I left law school to...go back to community college?

After three semesters of absolute misery in law school, I made the decision to leave. I realized that I was only sticking to the plan I had made as a seventh-grader, and hadn't actually reevaluated what I wanted to do with my life as an adult. It turns out, once I sat down and gave it an ounce of thought, law wasn't it. Unfortunately, despite being all I've thought about for two months, I still haven't figured out what I really want to do!

I do have a few ideas, and have been looking into several different options. One idea involves starting a business that I never pictured myself doing before, but think that I would quite enjoy. More details on that at a later date. However, the significance of this possible business venture in my post today is that I have no experience in the field so I'm considering going back to school to learn the basics. At a community college.

There are masters programs in the field I am currently pondering, and even PhD programs. But that all seems a bit much, I think, when all I really need is a basic understanding of the field and a ton of experience. So I think that spending 3 semesters and $6,000 to get an associates degree, along with several internships, would be the best move. This option becomes increasingly attractive to me when I consider the massive amounts of debt I have incurred from my undergraduate degrees and a year and a half of law school. (Yikes!!)

It's crazy to think that just a few months ago I was working my butt off to earn a spot in the top 20% of my first-year law school class while caring for a toddler full-time, and now I'm considering starting over at a community college. I guess that just goes to show that you really never know where life will take you, and the plans you make for yourself when you're young will change in ways that you could never imagine.

Housewife Tutorials: Soft Pretzels

When I lived in Philly/South Jersey, I used to eat soft pretzels like they were going out of style. I actually lived next to a pretzel factory for about eight months. Then, for the five months that I worked at my (horrendous) office job, the administration used to bring in a huge box of soft pretzels almost every week, and sometimes more than once during the week. The constant influx of soft pretzels in my life definitely contributed to my weight gain during that period. However, since I haven't had a soft pretzel since my move to Charlotte over a year ago, I've been craving them lately. With midterms next week and my scholarship on the line, naturally I decided that I should make pretzels this weekend instead of devoting all of my time to studying.

Here's what you need:
1/2 c. warm water
1 t sugar
1 active dry yeast packet (I happened to have one left from the last time I made these pretzels...in 2012 when I was in undergrad. Ha!)

1 c. warm water
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt

3 3/4 c. flour

1 c. water
1/4 c. baking soda

kosher salt
butter

Here's what you do:
Stir 1/2 c. warm water and 1 t sugar in a bowl until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand 10 min, then stir to dissolve yeast.

In another bowl, stir 1 c. warm water with 1 T sugar until dissolved, then add yeast mixture.

Measure out flour and add 1/2 t salt. Gradually mix the flour mixture into the yeast mixture until stiff.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let stand for 10 minutes.

Divide into 12 equal parts. Roll into ropes/snakes and form into pretzel shapes.

Mix baking soda and water, then gently dip pretzels in the mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet (my sister really wanted to stress that part when she originally wrote down the recipe for me...Perhaps she once forgot this step when making them).

Preheat the oven to 425.

Sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. *NOTE: With my crazy gas stove, I actually had to bake them at 400 for 10 minutes, because it gets super hot. However, I have made them with the normal temp/time with less fiery ovens in the past.

Once out of the oven, brush with butter. Apparently one of my past roommates stole my basting brush, so I was forced to just slap some butter on with a knife like some sort of barbarian. (Mum, please add this to my birthday list!)

Now you have a delicious batch of homemade soft pretzels to enjoy with cheese, mustard, or plain! Share one with a friend, classmate, coworker, or roommate and impress them with your culinary prowess...Or share with no one. After all, they didn't put in the labor to make them. Go ahead, treat yo' self!

dissolved yeast

mixing in the flour

dividing the dough...technical difficulties are preventing me from easily rotating these pictures, but since I really do need to study, law school is going to beat OCD today

just dough, but making me want to eat them already!

not the prettiest batch I've ever made, but just as delicious

We Need Maine More Than We Need Magary

Recently, some detestable flatlander decided that he would write an article entitled 'Maine: Do We Need It?'. First of all, shame on you, GQ, for publishing such rubbish. Seriously, your credibility just dropped about 85 points. You’re now in the negatives, down with the most unreliable of the supermarket tabloids. There are countless things wrong with the article, but let’s start by pointing out that this guy, Magary, claims that Maine is “hardly America.” Oh, honey. If you had actually stepped off your college campus during the time you spent in the state, you would have noticed that, with the exception of Texas, Maine is about as American as you can get. We are not exempt from the laws of the American government, and most of us likely respect and uphold them more than the people outside of Maine.

I spent eighteen years of my life living full-time in Maine, and probably another three if you add up all of my visits since. While I may currently be living in another state, my heart will forever be home in Maine. If this Magary detests us so much, why did he bother to spend four years at college here? Perhaps we gave him a tidy sum of tuition money. Our mistake. I hope his alma mater checks out their scholarship candidates a little more carefully next time.

