Finished!

My lovely spouse and I have just returned from a week in San Diego. For those of you picturing sunny climes, fun beaches, and special activities, I hate to disillusion you; we've returned from one of the most harrowing experiences known to educated beings: the California Bar Exam. Part of my absence from this blog has been due to a last-minute flurry of activity in our humble abode: reviewing 13 different subject areas, replete with impromptu flash-card sessions and the like. In a sense, both of us underwent a bunker mentality for the last month or so, intensifying in the last couple weeks prior to leaving for the bar. Although I have (thankfully!) nothing to do with the bar itself, I've been the support system in this household since Christmas week, so it's been a bit exhausting for me. Of course, the test-taker is totally wiped out-- she's been studying non-stop for the last fourteen weeks prior to the bar. Her schedule went something like this: get up, eat, study, eat, study, go to bar prep class, eat, study, bed. An average of 8-12 hours daily studying, plus class, with just enough time to sleep and then start all over again. For a taste of her perspective, you can see her own musings here.

This week has been a mixture of relaxation and ultimate stress. Daily our heroine braves the innards of the San Diego Concourse (in the San Diego Civic Center downtown) while her erstwhile champion amuses himself, mostly by watching the Olympics at the hotel (oh, what a stressful thing to do!). In the evenings, they go to such trendy places as the Gaslamp Quarter to dine, unwind, and forget.

Nevertheless, it's an experience neither of us wants to repeat, the joys of San Diego notwithstanding. As a sort of celebration earlier today, we stopped on our way home at Torrey Pines State Reserve and hiked for a couple of hours. For the next couple weeks, we'll take a stay-at-home-and-recuperate vacation, then get back to reality: taking care of stuff we ignored since the beginning of the year, getting a jump start on spring cleaning, and of course, the joys of job hunting. Wish us luck.