All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray

I woke up this morning dreaming of California. I keep having dreams about Santa Monica, Malibu, law school, and all our friends whom we miss so dearly. "The summers" get here in two weeks, Brian informed me this morning. This is a term used in the legal world to describe the students between their second and third year of law school who spend the summer at their hopeful future place of employment. If all goes according to the big law plan, the law firm will hire them at the end of the summer. Then, they will go onto complete their third year of law school, study for the bar the following summer, and begin at the law firm in September or October.

Considering last summer was a wasted three month studying hell that I prefer to black out completely, it seems very much that it was just last summer that Brian was "summering" in London. That summer (2014) really set everything into motion. This new batch of summers is one of many signs that we have been here a full season and that a new season is ahead.

Weather wise, though, that could not feel further from the truth. It hailed twice last week. Yep, not a type-o, legitimate hail fell on the ground here in London twice. I couldn't believe it. I am so anxious for tossing my coat in the closet and scurrying to work without it. I suppose its not surprising that in this gloomy weather and settling further into London, I am California dreaming.

Our first week to-do list for making the apartment 'ours' included a to do list item: Enlarge a wedding photo, have it framed and hang it in our bathroom. Well, I just finally got around to doing that last week. It's funny though because the delay in doing it led us to select a totally different picture to enlarge.

It's been one year since we moved almost exactly to the day. It's been one year since we completed our law school classes. It's been one hell of a year.

Traffic People

I forge my own path every day. Literally. I commute from the core of "The City" which is the true original city of London and the financial hub into the heart of the city at large in its center, and the area of law firms clustered around the courts and chambers of law. Of course, I make this commute at the busiest times of the day: 8 am and 6 pm. It's like playing frogger, and God forbid I decide to text or look down to change the song on my phone and I've been run into or I have run into someone else. Remarkably though, traffic of people, completely unprotected by the metal of a car, isn't that much different than Atlanta or LA traffic. Everyone sticks to their own bubble and there are certain public transportation rules that everyone observes. Obey the unspoken code, or receive stares and glares galore.

Just like there are rules of the road, the rules of the riders for Transport for London have a code of conduct. 
Escalators: walkers walk on the left side, standers stand on the right. This is taken seriously and you will be run over or pushed if you're doing the wrong action in the wrong 'lane'. Switching lanes is also dangerous and must be done swiftly.

You cannot hug a pole or handrail, you can merely hold onto it. Hugging, or leaning your whole body against such a place for others to put their hands makes everyone sway unsteadily and causes social strife. 

There are no consequences for jay walking. 


No talking. Well, you can talk, of course, but no one else is. And whoever is, is a tourist. This rule is taken less seriously on the overground or bus where there is service but it's still widely observed. 

Speaking of tourists, every pedestrian cross walk has 'LOOK LEFT' or 'LOOK RIGHT' instructions so that pedestrians know which direction to check before they cross the road. I love this because I do actually use it a lot. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when they decided to paint these instructions on every corner and crosswalk in this massive city. The staffer to the Mayor, "Sir, for the last calendar year, we've had 11,567 accidents on crosswalks where the injured reported that they didn't understand which directions the cars were coming." "Bloody hell, do we need to put instructions to all the tourists on every corner?!!" Yes, apparently so. (If you don't get this joke, you're forgetting that they drive on the wrong side of the road in this country)

On the note of crossing the street, this is a good place to mention that no matter how confused you are on which direction to look... If you wait for the light to completely change and don't start darting across the road in between cars, you're a tourist. 

Food and drink rules are interesting. Drinks are forbidden on the buses to the point where a bus driver will not let you on the bus if you have one in your hand. Drinks are cool on the tube, but food is not. You are welcome to bring it of course, but no one eats on the tube. Especially if you have something like chips, I mean, crisps, and you're just there crunching away, you'll catch all the stares of that entire cart. 

To finish this post about rules of the London commute, I will say, if you ever happen to drop your phone on the tube tracks, its best not to panic. It's NO BIG DEAL. You'll just use the emergency button/"help pointe" to call a member of staff. They will determine, depending on where your phone has landed on the tracks if they will be allowed to retrieve it. Then, they will stop the tube cart completely, make the driver get out of the cart, and then other members of staff will use this little stick thingy to retrieve your phone from the track. If the stick thingy doesn't work, they will do the entire charade over again and use the same stick thing a second time. I wouldn't know or anything.... ;)

A Check off the Bucket List: Iceland

Iceland was AMAZING.

