About 20 minutes ago, I hopped off a bus and walked into Éxito to buy groceries. I guess out of instinct, I reached into my pocket.

My wallet was gone.

I checked and re-checked for about 10 seconds, then admitted the obvious. It had been stolen out of my front pocket on the bus.

There’s not much more of a story. Luckily, I haven’t carried any important cards in my wallet since moving here, so the entirety of the non-cash items was: a copy of my passport, a few business cards, my expired New York State learner’s permit (of which I have another here in the apartment), and my insurance card (which I kept in the wallet in case of emergencies). The only loss that might constitute any hassle is the insurance card. I’m out of contact lenses, and I had planned to get new ones tomorrow. I guess I might have to wait a few weeks now.

Unfortunately, I had just been paid for several classes, so the cash totaled a little more than $100. From now on, when I get paid sizable amounts, I’m going to be putting that cash somewhere besides my wallet. (On the flip side, I was due about $120 more today, and my students didn’t have it, so I said it was fine for them to pay me next week. A minor inconvenience turned out to be quite fortuitous.)

The wallet itself is a loss, and its the thing I most want back right now. It was a 21st-birthday present from my friend and former roommate Dan. The leather was high quality, and I had looked forward to holding onto it for many years.

Anyway, that’s that. I couldn’t do the grocery shopping without cash, so I came home. But I really need a nice dinner now, so I’m going out again to go buy the stuff. I bet that whatever we cook will taste really nice.