Hotels...

I have a fascination that I want to share, but you may think I am weird. I know I am weird about a lot of things and this is one of them. I have a LOVE and FASCINATION for HOTELS. I think this goes back very very far. For example, I remember being about 10 years old and going on a road trip all over Yellowstone National Park with my family. When we would get to a new motel or hotel I would run into the bathroom to check out if they do that cool thing with the toilet paper. You know, where they fold it into a little point. One time my brother caught me. He said, "Kristine, why in the world did you just RUN in to the bathroom to examine the toilet paper??!" I was checking to see if they fold the paper the same way in every motel, or if they do it in different styles. Ok, I am now laughing out loud at how ridiculous that sounds.

The fascination grew in high school when my friends and I realized that there were many pools that were super easy and fun to sneak into. The University Park Hotel was a favorite, but the best were the hotels up at Snowbird. We would ski all day and head to a pool/hot tube to finish off a perfect day in the mountains. There were many times when we (usually Grace and I) didn't have swim suits and we would just hop in with our sports bra's and long johns. We looked ridiculous sitting next to the rich touristy beer drinkers in the hot tub, but we didn't care. It felt soooo good! (I think I have a lot to repent from.)

Then, when I moved to the Caribbean, I honestly would not have survived those two years with out all the perks of the hotels. Because tourism was down, the hotels would allow us to use their facilities if we would purchase food from their restaurants. We also had a lot of special arrangements through the medical school. I can not tell you how many hours a week I spent at some of the most amazing hotels I have ever seen! Some of these hotels were $1000.00 per night and as I walked through them I thought I was in a movie. It was my only escape from facing the third world conditions, the poverty, the filth, the abused animals, and malnourished children. When I layed out on those lounge chairs in that hot Caribbean sun, sipping my coke, dipping my feet in the pool, with an amazing view of the ocean, all of a sudden I felt like a millionaire. (For my own personal enjoyment, I am going to see how many names I can remember. La Luna, True Blue, The Calabash hotel, Beachcombers, The Beach House, Grand Anse Hotel, Aquarium...hmmm...help me out Bettina/Tiffany or Natalie)

Ok, so why am I talking about this? Friday night I knew I needed to do something fun with the kids because it had been a very long week and I had talked to Dave....maybe once. My mom called me at about 7:00. She could hear the kids having a great time in the back ground and she said, "Where are you Kristine?" I told her I was hanging out at a hotel. She thought I was crazy. This was not any normal hotel, this was a Holiday Inn with an indoor water park. We were there to "check it out. " Have people in the west ever been to these? They are amazing! 5 story slides, lazy rivers, jungle gyms, everything you can imagine. They have them all over in the Midwest. Well, the kids and I didn't swim, but we did get permission to play video games in their game room, and they also had indoor miniature golf, ping pong, pool, etc.. We got some yummy food and ice cream and my kids were in heaven. It made me think of Grenada and all the time I used to spend in hotels.

I actually could say a lot more about other reasons I love hotels but I am sure you have heard enough. So, if I am ever having a really bad day, you may just find me sitting in the lobby of a beautiful grand hotel.