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Old 01-11-2005, 07:03 PM   #1
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Okay guys, I am in a rut and like KCL and SD, would like to know what you guys think (even though I'm pretty sure I know what you'll say). I have become obsessed with going to Oz and NZ ever since coming back from Spain/Portugal...I guess hanging out with so many Australians got to me. And I've decided I'm going to study in Tokyo next year, spring of 2006. I thought about studying in NZ or Oz but there's no guarantee the credits would transfer and I can't take that risk and possibly get screwed. I realized if I had 2, probably 3 months, I could see a great deal and feel "satisfied" with "doing" Oz/NZ, in case I never get back. And I'm obsessed with "doing" that area of the world (SE Asia, Oz/NZ) since I'd be in Tokyo afterwards anyway.

So this would mean that I'd go to Oz and NZ in Oct. or Nov. and travel around until heading to Tokyo in January. That's all well and good, but that would mean a semester off of school (law school), because they will not budge about things and I wouldn't be able to take exams and finish until mid December. And I'm selfish and 2-3 weeks isn't enough time to do those two countries.... I could go after Tokyo but that'd be during their fall/winter, and I'd rather go when it's summer there...

My potential plan would be go study in Argentina this summer for 5 weeks (another long story), then come back and work my ass off from July-October to get as much $$ as possible, then take off for all this.

The major thing holding me back is what a lot of people are saying: taking a semester off and then being in Tokyo, I'll be gone a whole year and "miss things" here at school. It's really hard to make friends and I don't have too many close ones here at school and I'd like to graduate law school having a few close friends but that might be hard to do taking off for a year and then coming back for only one more year. Plus I'd have to take more classes next summer and a heavy load every other semester to graduate on time. Overall, my family says Argentina and Tokyo is enough to get excited about.

But the other, carefree part of me is like: I am 21, graduated college in 3 years and have SO MUCH TIME to get out and start practicing law. And even if I graduate a little late, who cares? When I get out, I'll have to get a real job, start paying off tons of loans, and might never again have 2-3 months to backpack around foreign countries. I know I wouldn't regret taking the semester off and going, but years down the road will I look back and say, wow I should've made some friends and not always done my own thing and gone travelling to meet tons of people but most of whom I don't stay in touch with?? I seem to have become so obsessed with travel it's like the real world/real people who are right here don't seem as important anymore and I think that's dangerous... And I really could regret that mindset down the road if I'm all alone; memories of trips are great but one needs close friends...am I removing myself from reality and caught up too much in travelling?

Ok, I will stop. This is too long. Sorry I cannot make a poll b/c I am an idiot. Thanks in advance for reading all this; I usually don't like to talk this much about myself on here but need some different opinions besides my family and friends here.

1) Take fall semester off and do Oz and NZ, then go to Tokyo

2) school fall semester, Tokyo spring, and save Oz and NZ until later in life

3) school fall semester, Tokyo, then Oz and NZ in the summer (their fall/winter)

4) Something else?
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Old 01-12-2005, 01:37 AM   #2
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Well Lauren, knowing me you probably already know what I'm going to say but I'm going to say it anyway. First and foremost, and I think most people here would say this, if your heart is telling you to do something that is not going to totally screw up your life, then you've gotta follow it. Instincts and desires are there for a reason.

Lemme put it this way: Worst case scenario is that it takes you a year longer than normal to finish law school, at which time you will be on par with everyone else(bummer). As for the other part of the worst case scenario, the close friends part, think back on your life so far. At least for me, I have had maybe 4 or 5 close friends at each stage of my life so far. Grade school, junior high, high school and college. Out of all those close friends, there are maybe 3 or 4 that I could run into in 15 years and it would be like no time passed at all. I plan on the same thing happening in the coming years of my life as well and so should you. Nowhere in the graduation requirements is there a quota for close friends. I am a firm believer that friends find each other the same way great loves do...by chance. A couple of weeks ago I laid out this long chain of events that led to me being on this site, which then led me to travelling to Europe, which then led me to you. Now, if I had never torn a ligament in my elbow, then I would never have met you and I would not have stories to tell my grandchildren about the things that we did together.

Bottom line is, school will always be there as long as you are certain that that is what you want to do. And friends will always come because you are a person who is very hard not to like.

Follow your heart, it rarely will lead you astray.
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Old 01-12-2005, 05:04 AM   #3
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I would have to say fdo oz/ nz in the autumn/ winter.
Along the northern part of oz at least, during winter the weather is still pretty good.
here in adelaide the coldest out winter will get to is about 7 Celcius during the day. and i found this about Brisbane:
"The winter is mild and very pleasant. Most winter days are sunny with average temperatures of around 17°C. Average monthly rainfall over the year is around 96 millimetres. With an average of 8 hours of sun per day.:

plus it will be the off season so things may be a bit cheaper.
though i expect NZ would be somewhat cooler, so perhaps do that 1st (unless u like skiing)
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Old 01-12-2005, 05:21 AM   #4
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how come you cant do aus after tokyo when your semester of school finishes?
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Old 01-12-2005, 07:33 AM   #5
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I could, but it still seems a bit cold to me. I mean, I want to go swimming a lot and I'm getting certified to scuba, and definitely want to do that there...?

