I used my bus pass for the first time yesterday. My commute hasn't been half bad -- it's about half an hour door to door. I do feel a little left out of the spontaneous dorm socializing, but it's nice to come home to my own neighborhood at the end of the day. And after an entire day of meeting new people, no matter how much you like them, coming home to your spouse is bliss.
My living situation is very different from most of my classmates'. Harvard isn't exactly a commuter school; most of the other 1Ls have just moved here from different states (or countries) and are living on campus or a short walk away. I was a little worried about the mortgage, but after hearing stories about shared bathrooms and cardboard furniture, I'm happy to be living in comparative luxury. I think it's also easier for me to meet new people knowing that I already have friends in the area; I don't have the anxiety of needing to find people to latch on to right away.
In other news, I got called on in class today! It went something like this:
Prof K: Let's put aside today's case and go back to the first case we talked about. Ms. CM, what did the plaintiff want?
Me (shuffling papers): I don't think it was clear exactly what the plaintiff wanted, but...
Prof K: It WAS clear. What did the plaintiff want?
Me: The plaintiff wanted a house built, blah blah blah...
Prof K: Yes, but what did the plaintiff WANT?
Me: The plaintiff wanted to be in the same position he would have been if the contract had been fulfilled...
Prof K: Yes, but WHAT did the plaintiff WANT?
Finally, Prof K put me out of my misery and called on the guy next to me, who answered, "Money." "MONEY!" shouted the professor. "The plaintiff wanted MONEY!"
I told this story to a guy from another section. He said, "I think getting called on makes you stupid." Yeah, that sounds right. At least I got it out of the way.
Later, another girl in the class who reminded me that the same thing happened to her yesterday. "Who are the plaintiffs? ... Yes, but who ARE the plaintiffs? ... Yes, but WHO are the plaintiffs?" So I have company.
