My Hellish evening looking for Paradise

So on Monday I started my first class. (I'll get to why I'm salty later). The class was supposed to meet in C214 from 4:14-6:45 pm according to the class bulletin. Three days before the class met, the professor sent an email that read "for our first class we are meeting at Paradise, then we'll walk to the commons to get food." Being new to Vegas and UNLV, I replied back to her message and asked where Paradise was located. She never replied.

I got to my class 30 minutes early, and for those of you who know me, you understand what a miracle that was. Since she never replied to my email, I went to the building and classroom listed on the class bulletin. I thought that maybe Paradise was a room in the building. I was wrong. At 4:10, when no one had showed up, I knew I was in the wrong place. I looked back at the email, trying to perhaps decipher a hidden code or clue. I got out my Super Secret Decoder Ring to help me break the e-mail code. No luck.

I asked a student where "Paradise" was located. She told me that there was no Paradise. I asked a second student where "Paradise" was. She looked at me quizzically and told me that there was no Paradise building on campus. I asked a third student where "Paradise" was. She told me it was a street.

Extremely irritated, I called my professor and left a message on her machine. I decided to go home. On my way back to my car i the cold cold wind, I asked a fourth student where the school of Education was--thinking that I could ask one of the secretaries. She pointed me in the right direction. On my way to the school of ed, I passed the library. Thinking that if anyone knew where "PAradise" was it woud be the librarian, I tromped inside. When asked about this mysterious "Paradise" place, the librarian looked confused and told me there was a Paradise campus. By this time I was HOT. She gave me driving directions to the Paradise campus.

I trudged back to my car, in the cold, and let a string of curses escape under my breath. Anyone who passed me at 4:45 pm on Monday may very well think there is a well-dressed black girl suffering from Turrett's syndrome roaming loose on the campus. I got in my car and it took me 15 minutes to drive across the street because the after-work traffic was so brutal.I couldn't make any left turns without being clipped, so I ended up driving around the block.

When I got to the Paradise campus (which consisted of one dilapidated building held up by what appeared to be hope) I prayed for serenity. I got out of my car for the second time and began looking once again for my class. Now I was an hour late. I walked in the building and looked around for a sign (remember, there was no room number in the email). There was no sign.

A gentleman at the front desk offered his assistance By now there was steam shooting from my ears. I told him I was looking for my class, EDA 701. He told me there were no classes. i told him that there had to be a class. He pulled out the master schedule and said "Nope. No class here." I showed him the email and he said "wait a minute., There's a Paradise Elementary school. Are you a teacher?" Unable to speak, I nodded "yes". He said "Try there. To get to PAradise Elementary School you have to drive across the street to the main campus. Don't even try to make a left turn, you'll get hit." He gave me a map and once again, I was off.

I ended up driving for another 20 minutes looking for the street where Paradise was located. Then I realized that the street I was looking for was missing a street sign. By now it was 5:45. I was 90 minutes late. After driving seemingly aimlessly around campus, I finally found a building which appeared to be an elementary school--but it had no sign. I parked and walked in. After wandering around the building for 5 minutes, I heard voices. I happened upon a class--tired, late, disheveled, and salty-- to hear "Are you here for EDA 701? I should have told you all that Paradise was an elementary school. Everyone was late. Make yourself comfortable."

*M*