SNAP! The cutter pushes down with a satisfying thud, and I look proudly at the cigar I’ve just rolled with my own two hands.
Sure, the wrapper is a little skewed but I nevertheless place it carefully in the box, ready to be joined by my next attempt.
I’m at the JC Newman Cigar Company Museum in Tampa, Florida, soaking up their sunny days as well as the city’s fascinating history.
Just a few months ago, Tampa was devastated by Hurricanes Helene and Milton as wild winds and flooding wreaked havoc.
But the tough Floridians have dusted themselves down and Tampa and its surrounding coastal cities on the Gulf of Mexico coast are very much open for business — and bathed in beautiful sunshine.
With Britain shivering in the depths of winter, the temptation to jet off to Florida for balmy temperatures is understandable.
And with our flight taking just eight hours — and our itinerary heaving with ice-hockey games, paddleboarding, history tours and more — I’m sold.
For theme park fans, Tamps is famous for the thrilling Busch Gardens — home of the Iron Gwazi, a ride often listed among the world’s top ten rollercoasters, and thundering along at 75mph.
But this modern city by the sea also has an intriguing history and there’s no better place to start than the historic neighbourhood of Ybor.
Spanish entrepreneur Vicente Martinez-Ybor travelled from Cuba to establish a cigar-making business in the 1880s.
It was an overnight success that sparked a boom.
At one point the area had more than 232 factories, churning out 500million smokes a year.
Immigrants flocked to the city, influencing its growth, with Spanish, Italian and Cubans each bringing their traditions — and cuisines.
Today, the JC Newman Cigar Company is the last remaining factory, and the city’s oldest family-owned premier cigar maker.
The business was first established in 1895, and a tour of the building highlights exactly how it has remained open for more than 125 years.
From its cigar vault to its cutting room, this red-coloured factory — topped by a clock that can be seen for miles — is steeped in history.
Our fast-talking Floridian guide Cody rattles off fact after fact — that it takes three years to make one cigar and that the company still makes cigars at a rate of 40,000 a day, which totals around ten million a year.
The factory, which is opening a boutique hotel in the next 18 months, still has eight craftsmen employed who hand-roll the cigars, while machines that were installed in the 1920s still rattle out the rest today.
But the factory is not the only must-visit in Ybor.
The Columbia Restaurant is just a 15-minute walk down the road, and has just as much history in the building, which can seat 1,700 customers.
It has seen plenty of famous faces in its time — the table we sat at once seated screen great Marilyn Monroe and baseball legend Joe DiMaggio — and its food is still as fine as it was when it opened in 1905.
Its signature Cuban sandwich is influenced by the many immigrant cuisines of the city.
There’s Spanish ham, Italian salami, Cuban roast pork, German and Jewish swiss cheese, and pickle and mustard, layered into Cuban bread brushed with butter and pressed to a crispy finish.
This gargantuan sarnie will set you back around £12.50 and would easily feed two.
If you’ve still got room, its original 1905 salad is tossed fresh at every table and features crisp iceberg lettuce, julienne strips of baked ham, Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, and grated Romano cheese in its dressing.
And for those with a sweet tooth, finish off with the key lime pie or a decadent white-chocolate bread pudding.
Ybor is best visited at night, thanks to its plentiful nightlife, but if you do want to check it out in the day, definitely visit the Parque Jose Marti.
This unassuming park is small but a genuine piece of Cuban territory, having never been reclaimed by the US.
The neighbourhood’s chickens particularly love the park. Good news, too, you don’t need a passport to step inside.
And while Tampa’s skyscrapers and million-dollar mansions on the banks of the Hillsborough River are the epitome of a modern city, there’s still a little history in our hotel.
Hotel Flor is the perfect spot for us to stay, in the heart of downtown Tampa.
The hotel, which was recently renovated, has a rich history from when it was built during the roaring Twenties, and has the amazing art deco feel still to this day.
It’s even rumoured to be haunted, with reports of women dressed in flapper dresses dancing in the ballroom, and bell boys standing in the elevators.
The city’s modern delights are also ripe to explore.
For sports fans, there’s plenty of action with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team and Tampa Bay Lightning ice-hockey team.
For those who want to make the most of the sunny days, a trip to Hyde Park, the luxurious shopping quarter, or a morning spent paddleboarding on the river, organised by local watersports store Urban Kai, will scratch that itch.
No matter what you’re into, Tampa is open for business.
GETTING THERE: Virgin Atlantic flies direct to Tampa from Heathrow with return fares from £429 per person.
See or call 0344 87 47 747.
STAYING THERE: Hotel Flor has rooms from £242 per night.
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OUT & ABOUT: Columbia Restaurant – ; J.C. Newman Cigar Factory – ; Paddleboarding – .
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