Mainers, or Mainiacs, if you prefer, are genuine. We understand that you don’t get ahead by putting other people down. Magary, your article blatantly suggests that we abolish the state from our country, asking “do we need it?” Let me tell you why we do need it. Because in a country full of spoiled, entitled brats (not unlike yourself), Mainers still raise their kids to respect others. We raise them to do the right thing, even when it’s not the easy thing. We raise kids who learn the value of hard work. We take the time to teach our kids useful skills, rather than sitting them in front of the tv or an iPad all day. We instill in our children the importance of being kind to one another. Most importantly, we raise kids who aren’t afraid to stand up for themselves. We are tough, and we won’t stand for your rude and hateful comments (based on little to no fact).

In case you weren’t aware, our slogan is “Maine: The Way Life Should Be.” That isn’t by accident. Maine is the way life should be because it is a place where people work hard. The industries in Maine are those that require people to work off the land (or sea), waking up before dawn to go out and earn an honest living. It is a place where you can enjoy being with the people right in front of you, rather than on the internet or in your phone. A place where you can relax and take in the majestic wonders of nature: moose (people “from away” seem to be quite taken with that one), rivers, mountains, lakes, and forests. A place where someone will help you shovel out your driveway without expecting any payment or the return of a favor, simply because it’s the kind and helpful thing to do. Where else will you find good old-fashioned values and neighbors who actually care about one another?

In addition to our nifty slogan, we also have a state motto (betchya didn’t even look any of this up before spouting off your mouth): DIRIGO. Since you clearly lack any sort of actual intelligence or education (I’m guessing you spent much of your four years in “college” here partaking in the illicit drugs from the dealers you seemed to know so much about), let me fill you in. Dirigo is Latin for “I lead.” Now this next bit isn’t based on researched data so much as it is on personal experience, but our motto is fitting because the people of Maine are born leaders. We are courageous, strong, independent, and generous.

Before you go declaring that America would be better off without an entire community of hard-working and hospitable people, I suggest that you take a good hard look in the mirror. You make a great big deal about the people of Maine being racist (riiiiight, because you know the opinions of 1.33 million individuals), but how are you any better by proposing that we rid the country of a whole state? Additionally, condemning an entire population for the words spoken by a single man is a little foolish, don’t you think?

Mr. Magary, it is clear that you were not raised with the values of a Mainer, nor did any of the goodness that lives in the hearts of every true Mainer rub off on you in the time you spent in the Pine Tree state. Despite your vile article, I do agree with you on one point: “We should build a wall at [Maine’s] border to protect ourselves.” Yes, I believe that we should build a wall at our border to protect ourselves, the good people of Maine, from insufferable people like you.

Something To Be Proud Of

After three and a half of the most stressful months of my life, juggling ten-hour workdays and classes that took place long after I should have been in bed, I made it through my first set of law school finals!! My first semester was far from anything that could remotely be considered "fun." In fact, a more accurate description would be "torture," "hell," or "miserable beyond belief." Nevertheless, I made it out the other side with only minimal emotional damage.

I have never spent so much time or effort reading and studying in all of my academic career as I did in three and a half months of law school. Despite all of that studying, when my grades came in, all I had to show for my effort was my lowest GPA ever. They say that when you go to law school, you need to reevaluate your standards. Well "they" are right. You're in an environment where everyone is used to getting As with minimal effort and every single one of your classmates was at the top of their class. It's just common sense that most of those people will now become only "average" in the new environment, or {gulp} fall to the bottom of the class. Of course none of us want to be that person, but the harsh reality is that, despite our best efforts, the majority of us will end up there.

The learning curve of the first semester was the steepest I've ever encountered. That's appropriate, since it's also the semester in which I've learned the most. I don't think I've learned as much in any of my pre-law school years as I have in only one semester of law school. The material itself is interesting, but it also applies to practical situations in everyday life in a way that no other academic subject I've studied has.

While I was unhappy with my first-semester GPA, I have spent the following weeks trying to convince myself that I should be proud of my efforts. If nothing else, I should be proud of the fact that I didn't actually fail anything, especially considering that I struggled to stay awake in my late-night classes!! I am proud of myself for that. I'm also proud of myself for actually doing every single reading assignment! There were a lot of times in undergrad where I blew off my homework, because I didn't really need to do it to stay on the Dean's list. The ease of keeping up good grades made me lazy and complacent. I can honestly say that I've worked harder this semester than ever before in an academic environment. I'm proud of myself for keeping my integrity and kindheartedness intact in such a high-pressured and competitive environment. Many of my classmates did not display these qualities, choosing instead to become the worst possible versions of themselves (or maybe they're just THAT terrible anyway). Finally, I'm proud of myself for following through on the dream I've had since seventh grade. Although it's harder than I ever imagined it would be, every day I spend reading and trying to figure out WTF is going on in the cases I'm assigned is one day closer to reaching the goal I set for myself over a decade ago.

So here's to 2016: another year of hard work, and another year closer to reaching my goal!

