My Checklist for the Final 2 Weeks Before Law School

13 days until Law School! In two weeks I will be entering the first classes of my professional career.... that is pretty hard to believe! The journey thus far has been one of many ups and downs but to be this close to finally starting Law School is very exciting. That being said, there is a ton of last minute stuff to get done!

Student ID
I have to get my new student ID but I am still waiting on my name change paperwork from getting married. I want to start the year with my new name but time is running out.... hopefully it all gets done in time!

Books
I finally have all of my books in hand! They were super expensive, are super heavy and are just a bit intimidating. I ordered all of my books new off Amazon except for one that I rented. Thankfully they were cheaper than I budgeted.

Parking Pass
Coming in at a whopping $150 was my one-semester parking pass.... my undergraduate college offered parking passes for free so this was an unpleasant surprise. The nice thing is that the passes do not have to be stuck on the car or hung on the rearview mirror. Somehow they just know.

School Supplies
Pens, highlighters, folders, notebooks and all of the above. I have always loved school supplies shopping and this was no different. I wrote an entire post on my school supplies for Law School so reference that for specifics.

LexisNexis
This morning I received the email to set up my LexisNexis account. Now I feel like a real Law Student but the red Camelbak from orientation will really seal the deal. I read all about the LexisNexis rewards system and through online videos, tutorials and quizzes I have already amassed 800 points!

Orientation Requirements
We had some assigned reading and worksheets for the Mock classes and events in Orientation. I got them done to the best of my ability and it feels good to have it off my shoulders.

First Class Reading
Only 2 of my 5 classes have posted the assigned reading for our first class meeting. I am slowly working away at it a little at a time. Hopefully, the others will get posted soon so I don't have to do it all right before classes start. The assignments haven't been too bad.... so far.

Enjoy the Last Days of Freedom
I only have 13 more days of no classes, homework and stress. I am trying to enjoy it as much as possible and spend time with my Hubby, my puppies, Netflix and getting my house in shape. Summer is coming to an end very soon... The Olympics are perfectly timed; I love watching them and it is a great way to wind down these last summer days.

So there you have it! I am just trying to make the last days before Law School as enjoyable and productive as possible. I know the stress is coming.....

How are you preparing for Law School these final weeks? 

Making Yourself a Productive Morning Person in 5 Easy Steps + FreePrintable!

Happy Monday friends!!

 Coming to you from my couch, snuggling with my golden pup and watching the Olympics in between (Go USA!!!). Call me crazy, but I actually love Mondays. It signals the start of a new week and a fresh start. I love starting my week off on the right foot and planning out a productive week. However, Monday mornings are the worst. After a weekend of sleeping in and relaxing with my hubby, Monday mornings just seem to hit like a freight train. I am not naturally a morning person; I prefer to be most productive at 11:00pm. Despite this, I have worked out a system that allows me to be a better morning person and to enjoy getting up before 9:00am as much as I can.

Puppy snuggles make any morning better

SO how do I do it without being a total grump? Here is my 5 steps to making yourself a productive morning person!

1. Don't Press Snooze
I tend to be the queen of setting 500 alarms to ensure I get up in the morning. However, that also makes it really easy to turn one off and convince myself that the 10 extra minutes of sleep before the next one goes off will truly make the day great. I have started to force myself out of bed at the first alarm. Granted, my 3-month-old puppy has helped this habit because she is wide awake the minute any alarm goes off and does a pretty darn good job of getting me out of bed.

2. Make the Bed
Once you force your half-dead body from the warm sheets, make your bed. This not only starts the day out with a clean and productive beginning but it also discourages you from climbing back in and waiting on another alarm to go off. I try to get my bed made asap so that I cannot go back to sleep.

3. Establish a Breakfast Routine
Breakfast is something I always look forward to. It is my favorite meal of the day. Therefore, if I keep good breakfast food in the house, I am more tempted to get downstairs and make myself waffles instead of getting back in bed. My routine has come to include a hearty breakfast and the first cup of strong coffee while I watch one 30 minute episode of something on Netflix while still in my PJ's. I give myself this 30 minutes of vegging out, relaxing and fueling myself for the day. Some people prefer to hit the ground running in the morning; I need a little time to get alive before I can start to conquer the day. As long as you find something that works for you, a good breakfast routine will help your mornings immensely.

4. Dress to Impress
Even if you are planning on staying in all day and studying or doing dirty yard work, get yourself dressed right from the get go. If I let myself stay in my PJ's past breakfast, it sets a lazy tone for my whole morning and therefore my whole day. I try to get dressed and ready immediately after breakfast. Once I have a fresh outfit on, my hair wrangled into a semblance of acceptability and at least some BB cream and mascara on, I feel ready to conquer the day and get to work. It signals the beginning of my "work" day to be dressed and ready for whatever that day might bring. This could be anywhere from a business suit for Law School to old painting clothes to repaint my deck. No matter what I am wearing, getting dressed to conquer that day is the signal I need to know it is time to get the day rolling!

