The Cuban content creator known as Anita la cubana (@anita.cubanita06) shared a video on TikTok in which she reflects on her first month living in Costa Rica, after emigrating with her partner and young child.
“Today marks a month since I arrived in Costa Rica, with a suitcase full of dreams and a heart full of fear,” begins the video titled “A Month Away from Cuba”, where she shares the fears, lessons, and emotions she has experienced in this new chapter of her life.
The young woman honestly describes the days of nostalgia and the doubts she faced when leaving her country behind. “It wasn't easy to leave my country, my people, my customs, everything I knew... there were days of silence, wondering if I had really made the right choice,” she confesses. However, she also emphasizes the strength and faith she has gained since starting over. “Today, a month later, I am still starting from scratch, but with more faith, more courage, and a greater hunger to achieve my goals.”
The video, lasting just over a minute, has been filled with supportive messages from Cubans and Latin Americans who resonate with her story. Many celebrated her determination and bravery, while others asked how she managed to leave Cuba and what kind of work she does. The young woman responded that she monetizes her social media, which has allowed her to support herself and start furnishing her home in Costa Rica. “Nothing is easy; everything requires sacrifice, but thank God I monetize my social media, and that has helped me a lot,” she explained in the comments.
Other users left messages of empathy and hope: “You did well, keep moving forward,” “Everyone who left has gone through this,” “The important thing is that you no longer go hungry or lack electricity.” There were also reflections on the Cuban exile and the challenges of starting over far from home: “Never regret what you did. It’s no secret how life has been in Cuba for more than six decades.”
Anita's video adds to other testimonies she has shared since her arrival in Costa Rica. In December, she showed the journey of her family from Cuba to San José, passing through Nicaragua, and spoke about the "shock of reality" when encountering markets full of food, as she recounted in a previous post: “I had never seen so much food together. Knowing that there are so many things that in your country you can't even see.”
Days later, she also celebrated her first Christmas outside the island with a message that went viral. “Today I feel free, I feel happy… I feel so proud because I got my family out of that hell we were living in,” she said in another one of her videos shared on TikTok.
Her story has touched thousands of followers both inside and outside of Cuba, reflecting the experiences of many emigrants who have had to leave the country in search of better opportunities and freedom. "Starting from scratch is not bad; it's called courage, and only a few dare to do it," she wrote in the description of her video.
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