Searching For A “Unique Experience”

I survived the first week of the semester . . . and it was interesting.

It did not help that I was sick through most of it.  I was fighting a cold most of last weekend and by the time I woke up on Monday, I was running a decent fever of 101 and couldn’t stop shaking from chills.  I took a sick day from work, something I rarely do.  Most of my sick days each year are because my son is ill which is also rare. 

I hate being sick and not because I become a complete baby about it, I get mad instead.  Mainly because it pushes my already tight schedule back.  But this past Monday, I had no choice, my body was begging for rest and I had to respond.  I got my son ready for school and as soon as he was on the bus, I took a shot of NyQuil and passed out for five hours.  I woke up in the early afternoon to a text from a law school friend:

“Are you okay?  You’re not on Twitter or IM.”

I responded that I was slowly dying from a cold and was coming out of a NyQuil induced coma.  I then asked, “how much snot can be blown out of one’s nose before their brain begins to leak out because I have concerns”.

Brief pause, and then my friend responded, “why are you still single . . . your TMI is so classy . . . “

He did offer to bring soup over which was a generous since driving to my suburb is completely out of his way.  I am also grateful to my son’s offer to stay home from school to take care of me although I suspect his generosity had more to do with staying home from school and less of me being sick but still . . .  

Ugh, so I went back to work on Tuesday, the same day I began my chaotic semester.  I have class Tuesday through Saturday; short periods almost every day of the week.  So far, I’m pretty excited!  While the work load balance of five classes will be a problem, I love all my subjects and like all of my profs.  I actually volunteered in all of my classes this week; something I NEVER do!

My Crim Law class on Saturdays will be interesting.  The syllabus posted last week requires us to experience something outside our comfort level on a cultural basis by March 15 and write about it.  Prior experiences and relationships do not apply . . . The reasoning is that even if we don’t practice in criminal law, as future attorneys we will encounter clients and situations outside our normal cultural experience and comfort level.

WTH?  I have agonized over this assignment more than the fact that I have to write my 25+page long paper in another class for this semester. 

My problem is that I can’t come up with a good idea, I benefit from having a variety of diverse friends and experiences.

Prior to having my son and starting law school, I lived a somewhat adventurous, diverse, and spontaneous life.

I lived in another country for a semester in undergrad.  I speak a foreign language fluently.  I backpacked a large portion of Europe for a month.  I took belly dancing for two years.  I went rappelling to overcome my height fear.  I did a military ropes course . . . the list goes on . . . And even though it’s been years for some of my experiences, under the guidelines of my prof, they don’t qualify.  It must be something entirely new for each of us.

In agonizing over what I could do that would be outside my comfort level, I went down “memory lane” and again, I realize how much more open I was to new experiences back in the day.  It’s not that I don’t want to try new things, I’ve just become somewhat complacent (and somewhat fearful) in recent years and use my current schedule as an excuse.

I turned to friends and family about this “new experience/outside comfort level” assignment.  They gave suggestions . . .

One of my law school friends: “Maybe you should go out on a date . . . that would be something new for you”   HA!  And true . . . but no.

My mother: “You should start attending church services”  Another HA, and let’s not go there . . .

One of my other law school friends sent me a text . . .”I’ve got it!  I know friends of friends who are hippies and live at a commune, they host a Love-In around Valentine’s Day every year”.

Wait, what?!  WTH is a “Love-In”?!

I of course Googled it . . . apparently there’s a movie that involves LSD and back in the 60′s the term was used to describe groups making love in public places!

My friend has been to Love-In hosted by this group and assured me that is not what happens.  “Basically it involves eating organic vegan food and having your aura cleansed by multiple people . . . oh and live drum music”.

This will definitely put me outside my comfort level since I have a huge issue about personal space . . .

So unless I come up with something else, I might get my aura cleansed next month, I can smell the incense now .  . .

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