5. Plan My Day
I love to write down everything. To-do lists, calendars, planners, meal planning; you name it and I probably have it written out somewhere around my house. Starting my morning off is no different. In order to start a productive and organized day, I have discovered that having a "daily planner" sheet is the best way to do this. I prefer to sit down at the table with cup of coffee #2 and this cute little daily planner and take 10 minutes to map out my day. I put down what I have to get done, what I want to get done, what my big goal of the day is and any other random thoughts that get running through my mind. Getting everything out on paper helps to clear my mind and create some order for the day and prioritizes what I have to do. Originally, I just jotted this all down on a small legal pad but eventually I made this cute little sheet to add some pretty functionality to my morning.

***My Daily Planner sheet available as a free downloadable PDF printable for all of my lovely readers! I hope it helps to get your day started on the right foot just like it does for mine!

+ My free bonus tip is specifically for Mondays: I love to fill out a weekly planner on Monday mornings laying out my goals for the week, meals, blogging, to-do list and shopping list. I find it so helpful to have a plan for the week before it gets started; it keeps me on track.

So there you go! This is the short and sweet way I went from being the worst morning person ever to actually getting out of bed and enjoying the way my mornings progress. My schedule is currently set for summer break so it looks something like this:

     6:45am- Alarm goes off

     6:45-7am- Take puppies outside and feed them breakfast while I make the bed

     7:00-7:30am- Breakfast, coffee and an episode of How I Met Your Mother 

     7:30-8am- Get dressed, do hair and makeup

     8:00-8:15am- Second cup of coffee and mapping my day through my handy Daily Planner

     8:15am- Hit the ground running and get my day started!

We are not all born morning people but hopefully this will help you learn to take advantage of mornings just as I have. Getting the day started early and started right is truly the best way to have a nice and productive day!

Wishing productive mondays to all!

DIY Wooden Crate Coffee Table

9/28/17 Update: We still have this table in our living room and it has held up beautifully!!

Who loves a good Pinterest DIY???? I know I do! Ever since we bought our new home, I have been dying to do some DIY's. My husband and I were in dire need of a coffee table for our little living room and most of the ones we liked were out of our budget. I don't start Law School for a few more weeks so I have some spare time for projects. So of course, I got on Pinterest and did some digging and discovered this great DIY project for a coffee table made of simple wooden crates. I looked at a few variations and decided on my own unique plan of attack. SO, without further ado, here is my tutorial for a DIY wooden crate coffee table.

Supplies

4 Large Wooden Crates

A Jar of Wood Stain 

Paint Brush for Staining

Old Rag for Staining

Sand paper or Electric Sander

6 Medium length screws

Drill 

Step 1- Find Wooden Crates
I wanted to find a good deal on the crates to keep our budget low. I had been looking for a few weeks and this Sunday paper showed the crates I wanted on sale at Menards for $8.99 with a $3 mail in rebate making them an all-time low price of $5.99. I went right out and bought 4 of the crates along with a small jar of stain ($7.59).

Step 2- Sand the Crates

My next step was to sand the crates because they were slightly coarse and I didn't want any chances of splinters. An electric sander we already own made the job quick and easy. 

Step 3- Stain the Crates

Staining came next. I did two coats of our chosen stain in Golden Mahogany. The first coat was brushed on and let dry overnight. The second coat was again brushed on and then I rubbed the excess off with an old rag for a nice rustic look. I let them dry after that for 4 hours. 

The Crates after sanding and 2 coats of stain 

Step 4- Arrange and Screw Crates Together

Once the crates were sufficiently dry, I arranged them into the size and shape I wanted. I made sure to put the best sides facing outward and got them nice and straight. After this, I put 2 screws in each junction. Be careful to screw into the strong wooden ends (with the carry holes) versus the rather flimsy slates. I put in a medium sized screw that went through both crates without poking out the other side. 

  

                                          Arranged how I want them.                                      Two screws into the strong ends

Step 5- Place and Decorate

Now, I just placed my new coffee table in our living room and added some decorations. I chose to leave the center hole as is and put a tray over it. I think long-term we want to order a piece of custom cut glass to cover the whole top for durability but we haven't done this yet. 

  

 

Overall, I could not be more pleased with the project and the outcome! It completes our living room perfectly and was so simple. The color matches our other furniture, it has lovely storage and is just the right size for our small space. Eating in the living room is much easier now! 

The project in total took me about 3 hours. Sanding and staining took 2 hours and the shopping was about 30 minutes and putting it together took about 30 minutes. My total investment was $31.55- not bad for a coffee table and well within our budget! I highly suggest this project and I hope this tutorial helps you out! 

My Must-Have School Supplies for Law School

Ahhhh early August; When school supplies invades every retail establishment and middle school supply lists can be found in the front of every Walmart. Call me a nerd but I love this time of year. I love preparing and shopping for the upcoming school year and starting out feeling prepared. School supplies are one of my favorite things to shop for and I can spend an eternity (in the words of my husband) trying to pick out the perfect pens. As Law School grows ever nearer, I have been taking stock of what I have and what I still need in terms of school supplies. As of this week, I feel that I have everything I need and started organizing it, labeling, color coding.... you know typical crazy OCD stuff.

