The House That Built Me
<p>The sweet perfume of diesel fuel hung heavy in the air … so heavy I could almost taste it. The silence of the morning as I stood on the second-floor balcony of a remodeled casa particular — a modern-day Cuban version of a Bed and Breakfast — was broken only by the call of “Panadero!” as the bread man peddled his wares along the nearly-deserted street.</p>
<p>It’s a sound that touched my heart as, for the first time in my life, the story my mom told of my dad’s early days as a panadero in Habana unfolded before my eyes. It’s just one of dozens of stories she has shared with me in the 62 years since we left the island nation.</p>
<p>For ten days in April of 2016, I experienced those stories in person. Past and present merged as I found myself inside a tunnel where time stood still.</p>
<p>My 10-day journey — only 90 miles from home — took me to the place I’d been searching for all my life. I’ve traversed the world to find myself, not realizing that what I was seeking was a 25-minute wheels-up-to-wheels-down trip from home. In reality, however, it was even closer than that.</p>
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<p>I thought if I could touch this place or feel it, this brokenness inside me might start healing — Miranda Lambert.</p>
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<h1>Let’s Go To Cuba</h1>
<p>It’s a trip I never thought I would make … at least not while my parents were alive. I was half right. In 1961, my folks risked everything they had to come to the United States, seeking a better life for themselves and me. I always felt that going back to the island would be a slap in the face.</p>
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