I won't ruin the pictures by overcrowding them with too many words, but while I know I have your attention, hear me clearly --- you must find a way to go. Iceland was like a sixth grade science project in real life. When we first arrived, it was snowing sideways. We met our driver who told us on the way into Reykjavik (the capital) that "In Iceland, the earth is alive." And it is so true. The land is made of dried lava, there are glaciers and volcanoes, geysers and waterfalls, mountains and valleys, seas and lakes, rivers and cliffs. Natural hot springs and the Northern Lights were clearly two of the best highlights.

Our trip was the perfect mix of relaxation, laying around, yet adventure-filled and abounding with incredible sights. It was rejuvenating and powerful to experience nature in this incredible country.

We saw TWO NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD in the same twelve hour period. I mean, what a place!

Enjoy the photos... and find a way to go!

^This is the famous Blue Lagoon where we bathed in the natural hot spring

Seven Month Status Report

My job: I have transitioned to a new law firm. It's about 40 people, and I work in the Actions Against the Police department. 
I'm still settling in, but I am enjoying the change and I'm curious to see how I'll feel in a few months time. Our department deals with police complaints, improper abuse of power, wrongful arrest, etc. The department also takes on various human rights cases.

We LOVE the neighborhood where we live. We've fully set into routines and commutes. I'm going to reformer pilates a few times a week at a nearby studio and its really fun. I'm finally gaining abdominal strength so that's a first in my whole life! Brian was playing soccer 2-3 times a week on various teams or pick up with friends. He is nursing a heel injury and taking it easy these days. We'd appreciate your prayers for a solid answer on the diagnosis. We also really love this wine shop that opened up across the street. We've been to two excellent tastings there. One was a wine and chocolate pairing for Valentine's Day! It was so much fun.
Thanks to the wonderful visitors we've had, we have had a special opportunity to explore sights in London we had not yet seen. When the Hubbell ladies were here, we went to the British Museum where we observed giant chunks of Parthenon on display and gawked at mummies galore, and the Rosetta Stone. We also saw a play together, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. We LOVED having them here for a full week- our first visitors really made it feel like we've made this place a home. 
My Dad was here for a few days and we explored new restaurants. We visited the Churchill war rooms, which was quite the history lesson. Brian's Dad visited for nearly a week while checking in on his London office. With him, we went to the British Library which boasts an impressive collection of original Shakespeare manuscripts, Florence Nightingales notebooks, original Beatles' lyrics, the Magna Carta ! it was so cool. We also journeyed outside the city to Greenwich, where the British Naval Academy has this gorgeous park and lovely observatory showing the division of the timezones for the world, hence the name, Greenwich Mean Time. 
My sorority sister, Erin, was in town for a few days and we had dinner at a pub that is housed in the spot on the Thames River where the Mayflower left for the Netherlands (and eventually, onto America). We've been SO blessed by these visitors and hope to have many more! It's easy to get lonely here and to miss our good friends. Brian's brothers have just planned a trip in June and one of his groomsmen will be here for his birthday! 
On the subject of friends, we are still couple-shopping. We've made some good friends here, but its hard not to miss everyone back home. Meanwhile, the time difference and chaos has made it challenging to stay in touch. So hang with us, and please know that we hate how difficult it can be to get in touch. But at the same time, technology has never made staying in touch easier, so please reach out!
I guess the last important update is about the Roswell house. I had the great pleasure of coming home for about two weeks while I was in between jobs. I worked a lot on the house, but the real hero of the project has been Barbara. It's remarkable how much work she has gotten done and how much she has helped us. We are so grateful. The house has officially been listed and we are hoping for positive feedback and a loving new buyer soon! 

Brian's job: there's not much to report here. He likes his job a lot and is enjoying all experiences associated with the big law firm life. We live very close to his office, so these last months he has been able to walk home for lunch which gives Grey a great deal of joy. 

We've just returned from ICELAND and it was the most amazing trip. I'll post about that next! 

That pretty much covers a good chunk of it. 

This is 1 Dec

I've been avoiding posting, so here you have a few very stream of consciousness updates on our life in London.

