Welcome to the Big City...

Well, I was officially inaugurated into the big city today with the experience of having my purse stolen.

Yes, folks, that's right. The entire gosh-darned purse and everything in it. Gone.

My friend Cassie and I were eating lunch and I had set my purse down on the floor by my foot. Now, I know we've been told not to do this, but the restaurant was practically empty and the small-town girl must have come out in me. At any rate, that's where it was. So Cassie and I were eating and this man came up to us to ask us about where the nearest metro station was. Apparently there was a second man behind me (though I never saw him and Cassie only caught a glimpse of him) who must have swiped my bag while we were talking to the first man. Neither of us saw it happen. There was a mother-daughter couple (from Madrid) who were seated near us. They saw both men and though they didn't see it happen either, they were fairly sure that was what happened. It did make me feel better to see that up until this happened, the daughter had had her purse on the floor too.

At any rate, as you can imagine I started freaking out. Here I am, 20 years old, and all I could think was, "I want my mommy, RIGHT NOW!" Luckily, Cassie was able to tell me what I needed to do. If it were not for her, I would probably still be standing there in the middle of the restaurant wondering what to do. Cassie was able to get me back to my apartment, where I was then able to find the number for my bank and call them to get my credit cards canceled. She also went with me to the police station to file a report. I told her that next time we are out - be it at a bar, restaurant, or the world's most expensive shoe store - that anything she wants is hers. I owe BIG TIME for helping me. I know this wasn't how either of us planned to spend our day.

At this point in time, I am still waiting for Visa to call me back so that we can set up a time for them to deliver my emergency replacement card. Chuck, our program director, is supposed to call me tonight to tell me what to do in regards to the ID and medical insurance cards that were issued to us through the program. When I get back to the states I will have to get a new driver's license. Momma went out this afternoon to get me a new camera (I guess Circuit City is closing and so everything is incredibly cheap) and she will mail that and a new flash drive, which was on my keyring, to me ASAP. Carmen is going to see what needs to be done as far as keys and new locks for the apartment go. As soon as I get my replacement credit card, I have to go out and buy a new purse and wallet and metro pass. Fortunately, I had left my passport and 50 euro in my desk drawer, so I still have my most important form of ID and a little bit of emergency cash.

In case you were wondering, this was not a fun experience. In fact, it sucked.

I, however, am back to breathing like a normal human being and my heart has stopped beating quite so rapidly, which tells me that the worst is over. Now it's all down to basic paperwork.

Also, I'm exhausted but cannot go take a siesta until Visa calls me back. Agh.