Vindicaton

Here's an update to the iPhone ordeal that began as soon as I landed in Minnesota in December (ref: "welcome to america and my i phone got jacked").

A Recap:
I landed in Minnesota with Charlie and Liam after 36 hours of travelling on 4 different flights across 3 different countries.   I was so excited to see my baby nephew Judah and couldn't wait to get to the baggage claim.  I lugged Liam in the ergo baby carrier on my back, urine-soaked Charlie in his carseat stroller, and 2 pieces of carry-on luggage down the elevator to meet with Aaron, Maria and baby Judah.  We were a moving ball of chaos as we reunited, hugged, and made our way to the baggage claim.  All in all we had 2 carry-ons, 2 carseats, 1 stroller and 5 pieces of luggage.  Maria took Charlie to the toilet to change him and Aaron grabbed the car so we could start loading babies and our gear.   I had my iPhone at baggage claim.   I didn't have it when we got home.    I've been haunted with the possibilities since that dreadful day.  Did I drop it on the floor when I collapsed the stroller?  Did that group of  rowdy teenagers pluck it from my stroller?  Did I drop it in a deep crevice of our car? 

I started scouring Craigs List ads trying to find my phone. It was somewhat unique in that it was an unlocked iPhone 4 (i.e. 3 times more expensive than through a US phone carrier).   I found a sketchy ad for an iPhone 4 in a red Otter Box case.  I was going to meet the guy and ask for my phone back, but decided that was a little foolish.  I enlisted the support of the airport police in Minneapolis and they met with the guy and it turned out to not be my phone.  I discussed the possibility of analyzing their closed-caption tv (CCTV) near the baggage claim on 1 December, but it just seemed hopeless.   I filed an insurance claim for my phone and bought a new one (it's my camera, e-mail, phone, gps, blog, skype, facetime, etc. etc. - just needed to replace it).

Fast forward to last month when the Minneapolis airport police contacted me and told me they wanted to pursue a warrant from Apple to locate the missing iPhone.  They said they should have an answer in a few weeks.  Well I got the call from my mom this morning.  She said three guesses (ironically - I played the same game with Jason and he and I had the same 3 guesses).

1.) The Minneapolis-St Paul Airport (hidden on the curb somewhere)
2.) In a crevice of the car
3.) In a couch cushion in Circle Pines, MN

Wrong, wrong, and wrong.  Major relief!  The phone was located in Ghana, Africa.   Apparently a worker at the airport found it and sent it to his friend who was working in the Peace Corps in Ghana.  My mom, Jason and I all felt super bad for the Peace Corps worker in Ghana and wanted him to keep the phone, but apparently the police were highly suspicious of the story.  Anyway - I feel like giving money to the Peace Corps mission in Ghana now, but I am also thankful that the mystery was solved.

Lesson learned, don't leave your valuables out and unsecured especially when you are in a state of foggy, sleep-deprived insanity.