Introduction to an Almost Real Adult

This summer I had to learn how to be a real adult. For the past 11 years I have either attended Kanakuk Kamps over the summer, or, in the case of the past two, worked there. This summer all of the “adulting” that I had put off finally caught up with me. Luckily, I still got to start out the summer with something enjoyable.

Rothenburg, Germany

 

Study Abroad (aka the victory lap for my graduated friends):

I began my summer of adulting by going on a study abroad trip to Germany, Switzerland, and Austria with a combination of PLC and Society of Fellows alums. The trip lasted ten days and for the most part was the last time I got to see some of my really close friends from the past three years. About three-fourths of my friends graduated last year so this trip served as a stark realization that we were all going our separate ways. The trip was incredible and I got to experience so much history and culture with the same people with whom I struggled through Latin and Literature classes.

The LSAT (aka the worst day ever):

After returning from my study abroad trip I had two weeks before taking the Law School Admissions test, more commonly known as the LSAT. Let me tell you something about the LSAT… It is pure evil. The Law School Admissions Council is probably just Satan sitting in a basement taking great joy in the misery he inflicts on 20,000 law school hopefuls every three(ish) months. I studied extremely hard for three months in preparation for the test. While the studying paid off and I did well on the test, you could not pay me enough money to sit through the five-hour exam and then wait three and a half weeks for my score ever again.

Wisdom Teeth Removal (aka the time I had a poor reaction to Hydrocodone):

I decided to schedule my wisdom teeth removal surgery for exactly one week after I took the LSAT. My decision was based around the idea that surely the pain medicine from the surgery would keep me calm enough that I would not even think about the fact that I did not know my score yet. Unfortunately hydrocodone, the post-surgery medicine my doctor selected, had the opposite effect. Not only did it not effectively dull the pain from the surgery, it also actually intensified my anxiety level. Needless to say, my wisdom teeth removal process was not the most pleasant part of my summer.

Grownup Jobs (aka my realization that I need to become a morning person):

For the last month of my summer I decided that I needed to do two things: gain experience in the law field and make money. Luckily I was able to get a part-time unpaid internship with a district judge and a paid part-time job with a local bank. I spent three weeks diagraming and labeling the bank’s safety deposit vaults. While it was a pretty tedious job, I actually  enjoyed having something to do that did not require much brainpower. It was a stark contrast to preparing for the LSAT. I also had a lot of fun interning for the district judge. I got to experience what the behind the scenes of a courtroom was like and I saw some very interesting people.

Overall my summer was a whirlwind of preparing for the next few years of my life. As much as I missed my summer camp counselor days I am glad I stepped foot into the real world for a brief moment.