Choosing the Perfect Planner for Law School

20 days until Law School classes start! I am in full OCD organizational mode. First order of business- finding the perfect planner for keeping my sanity throughout Law School. I have always been a Planner user. I find that writing out my life and responsibilities really helps me stay organized and get it all done. That being said, my quest for the perfect planner to suit my needs has always come up a little lacking. My requirements are a bit steep: pretty, not super bulky, student friendly, simple layout, customized specifically for my needs and not ridiculously priced.

I did a lot of research into high-end planners in my quest for the perfect one. My senior year of undergrad I splurged on the famous Lilly Pulitzer Planner. Though beautiful, it just did not suit my needs and I ended up ditching it for a little leather planner I found at T.J. Maxx for $5. That planner also was not perfect by any means but it got me through graduation. In preparation for law school, I started researching again. I gave Bullet journaling a try as it is the craze of Tumblr but I just really couldn't make it work for me. It was just too much work and I gave up before it really helped me. This time around I came across the Erin Condren Life Planner which seemed to be great for juggling many things but the sticker price was a bit steep.

Enter, the Plum Perfect Planner. Priced lower than the EC planner, prettier, more customizable and a better student layout. I read a few reviews by other Law Students regarding the planner and looked around their website at all the options and I was sold within minutes. Usually, I wait around to make a decision to see if I change my mind. In this case, I picked a cover, layout and a few add-ons and ordered it faster than you can say "Plum Paper".

So why did I choose this planner? Five big reasons.

1. Personalized
Call me basic but I love having personalized/monogrammed things. Having something that is pretty and special for some reason makes me more apt to use the item and since I HAVE to use a planner to stay organized, I wanted to to be pretty and inviting. I absolutely love that Plum Paper offers so many pretty designs and customization options. I chose to have my name and a monogram on the cover. The design I chose is clean and bright and just seems so inviting. It is pretty and I love whipping it out at every opportunity because it makes me smile.

2. Student Friendly
Plum Paper offers a specific student planner but I did not choose that because it was expensive to add in all my classes and it didn't really allow for real life to be integrated into the planner like I wanted. I chose the regular planner in a vertical morning-afternoon-evening layout. This helps me to lump my day into time frames for studying, classes, free time, etc. I have plenty of space for class assignments, meetings and study schedules as well as appointments, bills to be paid and any other events within my life. I love the monthly layout for looking at the big picture of what my month will entail and the goal setter/to-do page at the beginning of each month. I ordered the 7x9 size and it is just right- big enough to write everything down but small enough that it doesn't take up too much space in my purse of backpack.

3. Add-On's
The add-on's really made this planner a winner to me. I chose to add on the Monthly To-Do lists and a blog planning section. I think these will really help me to stay more organized and it keeps everything in one spot: school, blog, life, to-do's. Being able to add these extras really made Plum Paper the planner for me. In future planners, I might even add in other extras like a fitness planner, bill tracker and who knows what else. The options are nearly endless for total life organization (wow that really shows my OCD loud and clear).

4. Durability
I use and abuse my planners so I had to make sure this would hold up. I read a lot of reviews and never saw any major concerns with durability. After receiving my planner, it lives up to my standard thanks to the plastic protector on the front and the nice firm spirals holding it all together. We will reconvene on this aspect when I am done with it but I am confident that Plum Paper will live through my school year.

5. Price
For the level of customization, add-ons and quality provided in Plum Paper, you seriously cannot beat the price point. The base price is $31 and with my add-on's of blog planning and to-do pages my total plus shipping was $46.25. I know I said that $50 for the EC planner was too much and then I went and spent nearly the same on the Plum Paper but the difference is I got exactly what I wanted and needed. The EC planner felt like I was paying for a name and was getting something I would have to conform my needs to fit. With Plum Paper, it is customized to my specific needs from the start. That is, in my opinion, worth every penny.

As you can see, my choice in a planner was a bit of a process. I did a lot of thinking and research and thankfully ended up with what I believe is the perfect planner for my Law School journey. Too any other 1L students looking for a good planner, I highly suggest the Plum Paper Planner. Allow for at least 3 weeks for your planner to arrive. It took my planner a solid 2 weeks to arrive and you would not want to cut it close on not having it in time for school.

Overall, I am pleased as punch with my planner! Thank you Plum Paper for this wonderful product. Also, thanks for the sweet handwritten note- now thats customer service!! Now, I shall return to my planning and color coding. Oh how I love a perfectly color coded planner page :)

What planners do you use for Law School???

Life Update

I'm back! After a whirlwind few weeks, I am ready to jump back into blogging. I got married on July 16th and it was a dream come true. We then went on our honeymoon to Disney World and Universal Studios. We had a blast!

Now it is back to the law school prep grind and getting our little blue house put together. Here are the 5 things I am working on this week:

1. Thank You Notes
Weddings are great and our guests were SO generous. Now I need to take a chunk of time and write a thank you note to everyone. It will be time-consuming but worth it to give thanks to each and every person who helped us celebrate.

