Studying for the Bar, Eating Organic, Getting a Tan, and Learning Important Things About Myself: a.k.a "What I did this Summer"

I'm fully aware of the fact that I have been M.I.A. for awhile now. This summer has simply been consumed by studying for the bar. When I'm not studying, the last thing I want to do is be on my computer, writing.

So, here in short is what I've been up to:

(1) Studying has been a daily endeavor. I get up. Study. Go to work. Go to class. Come home. Sleep. Repeat. It is exhausting, stressful, tedious, and in some strange way, awesome.

(2) Why studying is awesome. The review class I'm taking has given me a day by day schedule for the study period. Ten weeks of someone telling me what to do and when. My whole life I've thought of myself as someone who is resistant to a schedule or "coach" telling me what to do. Well, come to find out, I actually love it (my dislike for coaches is more likely a result of my lack of athletic ability more so then my inner desire to "do my own thing"). I should have been aware of this based on my love for school (and it's strict schedules and calendars), but I guess I always saw school as some what my own endeavor. I thought I loved it because I could get out of it what I wanted. But, I think that I'm also in love with being told what to do.

(3) What I learned from this: in order for me to produce work I need to make a schedule for myself that gives me a daily goal. So, the work I want to produce (and have wanted to produce for years) is my first novel. I'm so overwhelmed with the idea of starting it and then working hard and hating it, that I just never get started. But, my study schedule has taught me that if I make a calendar that requires a few pages of work a day, I will amass a novel in a lot less time then I have spent worrying about it.

(4) Studying in general has improved my writing. The Maryland bar exam consists of ten essay questions. You have about 25 minutes to write each essay. That is not alot of time. I have done a TON of practice questions and I find that I am forcing myself to use one word instead of ten and to say what I want to express in the clearest way. I'm fairly certain that this exercise has improved my writing in general. Also, I think it's improving my oral communication skills, which is always a plus.

Now, on to a completely different topic.

(5) When I got back from the cruise in May, I had gained an obscene amount of weight. And, then I realized how much weight I have gained in the last three years of law school. It is, essentially, sad. So, I decided to make a change. At first, I was going to go completely raw. No cooked foods, no processed foods, no alcohol, for the duration of studying for the bar. That lasted about a day. Maybe not even a day. Then, I decided to do something I knew I could accomplish. I went organic. I'm not 100% yet, but I'm pretty darn close. Here's what I've learned from this change:
(a) Buying organic foods costs more money, but I hardly notice because they are fresher, more filling, tastier, and satisfying. When I compare the cost of healthcare in the future with the cost of buying organic now, it hardly makes sense to not buy organic.
(b) Everything I cook tastes better. Ingredients matter. And, the less chemicals, the better everything tastes. I still make all my favorite foods, and have tried a few new ones, and I'm so happy with having a heightened enjoyment in things I already liked.
(c) Not having to think about carbs, fat, calories, etc. is such a relief. I can eat what I want, when I want, in what quantity I want. All I worry about it where my food came from. I'm hoping, in the future, to eventually weed out processed carbs, frozen, canned, and boxed foods, but those are future endeavors. This is a lifestyle change and I don't expect to be exactly where I want to be overnight.
(d) I have lost weight! Not everything I want to lose, but I'm losing it and it is staying off. At first, I noticed a change in my belly and the BF said I had lost weight in my face (trust me, his honesty is something I treasure). This is promising since I have not been working out like I use to and I still eat non-organic on the weekends. But, every day I strive to get a little closer to my goal. I will get there, eventually. I don't need instant results. I just need to wake up each day feeling a little better, with a little more energy, and a tad more enthusiasm for the day.

(6) I got a tan! It started in the Bahamas, but the BF and I have made a point of laying out for awhile each weekend. We've been good about it and I still have my vacation tan. We've also planned a trip to NC for the weekend after the bar, so that tan will just keep on keeping on! This might be the first time I've had a tan in, oh, my life! Very exciting for us pale folks.

Alright, it's almost 10 p.m. so I better get to bed. I promise, in the future, I will be better about this blogging thing!