There and Back Again: New York

Right now, as I am typing this, I am about 32,000 feet in the air. Specifically, on an American Airlines flight back to Chicago from New York. In less than a week, I will be on another American Airlines flight to New York; a day after that, I will be on a flight back to Chicago. The cause? Callback interviews.

I had a callback interview with a prominent New York firm earlier today. For those of you who do not speak law student, a "callback" interview is the second round of interviews for a summer firm job. Again, shades of sorority rush: after the first "round" of OCI interviews at the school, we minions will get invited (or not) by firms to interview again, this time in the specific office for which we applied, which for me was the New York office. All expenses paid, too. This, of course, is only if they liked you the first time around. Interestingly, the two (and so far only) callbacks I got were with the last two firms I interviewed with. So I guess, like a fine wine, I get better with time?

So, yesterday after my morning class, I headed over to the hell-place (also known as O'Hare International Airport), and got on a flight out to New York. Which was delayed. But since O'Hare is a vortex where timeliness goes to die, this was not unexpected. The flight was otherwise uneventful. Which is the best kind of flight, really. The one good thing about the lateness, though, was that I got to see a really cool sunset over the Manhattan skyline as we were landing. That was pretty sweet. I dunno-- just flying over New York and landing at the airport, seeing from the window all these things I had come to know this summer, I got really, really excited to be back. It was a very similar feeling to the one you get when you go home to see family after a long absence. So I think that says something about what I want, where I want to be. Also, thank god things in New York are open late. I was still able to get a real dinner. A city that never sleeps: My kind of town.

Also proving that my life actually is Groundhog Day, once in New York I found myself again in Times Square (seriously, why do I always end up in Times Square?), where the hotel was located (for a nostalgia connection, it was a hotel right across from the theatre where by boyfriend and I saw Porgy and Bess one of the times he came out to visit me while I was working in the city this summer). This was actually a logical placement, as the firm was located just off of Times Square, at 51st and 7th-- within walking distance.

The hotel was very nice-- très modern, suitably trendy. I wish I could say I got a decent night's sleep, but there was this really low like throbbing vibrating noise-- from whence it came I do not know-- that I could both hear AND feel in my bed. So that was weird. And prevented me from sleeping for a long while.

The actual interview was just OK. It got off to a kind of rocky start: I got to the building right on time, but then went to the wrong floor (the firm apparently takes up several floors, and when I saw this one guy get off at a lower floor with the firm signage, I assumed that was the floor. I was wrong, and ended up putzing on the wrong floor for several minutes, confusedly, until I was able to find someone to direct me upstairs. Needless to say, this made me a few minutes late to the interview, which is never a good way to start things out, and I felt like a putz. I wish there was a way to signal to people that my dingy-ness is really just confined to things like directions and mundane everyday life details, but doesn't translate into my work. When I am not in a focused "work" situation, I think I live in my head a lot, thinking about what I need to do, considering my work and obligations as I go about the day, and thus miss the everyday random life details. Like what floor to go to. Legally blonde, indeed.

Callback interviews are kind of like OCI interviews with a firm, on steroids. Instead of interviewing with one or two people at once, one time, you go through a succession of people-- in my case, four-- one at a time. The lawyers you meet with run the gamut from 2nd or 3rd year associates, all the way to partners. If you don't know what this means, don't worry, it is not really important. Seeing as how it seems unprofessional to go into details about the individual interviews on a blog (even an anonymous blog), all I will say is that I thought a couple of the interviews went well, a couple were a little more lukewarm. So we shall see how it all pans out. I am not really holding my breath, due to the wrong-floor snafu, but you never know. It's too bad too-- everyone I spoke with sung nothing but praises about the firm's work environment, like the fact that everyone cooperates with everyone and gets on with everyone, and are generally on friendly terms, not just professional terms. As one interviewer put it, there isn't really any "yelling." The cooperative and congenial atmosphere at Northwestern is something that I have really valued and benefited from as a student, and would love to work at a place that is similar. Alas.

