Besides generosity, a lesson you would be able to teach any moment, day or night, your experience as an expat shaped you into this powerful voice and strong personality. It’s not like you had a choice, right? Giving up is never an option for a true Cuban. But what are the ingredients of the recipe that brought you here? Here are some of the secrets…
Keeping family and friends close, no matter the distance
Being miles apart undoubtedly puts family relationships and friendships to the test. The schedule may be so hectic that you find it hard to keep in touch on a regular basis. But somehow you make it work. Even when the day is rough and the road bumpy, those strong family bonds give you strength and you just reach out to your mom or dad back home in Cuba and their voice brings you home and gives you hope.
Appreciating the little things in life, the tiniest moments…
Imagine looking out of the car window—everything moves slowly in the distance, while in front of you, life happens at full speed. The same holds true for your life sometimes: on the one hand, you receive news from home—birthdays you’ve missed, people who left without getting the chance to say goodbye, weddings and birthdays you won’t be able to attend. On the other hand, life in your new home is in full swing. But this is how you learned how to appreciate the tiny moments, be it a video call with your family and old friends, or a cup of coffee with the new ones.
Perseverance – find a way, or make one
Things haven’t been easy. Not back home in Cuba, not when you decided to move to another country or when you got here and started building a new life, with new job opportunities and new friends. You’ve been disappointed, you sometimes found it hard to trust people again or even to trust yourself. But you always found a way! You persevered and you’re finally on the track you dreamed of even before leaving Cuba.
And these are only a few of the lessons that Cubans know by heart, that helped them succeed. How about you? What was the most important lesson you learned?