The other thing is that by working a couple months before going anywhere, I'd get some money together for all this....

And part of me just wants to be here as little as possible; it is just not exciting and I'm a little frustrated with everything...

I don't know, these could be not so great reasons. There is no earthshattering reason I can think of as to why I couldn't go after...although the other thing is that U2 is going to do some shows in Oz likely in December and that would be cool

Thanks Jason for your nice words and zylah still thinking....
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Old 01-12-2005, 07:36 AM   #6
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but if you head up to perth you can still do all that cos its in the 30's (celsius) even in the aussie summer
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Old 01-12-2005, 07:38 AM   #7
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Hi Lauren,

I say that you should do Oz because you ARE only 21, and that once you graduate, you're going to be all hot to get a job, and once you get a job, finding the vacation to do Oz right will be hard to come by. So, go!!!

Now, whether you do it before or after Tokyo, I say check the web, find Winter temps, and if they are good enough for you, go for it. If you'd rather not travel then, and instead endure the heat of an Oz summer, go for that.

Either way, follow the yellow brick road...

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Old 01-12-2005, 10:21 AM   #8
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Part of me says you should just plow through law school (especially since tuition seems to keep going up) but I think Mike is right - I have a lot of friends who went the law route and went right into the field after graduating. The few who didn't start working right away had a harder time finding good positions, since from what I understand, the firms like to recruit fresh grads... So it's probably best to take your time off before you graduate

Of course, I say this out of pure bias because I'm going to take at least a month off work around November to tool around Australia, and I'll feel better about it if I know I'm not the only one!
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Old 01-12-2005, 04:47 PM   #9
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Whoo, maybe we could have a meet up in Oz.

Is it even a possibility to scuba dive in the winter?

Okay, so 50-60 degrees fahrenheit is really seeming too cold to scuba dive and swim. I mean, I don't get near a pool here in the US unless it's like 85 F or above...I would hate for the scuba certification to go to waste. That alone might be a good enough reason to go this year when it's summer there...
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Old 01-12-2005, 05:33 PM   #10
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well everyone knows my philosophy.


screw school go travel.
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Old 01-13-2005, 07:14 AM   #11
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amen
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Old 01-13-2005, 10:05 AM   #12
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Quote:
Okay, so 50-60 degrees fahrenheit is really seeming too cold to scuba dive and swim.
Wetsuit!!! As a northern californian, I have to say, the wetsuit is one of the greatest inventions ever. Speaking of which, I've gotta get better at surfing before hitting Oz..
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Old 01-13-2005, 06:54 PM   #13
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Come down under, party at ev's house!

ev
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Old 01-14-2005, 08:41 AM   #14
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Id be worried about my law school grades suffering taking time off like that, but if you did ok this past semester, you should be fine. First year grades are the most important from what Ive heard. But Omi is right, once you graduate you will need to get a job right away. But hey, if its Australians and new Zealanders you want, come to London, this place is infested with them.
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Old 01-14-2005, 09:33 AM   #15
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My grades abroad don't count.....so I can party it up and not care, or conversely, if I end up doing really well, plug that in interviews as to why my overall gpa isn't higher....

And hey, what are you doing in London? I was wondering why you hadn't been around recently!!
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Old 01-15-2005, 10:44 AM   #16
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He's coughing a lot, looking for work, and drinking.

Lauren, I took off this semester and am working in london right now. I'm so glad I decided to do this. I was sort of frightened at first, before I left and whatnot but I'm really glad I cut the ties and crossed the pond. ditto what jake said about aussies and kiwis, I think I've met fifteen of them for every american here. But wherever you decide to go, DO IT, you won't regret it!!

as for "missing things" well screw it. You really won't care. do it do it do it do it. Get a work visa though. That makes the money situation easier.
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Old 01-16-2005, 03:08 PM   #17
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Yea, just go for it. One semester off in the shceme of things won't really matter. It seems to be what you really want to do, and as long as you go back to school, no harm done.

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Old 01-16-2005, 04:38 PM   #18
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normally i wouldn't say this...... but i think GO. just go. really, you already are so far ahead of the game and it seems like you've earned it. it just seems to me that as your life goes on shit just keeps getting more and more complicated (no matter how much you try and stave "complicated" things off) and regrets about how you spent your time before all those responsibilites came along can suck. you seem like a brilliant chick with plenty of time to spare, and it also seems like you'll have the discipline to have your fun then go back and get the job done.
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Old 01-18-2005, 12:09 AM   #19
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oh so jake and steph are now in london together

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Old 01-18-2005, 06:12 AM   #20
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if you call "together" staying cross town in different hostels and occasionally going out for drinks, then yes.
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