2. Settling in Our Home
My husband has been living in our house since we bought it in May but I have only now moved in full time following our marriage. There is a lot of things to do and organize and decorate. It is starting to feel more homey but it is still a work in progress. Some fun DIY projects are in the works :)

3. Orientation Reading
Law School orientation is coming up quick and I have some cases to read to prepare for the mock classes. It will be a good time to get to work on my reading skills and perfect my highlighter process of note taking.

4. Blogging
Time to get back to blogging for real. I have a ton of blogging ideas not I just need to sit down at my desk and get to typing!

5. Relaxing
I only have a few more weeks before school starts and I do want some time to relax. This weekend my husband and I are going to a baseball game with an old high school friend and we hope to check out the local zoo next week and find a good dog park. There must be some time for fun and relaxation amidst all the preparation and work.

So that is what I am up to! Hope everyone else is enjoying these last weeks of summer!

How I Got a Full Tuition Scholarship to Law School

Let's get real; the road to law school is HARD. College is hard, the LSAT is torturous and applications can drive you insane... not to mention the waiting game and choosing process. I can say personally that I highly underestimated how difficult it could be to make my way from Undergraduate Freshman to admitted law student. Most things I put my mind to in life I accomplished easily and with flying colors. This was a challenge I did not expect but one I am also proud to say I accomplished. 

I was lucky to have a wonderful undergrad advisor who guided me through the process as much as he could. I will never forget the end of my first semester of college when he told me that if I kept up my work ethic, I would end up getting a full ride to law school and have my choice of schools. I laughed and called him crazy at the time but in my head I decided I would settle for no less and try my absolute hardest in the process. 

Flash forward 4 years and here I am, sitting here writing a blog about law school while admitted to a great school with a full ride scholarship redeemable all 3 years as long as I stay in good academic standing. Want to know how I did it? 

Here's to the Girls Raised in a Horse Barn

Here's to all the girls who were raised in a barn.

The girls who learned the beauty of a sunrise because they had to get up early to feed the horses.

The girls who understand the calm serenity of the sound of horses munching hay in the stillness of a cool morning.

The girls who can shovel poop like nobody's business.

The girls who treat 1200-pound animals like their own personal puppy dogs.

The girls who consider every barn cat, dog and even some squirrels to be a part of their barn family and every single one has a lovingly bestowed name.

The girls who spend their summers in jeans, T-shirts and boots.

The girls who have the whitest legs around and pretty mean farmers tans.

The girls who spend their days covered in sweat, poop, dirt, hair, hay and love every minute of it.

The girls who go from cleaning out a water tub to eating a sandwich without washing their hands and don't even think twice.

The girls who share their food with their horses just because they give you the big, brown, begging eyes.

The girls who can make just about anything out of bailing twine and duck tape.

The girls who can drive a tractor, back a trailer and work a Bobcat as good as any guy.

The girls who love the mixed smell of fly spray, fresh hay and sweaty horses because that is the perfume of our summer.

The girls who go days on end without a stitch of makeup because our horses love us no matter how much mascara we have on and sometimes makeup is just too much work.

The girls who skip pool parties and summer barbecues because of horse shows and barn chores and have no complaints about their choices.

The girls who have spent hours in a hay loft stacking 75-pound bales of hay in 90-degree heat because horses have to eat.

The girls who wear their dirty cowboy boots and Cruel Girl jeans everywhere because they just don't care what people think.

The girls who have taken their horse swimming when the days just get too hot.

The girls who may have eaten dirt, horse grain and hay as children but turned out OK anyway.

The girls who spend the night in the barn when their beloved horse is sick or expecting a baby.

The girls who have napped in their horses stalls when necessity dictates.

The girls whose lives revolve around their animals.

The girls who live and breath the air of a old barn.

The girls who wouldn't change it for the world.

Here's to the girls who were raised in a barn. We know we are better for it, we wouldn't know what to do without it and we wouldn't live our lives any other way.

How I am Preparing for Law School

51 days until I start law school.... that blows my mind. Needless to say, I am on the backstretch of the preparing for law school stage. This summer has been dedicated to two things: my wedding and preparing for law school. Now that my wedding is just 2 weeks away and most of the prep is done, it is time to shift some of my focus to law school and how I must prepare myself for that. Below are the 10 major ways I am preparing for law school. 

Why I Started Blogging in Law School

I started this blog throughout my Law School applications process. Right around the same time I was finishing my last semester of undergrad, buying a house, moving to a different city, finishing up wedding preparations and we had a new puppy. Doesn't sound like a good time to throw blogging into the mix does it? Yeah well, it probably wasn't in hindsight but my reasons for starting a blog hold true still today.

I started this blog as an outlet for thoughts, ideas and just a place to share my own unique voice. I love writing; I always have. Being able to use that in a creative way that is all my own is a nice outlet for me. It is almost therapeutic. When my family and friends get tired of me talking about London, I can blog about it and I know there is someone out there that will love to read it.

