Freefall

I had to leave Richmond because I couldn't find a job and I wasn't able to pay my rent. Right now I am at my sister's house in Pennsylvania waiting in limbo.

Last week I had an interview in D.C. for a job as an environmental law reporter. I am waiting to hear whether they're going to make me an offer. If so, I will almost certainly take it.

If not, I will probably go back to my parent's house and lean on them while I study full time for the February bar. After the bar, I will probably go stay with my friend Nicols and help her work on her new book while I wait for the bar results.

The other possibility is that I would go back to Richmond to go to planning school at VCU.

None of these options are ideal.

The good thing about the job in D.C. is that it would be a job! It pays a salary and has benefits!!! It would probably be pretty interesting and it would involve environmental law. The down side is that it would be hard and stressful and would make it hard to study for and pass the bar. I'm not crazy about D.C., but at least I would be in the general region I want to be in, and I could still spend time in Richmond.

Going back to my parents would be the best way to ensure that I pass the bar on the next try. The bad thing is that it would be miserable, I would be broke and uninsured for even longer, and I would probably have a hard time getting back to VA, considering I wasn't able to find a job when I was physically present. It would be cool to work with Nicols after the bar, and I would have some time and a supportive atmosphere to work on my own writing, which made a comeback in the last few months. My goal first goal for my revived writing life is to publish an essay in The Sun.

Planning school would help me get more qualified for the work I most want to do, and would be in Richmond, but I would be living on a student loan, which seems like a bad idea. Plus, I'm not sure how I would fit in bar review, but it wouldn't be any more of a challenge than working and doing bar review.

I'm really sad to leave Richmond. The only upside is that I was able to put in my absentee ballot for Obama before I left town.

I think that when the election results come in tomorrow, I'm going to feel better about everything. Cross your fingers.