After the interview, I went to a Starbucks and sat there for a couple hours doing work and taking a phone call for another project I am working on. After that, I had a couple hours to kill, so I putz'd around Hell's Kitchen for a while, checking out some of the indie shops. It wasn't a neighborhood I spent a lot of time in while I was in New York this summer, so it was nice to get to see a couple new things.

And now here I am, heading back to Chicago. We are in theory landing in like 40 minutes. Due to the nature of where I am seated and the internet on-board, I can't post pictures, but I did take some while I was walking around the city. When I get back to Chicago I will edit this post and add them. I have to say though, getting wifi on a plane is pretty baller. Even if I had to pay $10 for it.

Ah, New York City. Love to see you, hate to watch you go. Until next time... in about four days.

On a completely unrelated note, looking out my window to the left, I am seeing lightening over the horizon. This is not disconcerting at all...

Attack of the Moving Boxes

Moving officially sucks.

I imagine that this is not the most mind-blowing statement ever made, as I am pretty sure that every person at some point in their lives realizes this fact. But it is really, really unpleasant. I have moved before, but packing up a dorm room is very very different than packing up an apartment that includes all crap from said dorm room, plus many many other things picked up over the year that are needed for an apartment. Like furniture. And an entertainment system. And a piano/keyboard thing. Plus in addition to all of that, there is even more stuff, because we have all of my boyfriend's stuff as well. We have kind of been leisurely about packing (although I imagine that will change starting tomorrow, as D-Day is Thursday), so the apartment basically looks like a tornado went through it. Or a bomb. You get the picture. As someone who grew up in a very clean home, and tries to keep things at least somewhat orderly, I find this actually very distressing. It's like no matter what I do right now, I can't make the apartment look better. Or habitable. This for me is probably the worst part of moving.

And the packing just generally. Mostly because I am so sick of packing. Not two weeks ago, I had to pack up my dorm room in New York, including two boxes I had to ship ahead. Before that, I had packed, unpacked, and packed again to visit my parents in California. I feel like I spend my whole damn life packing and unpacking shit. And I am *so* over it. I suppose it is the nature of the point in my life that I am at, but this whole Bedouin-like existence of always being on the move is kind of getting old.

And yet I also miss being able to travel around. While the experience itself was kind of a mixed bag, one of the things I really miss about study abroad (I went to France during my junior year of college) was the fact that essentially, every other weekend I could hop on the high-speed train, and within a few hours, be somewhere entirely new. I didn't have to stay in one place; I could experience new fabulousness, new experiences so easily. This traveling and moving around though, is all kind of mundane. And just annoying. It's like I am settled in but not. It's funny-- right now I am going through OCI, which if I go down that path would both pay exceedingly well, but also really settle me in. Other than the fact that I haven't gotten any callbacks so I probably won't happen, if I do go down that road, I will be a long ways towards settling into a very stable life. Finally. But I am also not sure I want that kind of stable life at this point. When I came to law school, I did so with visions of working in a legal field that allowed me to go new places, experience new things, meet interesting and important people, engage in an active and worthwhile employment. I thought I'd spend my third year abroad, getting a joint degree from a foreign country's law school. All that seems kind of far away now. I guess I am feeling like I am too young to be boring. Curse you, Season 1 finale of How I Met Your Mother (my boyfriend has gotten me watching courtesy of his Netflix streaming account).

Well anyways, for now it is on to bigger and better things (and by that I mean a nicer apartment. With a ceiling fan, apparently). On an unrelated note, I am feeling really guilty that I haven't yet signed up for a PAWS volunteer session; but, I am moving... and OCI...so just, no. :( Also, I finally finished my last project from work (clocking in at 94 pages, bitches)!! So I can finally say I am a free woman...for about two weeks, until classes start. Oy.

Until the next update...