There is also something so awesome about knowing that I can share my own unique thoughts with the world in just the click of a little orange "publish" button. In this great big world, I am just another blonde girl who had some horses and dogs and wants to be a lawyer. But on my blog, I am a writer, a sharer of ideas, an inspiration and a voice all my own. I find it motivating; Blogging about Law School keeps me excited about Law School. Blogging about my house gets me motivated to finish that DIY project I have been putting off. It helps to hold me accountable for all the random ideas that flow through my head and gives me a place to share them.

My final reason for starting this blog was to help future law students in their roads to Law School. I searched the internet high and low for Law School bloggers and came up pretty empty. There were a few blogs but nothing was really giving the voice and input I was looking for. So when you can't find what you're looking for, make it yourself! I started this blog in the middle of applications and choosing a school so it is a true representation of my Law School path- from beginning to end. I hope that my voice and my experience can help some future law students to be better prepared and feel like they understand the path better than I did starting out.

So there it is; my random reasons for starting this blog. It is more than just a Law School blog; it is a blog for my thoughts, ideas, projects, life lessons and for my voice to shine. I hope it makes you smile, think or at least not be bored.

Cheers for now!

My 1L Fall Schedule for Law School

My information packet for law school arrived! Earlier than I expected, I now have all the course info, my schedule, orientation info, an email address, a student ID and a book list. They sent me this cute little personalized flash drive with everything on it and I can reuse it later! I love freebies! I also love that I can finally start buying books, planning my schedule, emailing my teachers, making my folders, reading ahead.... can you tell my OCD has hit overdrive???

Marriage Countdown

I get married in exactly one month. After 2 years of being engaged, almost 7 years together and just 3 months after graduating college, we will finally be husband and wife!

Our last few weeks have been crazy; we bought a new house, moved, said an unexpected goodbye to our sweet dog, got a new puppy to heal our broken hearts and have spent little to no time together. Anytime we spend together is spent working or sleeping. I am still living at home until the wedding and my hubby to be is an hour away. Never in our whole relationship have we been so separated and it really stinks. I give long distance relationships a lot of credit!

Despite our crazy life and lack of time together, I still can't believe how lucky I am to be marrying the man of my dreams in one short month! I never thought I would be the girl who married her high school sweetheart at age 22 but then this tall red-haired boy walked into my life and changed everything.... I have never been so thankful to have my precious plans upturned because this is definitely for the better.

Soon we will be married, heading to Disney for our honeymoon and then home to settle fully into our new house before I start Law School on August 22nd. This is a crazy summer and I am so ready for a slower pace after this is over.... but crazy as it is, it is such a fun time in our lives and one we will never get again. I am trying to enjoy the moment as much as my stress level allows.... and I am just ready to be married!

Cheers from the future Mrs. Brown,

Why I am Thankful for Finding the Cory to my Topanga

Like most people of my generation, I grew up on a steady diet of "Full House," Disney Channel and of course, "Boy Meets World." It was "Boy Meets World" that has always struck a cord with me; I love the characters, the way you see them grow and change and the wholesome messages coming from the show. I could not have been more excited when they released "Girl Meets World," but that is a story for another time. I always associated with Topanga. We have a lot in common—slightly eccentric, comfortable alone, confident in our own skin, loves education, aspirations to be a lawyer, long hair. For so long, I watched the show and felt that the only thing different between me and Topanga was that I did not have a Cory. I didn't date much growing up; I didn't have time, and I didn't make the time. I was focused on my goals, my education and I wasn't going to let anyone stand in my way. I shot down almost every boy who showed interest and was known for my intense, cold looks and slightly hard exterior. That was until a tall, red-haired boy walked into my life and refused to leave until he broke right into that icy exterior. I started dating this boy my sophomore year of high school. He was a jock who held school records; I was a nerd who carried a book everywhere I went. No one in school could believe we were together. Yet, we worked. He made me laugh and be more social. I helped him write his papers. Almost seven years later, we are engaged, buying a house and stronger than ever. These are the reasons why I am so thankful to finally have the Cory to my Topanga.

Thanks for sticking by me through high school, college, first jobs, first house and everything together. I always had a partner and someone to fall back on through all of these crazy times in our lives.

Thank you for always providing a shoulder to cry on and picking me up when I fall. No matter what happens in our life, I can always go home and have the comfort of my favorite person.

Thanks for being my biggest fan. Thanks for always cheering me on in whatever I chose to do from horse shows to the LSAT and everything in between.

Thanks for keeping me laughing and making everything an adventure, even the grocery store or taking our dogs for a walk. Life with you is never boring, and I would not change it for the world.

Thank you for making sure I never doubt your love and devotion. Finding such a pure and strong love this young is a blessing I am eternally grateful for.

Thanks for keeping it weird and wonderful. Thanks for eating waffles in bed with me at 11 p.m. while watching "The Office" and letting that be our normal.

Thanks for pushing me to always be a better person and challenging me to constantly keep growing. I may not always like your constructive comments, but they come from a good place and help me to be better person.