I forgot to post this back in April...

Carolina living is treating me well so far. After all, the really oppressive summer heat has yet to begin. The past two months I've spent as a nanny have flown by!! It's such a relief to finally be happy to come to work!

One thing that has surprised me since moving here is how much traffic there is. All. The. Time. And I'm not sure if there's just a higher percentage of stay-at-home mothers and retirees down here, but it seems that stores are never not busy. I do the majority of my errands on Thursdays and Fridays when I work a 3-day week, and I'm consistently surprised by the number of working-aged people who are also out and about. I'm used to doing my errands on weekdays, since that's often what I had off when I was flying. Whenever I ventured out during weekdays in Philly or Jersey, stores were deserted. Frankly, that's how I like it, and part of the reason I continue to do my errands on the weekdays I have off.

I've been enjoying the lack of mosquitoes and black flies here. It makes hiking and backyard fires much more enjoyable! There's a pretty big amusement park nearby, and I decided that it would be worth it to buy a season pass. I've been three times so far, so it was definitely worth the season pass, since it pays for itself after you've gone twice. The daily rates are astronomical, so it's definitely worth the season pass if you plan on going a few times. It's nice to have a built-in, pre-paid activity to fall back on when you're not sure of what else to do or can't afford to spend extra money that week.

I'm dreading the weather getting hotter, but I know it will come eventually. Likely sooner, rather than later. But until that time comes, I plan to get outside and enjoy the outdoors as much as possible!

There's No Crying in Law School

Once again, I have been neglecting my blog. So I'm sorry, lone follower of mine. I hope you haven't been too lost without me. I have been too sweaty for the past eight and a half months to type. Yup, the south is HOT. Last week, on Thanksgiving, it was about 68 degrees outside. That is just not normal. But I'll take 68 over 108 any day!! I'm glad to have some milder weather, considering I've never experienced a summer that lasted 7+ months. I've gotta say, I didn't really care too much for it.

So I spent the summer mostly complaining about the heat, sprinkled with a few Carolinian adventures and making new friends. If you noticed that the literary quality of this post is lacking, that's because: law school. Having not used my brain since about May 2013, starting law school at the end of August was pretty rough. Ok, it was more than pretty rough. It was like trying to find a cure for cancer in a week. Or so I would imagine. Not only was I trying to oil the gears of my brain to get them up and running again (a slow start after they'd been at a standstill for over two years), but I was faced with the task of navigating an entirely new world at the same time. I was trying to order my books (a race against the clock, since hundreds of pages of reading had already been assigned for the first week of classes when we only got access to our book list four days before the start of the semester!), figure out the parking garage situation (never a problem in good ol' Rhody), and actually learn HOW to learn in this new environment. On top of it all, I was working about 50 hours for the first few weeks of the semester. It was a stressful time, for sure, but obviously I made it through. Without tears. Just kidding, there were lots and lots of tears.

After about a month, I got into a good routine. I love that my job allows me to be creative and have fun. It's an essential balance with the stressful academic environment of law school. Little Miss is growing up so fast! Every day is a new adventure and it gives me great joy to see her discovering new things and listen to her chatter away with all of the new words she's learned! I never knew that a job could actually fill you with feelings of happiness and serenity, rather than dread and despair. I'm so thankful to have finally found a job that I love. Being happy at work makes the biggest difference in one's overall happiness and well-being.

Although law school is tougher than I ever imagined it would be, I'm quite pleased to have made it through a whole semester! There were days when I thought it would never end, or I that would never make it through. Of course, I still have three and a half more years to go, so let's not count our chickens before they've hatched. But I'm letting myself be proud of the semester I've (almost) finished. All that stands between me, a month off, skiing in New England, and a new apartment is two more finals!!

Sweet Freedom and Greener Pastures

After five months of working six days a week as a tech school recruiter, I am pleased to say that I finally have a life again! I can only compare being free of that oppressive environment to seeing daylight for the first time in ten years. The ways in which my health was compromised while in that position are immeasurable. I was all but chained to my desk, even receiving written notice at one point that I was not to leave my desk for an extended period of time without first seeking my boss' permission. The stress created by being constantly pressured to meet the company's impossible standards has probably taken years off my life. Note to management: learn to manage, and cut it out with the micromanaging. Due to the fact that I spent all day every day staring at a computer screen and dialing a phone, being chastised for taking a walk around the office or having a five-minute conversation with a coworker, my only distraction was eating. So, from my lack of physical activity and increased consumption of sugar a complex carbs, I gained a lot of weight. Again, taking years off my life.

However, as of three weeks ago, I am free of that hell-hole! I packed up and moved South, to the land of sunlight and moonshine. I took a job as a nanny to a one-year-old girl, and accepted a seat in a part-time law school program, beginning this fall. I am thrilled to be embarking upon this new journey, and combining my two passions of children and arguing for what I believe to be right. Once I meet some people and make a few friends, this has all the potential to be the life I've always dreamed of!