Sorority Rush for Grown-Ups

No, fearless readers, I am not dead. I know I haven't updated my blog in a while, but truth be told, once I touched down in Chicago last week, it has pretty much been 0-60 in about 3 seconds. From the moment I got home, I have been absorbed in sorting out the myriad of details pertaining to the move to the new apartment, which will be happening one week from today. Plus, I am *still* trying to finish my last project from this summer's work, which at this stage is clocking in at about 90 pages. And I feel like a tool that it is taking this long. And as of Tuesday, the one major ritual that all rising 2L law students go through has begun: On-Campus interviews, also known as OCI.

Ah, OCI. It's kind of like the sorting hat from Harry Potter in that the purpose of it is to place students in Summer Associate positions at various large firms next summer. So everyone interviews with between 15-25ish firms, and through a long process that takes several weeks of interviews and callback interviews, people are *hopefully* narrowed down to one (and not none, i.e. they can find a job). OCI is actually rather important, because the job a law student holds during their second summer, unless they suck really badly, often becomes the job offer they will have upon graduation and passage of the bar exam. So, it's kind of a big deal.

The OCI bit is what is going on now. OCI is basically sorority rush for grown-ups. I don't know how many of you all reading this have been in sororities and have gone through rush, but it is literally the same set-up in most aspects: over a week or two, students go interview with the firms that they received interviews with through a lottery bidding system. Every day there can be several interviews of 20 minutes, depending on your schedule. Reps from different firms are sitting in a bunch of different rooms, and students go from room to room, having many conversations. The major difference being that instead of rah-rah pants and matching T-Shirts, we are wearing suits. So, who knew the skill of being able to go around having short conversations with complete strangers multiple times a day would actually come in handy in the real world? And, also like the "rounds" of "parties" during sorority rush (excuse me, "recruitment"), if the shorter interview/conversations go well, and you meet their requirements, you will be "asked back" to a few firms for a larger, longer interview process at their office.

Over the next couple weeks, I will have interviews with 18 firms; so far, I have had 5 of those 18, with 3 more coming up today. The thing with OCI, however, is that you can't just go into it "blind;" it is expected that you actually researching the firm and your interviewers ahead of time, so it actually takes up more time than you might think. Plus, thank you notes. Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens. About 2/3 of the firms I am interviewing with are located in NYC, the other 1/3 are DC firms. Unfortunately, I learned during one night of pre-OCI-induced insomnia, this whole process can take like 6 weeks, as firms are kind of on their own manyana man schedule about when they get back to people about any callbacks, and then about offers after callbacks. So I may not know what is going on for a while. But obviously, will post updates.

And so another spin of life's roulette wheel has been turned...

In other news, I started my volunteer work at PAWS Chicago, which is a no-kill animal rescue organization in Chicago. Had my second training session yesterday evening, so now I am ready to sign up for shifts, which I will be doing 2x/month. I probably won't be able to sign up for any shifts before September, however. Between OCI and moving, my August is pretty shot. But, I thought it would a good thing for me to have something going on that is in no way related to law school-- so I can have a well-rounded life. Plus, doggies make me less stressed as a person, and these animals really do need good homes; since at this stage in my life I can't adopt my own doggie, I am happy to do what I can to make sure that other doggies find their forever homes. The organization does really great work: since they started in 1997, they have reduced the number of euthanized dogs and cats from something disgusting like 47K in the Chicagoland area, to under 18K in 2010. Unfortunately, sometimes animals are too sick to save, but that is the vast minority of cases. Most animals that are killed, are done so just because of overcrowded shelters, which is just so sad and a real tragedy. So the other good thing that PAWS does, is provide education about spaying and neutering pets, which is really at the root of the problem. They also provide free and low-cost spay/neutering to people who can't afford it, including a mobile "spay van," which has really helped reduce the number of unwanted animals.

More information about PAWS Chicago can be found on their website. If you are considering getting an animal, whether you are in Chicago or elsewhere, please adopt from a shelter or rescue group. There are a lot of perfectly wonderful animals in need of a good home, and you will be helping to solve the problem, not encourage it through the use of puppy mills.

