green one. Basically my room didn’t have power until I put the key in a slot near the door. It was neat! There was even a TV in the mirror in the bathroom. Fancy!

Throughout the week I met some really nice members of STLE and it was great getting to know the people I worked with on the magazine. I also worked at the Information Booth, went to lots of meetings, and attended some important dinners. I even sat in on the Basic Lubrication Course.

One night I was able to walk to the Book Depository with a few editors (where John F. Kennedy was shot). I’ve been there before, but it was still sad, yet interesting. I’m not sure if I’m a fan of the cross on the road where he was shot, but oh well.

The Dallas Book Depository.

The main floor of the Annual Meeting.

One evening, I was able to go to an event at Southfork Ranch! That’s where they filmed the show Dallas. We got a tour of the grounds, ate a nice dinner, and played some games. I even got on a fake horse and roped a fake cow! I never thought I’d do that in my life. It was a fun night.

The house from the show Dallas!

It was a good time and was a nice little getaway! Next year’s Annual Meeting will be in Las Vegas… I’m looking forward to that!

Day 780: Arizona Trip

Rachel, Day by Day

A beautiful Arizona sunset.

Just a few weeks ago, I went on a little trip to Arizona to visit my cousin Kim and her husband Raymond! I had a blast. I went on the trip with Scott, my mom, Ray, Uncle John, Uncle Paul, and Sydney. We got in very late Wednesday night, so we didn’t do much besides go to bed soon after arriving. On Thursday, we walked around the downtown area of Arizona State University. It was a cool area with bars, restaurants, and shops, so we stopped at an outdoor bar for some appetizers. The mountains around there were gorgeous! Later that evening, we ate some Buffalo Wild Wings and headed to the Coyotes vs. Blackhawks hockey game! The majority of the people there were Blackhawks fans… it was amazing!

The gang before heading to the Blackhawks game.

The Blackhawks about to kick butt!

The Blackhawks ended up winning 2-1. They had a lot of shots on goal, so I’m surprised there weren’t more goals! I’m glad they won, though. We then hung out at Kim’s place for a while… Kim and I had some lemon martinis! 🙂

On Friday, we went to the Cubs game at Sloan Park! It was a beautiful day. Sadly the Cubs lost, but at least it’s just Spring Training.

At Sloan Park with Scott.

From left to right: Me, my mom, Sydney, and Kim. Go Cubs!

After the game, we went to a restaurant called Oregano’s pizza. It was delicious! We waited a while for a table, so Kim, Sydney, and Ray ended up running through the sprinklers. Silly! We then went to Baskin Robbins for some ice cream and played games at Kim’s house.

On Saturday, I hung out by Kim’s pool with my mom, Sydney, Uncle John, and Kim while the rest of the gang golfed. It was a relaxing afternoon! We dared Sydney to get into the pool even though the water was freezing… and she did it! I tried it, too. Wow, it was cold!

Sydney in the cold water!

I tried In-N-Out Burger at lunchtime for the first time ever, and it was really good! I haven’t had a hamburger in about six years, so I thought it was time to have one again. Later that evening, we went to Rustler’s Rooste for dinner and I had some really good salmon. The view there was amazing. Here it is!

Beautiful view of Arizona.

After dinner, we played some games and had lemon martinis for our last night of vacation. Sunday ended up being a really long day full of canceled and delayed flights. We were originally supposed to get home early afternoon, but it ended up being around 9:30 p.m. Yikes!

I had an amazing time with my wonderful family!!