First Impressions

Picture this: a 21 year old, five foot tall, long blonde hair, excitable, college graduate. Your typical perfectionist, "Type A" to the bone. This was back in 2015...I had just moved to Chicago after learning that I was accepted into law school. Despite living miles away, I had only been to Chicago a handful of times. The big city called to me, and I was truly enamored with its endless possibilities.

Living in Chicago isn't cheap - far from it. I found my two roommates on our law school admission Facebook group, and we found a tiny, but affordable apartment in Humboldt Park. Humboldt Park is both aesthetically beautiful and culturally vibrant. Most of Humboldt Park is Puerto Rican, which is honored by the large Puerto Rican metal flag that hangs over the width of Division Street. The food is fantastic.

Anyway, prior to our law school starting its classes, I decided to start exercising. I figured it'd help with the stress - so every morning I woke up and ran a mile and a half before starting my day.

Let me back up...I am a swimmer - I swam competitively for 16 years. If you've swam competitively you know that we have the most ridiculous, crazy early practices in the world. We're up every morning around 4:00a.m., doing something called "dryland" (weights, core, etc.) before we hop in the pool for our first of two practices in the day.

During these practices, and while I was swimming, I was often sooooooo tired. I also worked every night after practice, and I was in the process of graduating early (I told you Type A). Well, because I was so exhausted, I would close my eyes while I swam. I knew I was okay and wouldn't hit the wall as long as I could feel the person's toes in front of me. Weird? Is this just me? Any other swimmers that can validate this???

Either way, this is just something I did, I was basically asleep/resting during some of our practices. So let's fast forward, I'm in law school, ya-da, ya-da. It's the first week of classes, and we have this new student happy hour where we get to meet everyone in our class, the faculty, and consume lots of wine (alcohol is like water in law school).

The day of the event, I did my normal thing - I went for a run. We had classes that week, and I was REALLY tired because I was adapting to all of the changes!! Soooooo, following my tried and true method of closing my eyes while exercising, I decided to close my eyes while I ran.

Yes, you read that right: I decided to close my eyes while I ran. Yes, please read that a third time...I promise you're not hallucinating. You can guess what happens next...I'm running my butt off, and there's a part of the sidewalk that isn't level. I don't lift my leg high enough and my foot catches the lip of the sidewalk, I fall straight down onto my palms and face, while scraping my knees and palms.

I have road (sidewalk?) burn on my knees and palms. I'm bleeding like crazy, and these "burns" are HUGE. I'm talking like 2.5 inches by 2.5inches large on the knees AND on both hands. I get up, tears in my eyes, and walk my dumbbutt back home - half in shock, half in realization of what just happened.

Have you ever tried to bandage your palms? It does not work. Nope, can't do it. And you know when you have an open wound that stops bleeding, that like clear liquid that comes out when your body is trying to scab? That liquid was constantly oozing from my hands.

My roommates noticed the blood and the condition that I came home in - and it didn't help that I asked for help trying to bandage myself. Boy, did they laugh their asses off when I honestly, and mistakenly told them what happened! I should have just kept my mouth shut.

At some point they stopped laughing, and we all got ready to go to school and the event after classes. I didn't think too much about what happened, other than how painful it was...at least not until that night.

That night, esteemed professors, and students that were my competition, flowed into the reception area for our meet and greets, I realized that this running mistake was a true fatality for my pride. As each person came up to me, excited and interested to meet me, I had to explain why I couldn't give them a handshake...I said it was from an injury...but soon, there was a cackle of laughter.

My story had spread. My roommates and others were discussing my palms, laughing at my error in judgment. Laughing at me running with my eyes closed...I was mortified and concerned as many looked at me quizzically, like "how did she get into this school." Like...literally put yourself in my shoes, imagine a bunch of people that you don't know just finding out you tried to run with your eyes closed AND you have the wounds to prove it! Horrifying.

At the time, all of their opinions really did matter to me, and I really did feel embarrassed to my soul. Now, looking back, I just smile. How young I was, how hopeful and excited for life... I truly love myself for these fun little moments that I've had in my life.

And hey, have you ever tried running with your eyes closed? I wouldn't knock it, until you try it ;) (just kidding...definitely, do NOT run with your eyes closed, stay safe kids!).

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