In honor of my new volunteer group, here are a couple cute animal videos (also since OCI really isn't conducive to the use of mixed media...)

So, that's basically been my week back in Chicago. More news as it comes.

It's the Beginning of the End

Today was my last day of my internship. Technically I am not done, because I need to finish a project (as it would be a shitty thing to just not finish something). But still, last official day of work. Turned in my security badge and all. Really kind of sad. I have enjoyed this summer, and have enjoyed being a "working girl." Much more fulfilling than being a student. In all, it was a great experience, and extremely eye-opening. I still can't believe some of the things I have seen, that people really act like the (we think--we would be wrong) exaggerated criminals we see on TV. I hope that one day this can be my life. Tiring, a lot of work, but fascinating. Particularly once you get into court, which happens a hell of a lot more often in the public sector than in private practice.

At any rate, I have to finish this project. I probably should have worked on it tonight, but I was just so tired from the week, and staying up late every night. Will work on it tomorrow, hopefully finish. Then I will have to decide what I want to do for the next few days, before I leave New York. Depending on the weather, I think I am going to try to hit Coney Island on Monday or Tuesday. I am a sucker for amusement parks, and it is a fairly big New York "thing" to do (incidentally, I went to Central Park over the weekend to go on the carnival rides, but upon closer look...they really are just kind of kiddie rides. I am more of a throw-em-up-spin-em-around kind of gal, so it didn't really cut it and I didn't go on. Rather disappointing). I may also try to hit up the Bronx Zoo and the Aquarium...but I am kind of terrified of the Bronx. Although, given what has been going on in Chicago lately (namely, violent "flash mobs" of ghetto kids beating up on people in the tourist areas), maybe the Bronx is safer. Except not really.

I got my On-campus interview schedule today. For those of you not in the legal field, OCI is an annual ritual that all rising 2Ls go through before the start of the year, to determine if they will be going to work at a "Biglaw" firm in the summer after their second year (and, assuming a job well done, an offer for permanent employment upon graduation and successful completion of the Bar exam). I exclusively applied to firms in New York and Washington, DC. Which lead to an interesting conversation with my boyfriend. Jesus this thing is basically Sorority Rush, except with suits and not cocktail dresses. As per NALP guidelines (don't ask), I don't think I can (and really shouldn't anyway) go into details at this stage; suffice it to say that there are several days of going to multiple 20-minute interviews with representatives of the different organizations. Which is also basically the definition of sorority rush, at least at Northwestern. Well, at least I have good practice.

Man, I can't believe it is only a few more days. Sad. I really like New York; I am sad to see it go. I am sad to see myself go. I will be updating the blog about my final days in the Big Apple. I will also blog (probably tomorrow) about what I did last weekend; was going to tonight, but too tired.

Anyway, in tribute to the fun (and sometimes challenging), and ultimately rewarding times this city has given me over the last couple months, here is a YouTube video of Empire State of Mind. I listened to this song when I found out I would be in NYC for the summer, so it seems fitting for the twilight of my time here. Enjoy.

I also need to locate a shipping box, packing tape, and some packing padding. I bought some stuff while I was here, but considering I was already maxed out on my weight limits flying out here, will need to send things ahead to Chicago. Plus, I am not sure I could physically fit anymore into what was already in my suitcases. Here's to hoping there is a UPS store or something.

And finally, some random thoughts I had today, that I thought were interesting enough to share:

First, some professor at U.C. Riverside is getting five million dollars to study ("scientifically") if there is life after death. Uh, pretty sure you can't really prove that one there, Skipper (in a factual sense, not talking faith here people). Unless this guy knows something we don't, we don't even have the technology it would take to cross whatever physical and temporal dimensions stand between our life and eternity, if such an eternity or afterlife even exists. Sylvia Brown's contentions aside, there is no real way for us to access the "other side" without croaking ourselves, at which point it would then be impossible to furnish physical (non-ghost-like, which doesn't last anyway) evidence of such an existence to the living. Aka, it's impossible. I am all for humanities getting funding (because it *all* goes towards like, pharma research), but couldn't it go towards something more realistically obtainable?