1. We still have no shower. It has now been 40 days that we have not had access to our en suite. We are super lucky that we have a second bathroom (which has a tub only). However, it has effectively now been 7 weeks out of the 8 weeks we have lived in this flat that we have been shower-less. In the last 7 weeks, I've taken three showers, which were in Rome. I recognize that we are very lucky overall and that this whole ordeal is a real first world problem, but it's also really stressful, obnoxious, and driving me crazy.

2. My ugly feelings toward plumbers has reached an all-time unfathomed high.

3. I am still working! In fact, on Friday, I worked an 11 hour day and won my first court case. Well, the barrister "won" it, but I did a lot of work with my colleagues and I was present at the hearing, so it felt very satisfying. Its good to feel like a real lawyer.

4. Our obsession with the International Street food fair on Sundays has plateaued. We still love it, but it has been kicked from being the highlight of the week.

5. We managed to find Americans to share Thanksgiving with us. On Thursday, we hit up Pepperdine's group and had a lovely Thanksgiving meal with our fellow law students. It was really nice. On Saturday, I baked three pies and a sweet potato casserole. The store only had pink and white marshmallows. We made it work. The pies turned out excellent. We took the sweets to a feast with our new British/American friends that we met in September. They've turned out to be lovely friends, and they introduced us to even more really lovely people. It was a great day.

6. My two new favorite phrases that will forever be incorporated into my verbiage:

"cant be bothered" = cannot bring myself to do that

 Example, "I cannot be bothered to do the dishes right now." 

"muppet" = a person who is worthless  

Example, "Those plumbers are a buncha muppets!" 

7. Brian and I shared the one year of our engagement last Friday. We were in Rome and it was a lovely day. Brian had never been to Italy, so we had a great time. I met a colleague from working in Madrid and spent wonderful quality time with her. On Saturday, we were filled with sentimental thoughts about where we were one year ago and how much has happened since then. I look back on that weekend with the fondest of memories with our closest friends and family. I was filled with warmth all weekend, still reeling from the event even if it was one year ago.

8. Grey doesn't bark like a Brit. Not yet, at least. But she has learned to pee on concrete. And she actually likes the cobble stone. Great success!

9. I think that Starbucks holiday cup "scandal" was one of the stupidest things in the 21st century.

10.  Brian and I will be in Cincinnati and Chicago for about one week around Christmas. I will be eat Chic-Fil-A at least ten times, Brian will demand Skyline at least fifteen times, and I will spend over two hours frolicking the aisles of Target.

Dressing Whoever You Are

Halloween is about grim and gore in this country.
I lost count of how many dead brides I saw. I found this the most disturbing. Halloween is definitely celebrated and the American trick or treat tradition is growing in popularity here. 


This year, unfazed by Britain's take on the holiday, Brian and I were party animals. I dressed as a cat, and he wore this awesome elephant onsie. Brit told me I would have been better off as a "dead kitty," and I wanted to slap him. That should not be an acceptable thing! I did, in fact, sadly, see a "dead kitty" on the Tube. Somethings I will never understand.

On October 31, I was roaming around the streets of our neighborhood attempting to distinguish between who was dressed up and who was not. We live in a very hipster-y neighborhood. There are about 20 Vintage clothing stores within a few blocks of our apartment, and their customers are quite characters. The collection of clothing you may see on any one individual in the same motley outfit is actually remarkable. I haven't kept a precise count, but I know I cycle through the entire rainbow in hair colors every day or two. Sometimes, multiple colors on the same person! Green and blue, or purple and black. So you can understand how I wasn't sure as I walked past the other pedestrians, are you dressed up, or are you not? The streets around here haven't changed too much. I like that. I like I live somewhere that everyone gets to dress as they please and tell a story with their appearance and just rock it. So, I often walk Grey in my Alabama sweat pants and my hair in a rat's nest on the top of my head, and it's fine. Because its Shoreditch, and all things are "cool." Shh, don't tell me otherwise... 

We went to a party with Pepperdine students doing the program that I did in 2013. It's very weird to think about the mountain of changes that have happened since I was a Second year law student. I didn't realize how much OLDER I've gotten since then until I was standing there. We felt two beers behind all night and a bit like uninvited chaperones that didn't belong at a college party, buuuuut we had a great time and had a good, long laugh when we processed the whole thing the next morning. 

