DAY 2. Jessica Bussert | Founder & CEO Thursday, April 10th
view from front window
Yesterday I got settled in my new apartment. It’s a three-bedroom unit on the top floor of a small, brick building. I’m in the bedroom at the back of the apartment and my window overlooks the alley and the back lots of the surrounding buildings. It’s a stark contrast to the spacious hills and woods of my home in southern Indiana.
After hauling my bags upstairs and getting unpacked my first task was to go shopping for all the staples I was unable to bring in my luggage. I took an Uber to a Target about a mile away and after about an hour and a half managed to find most of what I needed. Getting it back to the apartment and then upstairs was another workout. I’m regretting not bringing the big canvas duffle bag that I bought a few years ago at an army surplus store. That would have really come in handy.
they both look very tired…
almost shell-shocked.
That evening I finally met my new roommates. I’m sharing the apartment with a doctor and another nurse who had already been here for a number of months before the crisis even hit. They both look very tired and almost shell-shocked. As we spoke they both related stories of other care providers they had known who had died from the virus. Instantly the impact of what we’re doing here struck home in a very real way.
It was obvious they were both exhausted and needed to get their rest so I left the apartment and started exploring the neighborhood. Almost all the shops were closed and shuttered with the exception of a few drug stores, markets, and restaurants doing carryout business. The streets were mostly empty except for a few shops with lines out front as people observed social distancing and were waiting their turn to get inside and do their shopping. This is most definitely not the bustling New York City from all the movies I grew up with.
This morning I needed to wake early for a day of classes in preparation for starting my work at the hospital on Monday. Having been out of the emergency department for so long there are a few certifications that I need to renew before I can treat patients. Luckily I was able to find an instructor who was willing to cram them all into one massive day of study and exams. Instead of taking an Uber to the training facility I’m planning on walking the mile and a half there and back. Hopefully this will help orient me to the community a little better. It promises to be a brisk morning but the overnight rain has seemed to pass. Why did I leave my winter coat back in Indiana?
