Law School Update

Because I'm experiencing writer's block, and because it's basically two-thirds through the semester, I thought I would share a little update on life as a law student is going. My current most frequent questions are:

Are you stressed?
Oh, no, not at all... Yes. I'm stressed at times and at others it feels like a normal day. The worst sense of overwhelming stress was last week, waiting on an emailed assignment that I had 30 hours to write. So I rearranged my apartment. I just desperately needed to feel in control of something.

What is the hardest part?
Keeping myself motivated. There are days where you just do not want to read, you do not want to pay attention, and you have to keep nudging yourself forward. I've only missed one class because of a lack of motivation (and a migraine) so I think I'm managing it well overall.

Are you a Royals fan now?
HA! No! But I've always said that I cheer (and do) for the Royals as long as they are not playing against St. Louis. But I am falling in love with the city, something I never thought would happen.

How's Lily?
She's fantastic, and slowly getting the hang of being unkenneled during the day. Currently, she's confined to the bathroom, but we hope to have graduated to the entire apartment by next semester.

Are you sure this is what you want to do?
I have never been more sure! I really enjoy the material, I'm loving the challenge it presents, and there are tidbits of my interests scattered around and I cannot wait to actually get to help someone. My only issue with all of this is that I miss having Josh around regularly. But, we have less than a year, and I could not be more excited!

So yeah! I'm not just surviving, I am thriving. Here's a song to jam to, get pumped! It's almost CHRISTMAS SEASON!!!!

Tota tua,

LeAnn 

Surviving Law School 101

I talked to my mom yesterday and she informed that family members have been asking about me...
Wondering if I am surviving law school, the "big city", and if law school is hard. So, I thought I would answer a few of those questions and put my grandma's mind at ease.

Am I surviving law school? 

Why, yes, I am. Don't get me wrong, there are moments where I'm scratching my head and am confused or frustrated by what is being taught but I am surviving. I've made a friend or two (or three), I have a pretty consistent schedule, and I'm not pulling my hair out with frustration.

Am I surviving the "big city"?

Yes. The only thing that really frustrates me is the traffic. "But wait!" scream the native KC-ers, "The traffic is not that bad!" Maybe not for you, but to me this is crazy. Word to the wise, if you are from a smaller town, like Monett, traffic is going to frustrate you. That it takes 10+ minutes to drive two and half miles is infuriating. The fact that grocery stores are NO WHERE near me is also frustrating, but hey, next time I'm looking for rentals, I'll remember to look for nearby grocery stores...

Is law school hard?

In the words of a dear friend of mine, is the Pope Catholic? Yes. Law school is hard. Reading 50 pages for one class is hard. Applying rules to convoluted fact patterns can be hard. But man, it is so worth it. If you do the reading, if you take clear notes, if you put forth the necessary effort, law school is not unbearably hard.

We were warned throughout orientation that law school, especially our first year, is a "transformative period in our lives". Yeah, okay, whatever...

No, really, it is. I think the biggest change I have seen so far is patience. I'm stuck in traffic, I'm anxious about getting to school, and as the weeks have gone by, I've learned to relax, I will get there eventually. There's no need to get upset. Maybe it is because we are moving slowly through material, maybe it's just the move to a new place, but I am definitely changing. I mean, for goodness sake, I bought Brussels sprouts at the farmer's market this weekend- I am on the cusp of adulthood.

With that being said, pray for the Pope on his tour through the United States this week, pray for me that I keep "surviving" law school.

Tota tua,

LeAnn

Haters gonna hate, hate, hate...

I'm baaaaaack!

As you can probably tell, it has been a little while since my last post. A culmination of stress (come on, it was my last semester of my undergrad!), and a bit of hypocrisy made me basically give up on this for a bit. But over the last two weeks, I've felt this overwhelming urge to write again, and Mass last night and a video by John Michael Talbot that my mother shared was the last little push I needed. Essentially, I just felt like God was reminding me that even if no one reads or appreciates this, I'm still putting my faith out there for someone who may really need it to find. There aren't enough witnesses to the Faith and the Love of God, and I shouldn't give it up just because of a few snarky people!

With that being said...it's time for a life update! These past few months have been a whirl-wind of activities. I am now attending the University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Law after graduating from Pittsburg State University this May. My longtime boyfriend, Josh, and I are now engaged to be married this upcoming May of 2016! And, to top it all off, I survived my second year as the camp director at the wonderful Camp Re-NEW-All, and learned a heck of a lot more about myself and my faith while bringing the camp one step closer to my personal goals for it.

Now, the message for the day. As I mentioned earlier, there are bigots in this world who tried (and almost successfully) tore me down and away from writing about my faith. But as Jesus reminds us, prophets are rarely welcome in their own homes. Now, I am not calling myself a prophet in the sense that Isiah or St. John the Baptist was a prophet, but I am announcing the Good News, and as Catholics we are anointed prophets at our baptism, which means we are called in our own ways to be be Lights to the World. Below is the video that gave me final spark, and although he looks like kind of a goofy guy, Mr. Talbot has a really awesome (and brief!) message each day.

https://video.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xlp1/v/t42.1790-2/11946044_10155909037590335_1193738889_n.mp4?efg=eyJybHIiOjMwMCwicmxhIjo1MTJ9&rl=300&vabr=150&oh=23bee4ec35eb9d736206c3331cd08e59&oe=55E48216 

Happy Monday everyone!

Tota tua,

LeAnn

Vocations; Part One

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

When I was five, I wanted to be a dance teacher.  This dream continued until I realized dancers needed to be able to touch their toes, which is something I still cannot do.  If someone asked me from fifth grade up until my sophomore year of high school, my answer was lawyer.  It was shortly into my sophomore year when I started toying with the idea of being a high school English teacher, or maybe a band director.  

But if you ask me today, my answer is lawyer.  

This past summer, I had an opportunity to really think and pray about who and what I wanted to be in five and ten years.  I spent months tossing around ideas of what I wanted to be, and how I was going to get it.  Starting in early April, I toyed with various plans:

a different college; maybe I need more of a challenge 

a double major; pushing me outside my comfort zone 

maybe I just needed time off from school

I could just live on campus next year.

I couldn't reach a decision I was comfortable with.  Almost every one involved money I didn't want to spend, not one offered me the sense of peace or security I was hoping to find.  So, finally, I did what I had been avoiding the entire time.  

I let go; I just let things happen. 

The funny thing about our vocations, they're never too far off.  It's right there in front of you, maybe just a step or two ahead, and always attainable.  

There's a reason people ask us what we want to be when we grow up.  It's because they're trying to plant those seeds young.  Help us to create, realize, and fight for our own dreams.  

Remember that cliche:

"Do what will make you happy, not earn you the most money"

It's a cliche for a reason.

Totus tuus, 

LeAnn