Guy Fawke's Day was November 5th. Fireworks were randomly going off throughout the week. On Saturday, I went with friends to this giant fireworks show in Victoria Park. I felt very oddly like all the sudden it was 4th of July and I was at home. It's amazing how many celebrations translate across cultures. Somethings are just undeniably amazing. There is something about that little explosion of light and color in the sky that makes everyone's face mirror its glow. No matter who you are, it's likely that fireworks in the sky will make you gasp in awe and bring a smile to your face. Something about sharing that with other people is a cool feeling. Instant. Happiness. 

pantyhose and paychecks

I recognize this need to beautifully package some kind of theme in order to blog. Perhaps the readers of this blog would prefer I just use it as a pure communication tool of updating on our life here. This blog has never been that, but it could be that. So, hey, reader, express what you'd like to read. And I'll write that. 

We moved into the flat previously mentioned just over two weeks ago now. We really love it and I promise to post photos soon. It's not all perfect and we are currently boxing with our landlord (another post entirely), but everyone has reassured us that all landlords are bad words and that there is no good landlord. So, fine, we will become better boxers. We had dinner with friends last night who shared us their landlord nightmare. I couldn't tell if it comforted me in that "it could be worse" or terrified me to think "it may get worse." Indeed it is getting worse, but I have hope it will get better. 

As some of you know, I had a very miraculous email exchange that has lead to me working here in London. For me, especially in the particular situation where his arose, I consider most miracles to be gifts from Mom and she outdid herself on this one. On HER birthday, nonetheless! In 2013 when I lived here as a second year law student, I worked for a human rights law firm and they had this immediate need for some paralegal work. I started just two days after we landed in London. 

It's a dream job in many ways and I feel completely powerless to complain when this fell out of thin air without me lifting a finger. Not to mention how many of my friends have been slaving over application after application after application and are still jobless. However there is a balance between having a job and having a good job, or more importantly, the RIGHT job. 

I was hired on a temporary, project only basis, for not great pay. Obviously I was so thrilled to be employed within two days of landing without submitting a single job application, I didn't care! As the project has dwindled down after five weeks (it was initially thought to be about two weeks only), I've felt my intolerance for uncertainty absorbing substantial mental energy. But I'm hoping for some conversation with the managing partner that results in a permanent job offer. Lots of prayers. 

In the meantime, it's been a lot of fun to get paid for legal work for the first time ever and soak in the new experience. I learn so much about British culture from work. There is another American in the office, and several American trained attorneys so its a very welcoming environment. There are no cubicles so we all just work right next to each other at adjoining desks. I feel part of a team thats working on some really cool projects, and I'd love the opportunity to stay there!  

Mimosas in the Sun

We got the news on Wednesday morning at 6am that we both passed the NY Bar!! Now we just have one more hurdle of paperwork to complete to pass the "moral character" portion of our application to the bar. We've already completed and passed the Ethics exam, and obviously the July exam was the biggest mountain to overcome. It's an incredible relief to have received this news and I have tremendous gratitude for so many of you that helped me accomplish it. I feel very emotional thinking about it. Thank you to those of you who fed me, helped me, encouraged me... All of it. Thank you the most for the prayers. God is good. Thank you. We did it. Together. 

All summer, my background on my computer was a Walt Disney quote, "it's kind of fun to do the impossible."

Sometimes at the end of a journey, it's easy to forget just how difficult the road was that got you there. This summer had a lot of dark days. I was doubtful, I was discouraged, I was beaten down. I was faced with memorizing literally thousands of laws. I wasn't scoring where I wanted to be; I wasn't improving like I thought I should. I had no gold star to show for my achievements even though I was working 10 hours a day. It was absurd. It was grueling. It was REALLY hard. 

The days leading up to July 28 and 29, I listened to "here comes the sun" about 2893748 times. The words "it's been a long, lonely winter... Here comes the sun, little darling, it's alright." I couldn't get over the irony of feeling that summer had actually been a long and lonely winter. But I had to hold on because the sun- the wedding, London, being an attorney- it was coming. 