Second, (and this is real random-- thought of it while I was reading an article about STDs. Don't ask. And no, I don't have any) but have you ever noticed that a disproportionate number of creative geniuses (or "geniuses" in other, non-IQ type ways) back in the day had syphillis? I'm serious. There is a lot of scholarly research that while perhaps already gifted, people like Van Gogh and Beethoven reached the height of their genius while under the peak influence of syphillis' influence. Right before they descended into madness and death. If guaranteed to produce the next Ode to Joy as a side effect of the illness's brain-screwing, would someone willingly get syphillis? Despite people's probable initial reaction of "hell-to-the-damn-no," I don't think it is necessarily as obvious a "no" as people might first think. While somewhat extreme, what's the old saying, "it's not the years in your life, but the life in your years?" Not that I want to run out and get a nasty STD, but it does make you think. Creating a lasting piece of genius, or changing the world, is -- so far as we know anyway-- the only real way to achieve any kind of immortality. Making your mark lets an individual "live on" by having a place in the world's collective memory. Look at the ancient Egyptian pharaohs: they built those tombs now on display for all the world to see, and underwent elaborate burial practices so that they could forever live on after death in a new world. And through our knowledge and study of them through the elaborate and intentionally-preserved artificats they left behind, in a way, they have.

When You Know There is a Void in Your Life that Can't Yet be Filled

I stumbled upon Lexi again today. Pretty much ever day after work, unless I am meeting up with someone, or stayed too late at work, I go straight from work to Washington Square, where I enjoy the cuisine provided to me courtesy of NYU and my meal plan. From there, unless the weather is crappy (rain), I walk the mile or so back to the dorm I am in. Streets in NYC run pretty much on a grid, North-South, and East-West. So, I know several different streets I can walk down will eventually get to my cross-street. I usually walk down this very nice street that gives me a scenic jaunt through SoHo, but even that gets boring when you do it every day. So a few weeks ago, I decided to mix it up a bit, and walk down a different street. On that afternoon, I ended up passing an adoption fair for doggies that was being held in front of a PetsMart. There was this very sweet dog in one of the pens, a little over a year old. Name was Lexi, and was black mix between a lab and a dachshund. Pretty much the most adorable thing, ever. And so sweet. I carefully reached my finger out in a knuckle (which is the correct way to approach a strange dog, btw), and she just started licking it gingerly. Poor thing was rescued from a shelter that was going to put her down because she had heartworm. But, this group rescued her and, through donations, have funded her medical care (this I learned through the volunteer at the time).

Well, today I walked down that same street again, and again ran into the adoption fair (I guess it is semi-regular; I have gone down that street at other times, but it hasn't always been there). And Lexi was again there, and again happily licked my finger when I stuck out my knuckle. I am happy to report (via the volunteer on duty) that Lexi's treatment has finished, and she is cured of the heartworm. Such a sweet dog. Apparently, someone is interested in her, so hopefully in the next day or so she will go to a good home. Which is the best possible outcome.

I am not going to lie, though, that my heart broke (and is still breaking) a little that I can't be the one to give her-- or any of the other absolutely sweet dogs that were out there-- a good home. I just think it is profoundly sad how many otherwise fine, gentle, sweet and perfectly loving dogs are in shelters or rescue groups-- or worse, are put down, because there is no home for them, through no fault of their own. Unfortunately, my boyfriend and I just signed a lease (more on that later) for an apartment that doesn't allow dogs (they do allow cats, but cats make my boyfriend stop breathing. Apparently, the dog-ban is relatively recent, too, like within the last 18 months, or so reviews of the building-- which were mostly positive-- seem to indicate). It would be hard because I travel around a lot because of school breaks and things, but I know that if I could find the right place, I could give a dog a good home. Even if it is a little small, an apartment's got to be better than a shelter. And I am such a better person when I am around dogs, and animals in general. Although I would say I am nice and loyal and friendly to those I like and are my friends, in general I am kind of a distant and intolerant person towards those I don't know. I think I do this as some kind of defense mechanism; in reality, I think I am naturally inclined to be sensitive and overly-empathetic. If I let all the crap that goes on in the world affect me, it would destroy me. So, I build walls. I'd just rather not deal with it. Apparently, when I was an infant, my pediatrician said that I was a "very good-natured" baby. Sadly I am afraid that did not last long. Or maybe it was that I was naturally good-natured and naive abut the world, willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, and then people, whether through what I witnessed myself, or heard about, in their behavior just kept disappointing me and my faith in them, to the point that I am completely jaded and have lost most faith in most of my fellow man. Whatever it is, I am guarded, somewhat of a grump, and can turn off my natural empathy or sympathy like one switches off a light, if needed.

