How many days until I leave for Cuba?
40. 40 days.

As I get closer and closer to my departure date it seems to grow more unreal. I tell people that yes, I am going to Cuba in order to study, and yes, I am going legally but do I ever actually believe it? No, not normally.

This is not to say that my disbelief has left me unexcited. The more I read about the urban agriculture programs, the herb gardens constructed on the roofs of hospitals for homeopathic remedies, the workers' unions, the sheer brilliance of the Cuban people who seems to be able to make just about anything with some chicken wire and toothpaste, the more ridiculously giddy I become.

Ahhhh! Really, I have little more to say than I can't wait. It's going to be scary and it's going to be difficult but there is no part of me that doesn't want to go. So I'll keep counting down the days and maybe by the time I land in Havana I'll realize that yes, I am in Cuba. And yes, I will be there for the next four months.


I also wanted to pay respect to Vilma Espín, who passed away about two weeks ago. She was one of the few women who fought in the Sierra Maestra, founded the Federation of Cuban Women, and was Raul Castro's wife. I've read a number of interviews with her and she's a truly amazing person who continually fought of women's equality in Cuba.