Apparently, some study has been done where women polled overwhelmingly chose the Bar over pregnancy as the most stressful and painful thing they had ever endured. The women said they would do child birth again, but they would never repeat the bar. Besides that, you have a beautiful baby at the end when after the bar, all you have is 3+ months of second-guessing and insecurity. As Brian said, it would be like if on Christmas morning your parents said, "you know how you were really good for 3 years and you were always on the good list? Well, this year, you don't get any gifts. And all that time you were good was pretty much for nothing." 

Then, on top of THAT, I decided to have LASIK surgery. From which, I experienced very obnoxious and inconvenient complications. I also had wedding tasks that just had to be accomplished during our bar studying time. We also were trying to prepare the Atlanta house to go on the market. Oh, and, we had just moved from LA back to ATL and still had to prepare for our move to London. During the bar study months, it was impossible not to work on our visas, our flights, our honeymoon, etc. Literally, it was insane. And we did it. We did it. The wedding was beautiful and an amazing day. And now we are in London, settled in, employed, and we passed the bar exam. What?! I mean, what?! 

I catalog all of that to remember. To remember just how hard it was; and that if I can do it, you can. And that it really is "kind of fun" to do the impossible. The sun is here and it's shining and it's just lovely. 

a flat out nightmare

I was unprepared.
This is an ironic way to start this blog post considering the day of our move to London, I posted a status on Facebook about the ridiculous preparation that was required for survival of May 2015 through September 17, 2015. And then, we landed in London.
I lived in London from August through December of 2013. Not once during that entire period do I recall experiencing what is commonly called, "culture shock." I still cannot bring myself to call it that, because it's just not an appropriate label. No, I had culture shock in Africa. No, I love culture. I love being shocked by culture. That's not what this was. This was a nightmare.

This is the story of how we learned London's leasing market by doggy paddling in the deep end. 

Nearly every sale or let (aka lease) in London goes through some agency. Agencies charge a lot of money. The agents are practically anti-tenant/pro-landlord, as they get paid by the landlord to get the highest possible offer. So basically, we put in an offer and then its totally unprotected and can get outbid. The list prices are all up for negotation. This is supposedly the busiest time of year in the London leasing market and the leasing market here has been repeatedly ranked as one of the worst in the world. Didnt know that! But know i believe it!! Letting in London is much more synonymous with buying a house than what we think of "signing a 1 year lease." 

We learned that agency's fees were basically unavoidable. We scheduled viewings after work and saw about ten properties in five days. Multiple times, in the short time between booking a viewing and going to the viewing, the property was let. The market is HOT. Additionally, properties on the market now aren't actually available to move in immediately. Some aren't available until late October or even early November. Landlords are also dog-averse. One landlord wanted a £2,300 deposit for Grey. FOR GREY!! 

Last thursday, we found this wonderful place, great location, with this huge terrace for Grey. Brian viewed the property at 5pm and then I came after work and viewed it around 6. We went to dinner, thought about our offer, and went to the office first thing Friday morning with our offer. We had been told by all our London friends & coworkers that asking price is negotiable and no one really pays asking price. So in our offer because of the absurd experience we had all week with flats getting scooped up like crazy, we offered a 2 year contract at asking price. Within the hour we submitted our offer, someone had come in and given £40 MORE PER WEEK. That’s like almost $300 more per month!!! I mean, WHAT?! 

So then the pressure was on big time. Saturday, we went to a second viewing of a place I had reallllly fallen in love with earlier on in the week but that had a crappy location but with so much character and space. We placed an offer and left nervous because they had several other viewings and the agent wouldnt stop viewings or reject other offers until our offer was accepted by the landlord. With little hope, we carried on with our planned schedule and saw two more flats. We liked BOTH of them! At the third place, we put in an offer immediately after viewing. Totally spur of the moment, feeling super crazy, knowing any second the other landlord could accept our first offer and we’d be in big trouble. As soon as we left that place, we called and withdrew our first offer. Feeling like crazy people, emotionally drained, we carried onto a FOURTH viewing for the day because we were afraid our offer wouldnt be accepted. About five hours later, our offer was accepted by the landlord! 

