A Long Post About My Life That You All Care About. Obviously.

Somehow the summer slipped away. It's time to return to school for ONE. LAST. TIME! I'm sure this little carrel row has missed my presence. Don't worry, carrel, I'll be living there again soon.

So, entering my last year of law school. How does it feel? I'm so glad you asked. The positive feelings I'm experiencing include: happiness, readiness, excitement, relief, and maturity (ha...kidding on the maturity part...but I think I should be feeling that). The negative feelings I'm experiencing include: exhaustion, panic, terror, and craziness. Do you all realize that I have to find a real job soon? Like, a career. You know, with a salary. A real salary that will pay off my real loans. Ughh. 

I hate it when people say, "I never thought I'd make it this far," because, well, DUH...you'll make it as far as you want to make it. So I'm not going to say that. But I will say that I never expected to be at this point in my life so soon, so quickly. The past two years of school have been the fastest of my life. And they are the ones that I would prefer to be the slowest. I am not ready to grow up at the pace my life is asking me to. I know this year will be the absolute fastest, and that is the terrifying part. The part where I am back to a future that is unknown. And we all know how I am with the unknown, right?! An anxious mess. Sigh. I wish I could have control over everything...but that's not how life works, I guess. 

So negatives aside, I'm stoked. I kinda love(hate) school. I don't love the studying, the sitting through boring classes, the stress during finals. BUT I love the routine. It's very easy and comfortable for me. I'm really good at the whole being-a-student thing. Anyone considering going to more school: DO IT! With that said, I am a bit relieved that this is the last time I'll be going through all the things I don't like about school. For me, part of doing the whole law school thing was to be challenged. And let me tell you, I was challenged. For the first time in my life, school has been hard. Hard enough for me to be over it. I have done well and haven't given my entire life to books and studying...so I guess I can't complain. But how exciting that I'll never have to sit through class or take finals again! WhoopWhoop (insert 'raising the roof' hand/arm motions). And I feel so comfortable as a law student now. I can laugh at my 1L-self and wonder why I ever thought law school was scary. Oh the perks of being a 3L. I feel like a Senior, laughing at all the little Freshmen. It's great to be at the top, eh?!

Anyway, less than a year from now I will be taking the Bar Exam in an unknown state, preparing for an unknown job, and living in an unknown house/apt. So many unknowns right now. I think I have narrowed my future down to Utah or Idaho, but I honestly think I'd go anywhere. I'm kinda over Idaho right now. I know what it has to offer me, and I'm not sure I want it. I'd eventually like to end up in the Boise area...I love it, but my life will just be same-old, same-old if I stay here. Seriously considering a move to SLC, but my main criteria is a paying job. So wherever that takes me, I'll go. 

REMEMBER HOW I'M ALMOST DONE WITH LAW SCHOOL?! (I know, I still have whole year left, so you are all thinking I'm jumping the gun with this excitement...but really, it goes so extremely fast that I feel like I'm already done...don't judge me).

My summer at the federal courthouse was actually really fun. I researched and wrote for several different federal judges and worked closely with the Staff Attorneys there. It was really hard getting the hang of a 9-5 work schedule, but when my internship was over, I was actually a little sad. Which took me by surprise. It was a really fun/great experience. I could actually see myself doing it for real. So, that seems right. 

And this year has much in store for me. I'll continue my work with the Law Review, working as a Managing Editor (guiding the little 2Ls through what I did last year). I am on the National Moot Court team with two of my classmates (I always wonder why I choose to do these things; researching for and writing a brief all semester and then going through oral arguments right before exams isn't my favorite thing). We'll be competing in a regional tourney this fall, and if we finish in the top two, we go to a national tournament in February. I will continue to serve in the Stake Relief Society Presidency, which has turned out to be stressful, but rewarding (as much as I hate to admit the 'rewarding' part). Our powder-puff football team has a law school tournament championship to defend and a 5-(wo)man intramural championship to defend. Our intramural basketball team needs to redeem itself from a second-place finish last year and bring home a championship tshirt this time around. Wish me luck! Other than that, Brenda and I will welcome a new roommate once again (she's on the vball team at UI and in our ward...I think she'll fit in just fine), I'll enjoy movie nights and dinners with friends, have a lot of dance parties in the kitchen (and probably some solo concerts as well, with the help of Whitney, Mariah, and Celine), and will find some time to take the MPRE, apply for the Bar, and hopefully breathe now and then. 

See? All under control. Here I come, 3L year!