EMBRACING THE JOURNEY IN A CAMARO

It’s a Sunday afternoon and the sun is about to set. A loud muffler roars in the background with a crescendo of latin music and Spanish chatter, all playing simultaneously to the beat of the drum. Sounds like a perfect day to embrace life. Care to join me?

Time to embrace the busy, celebrate the loud and take time to enjoy Miami. That’s how I celebrated National Heritage Month. Oh, and did I mention I drove a new 2020 Chevy Camaro?

My friend Karina and I decided to take a ride and re-discover one of Miami’s most vibrant streets, Little Havana. Little Havana is filled with life, vibrant colors and a lot of Cuban heart. The neighborhood has changed a lot over the last few years and it’s now a tourist attraction. The streets are filled with music, latin flavor y mucho cafecito to keep you going.

We started our adventure by visiting Ball & Chain – an conic nightclub from the 1930s that emerged again as a restaurant featuring live-music and Cuban cuisine. Then, to cool-off we stopped at Azucar for some local artisanal ice cream.

Just across the street from Azucar is Maximo Gomez Park, better known as Domino Park or El Parque de Domino. This Little Havana landmark has been a go-to spot for Cuban residents for over 30 years. People come to mingle, sip coffee, smoke cigars and get in a good game of dominoes. A few steps away is the Tower Theater, one of Miami’s oldest landmarks that opened in 1926.

In this busy little corner, within just a few doors from each other you find history, restoration, family and joy.  You see the Latina that’s always on-the-go. The mom who wants to give her kiddo all the best but also tends to be overworked. The girl who once loved to write and dance but let busyness take the best of her. You find… You.

It’s been a really long time since my last blog post. Three years ago type-of-long… Why? You ask. I can’t say I have one specific reason. The first year I was adjusting to being a first-time-mom. The second year, well, I got pretty busy with work and I wanted to try figure out my schedule. This year… I was trying to find the right post, the right re-brand, the right new website, the right life/work “balance”… Which by the way, I don’t think I’ll ever find — because there is no such “perfect balance”. But we’ll leave that for another time.

During this whole process, I learned quite few things, but the main lesson I learned is to embrace the journey. Embrace life. Embrace the moments. Embrace the day!

Thanks for the ride Chevy, Camaro. I loved the power and speed in your drive. Your 6.2L V8 Engine and 455 horsepower made me feel strong, and reminded me that I can handle what comes my way as long as I felt safe and equipped.  Thanks for reminding me that being a Latina means that life goes fast, sometimes even Camaro speed — 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds kind-a-fast. Life is loud, full of journeys and destinations — and with each ride we learn lessons, create stories, but in the end… YOU, the person driving chooses where to stop and embrace the journey.