The battle was just beginning. Even after our paperwork and holding deposit finalized, OUR property was still on the market. For three days, we were nervous that someone could put in a higher offer and knock us out. The idea that this is legal under contract law just baffles me. The agency requires the 10 week deposit to come from a UK bank. Well, thanks to the complicated nature of an international wire transfer, we learned that the bank's restrictions would be unable to get the 10-week deposit into our bank account in the strict timeline we had to preserve our hold on the property. Meanwhile, our temporary housing requires 7 days notice of any extension or cancelation. Not knowing whether or not we would be able to move in on Saturday, because we legitimately do not know whether or not we have the flat, we will now be paying for next week's rent in two places. A blessing of a problem to have compared to being kicked out of any housing at all! With quite a bit of thankfulness, we were able to sort the money out and it was deposited to their account today. This whole thing has just been CRAZY. 

Now, we are waiting on a bit of finalizing loose ends but we are expecting to move in on Saturday. 

However, I will not feel reassured until I have those keys in my hands. As you tap yourself on the back for finishing this really long post, say a prayer that we will actually be able to move in and that we are not flat-less in a few days. I'm so anxious to put this flat battle behind us and start settling in! 

Bery Beary

After two heavy posts, here are just a few photos from Alaska- August 2014

The first pink I've ever caught! 

Red Salmon - beautiful! 

Barbara in her Haz-Mat suit

Can I ask you a question?

One of my roles at Christian Legal Aid this semester is to answer the phones. Many of our clients have mental issues, and this one woman I spoke with on Friday raised some red flags. After giving a several minute monologue about all her issues, her legal problems and her emotional struggles, I told her that she should come in to speak to one of our attorneys.

She asked how much it cost.
I explained that she would have a ninety minute appointment with an attorney for free.
She said, "Can I ask you a question. Why do you do that?"
I was really stunned. I didn't know what to say.
Her question will stay with me for a long time.
It speaks to a loneliness, a lack of faith in society, and a mistrust for anyone or anything that seems "too good to be true." Indeed, I could not agree with Joseph Allegretti more- for most criminal defendants (and for nearly all of the poorest clients), "the criminal act itself (or legal problem) is just the tip of the iceberg, beneath which are more basic emotional, economic and spiritual problems."

I am constantly guilty and completely unworthy of throwing the first stone, "will you stand by this person, this flawed and sinful human being, and speak a word in his behalf?" - this is the question true advocates answer with a bold "yes, of course."

So can I ask you a question?

The question is not "why do you do that?"

Why do you represent guilty, or why do you help the poor, it is why doesn't everybody?
Quoted Material from, Joseph Allegretti, The Lawyer's Calling, "Representing the Guilty."

surely this is not THE Jericho Road

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

-Luke 10:25-37

At the end of the street where I lived in Madrid, the same man sits on this corner of concrete that forms the entrance to a metro station. He has folded cardboard on this little corner to form a seat. When I started my walk around 8 am, he wasn't there, but by the time I came back in the afternoon, he was there. He had the same quick little remarks as I walked by, "hello pretty" or "good afternoon!" and a smile on his face with his metal cup in his hand hoping I would put in some change.

In my twenty minute walk, I made only three turns. On the main road, after passing this first man, I also passed another woman who sat in the same spot every morning. She never spoke, she just had her little dish sitting there waiting to be filled. As people walked by, she would make eye contact and follow them with her eyes as they approached and as they passed her.

By the time I walked home, she was still there but she switched to the opposite side of the road. An accordion player, who always started conversations with me at the stop light where he sat, joined the commute. A few times there was a man in a very ragged suit who had a cardboard sign that just said "I am hungry." He stood about two blocks after the accordion player. Yet another man, also sitting with a cup in front of him, sat in between them.

Several mornings, I walked just inches away from a man's "home" where he kept his suitcase of belongings and was wrapped in a blanket on the same step of a car dealership. He was always gone by the afternoon. I never saw his face. Sometimes in the afternoons, a man would be on one of the street benches, barefoot, with beer cans under the bench, sleeping. I wondered if it was the same man or two different men.

Surely, this road, this road that I walked everyday isn't THE Jericho Road. Oh no, it's not possible because its Calle Isaac Peral. Its not called Calle Jericho. Surely this is not where I am called to stop and ask how am I to help? Surely, I am not the Priest or the Levite who walked by heartlessly, who walked by without caring or noticing. I noticed!

I don't have any change.
I don't have coins, nor the ability to bring about change. 

