What cities do you want to visit?
By D. León Dantes | Vision LEON LLC | The Resilient Philosopher
When I think of the cities I dream of visiting, my imagination doesn’t chase luxury or novelty—it follows memory. And every time, it leads me back to where my story began: Artemisa, Cuba.
It’s not the most famous city. It’s not featured in guidebooks. But to me, it’s sacred. Artemisa is the heartbeat of my childhood, where laughter echoed through tiled halls and the strength of family grounded every step I took. More than thirty years ago, my parents made the kind of decision that rewrites generations. They left everything behind to give their children a future. They brought us to the United States in search of safety, dignity, and hope.
Since then, I’ve only returned once.
But not a single day goes by that I don’t feel Artemisa calling me back.
🛫 Waiting for the Gate to Open
I dream of the day when Cuba–U.S. relations evolve enough to allow a true return—not a visit marred by restrictions, but a homecoming born of freedom. When that day arrives, I won’t just land in Artemisa. I’ll walk every inch of the island that raised me.
Havana, with its soulful rhythm and architecture frozen in time, holds part of my spirit too. But I don’t want to travel like a tourist. I want to return like a son. I want to sit in plazas where stories were once told, and taste the air that shaped the people who shaped me.
This is more than nostalgia. It’s reclamation.
🇪🇸 Ancestral Whispers from Spain
There’s another city that stirs something deep within me—Madrid.
Spain is not a dream destination. It’s a blood memory. My family lineage runs through Iberian soil, and I feel the call of ancestral familiarity in every photo I’ve seen. But it’s the Basque Country in the north that draws me in even deeper. Something about its quiet strength, its ancient tongue, its mountain-strewn resilience feels… known.
Traveling there wouldn’t be about exploration. It would be about confirmation. About walking where those before me once stood. About standing still long enough to remember what my DNA already knows.
There is power in retracing steps that led to your existence. It’s not about tourism. It’s about truth.
🧭 Travel as Inner Leadership
For me, travel is not about escape. It is about connection.
It’s not geography—it’s genealogy.
It’s not luxury—it’s legacy.
In The Resilient Philosopher, I write that true self-mastery begins with memory. To know where you’re going, you must understand where you’ve been. That’s why these places pull at my soul. They are not new chapters. They are unwritten pages I’m returning to finish.
I’m not just chasing culture or cuisine. I’m seeking the streets that raised me. The voices that echo through my lineage. The places that shaped the man I’ve become.
✍️ Final Reflection: Cities That Still Hold Me
I don’t seek vacation. I seek understanding.
Artemisa. Havana. Madrid. Bilbao. These are not destinations. These are altars of remembrance. And when I return, I will not go as a stranger—I will go as a soul who finally found his way home.
“Some cities are not meant to be visited. They are meant to be remembered. To be returned to—not with luggage, but with open hands and open heart.”
— The Resilient Philosopher
📌 Author & Resources
D. León Dantes
Author | Philosopher | Leadership Coach
Founder of Vision LEON LLC
Host of The Resilient Philosopher Podcast
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