b'Before my visit earlier this year, I\\u2019d never been to Cuba, though Cuba had certainly been to me. The Miami of my \\u201980s childhood was a suburban reboot of prerevo\\xadlutionary Cuba, filled with people who still toasted El a\\xf1o pr\\xf3ximo en La Habana (\\u201cnext year in Havana\\u201d) at important occasions. Everything from family letters to fresh-off-the-raft waiters kept us apprised of the increasingly desperate conditions.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices'