In the spring of 2010, 16 Recreation and Leisure Studies students from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, travelled to Cuba to complete a fourth-year field class titled International Field Experiences in Recreation and Leisure. After a week spent in Havana, Brock University students engaged in a unique outdoor education experience. With support from Mountain Hardware (that provided tents and sleeping bags), Brock students were able to share a crosscultural experience with 16 Cuban students from the University Superior de Cultura Fisica, Cuba's national university for sport and recreation. When the authors were asked to reflect on "sense of place" and how this concept fit into the program, they were surprised that many of the tenets of place mirrored the pre-departure curriculum of this course. For example, gaining knowledge of the political, social and environmental conditions of Cuba, prior to departure, helped Canadian students understand and engage in informed and critical discussion with their Cuban peers. However, upon further consideration of place, the most intriguing and unexpected realization was that Cuban and Canadian students naturally began to teach one another new ways to understand and connect to their home country. This article shares stories from the trip that exemplify two moments where this unexpected exchange occurred: (1) at the Museum of the Revolution; and (2) reactions to "Leave No Trace" (LNT) principles.