As busy (!) as I've been since my law course began, I've been really loving my studies so far. I wouldn't say it's easy - but there's something in my brain that seems to click with law. And so it's been busy but the good kind of busy.
One of the most important things I could do for myself was get legal work - volunteer work in a legal field where I could learn on the job and apply what I learn in class to real life, and vice versa. And I got SUPER lucky recently when I ran into an old friend. It turns out she has a senior role with a Community Legal Centre here in Melbourne and she was able to get me in the door there, one day a week. As a first year law student, that's tough to get - sure these centres need all the help they can get, but they need help that is useful to them too. So while I felt that I had some really good skills (even if it was initially in more administrative type stuff), it can be hard to convince others of that. So catching up with my friend, Jill, was fortuitous (and rather lovely and fun too as she is a great lady from an equally awesome family) for me.
Today was my first day. I am working in the civil law area (which was what they needed and was also my preference so YAY) with a lovely solicitor. I worked on a few different things and it was early in the afternoon, I became rather self-aware:
I've finally found what I am meant to be doing.
It was a real a-ha moment. The sudden feeling of knowing you've made the right choice for yourself, that with time and experience, you can be really good at something and really enjoy it too.
I can't describe how calming and happy that has made me feel this afternoon. I am feeling genuinely excited about the future and now know where my life is heading. I don't remember the last time I could look to the future and feel confident about what was to come and where I wanted my life to go.
Have a fantastic weekend, friends!