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Going on any international experience with the Tickle College of Engineering is an experience of a lifetime. It is an immersive experience that you really can’t get anywhere else and is much better than going to a foreign country on a vacation. An international experience with the College of Engineering allows you to see more than just the touristic areas of the country. You really get to experience the culture and the lifestyle of the people, while at the same time getting to help people and leave your mark on the country in a positive way. You really can’t go wrong with one of these international experiences; with that said, I highly recommend the Cuba trip.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for the trip. I didn’t know the people I was going with. I didn’t know exactly what we were going to do and I didn’t know what Cuba would be like at all. To be fair, I didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t really read the given materials or do my research that I should have.

I expected there to be some disdain for Americans, considering the tumultuous recent history. I was completely wrong about that. Nearly everyone we met was very nice and courteous and genuinely interested in talking to us. The Cuban people are generally very cordial and welcoming to outsiders. It is my impression that this attitude towards outsiders is at least partially driven by money. The Cuban government is in desperate need of tourism money, and so they make the tourists feel very comfortable and welcomed. However, the downside to this is that they don’t seem to treat their people as well as the tourists. The currency for tourists is much stronger and buys better quality items, the water given to tourists is of better quality, and so forth. We experienced Cuban culture more than a typical tourist might because we walked the streets among the people and we weren’t doing tours all the time. However, we still experienced the outsider’s view of Cuba.

Our living conditions were almost luxurious compared to most Cuban people, and from what I’ve heard, better than the living conditions experienced on other international trips to different countries sponsored by TCE. We stayed in a place that was spacious and clean and it even had air conditioning in the bedrooms. We also had a bathroom with shower connected to our room. It was really like a hotel but more personalized. They had women come in to cook us breakfast, clean our rooms, and fix any problem that we had. There was also a balcony on the front of the apartment that overlooked the streets, and we just watched how people lived their daily lives. We really couldn’t have asked for better accommodations.

The food and drinks were incredible to say the least. For breakfast, we had an assortment of fruits, scrambled eggs, meats, and a biscuit with honey to top it off. We also had freshly squeezed fruit juice and coffee to drink. The food was fresh and tasty; I haven’t had anything like it. We were all full to start the day, due to the large breakfasts. The drinks were also delicious. The fruit drinks were freshly squeezed and flavorful and that’s not something you often experience in the United States. That was just breakfast; lunches and dinners were incredible, too. The portions were quite large and of good quality. We got large portions of lobster, lamb, shrimp, and chicken, each often mixed with vegetables and spices. Everything was delicious and plentiful and I have yet to have another food experience like that.

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We had a good amount of free time to explore and experience the culture, and that was great and fun, but it was not the most rewarding part of the experience. We were tasked to help with the Cristo project. The Cristo project aims to improve a forestry area whose main attraction is a large statue of Jesus Christ. The people there had already started by planting trees and fruits and other things to make the area more appealing. They had already done a great job and it was already beautiful. Our job was to assist in building benches and other structures for people to use to enjoy the scenery. It was not an easy project as the tools that we were using were fairly primitive, and all of the material was recycled. We had saws, hammers, nails, measuring tapes, and really not much else. With enough time we were able to complete three benches, and they were surprisingly very well built and sturdy. It was rewarding to see our work paying off and to help people. The main thing I took away from it was how impressive the workers there were. They were effective with limited and primitive tools. We only worked there a few days and it was hot and hard work, but these people work on this project all the time and they have accomplished amazing things.

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Overall, it was an incredible trip that I would recommend to anyone interested in going abroad. The cultural experience was phenomenal. The people were great, the food was delicious, and everywhere we went was full of history and culture. The work we did was tough but when we finished, we were very proud of our accomplishments. This trip is one of the best experiences of my life, and I can’t wait to go back.