The (funny) Commute From Hell

Because I just can’t do things the easy way.

I finally scored a post-grad internship with the Philadelphia Public Defender’s Office and today was my first day to report at work for some training and other miscellaneous first day things.  

I didn’t really know what to expect, but I did know that I was going to ride my bike to work.  In fact, that was just about the first question I was asked in my interview, “Do you [me] live close enough to bike to work?”

And they have an indoor bike rack!

So it wasn’t the locking-up part that was treacherous, it was the commute itself.

PICTURE THIS:  Center City, Philadelphia.  Me.  Suit coat and work dress topped with a raincoat.  Sweat pants, well, more like sweat capris under my dress.  High heels pushing the pedals of my bike, and a helmet on top.

Now add a hurricane…

Same ridiculous young woman on a bike in Center City with work clothes + sweats, now DRIPPING WET with wet high heels full of water that keep sliding off her pedals.  Lightening all around.  Busses driving by and splashing her.  Mascara running all down her face.  You picturing it?  Yep, that about sums up my commute.

 Go ahead, you can laugh at my expense; I was laughing too.  It was just SO ridiculous!

So I finally made it to the office and with the approximately two square inches of my sweat capris that were not soaked, I wiped all the mascara off of my face.  I tied my dripping hair into a bun, dumped out the 6 ounces of water pooled at the bottom of each of my shoes, and –what else could I do?—I made my way up the elevator to the office…still dripping.

I was then greeted with, “Oh, we’re gonna take your ID photo today.”

Perfect. :/

~~~

Oh, and then I got to ride back home!  At least it wasn’t raining anymore!  My sweat capris and raincoat were still soaked, so I rode home in just my dress, suit jacket, and soggy high heels.

Have you ever ridden a bicycle in a stretchy dress without shorts on underneath?  Okay, let me put it this way- when I left home this morning, I was not wearing a mini skirt, but by the time I got back home I was hardly even wearing a mini skirt…using the term “skirt” at all is actually pretty generous.  And those men of Philly let me know just how much they appreciated that :/ ugh.

While the skirt was still hiking & hadn’t yet reached illegal heights, I was waiting for a light on Broad Street and a van with Temple University personnel was next to me at the light and the passenger rolled down his window and, looking at my high heels clutching for my pedals, said, “Does that hurt?  I have NEVER seen that before!”

“I’ve got SKILLS!  But no, it doesn’t hurt.”

What else was I supposed to say?!

But I did make it home in one, slightly soggy piece.

~~~

The day did have some rays of light, however.  For one, I had an AMAZING Truffle Burger from 500 Degrees for lunch  

AND I got to do both a Cardio Ballet class AND a yoga class tonight.  PLUS I composed a poem for the first time in probably years.  The first shards of my creativity returning may be a sign that law school stress is finally starting to wear off.  Yay :)