Is the parable about giving each of them money everyday as I walk past them? Is it asking me to make them all breakfast or lunch, or provide them with groceries? Is it merely telling me that I cannot be hard-hearted and ignore? The one that had mercy inherits eternal life- I have mercy on them! Is the parable about teaching me that these people are PEOPLE, they are humans with stories and struggles, who deserve someone who advocates for them, someone in their corner, someone to help them? Is the parable only about guarding them from my judgment or ensuring I do not turn up my nose thinking I am greater than them?

I want to believe that the parable has real, rich requirements for me. Its just so much easier to think that the only Jericho Road I've been on were on "mission trips" or when I've actually tossed out a few coins or offered whatever food I had in my purse. 

Today, I write to admit that I realize I take the Jericho Road everywhere. I want to be the Good Samaritian, I just don't always know exactly what that means. Thus, I am, in fact, the lawyer who asks Jesus for some clarification. Who says, yes, Teacher, but tell me, where is the line? What must I do to inherit eternal life?

So, what Jericho Road takes you to work every morning? To the gym? To school?
What does that mean to you?

"On the one hand, we are called to play the Good Samaritan on life's roadside, but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho Road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway." - Martin Luther King Jr.

France Meets Italy

When I first devised my scheme to go to Madrid and all the little pieces fell into place, it was a big discussion between Brian and I on how to have a nice European vacation at the end of the summer. Brian was in London all summer working for a firm.  I've been incredibly happy and proud of him working at one of his dream jobs. He had been to Europe before, but there are still many missing pins on his map, just as there are on mine. I wanted to go somewhere I had never been, and this limited our options just a bit. For unknown reasons, we wanted to go to the beach. You are thinking to yourself, "who doesn't want to go to the beach?!" But you are probably forgetting, if I actually "live" anywhere, I "live" in California, on the beach. I drive just over thirty minutes everyday to school ON THE BEACH. So in June when we started planning this, it seemed a little ridiculous to plan a trip centered around beach time. It's actually pathetic how little I make it to the beach in California, and knowing that Madrid would be sweltering in July, we forged ahead with our plans to have a beach vacation. We decided on the French Riviera and booked our flight roundtrip out of Nice. 

Day 1: Get into Antibes, France (between Nice and Cannes) and go to its little sandy beach. We had a nice lunch, explored the old town, and then ate a delicious meal in this little bitty restaurant where we understood about 10 words on the menu and ordered at complete random. It was Brian's favorite meal of the entire trip. 


Day 2: We went to Cannes, had a luxurious beach day at a little beachside resort. Although public transportation in the area is extensive, we didn't really have the best experience. Without fail, every time we needed a bus, we walked up as it was driving away ensuring that we waited the full time and really rocking our nerves. We also had great difficulty finding bus stations as the lines were under construction and bus stops would randomly get moved. We were also never in the same place long enough to really figure it out. Cannes was our first taste of the multiple nightmares the Cote d'Azur buses provided, and the video of us running frantically down the street after a bus in our bathing suits is probably already on the Internet somewhere. We had dinner in Antibes. 

Day 3: After a morning stroll around Antibes, we went into the Picasso Museum where Picasso spent four months of his life cranking out a ton of sketches and art. A whole new taste of Picasso, and extra special to see it almost like a private showing without any one else in the exhibit while we were there. We left Antibes and moved to a new hotel in Villefranche Sur Mer, which is between Nice and Monaco. We took a very scenic bus route from Villefranche Sur Mer to Monaco, where we explored our way to the Monte Carlo. I was really mesmerized by the yachts. I just do not understand owning a yacht. I don't get it. But they are nice to look at! Monaco was beautiful and it was a lovely afternoon, followed by a spectacular dinner on the water in the harbor in Villefranche Sur Mer. 

Day 4: Grand tour of Nice, we gawked at the Chagall museum, explored Nice, roamed around the Negresco Hotel like we were paying$1500 for a bed that night, and spent the entire afternoon at a little beachside resort. We were really horrified at the huge rocks on the beach, and couldnt imagine how anyone managed to grow up thinking such a rocky beach was "the beach." I had never been parasailing, so Brian and I went "flying" as they called it so we could see the awesome views of the entire Riviera from the sky. So much fun! We finished the day with another great dinner along the water in the harbor in Villefranche Sur Mer. 

Day 5: I had one last beach day in Villefranche, with its small little pebble beach. We had a big lunch and shopped around the little town before making our way to Nice to fly back to Madrid. 

