WonL
The random thoughts of an architect-turned- lawyer from the deep south living in Washington, DC...
Thursday, December 31, 2009
My Decade
Not surprisingly with the New Year approaching, I have been in a reflecting mood these past few days. Seems that this year, I've reflected not only on the past year, but on the past decade. WOW. We are wrapping up the first decade of this century. WOW.I feel like I have accomplished, experience, and lived through a lot these past ten years. I took some time yesterday to capture my reflections with a pen and paper. I made a list of the top ten most monumental moments of my past ten years. It was actually tougher than I thought - especially trying to decide what to include and what not to include. It really puts into perspective the events over the past ten years that have molded me.
- Got a Bachelor's of Architecture degree (May 2001)
- Left home and moved to Washington, DC (July 9, 2001)
- Endured September 11 living in our nation's capital (September 11, 2001)
- Quit Smoking (June 9, 2004)
- Graduated from law school (May 2007)
- Took and passed the Virginia Bar Exam (July and October 2007)
- Traveled around the world (August-September 2007)
- Watched the economy take down my law firm leaving 675 people jobless (November 28, 2008)
- Had surgery on my spine (June 4, 2009)
- Blogged my life (August 23, 2004 - December 31, 2009)
I am sure that last one comes as no surprise (especially considering I have not posted in 6 months). Still, I feel a twinge of sadness calling it a day over here. This outlet endured longer than anything these past ten years and I think a huge part of that is the people I have met and the bonds I have forged.
What began as an online means of whining about law school turned into so much more. I have met some amazing people both in person and on the internet. I have become closer to many people in my life becuase this blog gave me the opportunity to communicate more freely than I ever learned to in my words in person. I have expressed feelings and emotions on this blog that I kept hidden from many in my real world.
I truly hope to find time in my life return to writing again one day. But WonL was for the first decade of this century - a decade that is now coming to a close.
Thank you to everyone who has ever participating in my life through WonL - be it through comments, emails, or even simply reading. I will miss you. Please stay in touch. LawRah04@gmail.com
Labels: Blogging, Friends, Life in General
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sentimental First Year
Today marks one year to the day that I began as an associate at my law firm. Time sure does fly. Most of you who know me (or know where I work) are aware, there is some looming uncertainty about the future. I refuse to allow today to be about that. Today is about the fact that I work with an amazing group of people doing things I truly love doing.My first year has broken all the stereotypes that people warned me of: the first year is always miserable, I will be doing nothing but reviewing documents, Partners treat first years like dirt, etc. Not a single one of those stands true at my firm. (Aside from one or two partner-blips.) I am well aware that not many first years can say that they are truly happy at their firm. I can. Whatever lies ahead, I consider my first year as a lawyer to have been a great one and I am thankful that I have been lucky enough to have the experiences I have had.
Labels: Life in General, The Law
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Ch-ch-changes
I'm not ignoring you. I just don't know what to say. I used to have a blog that people read. I used to have interesting things to say (at least I think so). I used to have an anonymity that I could hide behind allowing me to express myself openly through writing. I used to have bonds with my readers that kept me coming back to write and kept them coming back to read. I miss it but I don't know how to get it back.I have a lot going on in my life. At the same time, there is not much going on in my life at all.
I go to work every day. Well, "mostly" every day. Did I mention I love my job? I can't really talk much about what I do on a daily basis because of that whole attorney client privilege stuff. But really, I love my job.
I've also been undergoing some friendship renovations. I found that transitioning from a law school life of Thursday drunk-fests and dramatic law school proms to a life of work receptions and networking events has led to changes in my social networks. Of course, this is compounded by the fact that some of the changes come from distance or just plain growing apart. It happens, right? Yeah, it happens. Still, it doesn't mean it's an easy transition. I miss certain people. I miss the way it was. At the same time, I'm ready to move on.
I'm also making some changes to my general lifestyle. No, I'm not into chicks now. I'm just adopting a dog. He's a nine year old chihuahua named Killer. I have a bond with this dog that would take another bottle of wine and a free evening to explain. One day, my friends, one day. It's going to be a difficult transtion (to say the least) considering my new apartment is on the 11th floor penthouse and he's not potty trained. Details, details. He's coming live with me and I'm ecstatic.
