Monumental Day!

How does one begin her first blog post ever??  I spend so much time reading others' blogs, and I post to theirs because I feel I have so much to say - so why never one of my own??  Part of me feels they are only for those who have an issue of self-importance (what, me??)   But, mostly it is going to be my way of keeping a journal about this time in my life.  I keep saying I'll write in a journal at home, but by the time I sit down to write, I either fall asleep or write for hours. 

This will ensure I am succinct!  No one wants to read a never-ending post!  :) (cue the never-ending post...)

So, here's what's going to happen on this blog:

1.  I plan to tell all who cares to know what it is REALLY like going to law school - especially for those "non-traditional students" such as myself (btw - don't ever call me that - I hate that term!!!)  I read a ton of blogs before I started Chicago-Kent, but none gave me the real picture.

2.  I LOVE POLITICS!!  Truly, I'm a bit obsessed!  So, get ready to be whipped up into a frenzy, my Libertarian friends!  :)  I post on political blogs all the time and get soo irritated with the "trolls" - please!  Someone troll me!!  :)

3.  Family/Work/School balance!  This is a tricky one - I am in no way balanced right now and many days, one or more of those catagories doesn't even make the list!  I am working on it though and determined as HELL to make it work!!! 

Here's the thing about me - I spent the last 20 years enjoying my life, but always feeling there was something missing.  First, I thought it was love, so I married the first nice guy I could find (more on that later...).  Then, I thought it was that I wanted kids - kids!  That was all I need and then I would feel complete!  Well, 2 beautiful, ridiculously smart kids later and I couldn't love them more, but still that sense of something missing wouldn't disappear!

And then something amazing happend - I needed an internship for school and it just so happened this skinny kid with a funny name decided to run for President of the United States and set up his campaign headquarters in my town, Chicago!  Well, then-Senator Obama was already known to me and I believed we'd see a lot more from him, but no one was more surprised or nervous when he ran.  So, when I initially joined the campaign as a Research Intern in August, 2007, I believed in him, but I had my doubts the rest of the country would.

Long story short - watching this insane rollercoaster of an election from a front row seat (ok, maybe 3rd row) taught me some very important lessons that utterly changed who I forever will be:

1.  NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!
2.  Dream big
3.  Perseverance is one of the most important qualities to have if you want to succeed
4.  Never let anyone tell you you can't, or it's not the right time, or it's not your turn
5.  No one is going to walk up to your door and hand you your dreams - your life is what YOU make of it
6.  You can always sleep later!!!

Being on the campaign, going to school full time, working 2 part-time jobs, having 2 small children was no longer impossible because I finally had a goal, a plan, a path toward my dream. 

President Obama showed all of us that if we can dream it, we can achieve it!  I never thought I had the strength to go to law school, and there are times right now I wonder that still, but working as hard as we did to elect the first African-American President of the United States proved to me I could do anything I set my mind to. 

No more putting off my dream.  I felt it was important for me to do something with my career that I could be proud of.  I KNOW it is important to show my children that their mom refused to quit and even though it took her 20 years, she got her degree, went to law school and became someone who wanted nothing more than to improve the lives of others.  If they end up proud, I'll know I succeeded!
This blog will document the next 3 years and beyond - hope you'll come along for the ride!!  It's gonna be INSANE!