It was eight years ago that Osvaldo Alonso casually walked out of a Houston-area Walmart and started a new life. The decision to defect from Cuba was not one he took lightly, as it meant that he may never see his friends and family again.
That he established himself as one of the top players in MLS and became a U.S. citizen were proof enough that it was a good decision. But he's also been slowly reunited with much of his family, too. His mother and sister have since relocated to the United States and a few months ago he saw his father for the first time since 2007.
The one thing he hasn't been able to do is visit family who were unable to make the move. Until now.
very happy , I'm on my way to cuba pic.twitter.com/qRPBq5p3tS
— Osvaldo Alonso (@OzzieAlonso) December 14, 2015
From the look of this picture, it's not just Alonso who's making the trip as his wife, children and father are making the trip as well.