A brand new year, a brand new hat

Back in Nicaragua. It was a little harder to leave the US this time. Not only was my little sister telling me how awesome it would be if I just lived in San Francisco, and it would be, but I also had a crippling pain in my back which made traveling for 9 hours seem that much more daunting. Luckily I was able to sleep most of the way. I even got to practice my Spanish with a lady, sure to get lost in the Houston airport without me she told me, on her way home to Nicaragua. It was nice to chat for a little while, but as soon as I got back on the plane I was fast asleep again. I arrived safe and sound in Managua ready for a smooth transition back to my site, but my pain didn't go away so easily. After a few tests it was concluded that I had a UTI, but just to be safe I stayed an extra day to get an ultrasound of my kidney too. I was told by the doctor that I should drink plenty of water so it would be easier to see my organs, including my bladder. So with a full bladder I went to the doctor, only to have him push the ultrasound wand into my bladder making me have to pee. As I'm holding it in, he asks me to describe my illness to him in Spanish. At this point I had spent 3 days in Managua watching cable TV in English. The most Spanish I had used was in the Houston airport, but even at that he said my Spanish was good. I think he was just being nice, hoping I wouldn't pee all over his floor. While his assistant was typing up the report to be sent back to the Peace Corps, he explained to me that everything looked fine. Then he went on to tell me that I should get a hat, a large hat. My skin is very delicate, he told me, and the sun is clearly damaging it, he could see from the redness in it. I didn't really know how to respond. How does this have to do with my kidney? And how can you even see in the lighting of the ultrasound room? And more importantly, don't you know I hate hats?! Hate them, on me, on other people, in movies flying away inciting a romantic dash to retrieve it. Good riddance I say, let the hat fly free! So I got a hat. But I was determined not to spend money on a hat, so I just found on in the Peace Corps office. Of course it was the windiest day in the history of Managua and my hat flew off as soon as I left the building, but no romantic ran after it, just me, looking like an idiot who wears a hat on a windy day. I carried the hat all the way back to my site, only to leave it on the bus on accident. Maybe it was fate, but now I was committed to making this hat thing work. So finally I did the unthinkable, I bought a hat. I bargained the lady down to a dollar thinking she'd never go for it, and before I knew it she was shoving it on my head and taking my money. So now I have a new look, a new hat, and hopefully less skin cancer. Happy new hat!