Miami

The tradition of “t’s” has come to an end as we near the conclusion of 2016. The year has brought an end to a lot, including the passing of many people, both close and not so far away.

My final trip of the year was to Miami. From Rijsttafel Sumatra to Cuban cuisine to local brews, both caffeinated and not, the city cooked up the colors of ever-changing cultures, splashing them on whoever passed by. Compared to what it had looked like in my imagination, Calle Ocho was barren, not at all a re-creation of pre-Castro Cuba. But yet we can’t re-create the past in another setting- we can only look to the future in our current one.

Filled with water and art, Miami is a city full of life. Distinct districts give way to arteries flowing out to beaches lining the bow of the ocean, and a seemingly infinite expanse of shades of blue. Similar shades- and many more- could also be found in neighborhoods like Wynwood, where works of art often seem as alive as their natural surroundings. Over 1,000 miles from home, we discovered the corner where we met on our second date.

We saw more of the city’s natural surroundings on a morning visit to the Everglades, and met some descendants of the area’s early inhabitants- alligators. We wondered when the city would return to the water.

On our last night there we watched as a super moon rose over the Atlantic, in awe of the sheer size of our angle. And as we bent with it, we realized that our perception is contingent upon the Earth’s inclination. So we bowed like the beach to the ocean, and acknowledged the unknown.