The start of a new chapter in my life...

Although I graduated a year ago, Jesse's graduation and move back to Houston signifies a new chapter in my life (well, both of ours actually) because we are finally going to be able to experience living in the same city again. After 5 years!

Zebra print? Yes.

A lot has happened since Jesse's graduation weekend/the start of my summer. Here are a few highlights:

• I found the PERFECT Kate Spade. It's sleek, black leather, and fits every intern essential from my mini perfume, legal agenda, to my comfy flats!
  
• Jesse was Confirmed in the Catholic Church on Pentecost Sunday! One of his closest friends and fraternity brother, John, was his sponsor. They're a handsome pair.

John and Jesse aka Saint Ferdinand.

Jesse and I were both confirmed by Bishop Fiorenza!

• I took advantage of my week long break between finals and starting my summer internships by napping multiple times and avoiding all things involving reading, which included Facebook and Blogger! Shocking!
• I went to Austin for orientation for my second half of summer internship; where I learned I have to know the Green Book by heart and that the Blue Book will never leave my hands. GREAT!
  
• I started my first half internship on Monday!

I am learning so much from my current internship. It's so great being able to step away from learning theory of law to actually applying it. However, I feel that the class I really learned the most useful things from is Legal Research and Writing. The skills I learned in that class are the only ones that I can honestly say I have applied this week. On my first day, I took a tour and basically just hung out and got settled into my office - yes, my own office! I'll post pictures soon! On day two, I wrote a resolution for proposed legislation to send to the state in January when session starts. For the time being, I am going to contact reps and try to get them on board with this excellent idea! I started "cross-training" within the court system yesterday, which is what all elected officials in the city and their directors have to do, to really understand the ins and outs of the court system and what every department does. I am on the civil side for a week and then I move on to criminal. There definitely is more to it than what we have learned and I cannot emphasize how much everyone does and how under-appreciated they are. I am so grateful for all of the people who have dedicated the majority of their lives to our court system. I start writing statutes next week - this is an aspiring lobbyists dream come true!!!

Along with spending my days at work (8am-5pm), I am also back on the fitness wagon! I started drinking sodas again late April and it has made my life miserable. It's really the only significant change to my diet and it significantly changed the way I look in my Joe's. So ladies, STAY AWAY FROM SODAS!

I am also trying to catch up on an entire season of Grey's Anatomy, blame that for my lack of updates!

BACK TO REALITY

It feels so good to wake up in the morning and not hate my life! I took my last final of my 1L year exactly a week ago and I could not feel more relieved and refreshed! I have spent each day lounging around, eating milk and Oreos, reading, and catching up on my shows. My life won't be mindless once I start my first summer internship next Monday, so I'm taking advantage of being able to bum around. One of the things I really want to get back in to is working out. I started working out hardcore around Christmas break but then got really sick with bronchitis in February and didn't feel better til mid-March, by that time I was knee deep in my appellate brief and trying to figure out how to study for finals. I turned in my appellate brief and got busy with finals studying and never had time to even walk around the trail in my Dad's neighborhood. Now, I don't have any excuses what so ever - just pure motivation to be the cutest intern at the Supreme Court of Texas come July.

As excited as I am to get away from school for a few months, I have to admit that I really miss hanging out with Kate and Kaytlyn in our study room on the 5th floor. Last summer, as I was mentally preparing for this new chapter of my life, I told myself a million times that this was the beginning of my career and I needed to view law school as my job. I tried to tell myself that this was not the time to make friends but to make connections and treat my schoolmates like co-workers. That didn't exactly work out. Although I felt like I had enough friends from undergrad, I still made space in my heart for a close group of people. The group may not be as big as it started off as, but I'm glad I'm left with people so caring and supportive. I can't imagine going through this past year of stress, ups and downs, disappointments, and Luby's without Kate and Kaytlyn. I can't believe I wanted to close myself off from everyone, if I would have stuck to my plan I would not have met some of the most amazing people I've ever had the privilege to call my friends.


I've been back in Houston for a year now and another chapter of my life has just begun this past weekend. Jesse graduated from Texas A&M on Friday and moved back to Houston the next day! We haven't lived in the same city since high school so I'm sure we're not going to know how to handle living near each other again. As much as I'm glad to finally having him back, I had gotten so used to our nightly phone calls and texting throughout the day. Now there isn't any need for that because we can see each other whenever we want (that is, until he starts his job and I start my internship).

Jesse moving out of the fraternity house.

Just a few weeks ago I blogged about hating life and fearing impending death from over studying and now I cannot help but feel blessed for all that God has given me. Everything is back to normal now!

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing...

NEWSFLASH: I SURVIVED CONLAW

Last night (Torts 2) almost finished me off though. Let's see if studying doesn't kill me by Monday - my last final! Then - a week off and a summer of 9-5's and weekend trips with the girls and SIX WEEKS IN AUSTIN!

Can't wait! Only 35 hours and 33 minutes til freedom!

Over studying

I never felt like I truly applied myself at Baylor. I went to class, took notes, hardly ever read, and still made A's. Now I'm in law school, spending 12 hours in the library everyday, carrying about 35 lbs on my back, and trying to control my jitters I've acquired from my dear friends NoDoze and Red Bull.

To prepare for my property exam yesterday, I spent a month merging my outline, class notes, and others outlines. Then I worked through the Primer twice (a property workbook that is supposed to dumb down life estates for us...yeah...don't ask) and worked through several supplements/interactive CD-ROMS that were recommended by 2Ls and 3Ls. I spent so much time studying just to end up feeling like a complete failure at the end of the three hour exam. Go me.

As I study for my constitutional law test that I have TOMORROW, I'm starting to wonder: how much can my body take? I've been sick several times this semester, don't get enough sleep, and don't care about my hair anymore. I'm sure it's all due to stress. I was worried about dying from a caffeine overdose but a site we found online said it would take 94 NoDoze pills to kill me...but can studying kill me? Studying too much seems to be the root of all my problems these days - my frizzy hair, my awkward teen-like breakouts on my chin, my acid reflux, my lack of sleep...AM I GOING TO DIE FROM THIS?

A few friends of mine found a post online about a guy who died from overstudying constitutional law and had a panic attack mid-test. Not gonna lie, I wanted to start crying yesterday while figuring out who had a valid future interest in Blackacre and Whiteacre during the exam, but I managed to stay strong. Click here to read the article about the horrific conlaw death.

All of this law school stress does have its perks though. My parents feel really bad for me and are taking me shopping for work clothes this summer. Every law clerk should look fabulous so I'm on the hunt for the perfect black leather Kate Spade shoulder bag and a tote to carry my computer and portfolio. I never thought I would be this excited to shop for grown up clothes, conservative heels, and working 9-5 and sitting in traffic afterward. This summer is going to be such a relief from school!

Back to studying. The 7 Rules of Justiciability are calling my name.

Fratmusic.com

If you listen to Pandora while you study/party/clean your house on a rainy Saturday afternoon, you'll definitely LOVE this! Not only does it come in handy when you're at a rager on 10th (those days are long gone for me) but also when you're about to sit down and hit the books for 14 hours straight. Unlike Pandora, you can browse through other's playlists by genre, schools, and even fraternities!

Go to fratmusic.com, go to genre, and browse through whatever you love to fist pump to the most. Finals start TOMORROW, so naturally, my genre of choice is "Study". Didn't know that was a genre...

Anyway, within "study", I found several playlists that have string quartet versions of some of my favorite songs; like "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Wonderwall". So browse around and enjoy this new way of sharing and discovering music!

In about 8 days, I will be jamming to the "Ma I Blew Out My Ears" playlist under the dance genre.