But all of that goes away the moment I see an animal, particularly "pet" animals like cats, dogs, rabbits, etc. There is just something about them that is soothing and calming. Perhaps because, in their animal nature, they don't judge the way people do, or do the crap that people do. They have faith in their keepers and are willing to trust, which is hard to find anymore among my homo sapien brethren. And all the emotion I wall myself off from in the day-to-day, finds its way back again. I feel again, I become calmer and less stressed, and happier. I become more human around animals than I do around other people. So, I become a better person. I feel like I could only be helped by having an animal, a doggie. Perhaps it would help me become human again around my fellow people, and not just around the people I have deemed my friends, etc. And I could give a good home.

Unfortunately, it does not look like it is to be. Am not going to lie, was super sad about it, and even teared a bit on the way home (my inability to keep it together probably not helped by the fact that it was 8:00PM on a Friday after long day and week of work). But this is exactly what I mean: I become a much more feeling person.

Below is a picture of Lexi. The organization with which she is housed (hopefully not for much longer) is called Little Monsters, and it is based out of NYC. New Yorkers, if you are looking for a pet, please consider adopting. Their website is: www.lilmonsters.org. And if not from them, then from another rescuer organization. And just in general, if you would like a pet, please consider giving a good home to a rescue. They need us and, honestly, from what I can see of the world, we need them. And if you do have a pet, please have them fixed. It is just so sad the number of living animals that lose out on a chance to live because of irresponsible owners.

Lexi. Not a very good picture because she is all black, and it was dark and overcast today (and also after 8:00PM)

And yes, in other news, my boyfriend and I found an apartment for this fall/next year. It is located about 10 minutes north (by car) from the downtown area in Chicago. It is located literally next to a grocery store, and the 147 express bus to downtown. And, if Lake Shore Drive is screwed up, it is located three or four blocks from the Red Line. So my commute will be pretty easy and direct. And it is a much nicer, bigger place in a very nice pre-war hi-rise, for a lot less money (particularly since we will be splitting the rent). It's basically perfect, except for the fact that they don't allow dogs. We move in around the 20th of August. I imagine pictures will be up when I finally move everything in and decorate the place. If only they allowed dogs...

To somewhat remedy the situation of lack-of-animals in my life, I just signed up to be a volunteer at PAWS Chicago, a local rescue group, to help socialize and take care of the dogs during adoption fairs. I have to do community service for Northwestern Law anyway, and even if I didn't, I would still sign up for this. I think a lot of my freak-out about law school and life, was due to that fact that I spent all of last year doing school and nothing but school. I socialized casually and went out with people, sure. But all my structured activities were either: class, studying, or duties relating to organizations that I am part of at school. I think it will be healthy (mentally if not physically) to get away from all that in a structured way a few hours a week. Doing something else completely not related to that part of my life. Having worked at my job this summer, I like the work and find actually *practicing* law interesting. I am just not to thrilled with the school part (and not because of anything Northwestern does or doesn't do. All things considered, I think they are a school that tries to make law school suck as little as possible. I am just over school as a general concept. But you knew that, and why, already from other posts). So I think it will help to find something to take me away from it every week for a while.

So, that's my post today. As of yet have no plans for the weekend.