Beginnings

It's official. I start law school tomorrow.

Though I am looking forward to it, law school was never really in my "master plan." ... [Actually, my "master plan" used to consist of college, then an ambiguous gray area, then miraculously a job and a family and a house. I've been swimming in gray area for the past two years now - a somewhat productive two years that included a husband and a series of unsatisfying part-time jobs. Honestly, I originally took the LSATs and applied to law school on a whim. Part of my journey through law school will include a study of different fields and possible career paths, but for now I just need to get through day 1.]

Tomorrow is Orientation day. Based on the copious mailings I've received all summer, I know that tomorrow is mostly clerical. Get student ID. Buy parking pass. Purchase books. Meet other 1L's and professors. Pretend that you belong there. I have received my class schedule, my reading lists and my first reading assignments. I bought my law books online and expect them soon. My friends and family all have been warned about my impending time and energy commitments.

Despite all this, though, I don't quite feel "ready" yet. People keep on asking me two questions: "Are you excited?" and "Are you ready?" Honestly, excited + nervous, and no... not yet. I am looking forward to getting started already (the summer was a very long time to wait) but I do have some nagging concerns.

Concern 1: I won't have enough time for my husband.
People keep telling me how much TIME law school consumes. I've been married for almost a year and a half, during which time I've had a very forgiving work schedule. Adjusting to a full-time school day plus (I've heard) mountains of homework will be quite a shock. This leads me to

Concern 2: My school skills are rusty
I've always been a dutiful student, but I've been out of the classroom for two years. Though that's not very long I still worry that I will have difficulty adjusting to a full work load. This summer I've been reading like crazy to "warm up," but I haven't written a paper in a loooong time...

Concern 3: I'm going to lose my running fitness
OK this one is the silliest of my concerns, but a serious one nonetheless. I've spent the past four years as a pretty serious runner, including the past seven months where I ran to and from work daily (1.5 miles each way, but still!). Running helps me find my center, helps me focus and gives me time to myself. Running helped me through the stress of my senior thesis in college, through the long year of wedding planning, the first year of my marriage and the move two time zones from my home state. I worry that my running time will be lost in the press of law school obligations.

So I'm nervous. Excited and nervous.

More to come after Orientation...

K