Sunbathing in a Parka?

How many of you were wondering what became of my giant parka? That long, cozy piece of apparel that makes me look (and feel) like I am walking in a sleeping bag. Remember? (see post from Feb 2nd to find out how I ended up on my way to Haiti with a Parka) Well, I shoved that massive fluff into the overhead compartment on the plane while everyone around me gave me that “rookie traveler” look. I don’t blame them. I would have thought the same thing if I saw someone bringing a ankle-length down-jacket to 100-degree Haiti! After I landed, I grabbed my drill kit bag determined to hide the parka from all the people walking beside me in tank tops. The coat was so fluffy, I had to jump, sit and dance over the drill bag in order to get it to fit! It was a funny sight. I was sitting in the little airport, the temps were triple-digit, I was sweating through my tee-shirt, because I exerted so much energy hiding an item of clothing that’s designed for single-digit weather. So, as you can guess, I didn’t need to use my parka in Haiti. I did pull it out for a quick fun photo with my eMi teammates. I didn’t stay at this lovely hotel, but I was there for about an hour while waiting to switch from the eMi project to the Hydromissions project. The eMi gang had an R&R day scheduled after their project, so they stayed at this hotel 1 night before flying back to the States.

…I wish I had planned an R&R day at that hotel.