I never thought I would be that girl who married her high school sweetheart at 22 years old. I never thought my whole life would be changed by one guy. I never thought I would be lucky enough to find the Cory to my Topanga, but I did and I am so thankful. I don't know what I would do without you, and I don't ever want to find out. Maybe someday they will make a TV show about our kids. But even if they don't, I am still happy to have you and a beautiful future ahead. Thanks for being everything I always thought I wanted in a man and everything I did not know I needed.

Sincerely,

The Ice Queen You Melted

My Bucket List for the Summer Before Law School

I start law school August 22nd. After graduating undergrad in May, summer seems to by flying by. There are a lot of things I want to do before law school starts but time is limiting what I can realistically do. Here is my realistic bucket list for before law school starts.

Saying Goodbye to Findlay, OH

I have lived the last 11 years in the same city. Though not the place of my birth, it is the place where I went through the awkward pre-teen days, suffered through high school, attended a local private college, met the love of my life and grew very attached to this sleepy little Ohio town in the process. This week we are moving to a new city... we bought a house and are putting down some new roots. While it is exciting and a whole new adventure, the pang of loss is more than I expected as I say goodbye to my hometown.

At first I hated this place. When I moved here 11 years ago, I was determined that I would never learn to like it and leave as soon as I could. As time wore on, I began to think of it as my true home and understood that even a quiet, flat Ohio town had some hidden gems. I learned that Dietsch Brothers has the best chocolate and ice cream in the world. I found out the best cookies ever hail only from Bread Kneads. Georgehouse truly has the best coffee around and is the best study location for a struggling college student. Main Street Deli has the best sandwiches in town and is the perfect stop for lunch. Logans is my favorite restaurant and it is almost like being in a real Irish pub though I am stuck in the Ohio cornfields. The reservoir has the best views in town. Nino's is basically the only bar you will visit as a college student and it may be a small hole in the wall but it is rather fun.

It was not until I truly was buying a house in another city and packing my things that I realized I was leaving this place that had truly become my home. I did not go away to college so this is the first time I have ever truly "left" since I arrived as an eleven-year-old girl. I was not expecting it to be so hard or so bittersweet... I did not realize how much this town has become a part of me. I have learned to love it's quietness and the overall quality of the people who live here. Even when Black Friday shopping people are nice and thoughtful. It is such a warm and happy place and I know that it is something I took for granted while I lived here and will miss when I am gone.

No matter where I go or where I end up, I am thankful to have grown up in Findlay, OH. This little town I once loathed became the home I hate to leave and I am thankful to have grown up in such a wonderful place. I may be moving away and learning a new zip code but I know that the University of Findlay Alumni sticker will always live on my car, Dietsch chocolate will always be my favorite and Findlay will always be considered home.

An Open Letter to my Undergraduate University

A month ago I graduated undergrad. I said goodbye to friends who have become family, a community that has become home and an institution that has impacted my life irrevocably.

I want to thank my college for all the free T-shirts and sweatshirts. My sleepwear is set for a very long time and I will be reppin' my college for years to come.

Thanks for all the free food ... over the years, midnight munchies and steak night has kept me fed throughout some rough weeks. It is so nice to have a college that feeds you.

I am so thankful for all the professors who pushed me, taught me, challenged me and were always there for whatever you needed. Going to an institution where there was an open door policy to all professors was something I took for granted and was so lucky to have.

I had so many opportunities to get involved and have leadership positions. I did varsity sports, led organizations and was able to become more well rounded.

I enjoyed going to college surrounded by cornfields. Though it was boring at times, it was a small, homey town full of charm and I could not have imagined four years anywhere else. I also never felt unsafe, which was a relief to both myself and my parents.

I am beyond grateful for the study abroad experience my institution offered. I was able to go to London and receive credit and have my life changed in the process.

I am glad that a bunch of really cool people decided to come to the same school so I could make some lifelong friends and have four years of amazing fun and memories.

I am glad I got to move out on my own and stretch my legs as an adult. Learning to cook and do laundry was pretty valuable in the long scheme of things.

I am so happy to always have a community to fall back on. I will always be a part of something bigger than just myself and my education; I was a member of the class of 2016 and a part of the greater alumni association. I will proudly have that alumni sticker on my car from now on.

Moving on to home ownership, marriage, grad school and a new city, I am finding myself growing very nostalgic about this little college community that has taken great care of me for four of the best years of my life. Though at times I hated everything about it and other times wanted to be anywhere other than the library or basement classroom, I know these are things I will look back on fondly saying "those were the days." Someday, I will bring my kids to visit my undergraduate college and show them the room where I had that horrid math class and the table I always sat at to study for big tests and my favorite smoothie at the coffee shop. I will tell them that this was the place where I grew into an adult and had some of the greatest times of my life. Then I will leave and say, once again, thank you for my perfectly unperfect four years of undergrad. 

5 Ways Studying Abroad Changed My Life

After my junior year of college, I spent three weeks studying abroad in London, England. Needless to say (as my family can attest to because I never shut up about it), it was an absolutely life-changing experience that I can never forget. I am so thankful I was able to study abroad and make the memories that I did. Beyond that, studying abroad truly changed me as a person in five major ways.