Otherwise, I cannot think of what to write about that has been going on in my life. Um, I got stuck on a stalled metro for 40 minutes then fell while running up a down escalator last week. Got lots of bruises and really messed up my hand. Um, I got pulled over in the Pentagon parking lot by some schmuck that had too much time on his hands (30 minutes he took) and felt the need to issue me a written warning for making an illegal u-turn...in a damn parking lot. Um, my mom came in town with a gift in tow that she excitedly handed over to me not realizing I had actually given it to her for Christmas this year. Um, this writer's strike is really starting to piss me off.
So, bottle of wine complete...I really can't think of much else to say. I miss you guys and truly hope to get back to this soon.
Labels: Adulthood, Blogging, Friends, Life in General, The Law
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Off-Balance
I feel like I'm losing control. Not in the "I'm in the middle of the ocean with no one around and the water is rising over my head" sorta way. More like the "I'm sitting on the roof of the building at the local trash dump watching the bulldozer move things around and load up the pile that use to be my life into an unrecognizable heap" sorta way. I knew the end of law school would bring about changes. I love change. I used to re-arrange all the furniture in my apartment at least once every six months so it felt "new". Well, I usually love change.For some reason, the bulldozer's act of taking from so many other piles and dropping it onto my formerly organized pile is really getting me unsettled. Each of the changes in isolation are good things (or at least not bad) and easily handleable. But taken together, I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. Good friends are becoming distant friends, weekly friends are becoming daily friends, contrasting personalities, merging worlds, learning at a different school with a lack of familiar faces, completely changed study habits, new living situation (I love you, V), and I have no time for the people I need most right now. Did I mention I am taking the bar exam in a couple of months then am embarking on an entirely new career? Again, bring on one or two of these, and I wouldn't blink an eye. Taken all together, I feel like an outsider looking into my own trash-pile-o-life.
I really need my groove back! Just not sure how to do that.
Labels: Angst, Life in General
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Looking back for a moment...looking forward forever.
I just finished law school. I mean, I just turned in my last paper and...oh my gawd, I just finished law school. I knew this day would come, but at the same time, I never dreamed this day would come. I'm sitting here with a glass of champagne reflecting on all that it took to get me here. These feelings are familiar. Turning in that last paper brought me back to another time. Another accomplishment. Another glimpse into me:
So many words could describe the emotions I encountered in those ninety minutes. I had always been dramatic and this was just another performance, although there was much more riding on this than any play or dance recital. I was also filled with excitement and anticipation of showing everyone what I had accomplished over the last five years. It all boiled down to the one-hour I had to express to everyone the thoughts and ideas that drove this project. I was so overwhelmed thinking of all that I had gone through to get here, and how close I came to not making it. It had been a long road, but today was my chance to shine.
I glanced out over the familiar faces in the room. I stood there, my stomach in knots and my hands shaking in front of professors, local architects, and classmates and I began to present my thesis. Everyone in that room knew how much work I had put into this project and, more importantly, how much was riding on it. This pass/fail presentation would determine my degree. With my emotions riding high, I spent an hour trying to get everyone in that room to see things through my eyes. After completing my presentation, I stepped outside to allow the panel to decide my fate. Never had seven minutes lasted so long. As I attempted to distract myself from the swelling anxiety, I began to reflect upon how I came to stand outside that classroom.
Architecture school was the first thing in my life that did not come naturally to me. This whole new way of “thinking outside the box” was a foreign concept. After breezing through high school, barely opening books, I figured college would be the same. I was wrong. When I entered architecture school, I went from being the smart one, to being the one that just could not get it. During my second year of architecture school, one of my professors actually pulled me into his office to tell me I should think of pursuing a different degree. He told me, “this field is not meant for everyone; some people never get it.”
I stood there, frozen in disbelief. I had never ‘not been good enough’ for anything in my life. I had never even come close to being faced with the thought of quitting. I decided at that moment that there was no way I was going to be a part of those that just never got it. From then on, I was determined to do whatever it took to prove to everyone, including myself, that I could accomplish whatever I set my mind to.
Over the three years that followed, I went through a growth process I could never have anticipated. I spent countless all-nighters weeding through projects and drawings with mounting frustrations, pulling back on my social life and missing holidays. I also learned that professor’s critiques were tests of endurance and persistence, both of which I needed to build up. I realized just how hard I had to work to get through this. But more importantly, I realized that I had it in me.
