Every year my parents and 140 of their closest friends escape the oppressive Winnipeg weather by jetting off to warmer locales. This year Emily and I joined them in Cuba for a week of suntanning, sipping, speaking Spanish. Cuba is an interesting place to vacation, because the locals that work on the resorts are the most education and well-paid people in the country. It’s also a socialist paradise with amazing education and health care, and it’s free of American tourists. On the flip side, the locals can’t travel, freedom of speech is curtailed, and the country has suffered under the American trade blockade.

The vacation in Cuba was good. Most of the trip was relaxing. The day we spent touring Havana was my favourite – it’s a pretty amazing city, and I wish I had more time to explore outside of the touristy area. Once my sisters arrived, we got to witness their craziness, although I wasn’t involved in any of their drunken hijinx. The weather was good for the most part, although we did have a few days of strong winds and some rain. The food in Cuba always sucks, but I was prepared for that. Emily and I had daily exercise outings where we broke bikes and paddle boats.