1. I became independent.
Prior to studying abroad in London, I had never traveled anywhere without my parents, friends or fiancé. I took off to London, England, all by myself with a suitcase, a backpack and a whole bunch of plans. While I did become very close friends with my fellow classmates and we did a lot of things together, this was still something independent for me. I planned an entire trip to Ireland 110 percent by myself; I also completed a large research project by myself. I figured out how to navigate the Tube by myself. The sense of independence I gained while studying abroad is priceless to me because it helped me to give up some of my shyness and need to hide within a group. I gained the confidence to do things on my own and strike out with my own ideas and adventures and see where they lead. I cannot express how much I value that growth of independence within myself that I gained while studying abroad.

2. I opened my mind.
Prior to London, I had never been out of the U.S. unless you count Canada and Mexico. Going to a new country with a new culture made me open my mind. I learned to accept and embrace cultural changes. I learned to try new food and drinks. I am normally a very closed and sedentary person; I like things a certain way and to stay comfortable. Studying abroad thrust me totally out of my comfort zone and made me open up and go with the flow. I have tried to maintain that upon coming home. I try to say yes to things more often than no and seek adventure instead of hiding at home.

3. I learned it's OK to get lost.
I am a type-A, OCD-planning fanatic. I plan everything right down to the minuscule detail. Case in point: before going to London, I had every single day planned out and day trips booked. I was packed two and a half weeks in advance, and I had even Google mapped the route from my apartment to a grocery, the nearest Tube station and The University College of London where I would be studying. Despite all my obsessive planning, things went awry and plans did not work out. Sometimes I had a certain event planned but something better came up and I just went with it. Usually, the experience I had in replacement of my planned event was more memorable. I got lost for two hours one morning while trying to find a museum. Instead of getting upset like I normally would have, I embraced the experience and all the neat things I saw along my route. I still love to plan and have things go according to plan, but when things go awry now, I try to embrace it and see where it takes me because some of my best memories in London came from being completely lost and confused and stumbling upon something great.

4. I learned to appreciate my home.
Though I love London and am dying to go back ASAP, my time across the pond made me appreciate my sleepy little Ohio hometown. The minute I officially committed to study abroad, I was so excited to get out of Ohio cornfields and explore one of the most cultured cities in the world. By my third week there, I was definitely ready to come back home. I missed my family, my friends, my pets and the wide-open spaces. I realized how wonderful my little town is, even if it is not anything like London. I would visit London over and over and over and even live there for a brief time, but Ohio is home. Ohio is where I want to raise my children and live out my days. If I had not studied abroad and fallen in love with London, I may have never learned to appreciate why home is home.

5. I became empowered.
The biggest way studying abroad changed my life was that I became so empowered by the entire experience. Something about traveling the world on my own and making memories for a lifetime left me feeling like I could take on anything life throws my way. Going to law school can't be any more intimidating than planning an entire trip to Ireland by myself and staying in hostels, and yet Ireland was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Buying a house? Can't be anything harder than navigating the night buses at 3 a.m. trying to get back to our flat (which I did successfully in order to get home). Going to London was scary and intimidating. Living in London for three weeks was an experience that was not easy, but yet it's something I accomplished and I made the memories of a lifetime. If I can conquer traveling abroad at 21 years old and alone, I feel like I can do anything.

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to study abroad in my college career. I cannot express how much of an impact the experience had on my life. Saying goodbye to London was hard, but I know I will go back someday. I left a little piece of my heart there and it left a pretty big impact on me.

Senioritis

In high school, I thought my senior year was rough ... I thought that was the time of "senioritis." I was wrong. College takes it to a whole other level, my senioritis affliction is currently pretty darn serious but in a different way. In high school, I just wanted to be done and go off to college and live on my own. I was facing exciting changes, and I was dying to feel like an adult. Now, I have been an adult for four years, lived on my own, paid my own bills and realized being an adult isn't quite as glamorous as it seems. Facing some huge life changes and even more "adulting" is making me want to stay in undergrad forever. I think it is the fact that I am facing such major life changes after graduation (marriage, home ownership, moving to a new city, law school) that is making me want this semester to never end. The fall semester of my senior year seemed to drag on forever, and now this spring is flying by. I have so much homework and so many things to do and graduation is creeping up on me so fast, and I am not ready.

My wish to stay in undergrad is not making me any more productive ... I have so many papers and so many presentations and final exams to study for ... yet all I want to do is cuddle with my puppy and binge watch "The Office." I have so much work just looming over my head and absolutely no motivation to do it. I may be over the schoolwork of undergrad, but I still am not quite ready to leave.

I have also started to realize that college is one of the most fun times of your life. Never again will I get to live with my girlfriends and eat cookie dough while avoiding studying. Never again will I have a part-time job that is fun and easy and not terribly serious. Never again will I think it is OK to skip class and watch Netflix until noon. Never again will I have summers off to travel the world or go home to my parents and have them do my laundry and cook me dinner. Never again will I have free access to a really nice gym.

