I have been up for approximately 36 hours - mostly flying around, but also a lot of standing around waiting for security checkpoints, etc.

We arrived in London around 7am local time.  The first thing we did after grabbing our luggage and whatnot was head to Wimbledon!  It was awesome, and my trip is pretty much made.  As a result, I think I might try to see if it’s possible to get to Roland Garros while I’m in France. Does anyone know if that’s possible on a 1.5-day-in-France stint?  Someone please do the research and report back to me.  Anyway, Wimbledon was totally sweet.  I actually almost ended up buying a Waterford crystal tennis ball for 70 pounds.  Why?  I don’t know.  But it said Wimbledon on it!  I resisted the urge, though, because let’s be honest.  I don’t need a crystal tennis ball.

I give you one try to guess what I did next.  Yep, that’s right.  I went to Chinatown.  Haha.  I flew all the way across the pond to go to Chinatown.  The food actually sucked, but it was likely due to the place we picked rather than London altogether.

I am in Barcelona now.  We got in around 10 or 11pm and it’s now 1am.  I don’t know what all is the game plan tomorrow, because I am so happy to be blissfully following the family around without any money and just telling them “I need money to buy this now.”  Sure, it makes me feel like I’m seven again, but it’s nice not to have to think ever.

Alright.  Until the next time I find free internet.

…when we all stressed about the Bar Exam? And how we were all joking about how we’re going to fail and that we’ll see each other in February again? …and then it wasn’t a joke and became deadly true? Sigh.

The Bar sucked. Like, really hardcore sucked. For those of you fortunate enough not to have had to sit through it, they let you leave if you are done early, unless it’s within the last 15 minutes, so as to prevent mass chaos and distraction at the end. Well, by the time I got to the final multiple choice question, there were 16 minutes to go. I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting there for 15 minutes risking double-checking and changing correct answers. So I didn’t bother reading the question, plopped an answer down (C, per BarBri’s suggestion), and raised my hand to leave. When the proctor made it over, the announcer came on saying that there were 15 minutes remaining and everyone needed to stay in the room. I, with perhaps the most pitiful face ever, asked my proctor if I could please still leave, and she let me. Phew. While we’re talking about how poorly I performed, I guess I should also admit that (more…)

We’ve spent the last two and a half months going to class every day, outlining our lecture notes, making approximately 8,194 flashcards, killing 17 trees per person printing out our outlines, and growing 18 white hairs…per subject. We’ve done five million practice questions and excitedly uttered seventeen million expletives after reading the explanations to the practice questions. We’ve learned more mnemonics than there are words in the English language.

And for that, we are ready. Over the next two days we are going to vomit out all of that knowledge into bubbles and essays. Any leftover brain cells with knowledge, we’re going to kill off Wednesday night.

Tonight I am having penne a la vodka. Why? For one, they tell us that this is a marathon, which means I should be carb loading before the big day. Second, it is my tribute to Paula Franzese, in honor of her father, and in hopes that it will bring me good karma tomorrow.

I am not the smartest person taking the Bar in NY. I am not the most well-prepared person taking the Bar in NY. I’m not even sure if I’m the smartest or most well-prepared person in this hotel. I do know, however, that I have done everything I possibly can. I have been diligent all summer and I have buckled down this month. I could not have studied any harder than I did. And for that, I will pass the Bar. We will pass the Bar.

I am going on hiatus from updating this for the next two weeks, until the Bar is over.  Ditto goes for Facebook.

So, in my temporary parting words, here is what I have to say:

1. For all of you who accidentally stumble upon this blog because you’re doing google searches for “barbri blog” or “barbri method” or “does barbri really work,” I don’t have an answer for you.  I can tell you that now that classes are over, I still do not feel prepared for the Bar.  But then again, we have 2 weeks of just sitting and memorizing.  I hope that is enough, but I have nothing to offer you in terms of proof.  You can search the Bar results come November and see if I passed or not.  If I did, you should send me words of congratulations.  If not, you should ignore my past two months’ worth of updates and just pretend that I never took the Bar to begin with.  In the meanwhile, I will have faith that the process will get me to pass, even if I don’t have faith in myself.
2. I am checking email sporadically throughout the day - not often, but every now and then.  I receive emails whenever you post comments and Facebook wall messages.  While I probably won’t respond, do know that a smile comes across my face each time I get one.
3. I am scared.  Very, very scared.
4. I am excited about Virginia Basketball next year and our shift away from being completely guard-reliant to having some low post presence.  More on that later, I’m sure.
5. My tennis instructor ranked me as a low 4.0 on the NTRP scale.  That is higher than I would have put myself, so I must be doing something right.
6. Goodbye for now.

“A happy baby is a floating baby.” — Roger Schechter

This is not a good time for me. I need more statements like this:

Today was not a good day study-wise for me. I am losing steam and frustrated at myself and at everything around me. I need some sort of motivation. I don’t think I’ve felt this helpless and hopeless at everything before.  Horrible day.

I am getting more and more easily irritable as the days go by - perhaps because impending doom is near.  But here are things that I have found obnoxious over the past few days:

1. The rain.  Why does God hate me?  Doesn’t he know I have tennis to be played?
2. People who say “I’ve never seen YOU here before!” or “What are YOU doing here” when they see you at the gym.  This is incredibly obnoxious.  If the point is that you know the other person goes to a different gym regularly and it actually IS strange for you to see them at this particular gym, fine.  But otherwise, you are the reason this country is getting fatter.
3. The workers in the library.  This is not their fault.  Nor is it really the school’s fault, since things have to get done and the summer is the best time to do it.  But MAN can they create a ruckus on the third floor with their loud clanging.
4. Of course, the Bar.

It’s good to know I have friends who are willing to step in during my times of need.  From Ryan:

I’m not exactly sure which bar you are referring to but back in undergrad i never met a bar i couldn’t dominate so if you need some help please let me know.