Next Year in Havana

by Chanel Cleeton

Ojalá.

They would have been much happier to see me working at Perez Sugar—well, besides my grandmother. Life is too short to be unhappy, Marisol. To play it safe. To do what is expected of you rather than follow your heart.

Many of the exteriors are adorned in vibrant colors—coral, canary yellow, and turquoise—the sun bathing them in an amber glow.

And yet here I am. The Malecón is one of my favorite parts of the city—five miles of seawall that showcase Havana at her most beautiful, especially during the moments when the sun sets, the sky exploding into a series of golds, pinks, and blues like the colors that adorn the heavy paintings that hang on our walls.