1. Rest in peace Dolly Parton 2. I did not post last week, I took a break (I had nothing to write about honestly) 3. And 2L has begun!
I am so thrilled to be back in the semester honestly. I know the entire point of my post two weeks ago was to say that it is necessary to take breaks, but I still feel so lazy and unproductive when I do.
I am already immensely enjoying this semester. “Natalie it’s been 3 days” okay yeah I know BUT let me live in peace a little okay. Classes are good, I LOVE my externship, and I am super excited for the mock trial team and comp I was placed on. I feel like I have my shit together a bit better this time. I have a few different study areas set up in my apartment rather than just a desk (but to be fair, a desk was all my studio could fit last year), I have my schedule set up so it is not only smart, but convenient to treat 2L like a 9-5 (9-6 or 9-7 depending on the day), and I have a solid workout schedule that forces me to take care of myself.
In general, the biggest changes I have noticed starting my second year of law school, as opposed to my first, is that I am way more organized. As a summer starter, I thought I was more organized and more prepared than I actually was going into 1L fall, but this year just feels different. The opportunities are different. Rather than being one of 130 in the same schedule, I have a schedule that is truly catered to what I wanted. I wanted this prosecution externship, to learn under the local attorneys who prosecute crimes against animals. I wanted the classes I am enrolled in (even if the desire was only to take a subject I know is commonly bar tested). I wanted to be on the mock trial team. All of these things feel so much more “me” than the standard 1L curriculum and it is so refreshing.
Honestly though, I thought the thing I would be most excited for was mock trial. I worked my butt off to get on the team, and as the reigning national champions last year, I knew I had big shoes to fill. And don’t get me wrong, I am super excited about it. But today is literally day 2 of my externship with the prosecutor’s office and I cannot wait to head in. I have always been the type who loved working on my own schedule, doing things when I am productive and taking breaks when needed, even if it meant I was working strange hours or more overall. But my externship, the team I am on, and the work I will be helping with all goes to why I am here. It all actually relates back to my why. And it gives me hope that this expensive, long, humbling journey will truly be worth it, and I truly am on the right path.
So, as the semester starts, my goal is to stick to my routine. My study schedule, my work schedule, my workout schedule, my rest schedule. To enjoy the semester, to force myself to take a break, to be grateful for the opportunities I have, to give grace and learn, and to live in the moment and enjoy every second.
That’s what Dolly would say to do anyway.
Song of the day: 9 to 5 Dolly Parton
the blawg 
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