back to school blues, part I*...

first of all, happy 24th birthday yesterday to tom. and happy 28th birthday tomorrow to tony.

last night, in celebration of tom's b'day, i went out with some law school friends/classmates. the whole scene was a bit bizarre. there were some folks in attendance that i have neither thought of nor seen since the end of the semester. this summer has provided an interesting look at my classmates, writ large (i have my non-law-student friend josh to thank for defiling my vernacular with that one). my friend sandy remarked, while sitting with me at the end of the table, "we're a quiet group now that we've got nothing in common."

ah, how true that is! during the school year, between common classes, common professors, and the rumor mill, , there was enough fodder for extensive bar-time casual conversation amongst schoolmates. but now that there has passed some time to rediscover who we are, outside of the bubble of law-student-ness, we're now able/willing to forge friendships based on more than just common crises. the folks with whom i've spent my time this summer have been a little different than those with whom i drank away my frustrations during the school year (not entirely distinct groups, however -- think venn diagram/overlapping circles). and the summer folks are the ones that i imagine i'll know best and longest, beyond the context of law school. for this i'm glad. it means that i'm not just a lawyer-in-training, i am, still, after all, nonetheless, the emily i've been. it means the brainwashing has been selective and not all-consuming.

still, it makes me a bit wary of getting back into the social momentum of the school year. i'm very much looking forward to a return to the academic aspects of school, but i wonder how things will pan out otherwise... i suppose it all remains to be seen.

and i am grateful for the remaining 3.5 weeks of summer.

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*in anticipation of additional parts... is this overly pessimistic of me?