Today reflecting on a major lesson that a tour to a foreign country teaches you: going with the flow. On a regular basis, I am fairly “type A”, but after lots of travels I have found that it’s best to blissfully surrender to outside forces when operating in a foreign land. Why paddle upstream when downstream there’s a lot of delicious black beans? Maybe I wouldn’t usually opt to have black beans at every meal in the U.S., but when I am Cuba you better bet I am going to maintain my membership in the clean plate club and enjoy every bite. And I haven’t gotten sick of them yet!😋
Birthday dinner celebration at National Hotel for Christina Lindhout! Happy Birthday Christina!
Going with the flow also has to do with recognizing intentions. Is the river flowing you downstream because it is angry with you and wants to sweep you to potentially dangerous territory? Or is the river old and wise, taking you along for a ride that will show you knew vistas and possibilities that you hadn’t imagined? Or maybe, and perhaps most likely, the river is so …
Growing up, I took a lot of walks with my family to the river. This was my greatest source of perspective and reminder to “flow”. Tonight, we ate dinner by the Malecón, a wall that lines the ocean on the northern coast of Cuba. Because of a cold front coming in, the waves were massive and crashed over the wall creating a spectacle of H2O fireworks. I found wisdom from that powerful water tonight, just as I did in the river growing up. How lucky am I to be a part of this Cuban current? Keep sweeping me away!🌊
On a completely different note, it was Christina’s birthday today, so Happy Birthday Big Tina! I loved celebrating with you and look forward to continued merriment in the CLE.
☯Kate
Going to the Cuban bathroom flow (there is no flushing, you fill a bucket with water and the waste flows down the drain). Don’t forget your tissues and hand sanitizers!
My delicious lunch thanks to Yunia! P.S. if you ever want to come to Cuba, you should totally stay with her. Search “Casa de Renta Yunia Lao” on FB to find her—she’s an amazing chef and an even better host!
