Discovering My Roots – Family in Santiago de Las Vegas, Cuba

It’s pretty incredible that I still have family living in Cuba, and even more incredible that I have the opportunity to not only visit them for the first time, but to see where my grandparents grew up as well.

I found a journal written by my grandmother after she died about 4 years ago that she wrote in 1992, describing where she was born, grew up, and what life was like in Cuba from 1920-1960. I don’t think she would have ever thought that I’d be able to see where she lived so it really meant a lot to me to be able to follow her legacy and see what she was talking about.

My cousins that still live there (one in the same house for 77 years that was built in 1863) were so happy, and I think a little shocked to see me. They all only speak Spanish so we had to talk really slowly to understand each other. They took me around the small town, for one of the most heartfelt and emotional experiences I’ve ever had. (Full story coming soon/integrated into the editorial for Geo Chic Magazine).

I will go back to their house on Sunday for la cena fiesta (a dinner party), and also to try to figure out where my grandpa grew up since he likes to not tell anyone anything, but he gave me a “treasure hunt” description so let’s see if I can find it…