Well. I graduated from my paralegal program. I took my last final last Wednesday. I have one meeting left, but all my work is in, so I'm done.
It's weird to think about. For the last year, I've been working toward getting this certificate and now it's over. Overall, I have to say this program was really good for me. Even though my plan is to go to law school next year and use my certificate for only a year or so, I think the fact that it made me believe I could go to law school and succeed in law makes it worth while.Still. I feel like it's a little like high school. I remember when I graduated, my mom was insistent that I have a graduation party. It was tradition. It was a good excuse for family to get together. And it would be fun. But, I didn't really want one. I remember telling her that I didn't really feel like I had accomplished much and that I didn't think it was worth celebrating. Her answer, after months of trying to reason with me, was, "Well. Tough."
But, yeah. Now. I really don't feel like celebrating too much. Don't get me wrong, it's a good program and I feel good about getting through it. But. I've got the LSAT to worry about and I've started writing my personal statement. And I'm still without employment. So. Yeah. I'm happy I made it (and, unless my math is wrong, I made it with honors, thank you very much), but there are miles to go...**********
LSAT studying is going well. My pretest scores have gone up and I'm really starting to see the framework of the test and my confidence is much higher. I don't exactly know how it will translate into a score, but I feel good about it. And that's a big enough change for me to feel happy about. It's nice that I feel like my hours of study are helping.I was really panicky about this test when I started studying. Now, I'm less panicky and more confident.
**********Dinah and I visited Minneapolis/St. Paul last weekend and it was magnificent. It was good to see her brother and his family. Their daughter is almost two now and (this is gonna sound dumb) she's like a little person. She's walking and almost talking and it's great.
At first, she was a little shy and didn't want to play with Dinah or I, but she warmed up to us. And that was really awesome. I don't know. I grew up with distant uncles who weren't very fun or interesting, and it's really important to me that I don't be the same way. So yeah. It was great to play name that animal with her. Or where's Uncle Joe. Good fun.
But. We weren't there just to see the family (though we hadn't seen them since Christmas, which seems like forever when a kid is growing). Dinah was there to look around. And I was there to look at a couple law schools. The first school I looked at was William Mitchell Law School. I met with someone in their admissions department. I didn't know what to expect walking in, but I was really impressed. I can see myself there and I can see myself being happy.
The second place I looked at was the University of Minnesota Law School. I can also see myself there, which is confusing.See. When I chose Grinnell, I didn't really have much of a choice, by design. I applied at two schools and I knew I wanted to go to Grinnell. I got into the other school first and went for a visit. I liked it, well enough. If I would've ended up going there, I would've been fine. But I knew it wasn't where I wanted to go. And I think that would've bothered me. But with these two schools (and I have to remember these aren't the only schools I will apply to and that we may not even be in Minneapolis/St. Paul, so there's more to think about than what I would personally be happy with...), I can see myself being happy with either one. They both have strengths that I think would fit well with what I want to do.*
Ultimately though, I think we want to be in the Minnesota/St. Paul area, and I should just be happy it looks like I've got to great options for law school. I mean, it could come down to money or one of them may not want me, but all things being equal, it's good to know I feel I could be happy at two places.***********
The one bad thing about the MN visit was that I lost my phone. Which wasn't good. I had driven Dinah to a meeting an hour and a half early because I had my William Mitchell meeting. And while she was gonna have her meeting, I would be on my way to my U of MN meeting and I was gonna call her afterwards to see where she was and pick her up. Without a phone, this plan falls apart.
But I don't discover I've lost my phone until after I get out of my Mitchell meeting. So, I drive over to where I drop her off and wait around where I know her meeting is. After 30 minutes, I catch her, but just as she's meeting her person. So, I interrupt and we work out a new plan really quickly. Good good.
So we look all over my brother-in-law's house. We go back to Mitchell thinking I may have dropped it there. We check with their lost and found. And nothing.
Fast forward to a week later, after I've switched my phone to my old clunker phone and I'm looking through my bag to get it ready for my last class and guess what? There's my phone. Right where I'd put it.
This is not a moment I'll be writing about in my personal statement.
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The one bad thing about the MN visit was that I lost my phone. Which wasn't good. I had driven Dinah to a meeting an hour and a half early because I had my William Mitchell meeting. And while she was gonna have her meeting, I would be on my way to my U of MN meeting and I was gonna call her afterwards to see where she was and pick her up. Without a phone, this plan falls apart.
But I don't discover I've lost my phone until after I get out of my Mitchell meeting. So, I drive over to where I drop her off and wait around where I know her meeting is. After 30 minutes, I catch her, but just as she's meeting her person. So, I interrupt and we work out a new plan really quickly. Good good.
So we look all over my brother-in-law's house. We go back to Mitchell thinking I may have dropped it there. We check with their lost and found. And nothing.
Fast forward to a week later, after I've switched my phone to my old clunker phone and I'm looking through my bag to get it ready for my last class and guess what? There's my phone. Right where I'd put it.
This is not a moment I'll be writing about in my personal statement.
***********
Dinah and I saw (500) Days of Summer Saturday. Great movie. I loved this movie so much. Generally, I am not a big fan of the romantic comedy genre, but between this movie and Away We Go***, this summer has been a great time to see good, thoughtful, well-acted romantic comedies. The Harrison Ford cameo was worth the price of admission alone. And that's just the beginning of, what I have to say, was one of the most fun and honest representations of a man's feelings when he's just fallen in love. But, even without this scene, the movie is good. Really worth seeing.
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Yeah, so not everything is great, but I have been feeling a lot more optimistic about things. It's just really starting to feel like things are going to come together. Even if it's not going according to Plan A, I feel like there are plenty of other good things popping up that I think things will work out as we want them.
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*Note1. U of MN has a Law School musical every year, which I shouldn't figure into my decision, but the thought of listing "Judd from Oklahoma" on my resume...I mean, that has to be considered, right?**Yeah, so not everything is great, but I have been feeling a lot more optimistic about things. It's just really starting to feel like things are going to come together. Even if it's not going according to Plan A, I feel like there are plenty of other good things popping up that I think things will work out as we want them.
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**Note2. Of course it does!
***Note3. Seriously, Maya Rudolph was so great. And John Krasinski was good. Great script, great direction. I don't know if this movie is out anymore, but it's worth seeing. And certainly worth renting.