The minutes continued to inch along as I stood outside that classroom waiting for the Director to come and reveal my fate. I remember every feeling leading up to that moment, but cannot remember the moment itself: the moment I received “the handshake” that meant that I had passed Thesis and would be graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture. Little did I know at the time the true meaning of that handshake. It did not necessarily mean that I would become a world-famous designer, or someday own an architecture firm, or even enjoy working in that field. It meant that when dealt this challenge, I handled it with enthusiasm and determination. Receiving that handshake acknowledged the transformation I had made into a more committed and hard-working person and it meant that I was now ready to conquer anything that came my way. I needed to go through those experiences in architecture school to become the person I am today: a person who is truly prepared for this next challenge. I am not only ready, but I also firmly believe that my undergraduate experiences will help me to excel as both a law school student and someday, as an attorney.
That’s the letter I sent to GW Law school (in the form of a personal statement) over three years ago. Apparently, someone over there believed in me because they gave me a chance. More importantly, in a few weeks, they will be giving me a diploma. Because ladies and gentlemen, I got my law school handshake today.
Labels: Life in General, Makes you think, School
Monday, April 02, 2007
Share my moment
I had a moment this weekend. You know, an "I am so lucky to be in such an amazing place" moment. Share my moment:I am in my car heading into D.C. from a haircut in Old Town. I'm in a happy mood because I always enjoy my salon visit. My stylist is wonderfully fun. I met him at a party in D.C. a few years back. He and I ended up sipping adult beverages on a sofa while I tried to pick out who was gay and he told me if I was right or wrong. Fun times. I thought for a moment about all of the people I have met here and all of the very random connections they have lead to. I love that about this city.
My windows are down and my new favorite radio station 104.1 is blaring. I have always loved the drive along the George Washington Parkway, but today seems especially beautiful. I pass the marina on my right and wonder how long it will take before I have a boat in there. I do my best "that's my boat" Forrest Gump impression and then giggle at myself.
Driving on, I am coming up to Reagan National Airport. I could not begin to count the number of times I have flown in and out of that airport in the past six years. I lived in Louisiana for twenty-four years and could count on one hand how many times I traveled from there. There is something about D.C. that brings out my love for travel. I am not sure if it's the people I have met or the accessibility and ease of traveling from here. All I know is I am currently planning a six week trip around the world that will include Australia, Africa and Asia and every person I met this weekend had a recommendation based on somewhere they have been or somewhere they think I'd love to go. As I pass the airport, I think of how much my fellow D.C.ers love to travel.
As I keep driving, I pass the Pentagon. For almost six years now, every time I have passed the Pentagon I remember that day. I remember smelling the burning as I walked across the bridge. I remember the candlelight vigils and bonding with strangers. Although I hate that 9-11 happened, I have always said I am glad I was here for it. I experienced a solidarity and patriotism in D.C. that changed me.
As I approach the Arlington Memorial Bridge, I brace myself. Some driver will inevitably not know how to handle the circle and someone else will swerve and there will be honking. This time, though, is smooth sailing. I veer right and pick my lane. I turn off the radio and listen to the sounds of D.C. I spend the short drive over the bridge just breathing in that view. Breathtaking. The sun is reflecting off the Potomac on both sides of me. The statues at the end of the bridge stand tall to let everyone know when they are entering and exiting D.C. I cannot see Mr. Lincoln ahead of me, but I can surely see the monumental white building in which he sits. And I see tourists everywhere. I'm not annoyed or upset though. I feel proud. I feel proud that so many hundreds of thousands of people are coming to see the beauty of my city right now. And it sure is a beautiful city. My city.
I met a few new people this weekend and one conversation somehow turned to past relationships. I mentioned that my last relationship was long distance. Someone said "yeah, those are hard because you get to a point where one of you has to decide who will leave to be with the other one." I smiled and said "that was actually never a problem. He knew I was not willing to leave here. I think I have found home."
If you are in D.C. and have a moment today, I recommend you enjoy your moment. I enjoyed mine.
On that note, I'm off to enjoy this glorious day with tens of thousands of other prideful D.C.ers to cheer on our Nats to an
Labels: Friends, Life in General, Travel