20 años no es nada (20 years ain’t nothing)

20 years ago, it never occurred to me that I would have to explain what blogging was like in 2003. It’s like anything else, you assume it will always be the way it is right now.

The newest form of telling personal stories on the World Wide Web was the “web log.” Eventually shortened into just “blog.” Many of us jumped in with much enthusiasm to tell the stories of our lives in the world as it was “today.” Of course, by “today,” I mean “back in the day.”

In the morning I would grab my cafécito and log on to my favorite blogs. Babalú being one of the first I discovered. “An island on the web without a bearded dictator.” (That tag line remains genius to this day.)

Soon enough I was tuning in to read the latest news of the day, the present goings-on in Cuba, or a beautifully poetic description of Valentin Prieto’s early life recollections or tributes to his remarkable Cuban parents. Babalú connected me to my Cuban roots and compatriots in a way that felt absolutely visceral.

Sometimes the comment threads went on for miles, as is fitting for a place where Cubans gather to discuss, argue, and rehash the latest chismes. It was hypnotic, addictive, and oh so satisfying. And, to be honest, many times laugh-out-loud funny. “Come for the article. Stay for the comments.” Oh, the Cubanity.

Babalú Blog is where you’d find me daily, reading and commenting, before I’d hop over to one of the many of the other blogs linked in the sidebar. The connections I made in this space have carried on for all of these 20 years, and I am so much the richer for it.

Inspired by all the Cubanity – I coined this word right around that time. You’re welcome.- I started my own blog in 2006. My Big Fat Cuban Family became the ying to Babalú’s yang. I was inspired to tell my own stories and occasionally shared a recipe or two to keep things fresh.

I had never met Valentin in person, but we communicated frequently, both on and off the blog. It was early in 2007 when he reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in sharing a recipe once a week on Babalú. It remains one of the greatest honors of my life that I would be invited to be a regular contributor to this, my favorite of all Cuban blogs.

And so, Marta’s Cuban-American Kitchen was born on these very pages.

It was not too much later that Val and I found that our families shared a rich Cuban history. I wrote about that here: “OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS IN ALL THE TOWNS IN ALL THE WORLD . . .” Seriously. Go read that. And don’t forget the tissues.

Eventually, I went to my very first Cuba Nostalgia event in Miami and got to meet these already famous bloggers in person. Be still, my foolish Cuban heart.

The first face-to-face meetings were more like a reunion of old friends. If you can believe it, many of us remain friends to this day. (One of the many reasons I appreciate Facebook, but that’s not important right now.)

I’ve had many incredible opportunities as part of my 16 years in the blog world and I’m ever mindful that it was Babalú Blog that put My Big Fat Cuban Family on the map, and for that I’m ever grateful.

So much time has passed. 20 years, people. Como dijo Gardel: “20 años no es nada.”

But as time has passed, much has indeed changed. Yet one thing remains the same:

There’s still an island on the net without a bearded dictator whose mission is to continue the fight for Cuban freedom. And I’m here for it.

Felicidades, Babalú. I think we should celebrate with some homemade Refugiados.

Un fuerte abrazo,

Marta – siempre orgullosa de ser “La Cocinera de Babalú”