you are robbed late on a Saturday night while studying at a 24 hr Starbucks, and, once the initial upset wears off, you realize how thankful you are that at least the perpetrator did not take your notes or board review books.
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Courtney enjoying her dinner
and my tasty caldos |
Last night I headed to Xoco for a Mexican meal in celebration of my older sister's (Courtney) birthday. The Seafood Caldos I ordered for dinner was wonderful as was the Aztec hot chocolate (they roast their own coco beans in the shop) I enjoyed for dessert, plus free fresh churros. Despite my attendance at baseball games every summer and my love of towny fairs, I had never had a churro until last night. All around a lovely evening with some of the 3rd year medicine Rush girls. Interestingly enough during dinner conversation turned to everyone's experiences with muggings and thefts they've experienced throughout the past several years. Just this past Monday a 3rd year Rush Medical student was shot in the leg during a burglary on the street outside Courtney's apartment in the West Loop. Talla has been robbed twice since moving to Chicago, once the thief even tried to run off with her dog who happened to be in her purse. Lexi's fiance was mugged just this past December as a part of a gang initiation. Basically the initiation task was for these 15-yr-old boys to attack a man who most people would not want to mess with, ie tall, strong, confident. He ended up fairly ok and walked away with a large bump and cut on the back of his head from being hit with a screw driver. Mind you he was walking down Division St in Wicker Park in the middle of the day on a Saturday when this happened and had just stepped out of a clothing store.
After dinner, I, like the good 2nd year medical student I have been trying to be the past few days, head to go study at a 24 hour coffee shop instead of frolicking through the city like the average 24-yr-old who is dressed in stiletto heals, a pretty blouse, a blazer, and with curled hairs should do. I settle in at my table in Starbucks with a green tea, headphones, and Gipsy Kings Pandora going strong. After concentrating solidly for 4 hours on Hepatitis, HIV, GI pathology, and some pharmacology I decide I'm tired and it seems like a good time to head home and get some sleep. I pack up and look for my keys to walk to my car. I always walk with my keys in hand just in case, yes, I took one of the self-defense for women classes. Unfortunately, no keys; then I realize, no wallet..... I call my credit card company and sure enough in the past two hours someone had purchased gas and bought their friends a round of drinks at a bar. Cheers! Card cancelled. But with no keys I'm stranded, and its 12:30 AM. Though I am very thankful my car was still parked on the street
There I stand, on the corner of North and Wells about to cry and feeling pathetic and helpless, entirely out of character. I make it a habit to do everything I can to take care of everything for myself, I hate asking for any help. But this was one case where I realized I needed to suck up my pride and rely on others. Those working in the Starbucks and cops outside were no help, not so much as an "I'm sorry that happened." I began calling some friends and my sister. Fortunately my best friend Kate answered and was just leaving a friend's apartment about 15 minutes north of where I was. She is a blessing in my life, truly and angel in disguise. She came and sat with me until my parents were able to bring a spare key. I hated even more that I had to call them. I was really really at a loss. So that situation ends and I get in my car and drive back to Kate's where I spend the night on the couch courtesy of my apartment keys also being taken. All in all I lost a new Coach wristlet leopard print, about $25 cash, the value on a Barnes and Noble gift card, a Caribou gift card, and a Panera gift card, as well as a car key costing $250 to replace (I miss my Jetta), my credit card, my license, and a dance studio punch card with 6 classes remaining on it. Tally it up to about $500.
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| BFF til June |
Here I sit on chilly overcast Sunday afternoon trying to memorize about 75 drugs for tomorrow. I don't want to drive anywhere as I have no license and had no desire to go to the CPD office last night at 1:30 to file a report. Basically if I get pulled over, I'm straight up SOL. And with the DMV closed tomorrow and full week of scheduled activities from 8am-8pm most days I'm not sure when I'm going to get a new copy. On the plus side... I'll get to take a new picture and will hopefully not look like a blonde Asian who just walked in from a rain storm. I mean, that old picture was baaaaaad. As I continue to reflect on my past 15 hours I know things could be far worse. A friend of mine from college, Julie, is unsure of her entire immediate family's situation. Her mother, father, and sister are all living in Cairo and last time she talked to them they were not feeling at all feeling positively about what was going on outside their own apartment in the streets. Some her friends back home had furniture pushed up against doors and were planning on guarding their houses with guns. In the past year and half my friend Kait has been robbed, had her house broken into, and her car regularly broken into while she was profiled by a Baltimore gang. She moved there for the Teach For America program, I believe, truly hoping to have a positive impact. Kait is the last individual in this world who deserves any harassment. And throughout my evening of studying I saw countless ambulances driving by rushing to the hospital, even one girl carried out of the theater next door on a gurney sputtering and coughing up blood. I have my health, I have family and friend support (more aware of this and thankful than usual), I'm home in my heated apartment, I'm in the process of accomplishing an excellent education, I'll have a new credit card by Tuesday, and I still have in my possession all of my Microbiolgy / Pathology / and Pharmacology notes not to mention First Aid for the USMLE. With no real ability to go anywhere, I may even up my test averages on these tests in the upcoming days. But for now to boost my mood I've cooked a nice dinner for one of baked kale and whole wheat pasta with shrimp, calamari, scallops, olive oil, and fresh tomato, spinach, basil, and garlic. Plus, my polka dot dishes always brighten my day :)
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| Dinner :) |
Shout out to the CPD! Thanks a-holes for the condescending comments asking if I was lost or if my boyfriend got mad at me, took my things, and left me.
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