Orientation complete! Bring on class...

Hello once again from what was ever so conveniently a beautiful day in Chicago! We've had a few cooler days with lots of rain lately...

So much has happened this last week! It's truly been a whirlwind of activity and happenings around here for me. I had my first training shift on Saturday the 11th and learned a few things about this restaurant. 1 - I now know what a functional chaos looks like. 2 - the food is awesome. 3 - Although not totally in love with it yet (and it did get better by time my third shift came and gone on Wednesday), for now I am thankful to have a job and am going to make the most of it. If I truly do not enjoy my time away from studying and being in class when I am there, then I will find something else that better suits me and fits my needs for an external, money-making activity.

Wednesday morning, the 15th, I was supposed to help out ICIRR with this cool event to help young illegal immigrants apply for the DREAM Relief Act on the day the application was officially released by the government, but tragically I caught a nasty head cold. Mom thinks it's because I finally was settled in and wasn't as stressed about moving, and I think she's right (as always). Instead I spent the day getting much needed rest and started my first portion of orientation, which was right off a page out of high school times. I literally got my picture taken for this darling ID,

took care of other housekeeping items at the school to make sure I was all good to go for starting classes Monday, and I was given a locker. Yes, a locker to keep all my giant textbooks in and to put my umbrella and snow boots when the weather is less agreeable. Which, it will be.

I have been working a ton on knocking out my pages and pages of reading casebooks and taking notes. This is the scene that now exists on my desk, and probably will permanently from here on out:

 Note: iPod with legal dictionary ready to go whenever I cross some legal term I do not know (which is a lot), giant case book, laptop with self-made template for briefing my case, notepad to keep written notes and questions on as I read, chapstick (if you really know me, you know this is important), and this night I drank Coke to give me a little caffeine kick haha

Here is an example of what I am reading for my torts class, damages! Woooo Torts!

Thursday and Friday of orientation was at the Spertus Institute, a Jewish studies center of sorts, off Michigan Ave., where we had hours of jam-packed information given to us on literally every aspect of our law school career -- ranging from a virtual tour of the library, an oath of professionalism with an actual Illinois Supreme Court Justice, services for us when we feel like we are going crazy and might lose it if we read one more case and have to brief it... you know, the useful stuff.

One thing they said, and I would love to share with you all, is that this is a time in my life when I have to be a little selfish and won't be able to reach out to everyone as much as I would love to and spend quality "time" on the phone, etc. with you. So if you call, it might take me a while to call you back. That's why I created this blog to create some middle ground where I can let loose a bit via my writing and y'all can still be connected to my life. Please feel free to email, text, call, whatever you like, just give me a little time to get back to you! :)

At the end of orientation today, we had lunch on a boat, the Mystic Blue and went on a two and a half cruise of Lake Michigan. Luckily the weather was absolutely beautiful! After having rained a lot of the day yesterday. To get to Navy Pier, where our boat was docked, we got to take these open trolleys through part of downtown Chicago. Here is a pic of Kelsey and I on the trolley...

And here is a sampling of my peers...

This weekend is the Air Show with the Blue Angels and what not, so today they were practicing over the shore area of the lake and we got to see it all!

I love this one where they are cruising along the skyline...

Needless to say, the view was absolutely breathtaking today! Kelsey and I had this moment on the trolley ride back to the school where we fully realized that we are living in the big city now!

This was my gang today: Kelsey, Ryan from Montana, Joel from Milwaukee. Very cool group of people. Though Ryan and Joel are not in our section, Kelsey and I definitely want to hang out with them from time to time!

I have spent the rest of my Friday night napping, cleaning up the condo, did some dishes, and washed my sheets (don't want to sleep in the sickness anymore!). Tomorrow will be a full day of studying and getting my homework done, as will Sunday, except when I work Sunday night. Here's to the start of a new school year, a new chapter in my life, and a new and exciting journey! :)

Much love from Chicago!

- Cass