the great debate about visiting Cuba

I can remember the exact moment when I decided to go to Cuba. 🇨🇺 Tom and I were at a Cuban Restaurant in Philadelphia and I looked up from my plate and said "you know, we should go to Cuba while we still have a chance. Who knows how long the borders will be open to Americans". Tom nodded yes as he put a forkful of food into his mouth. And just like that, it was decided. 

Before that day, it hadn't occurred to me to visit Cuba. But during that meal, I immediately knew that I had to go and experience the real thing for ourselves and I booked flights later that day. I'm pretty decisive that way, which is a good thing because we got so many negative responses questioning us when we began to tell people that we were headed to Cuba. Is it safe? Aren't they communists? Don't they hate Americans? I can totally understand why people would be apprehensive about visiting a country like Cuba. It's a little crazy to do and a sane person probably would have questioned it more than I did. But here is the thing, traveling is meant to be a little bit scary. It's about learning about a new place, people, or culture different from your own. And yes, that can be uncomfortable. But if you push through those nerves, you are guaranteed an experience of a lifetime. So while we may not necessarily agree with how things are done here, we have received nothing but warmth and kindness from the Cuban people. And I'm happy that we have chosen this place to spend out time. If you want to follow along with our adventures over the next few days, follow on Instagram @makingrestorations