I went to undergrad in the same town I have lived in since I was 10 years old. I have called this adorable little town "home" for a huge portion of my life, and I love it. My undergraduate institution is also both of my parents alma mater. It had always been a huge part of my life even before I was a student. Though I lived on my own through college, my parents were only 10 minutes away, and I could go home for a home cooked meal or to have my mom wash my dress pants. I am comfortable and safe here, and now I am moving away and leaving all that behind ... I am moving to a new city that I do not know much of anything about. I have to start at a new college that I have no attachment or affiliation to. Though it is exciting and a new adventure, it is a little bit scary to leave somewhere I have called home for not only my four years of college but also my pre-teen and teenage years.

Senioritis for college is turning out to be rather strange ... I am so ready to be done yet at the same time I am scared to death to leave the comfort of my calm, small town and liberal arts college. My four years here have been a rollercoaster of emotions; they have been hard, stressful, emotionally trying and there have been days I wanted to quit. They have also been fun, mind opening, empowering, full of lasting friendships and memories I will cherish for a lifetime. I would not change my college years for anything and I am cherishing my last few weeks here. I may have "senioritis" but I am happily afflicted and enjoying every second.

Making the Most of Study Abroad

Study abroad..... a life changing experience to any who have done it. My 3 weeks in London were some of the hardest and most empowering days of my life. I cherish the experience so much and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity. Studying abroad can be a bit daunting and scary.... especially if you have never been out of the country (that was me). All I can say is try to limit your worries and just let the experience happen and shape you. I can honestly say that study abroad changed me as a person and I could not be happier because of it. Here are some of my tips for enjoying the whole experience and making the most of studying abroad. 

     1. Do it ALL. Join in on you friends adventures even if they aren’t typically your thing. It will probably still end up being a fun and learning experience. When it doubt, don’t worry and just do it and make the best of it.

   2. Do as much as you can: 3 weeks goes by SO fast. Make all the memories you can. Take all the pictures you can. Live it up. My motto while there was “I am not in London to sleep, I am here to explore”. I averaged 2-5 hours of sleep a night and was so exhausted and yet happy as a clam because I was jam-packing my time with memories and experiences.

  3. Start walking before you go because 13 miles a day, up and down stairs to the Tube stations and living on a 5^th floor flat with stairs only access can make for some sore muscles. This is also why good, comfortable shoes and insoles become your best investment and best friend.

 4. Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone…. That’s kind of the point of study abroad. Explore, inquire, and immerse yourself completely in London. Go off by yourself, get lost, try new food…. Do it all. You're only there for 3 weeks and fill them with experiences upon experiences; even the ones you think you will hate may surprise you and turn out to be some of your favorite memories.

5.  Talk to Londoners when you get the chance. It is so cool to just hear from someone of another culture and learn from them…. And those accents!!! 

6.  I am all about budgeting and saving money but there comes a time to put the budget aside and just do the things that may be once in a lifetime. Take those experiences and pay it off later; I promise the memories are worth it.Don’t neglect your research project or classes; after all, that is the reason you get to do this experience. Find a way to weave the project into other activities you want to do and try to keep everything balanced. For example, if you want to do a day trip for a whole day, find a project relation within that trip and expand upon it. The most obscure things can be the most interesting sometimes.

7. Get to know your fellow classmates- you may be surprised by how close you get after even just a few weeks in another country. Of the 7 girls I went with, I became BEST friends with 3 of them and we literally did everything together from the moment we woke up until we fell asleep in a heap of exhaustion on the couch at night. We had the same focus for the trip of wanting to experience everything and we did. It was so fun to experience everything as a group and help each other through the experience. Having someone else to rely on can be the difference between being scared and just doing things while you are there.  When my uncle died while I was abroad and I could not attend his funeral, these girls held me while I cried and helped me make a tribute to him at Abbey Road. Without them, I don’t know how I would have gotten through that heartbreaking time. I also got to join in on some of their experiences that I otherwise would not have done and it was a blast. Also, you then have photo takers, map readers, someone to sit next to on the tube and someone to share your worries and excitement with. I still talk to my London girls almost daily and I am so thankful to have shared this experience with them.

8. If you are not best friends with your fellow classmates, it’s okay. The other 3 girls in my group had a totally different focus for the trip and we did not see eye to eye and it was fine. We went our separate ways, did our things and got along fine. You can’t make everyone see the trip in the same way as you and sometimes you just have to go with it. It can be frustrating but do not let it ruin your trip. They don’t have that kind of power. This is your experience and make it great no matter what everyone else is doing. It is a great time to exercise your independence and to do what makes you happy.

It’s is not going to be easy or perfect. If you think everything will work out perfectly and 100% according to your plan, change your thinking ASAP. Problems will arise, you will miss your family, you will get discouraged, you will not get to do everything you planned, you will get lost on the tube or buses, you will spend too much money on something by accident (in my case it was 10 pounds worth of water at Pizza Express), you will feel awkward and out of place but don’t get down. Embrace it all and take it in stride. It will be a perfectly imperfect experience that may just change you as a person forever. I know it did for me and I am forever thankful for this opportunity and experience. 

Always remember, "Not all who wander are lost" - J.R.R. Tolkien. 

Wander, get lost and enjoy every. single. minute.