Of winter and warmth

As I am a native of the northern portion of the United States one would reasonably assume that I have, before this my twenty-third year, acclimated to cold weather. Unfortunately, I adapt much more readily to the warmth of the summers and the readjustment which is necessary around the end of September is slow and painful if it happens at all. In previous years, I have worked and lived in an environment which encourages and even pesters one to consume as many hot drinks as possible throughout the day. Now that I am in a position in which I pay for my own coffee habit, I drink far less and find that I must fall back on the time-honored method of fighting the cold by bundling up. This past weekend I accordingly began to fill in the cracks in my winter wear. Sitting on top of my suitcase, where they are quickly and easily accessible are now three different scarves (I brought two with me) to suit the different levels of dressiness, three different pairs of gloves (one pair for bicycling which makes me feel very athletic), and a stocking cap. Inside the wardrobe which stands next to the suitcase is a gorgeous new wool Mantel. I use the German word Mantel because it describes a long coat (at least to the knee) and implies that without it you will be cold. So now I am up to 4 different coats here (not including hoodies or sweaters) and I am still fighting the cold. It's coffee in the morning, wine in the evening, thick socks, four layers at a time and hopping into bet as quickly as possible. I think that my next adventure will be teaching English in the Bahamas.