Mojitos with My Mom

Did I ever tell you about the 2019 Cuba tour where my mom came with me and Steve? It’s a popular trend to take a tour with your mom, and I completely understand why.

You should know, I live 15 minutes from my parents, who are still on the farm that I grew up on. My dad and I have always had a similar demeanor and sense of humor, and we both hate running errands. But what I attribute to my mom is my love for travel in Latin America and desire to speak Spanish. Having my mom on a Vive Más Tour of Cuba was a natural fit! 

In Cuba, we got to see each other in roles outside our everyday life. I’ve been a mom for two decades, so she got to see me away from my children, just soaking in the country that I love so much. I got to see Mom in a role where she wasn’t a wife or a grandma, just a vibrant senior living her best life. Together, we took salsa lessons and toasted with mojitos, “¡Salud!”

I watched my mom, a retired teacher, bond with our guide Roger’s 8-year-old daughter Betty, and navigate learning and playing Cuban dominoes with limited Spanish/English. My mom tells me she vividly remembers that when we were walking the uneven terrain of the El Morro fortress at night after seeing the cannon blast, I reached over and took her hand to steady her through it. No longer was I the two-year-old, taking back my hand, rather offering it to keep my mom stable. 

The moral of the story is that I am really glad we took that trip when we did. Even though it’s only been four years, my mom isn’t as confident on uneven ground (like the cobblestone streets of Trinidad) and doesn’t feel like sleeping on a strange bed, let alone traipsing through an airport. We still tell stories of riding through Havana in that pink ‘50s car, the pig roast on the farm with the musicians serenading us, and how gorgeous the Varadero beach is. We got a glimpse of each other as the world sees us, not just how we see each other in our everyday roles.

I hope you get to travel with your mother, daughter, or other special woman in your life. It is truly a gift to explore new roads together.

Hasta pronto,

Jenny