Just before my first semester began, people around me suggested I do a lot of my favorite things (fun activities, eat foods, see people) before school began under the misconception that while "in law school" I would have no time, energy, etc. for the outside world.
I came to realize around week 5 of my first term that, for me, this thinking was backwards. I needed those external things: those interactions with friends and family that "stole time" away from my studies, those comfort foods that reminded me of childhood, the mindless fun activities (like people watching at a local park) to relax my mind.
The sad part was, I had said a formal farewell to so much of it, I had a difficult time re-engaging with the external life I needed so badly. And, by the time I realized I was truly lonely, it was a desperate loneliness that just made me want to cry.
So, why do I write this?
For anyone who has felt this way - or who has the potential to feel this way by making assumptions (untrue assumptions) about how life "must" look. Just because law school changes you, if you have friends, keep them close. If you have a hobby, keep it up. If you have an organization you love volunteering with, keep volunteering.
Bringing a new lawyer into the world does not mean that the person who once existed dies - but the law student is the only one who can keep him or her alive.
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