And Running, Running

The "law school is like a marathon" analogy still holds true, and "surviving" seems to be my Pee-wee Herman word of the semester. "One hot mess" was the theme for last semester, but things seem to be getting a little bit easier despite facing new and increasing challenges on a regular basis.

Since it has been awhile since I last blogged, I suppose that I should provide some updates for any of you that might still be reading this:

First, Owen and I got married! It was the perfect day even though it poured buckets all day long. We really enjoyed being surrounded by family and friends. Then, we flew to Hawaii, (Maui and Kauai), for two glorious weeks. When we returned from Hawaii, I started my new job and began law school shortly thereafter.

I attended law school orientation in August. Orientation seems like one big blur right now, but I recall enjoying the experience much more than I thought I would because it alleviated some of my 1L fears. Following orientation, we hit the ground running in Torts, Civil Procedure, Legal Research and Writing, and Contracts. I actually enjoyed the reading assignments - even though I tackled many of them at 4:30am before work or at 2am after a long night of classes. I did not, however, enjoy the feeling of constant burnout without really knowing whether I was making any sort of progress in the right direction. I put so much time and energy into law school - but I did not receive a single grade until finals came at the end of the semester. Imagine running a marathon without knowing whether you are on track to finish - or even on track at all. I almost jumped ship on several occasions, and the stress came pouring out of my eyes fairly often. I kept with it all nonetheless as a newlywed - working Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm - while simultaneously taking four classes downtown, three nights each week from 6pm to 10pm. I survived finals, which actually felt like a vacation because I took some time off from work. Unlike many of my classmates, my goal last semester was simply to finish, but I exceeded my own expectations and actually found myself starting to enjoy law school.

Here I am today. I am gearing up for spring break next week, and my 1L year will be behind me in less than two months. This semester seems somewhat easier only because I know what to expect now, and I am much more organized. I no longer contemplate quitting. I seem to have a little more time on my hands because I am getting faster at the assignments, so I signed up for Bodyscapes. Twice a week before work, I workout with a trainer. We do all kinds of different exercises, and it is such an efficient workout. Last semester, I did not get a single ounce of exercise into my system, so I decided to do better this semester. Exercise has made all the difference in the world for me because it is such a tremendous stress relief - and I can almost fit into my work pants again (lol)!

This weekend has been pretty fantastic because Owen and I were able to spend some time together on Saturday, and we went to visit my family yesterday. Today, I am going to buckle down again to finish my Criminal Law and Civil Procedure assignments, in addition to a fifteen page trial brief.

Not sure if I will be able to keep up with blogging on a regular basis, but I will definitely do my best to check in here and there. Well, I guess I had better get back to work. Bye for now blog - until we meet again.