Topic: Law School

Explore Portland!

I think of this week as the Week of No Return. Extra time has become increasingly short as the assignments and readings have become longer and more complex. We just reached the semester’s mid-point and everyone, including myself, is beginning to get into a flurry, raiding the supplies for extra notebooks, pens, highlighters, sticky notes, and power cords and buckling down to begin outlining for final exams. Outside of school, I also do pro bono work with a community organization and have an internship with a non-profit group, so time is always at a premium for me. Regardless of how busy school is getting it, I’ve found my work outside of school to be not only personally fulfilling, but also a great way to practice and apply the skills I am learning in class.

In an effort to escape the boiling pot that law school can sometimes be, my friends and I have adopted the weekly tradition of “Explore Portland.” Explore Portland is our Thursday night ritual (though we should probably change the name from “Explore Portland” to “Eat Portland”). We’ve ticked a number of Portland hot spots off our list, including: Last Thursday on NE Alberta, Podnah’s BBQ, the Laurelhurst Theater, King’s Burritos, Pok Pok, and next week we’re adopting a Halloween theme and visiting Portland’s Haunted Houses. This week we dined at Delta Café and Bar for a taste of the good ol’ South. There were hush puppies in a pond, chicken fried steak, biscuits and collared greens, and plenty of sweet tea to go around. (photo courtesy of Lindsay Ray).

Law school is intense, wonderful, crazy, enriching, and frustrating; it’s an emotional experience. I’ve learned in my short time here (nine weeks in!) that it’s important to take a step back every once in awhile, and for me, that’s Explore Portland. It’s a designated evening each week, where I take time leave the law school bubble (admittedly, many lame jokes about negligence and duties owed abound at Explore Portland dinners), to take time for myself, and to enjoy being in Portland. Stepping back from my studies for one night a week, isn’t going to set me back; to the contrary, I see it as a chance to recharge my batteries and reflect and embrace the law school experience. 

Delta Cafe and Bar

23 October 2009