Not all fun and games

So, I haven't mentioned this on the blog yet, but I'm pretty injured at the moment. Hurt my ankle. Don't ask me how, there isn't really an answer, I think my body just doesn't want to be here.

As a result of the injury this entire past week, since I have been back in Los Angeles after my week in San Diego, I have literally done nothing besides sit around the hostel in an effort to rest up as much as possible. At first I dreaded being so confined on holidays, but then I realized; all those fun projects that I've always wanted to work on but never had the time to do at home? I now have unlimited time to spend on them! It was actually the most productive I have been in years ha.

After a week of rest my injury still wasn't healed as much as I would of liked so it was time to see a doctor. I couldn't figure out how health insurance works so the best I could think to do was to see a free medical clinic (thus not requiring insurance). After receiving directions from staff I limp outside to start my quest by bus... to find the greyest of skies and the heaviest of rains. Sigh... Los Angeles is sunny 95% of the year apparently, I guess this wasn't one of those days. Fine, I'll roll with it.

Little did I know that today was to hold one of those moments that are just so utterly depressing and pathetic that all there is left to do is laugh. And let me tell you, it was an absolutely hilarious day.

After about 30 minutes of sitting on the bus I figured I'd gone way too far. This was partly due to my lack of listening skills when receiving the directions, but equally due to the fact that it was nice and warm in the bus and outside was a raging storm. Eventually I sucked it up, got out, and caught a bus back the way I had come, eventually finding the correct street then catching yet another bus I needed. I sat on this bus long enough to be the last person on it. The bus driver appeared concerned "What stop are you after?"

"Umm... La Cena... La Cien... something... La Senorita..?"

"Ah, La Cienega. That's my last stop" It's at that moment the sky lights up and heavy thunder rolls past, the rain doubling in intensity... almost as if it knows I am about to get off the bus. "Ooh, I wouldn't want to be out in this storm if I were you" he says in a far too jolly tone for my liking.

"Thanks mate..." I drone out in reply.

We arrive at the stop, I pull my hood down tighter and jump out into the rain, hobbling straight over to some shelter at a nearby building, my ankle killing me. The skies were dark and the thunder loud, cars zooming down what look more like raging rivers than roads. I decide to give up on waiting for the rain to stop and start my 2 block walk to the clinic, a fresh round of thunder cracks over head and I look to the sky to admire its beauty... just as a wave of water from a passing car engulfs me, drenching my shorts. Cool. (and yes... shorts... I don't know why I'm wearing them either).

And that's when it hits me, the extent of my situation.

I'm in Hollywood, completely alone, every step consisting of pure agony as I hobble along the streets at an excruciatingly slow pace, drenched to the bone, freezing, surrounded by the greyest of skies in the moodiest of days and the chilliest of rains, trying to find a clinic I'm not even entirely sure of its location. And as I stood on the unrelenting side walk I just had to ask myself "How did I end up here?"

This wasn't quite what I envisioned when I dreamed of this trip a year ago...

I thought about all the events that had led me here, it really seemed like all of this could have been avoided so easily, yet somehow everything fell together so perfectly and here I am. I've been in situations like this before, although this was by far was one of the worst in recent memory. Despite my bleak situation however I wasn't angry, or sad (well, I was, but not that much)... because this truly was a typical 'Aaron moment'. I knew I couldn't have been in a worst situation even if I had planned it.

So I came to the conclusion that there was only one thing left to do... a smile broke out, and I laughed my absolute head off. For like, a good 5 minutes, I just couldn't stop chuckling. It was so surreal, to be laughing in the face of such misery, but I couldn't help it, it was too strange of a situation and place to be!

And yes I am quite aware that there is a very fine line between 'staying positive' and 'clinically insane'... that line was pretty blurred by this stage.

So with a smile on my face I continued to hobble down the street in pain and the pouring rain. After another 10 minutes however, finally hope was near for I could actually see the clinic just on the other side of the road. Through a curtain of torrential rain mind you, but I could see it nonetheless. 2 hours of travel and I've made it! I eagerly wait for the lights to change to cross the road...

3... 2... 1... They change, it's so close!

I'm still laughing as I cross the road, a mixture of relief and anticipation swelling within as I look forward to being able rest my ankle and enjoy the warmth of the clin... oh, hang on... what's this? There appears to be a river of water flowing along the roads' curb, 2 meters wide and 25 centimeters deep, completely blocking my path...

I am literally stuck in the middle of the road unable to get to the footpath.

I walk along the road trying to find somewhere I can cross... I can't see any. I crack up laughing again, suddenly figuring that the day has been insane enough that what's a little more insanity going to hurt? My solution? I decide to simply walk right through the river, the water easily rising above my ankles, completely submerging my already freezing shoes and socks to the core. Awesome!

With my water logged shoes that now feel like squishy bricks I flip-flop up the steps and enter the clinic, immediately drawing looks from the waiting patients as I walk up to the reception desk with a very noticeable 'squelch, squelch' sound on the tiled floor, leaving huge puddles in my wake. I ask to see a doctor.

She gives me a look over before answering.

"Sorry sir, but we are completely booked and understaffed today and are not taking any walk-ins under any circumstances"

Sounds about right. I ponder this for a moment, smile, and have only one thing to say to her:

"Can I use your phone to call a taxi please?"