That was the year that I finally got it. Months and months of cold, dreary weather, rarely seeing the sun or feeling any type of warmth except indoor heating and hot showers can really drive a person absolutely crazy. That was the year when I felt I had to get sunshine and it was no longer a question of waiting till summer. I did a little research and landed on Miami. It had nothing to do with the amazing night life, culture, beaches, friendly people, admittedly it was a bonus when this reality set in the minute I landed there. The second I felt the sun on my face, I felt like weeping, my body and soul needed this and this was the right decision. It also made me question if a yearly vacation at the start of the year would be my new tradition, or would I have to rethink my current decision of living in Toronto long term. Nevertheless, the sun made me immediately realize I was in the right place.
I stayed in South Beach and everything I wanted was within walking distance. I fell in love with the art galleries, specifically a gorgeous $10 000 painting and the infamous Britto selection. Sadly, there wasn’t a single piece I was able to take home with me but I was mesmerized. If you know anything about me, you know I love tacos and coincidently my hotel was two blocks from a famous taco place, so it was a no brainer that I lived off tacos and gelato, it seemed like there was a gelato store on every corner.
Miami was truly a vibe and one of the places I loved the most was Little Havana. It was so vibrant, colourful, cheerful with live music everywhere. I signed up for a walking food tour and I tried the very strong Cuban coffee, guava pastries, fresh sugar cane juice which was surprisingly good and of course really great mojitos. The walking tour wasn’t just about food but also learning more about Cuban heritage. I loved the Domino Park, that had gentlemen chatting, smoking cigars and playing dominos, apparently a very common thing they do in Cuba. The walls of the various restaurants and shops were covered with beautiful art of Cuban legends and other classical symbols of Cuban heritage. They even had their own Wall of Fame that celebrated famous Latin artists and they had their own stars on the ground which I liked. I am by no means a smoker but it was fascinating to see how they make cigars and I bought one as a souvenir, I couldn’t think of anyone in my close friend group that would appreciate a box of cigars but I couldn’t not get at least one. Lastly the Bay of Pigs monument was part of the tour and seeing it took me back to history class as a teenager, I couldn’t for the life of me remember the details so I appreciated the tour guide filling in the blanks.
Despite Miami being what I needed after a truly challenging few months, it resulted in a surprising encounter, one that in hindsight I should have left right there. Instead of dwelling on this, I choose to remember Miami as a place that literally warmed my soul.
