All right, curious kittehs!

BE WARNED: THIS IS A LONG POST

Well, due to popular demand (okay, just one kitteh's demand), I'm updating you all on the status of my Brazil trip. And the answer is .... I don't know if I'm going yet.
I should probably explain. See, I'm going with my Ex - this was his Christmas gift to me. But the thing is, he's waiting to hear back from a couple job interviews, and they told him that they'd call him back the first week of March to let him know if they're interested and want to re-interview him. Great, huh? But the thing is, the second set of interviews they're doing is during Spring Break. And for the Ex, going to a job interview is more important than taking a trip with me to Brazil. So if he gets asked back for an interview, he won't go. And that means I won't go either. I love Brazil - I really do, but I don't want to be there by myself right now. I don't know anyone there, and I'd be somewhat limited in the things I could do, since it is a bit dangerous to be out after dark if you're alone and female.
Now, it's the end of the first week of March, and he still hasn't gotten a call back. This doesn't really tell me anything, because they were going to call him and tell him yay or nay. So nothing yet. Which is pissing me off, because I like to know ahead of time what's going to happen. Now, the Ex was nice enough to mention to them during his first interview that he had this trip planned, but that doesn't mean they'll be nice and actually say, "All right - go to Brazil! We'll wait for ya!" I hope so, but you never know.
This trip is important to me because it's the first time the Ex will step foot in Brazil, and also, because it'll probably be my last trip with him. Realistically, I'm pretty sure I'll never see him again after I leave law school, so this trip would be a lovely last memory.
And before you say anything, I know, I know. This is all a little 'effed up. If I love Brazil so much, I should go by myself and not let his absence dampen my enjoyment. I know that.

But never fear. I will go to Brazil - that is definitely going to happen. See, I've always loved Portuguese, and Brazil, and I wondered, why can't I go and learn Portuguese in Brazil? I know, I'm graduating in a couple months. Graduation is in May. But the thing is, I'm going to take 1 class this summer. And the Attorney State Bar is in summer. So obviously I can't take it (I have to be completely done with school before I can take the Bar). So I have wait until the next one, which is in February 2009. So I have to figure out what to do during July, August, September, October, November, December, and January. Since I can't get hired as an attorney, then I'll be stuck doing something else (hopefully law related) until February. But then I thought, "Hey, instead of shuffling paperwork for people at a law firm, why don't I go to Brazil, learn a new language (which is great for my resume), and get to enjoy meeting new people?" Soooo, after thinking for maybe 0.5 seconds, I thought, Brazil it is.
So yeah. I'm getting out of here in July or August and not coming back until I need to take the Bar. Obviously, I'll be studying for it over there, but hey, I'm in Brazil! Now, the details aren't set in stone yet, but from the preliminary talks we've had with people over there, I don't think it'll be too difficult, and tuition isn't too expensive either.
So yay! I'm excited. This certainly helps soothe my sadness if I don't get to go to Brazil next week. And you know, this whole Brazil plan wouldn't have happened if I was still dating my Ex. In short, he thinks traveling is a waste of money, and I shouldn't be throwing away time doing that. Instead I should be chasing jobs and working like a maniac. And hey, that's the way he thinks and if that makes him happy, kudos to him. But I am NOT that way at ALL. And I'm sick and tired of being made to feel irresponsible and lazy and wasteful because I want to travel. See, my perspective is as follows: I have certain goals I want to achieve in my life (such as traveling, homeschooling my kids, living somewhere where I can have chickens and goats and big dogs, and my neighbors won't be bitching about that) and I think my job should help me reach those goals, instead of hindering me. As lovely as it would be to have a job I absolutely adore, honestly, you all know that rarely happens. And that's okay. As long as my job allows me to pursue my goals, then I'll be happy. So therefore, I won't be a person chasing after a six figure salary (because you all know the amount of work and sacrifice that comes with such high income).

And before you all start thinking that I'll end up starving to death selling burgers at McDonalds, let me assure you, I know exactly what I'm going to do. I've always known that if I went into law school, my ultimate goal would be to have my own practice. I absolutely HATE working in teams, so I would shrivel up and die if I had to work in a large firm. I'm sure there are places that have lovely co-workers, and that's great, but I've always been someone who prefers to work by themselves, and prefers to be the leader. So private practice it is. And for a while I thought I should work in larger firms for the first couple of years before getting my own practice. But thinking things through, I've come to realize I don't have to do that if I don't want to. See, back in undergrad, I started a business with my parents. Our clientele is mostly Latinos who live in the area. And it's been 7 years since it has started, and now we have two offices, and enough clients to keep us well fed and pay our employees. One of the reasons I came to law school is because so many of our clients need a lawyer desperately, but there aren't too many lawyers in the area, and also, there is NO ONE who speaks Spanish. No one. So if I go back there and set up my practice, I'd have a ton of clients who are looking for a Spanish attorney. For a while, I thought doing that would just be living off my parents' work, but that's not true. I worked my ass off for that business during undergrad, and so I don't think I'm living off their work - I'm just taking advantage of something I helped start. And besides, not many lawyers who start their private practice already have clients waiting. But I do. And I think it would be smart of me to take advantage of this opportunity.
The only downside is that our business is in a rural area, and the nearest BIG city (Chicago) is 3 hours away. I've grown to love being able to hop in my car and drive 10 minutes to an award-winning restaurant, or drive 15 minutes into downtown to see a popular band play, but in the long run, I don't want to live in the city. So what's wrong with starting my career EXACTLY where I want to end up in the next 6-10 years? It almost seems too easy - I've always thought I'd have to fight and sweat and cry during the next couple years until I reached a position I actually liked. But I realize now that the perfect job was right under my nose the entire time.

So that's that. My computer is dying, so I'd better turn it off, and this entry is already long enough. I know most of my readers are people that already have started the whole "career" thing, so if you have any thoughts or suggestions, I would really appreciate it. I've talked to a couple of my mentors here, and they seem very excited about my plans, so I hope it's the right thing to do and that I'll end up enjoying it very much. So, ciao, and catch ya later!