Having just been to Cinque Terre in October, I loved experiencing the French side of the Riviera. Its really just a bigger, more commercial, and grander scale Italian Riviera. The food is a dream- French meets Italian... all the best of each. YUM. I cant imagine a better cuisine than authentic crepes, gelato, tiramisu and creme brulee on every desert menu. All my favorites! I still prefer Cinque Terre, but the French Riviera was an absolute delight. I'm pleased to say it was the perfect combination of traveling and exploring, cheesy tourism and pure relaxation beachside. Also, not lacking in romance! I'm a lucky, lucky girl! Enjoy the photos.

Living in Community

While I lived in Madrid, I had the pleasure of living in a beautiful apartment decorated in photos and collected items from all over the world in the heart of the city. I had the joy of walking to my classes each morning, and soaked up every second of hearing the city buzz, watching the people interact and feeling a completely rare joy in my daily commute. 

My old roommate and dear friend, Cande, and her boyfriend, along with the visits of several friends ensured the apartment was never empty. My first week there her brother was visiting, and overlapping with his visit was another friend. In the four weeks we were there together, it truly felt like a home. There was always a meal being prepared, someone doing laundry, something to discuss, and an open bottle of wine. I've had great roommates and I have great friends. I have two years of stories from living in the sorority house. But this apartment in Madrid was something else. It felt like truly living with a sister, everything is everyone's and all responsibilities are shared. One's burden is felt by all. I learned to cook new meals, I laughed until I cried sitting at my place at the the table, and I had days in the last few weeks where I did absolutely "nothing" at all except enjoy doing nothing. I have deep love for the people I met in Madrid, and great appreciation for all the things they've taught me. 

I leave Madrid sad. I know that a great year is ahead. I know that I have only one year left of law school and that I cannot just stay in Madrid forever. But July 2014 will be the month that I reminded myself of a great city where I truly feel at home. It went by too fast. I met new faces and spent delicious quality time with favorite faces. Certainly, some of my favorite memories were in Madrid's streets, and other favorites happened in that apartment.  I am already looking forward to the next time I chirp, "Hasta luego!" Because with Madrid, it is just that - "until later;" it is never goodbye. 

Hope.

Do you remember the client that had the greatest impact on my summer in Rwanda? 
Well, hold on tight because this post holds little back. 

She was kidnapped, raped repeatedly and locked in a home where a candle caught on fire and burned her so badly her legs had to be amputated. Through counseling with her mother, we learned that she barely survived the genocide in 1994 and was staying in a shelter when a Ugandan man started "caring" for the women and giving them money. In exchange, he raped them. Jaime's mother was basically a sex slave for this man. When she got pregnant with Jaime, she stayed but hated suffering the man's abuse. When she got pregnant again, she finally left and left Jaime behind with her father.

When you watch the video, you see Jaime tell her story. She doesn't talk about the case, or about the intricate details of just how horrible her childhood was. She speaks of God's ability to instill hope when it seems it is lost forever.

I met her mother and father, who both abandoned her. Baraka, who speaks in the video, counseled with both of them and her father has actually been to visit Jaime and has helped financially support her. An incredible feat! I worked on her legal case against the two perpetrators. I met the principle one who kidnapped and raped her in court, and have never felt such a strange and disgusting feeling. The first guy claimed that he was under the age of criminal liability and caused us to go find his birth certificate. He was actually around 40 years old. As a legal strategy, we ended up asking the court to join the two men's cases together so that they would point fingers saying, "the other one did it" and that the Judge would see they both should go to jail for a long, long time. I do not know the outcome of the legal case, and it isn't relevant. I share this video with you because you prayed for her, because you prayed for me and my heartbreak after we met, and you pray for the incredible work that IJM does. The people and places in the video are REAL to me. I share it with you so that for four minutes, you have insight into IJM, into the emotionally charged nature of this kind of work, and into Rwanda.

Her smile is real, her hope is palpable, and her courage is astounding. I think its very possible no other client for the rest of my legal career will touch me like she did.

Please share her story, I know that I always will.

My original blog post when I first met Jaime: http://defineyourdestination.blogspot.com/2013/06/from-field-into-field.html

To read more from IJM and to donate to IJM's incredible life changing work: http://ijm.org/jamies-story