China: Law School Adventures

The most interesting thing I’ve done with my life recently is venture to China with a few of my law school classmates for a two week study tour of Xi’an and Beijing.

Last summer I had the once in a life-time experience of studying law at Cambridge and I had gone back to a meeting to talk about my experiences to new students who were considering going to Cambridge this summer. I discussed my time with them but I also learned about this incredible opportunity to go to China and earn up to 3 credits of law school credit while doing so.

My first thoughts were “no way, I could never afford that…but wouldn’t that be the coolest experience, like ever?”. I still (of course) put my name on the information sheet anyway, but the more I learned about it the more I realized that I could totally make this work (all we paid for was airfare and credit hours to the university) so it really wasn’t that expensive, and plus I got 2 credit hours out of the way for the next year and memories to last a lifetime.

Here I am in front of the university in Xi’an, this was the law school building and where we had our lectures from Chinese law professors. We learned about Chinese Company Law, Chinese Civil Law, Chinese Constitutional and Administrative Law, Chinese Civil Procedure Law, and Chinese contemporary economy. We also had a session where former Chancellor and current law professor Harvey Pearlman had a comparative session on US and Chinese law. Overall, the classes were crazy interesting and really a great opportunity to learn about another country’s legal landscape.

The coolest part of this trip was the opportunity to see the Chinese court. We toured Xi’an Intermediate People’s Court and got the chance to converse with judges in the court (pictured here in the light blue shirts). This was by far a highlight of the trip and of my law school career. It was an amazing opportunity for cultural exchange and conversation, even though there was a language barrier the conversations we had are something I will remember forever.

One of the highlights of this trip was the food and the cultural experiences. My top favorites being the fish spa, the delicious yogurt from the street market, dumplings and the hot pot dinner we did.

There is always something fun about a challenge, we had a VERY short amount of time to climb to the top of the Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, and we accepted the challenge and ran up to the top. Worth it.

Seeing the terra cotta warriors was also a highlight of the trip. For sure a must see if you get to Xi’an, downright amazing are the only words to describe this. Something you’ve gotta see for yourself to completely understand how amazing it is. Definitely a must see world heritage site.

Be a Traveler not a Tourist: Part 1

go somewhere

So many people go on trips every year (sometimes more) and really don’t get anything out of it. Although I know that everyone has different ways of wanting to go on vacation, I hope that this post can give people an idea of how they can travel, let’s just say “better” than before. Not forcing anyone to do anything they don’t want to do, just wanting people to think about what happens in places where tourism is such a big part of that place. So many people go somewhere typical (which is fine) and just check off the things one should see in that location. Example, I’m going to Rome so I’ll see the Vatican, the Colosseum, and the Spanish Steps. Then I’ll go have some pasta and some gelato and perhaps some wine. Check, Rome is done, I’ve seen enough- maybe some day I’ll come back when I have more time. FALSE. Try something different, go outside your comfort zone.

I’ve been on a lot of cruises (which by the way are very cool and a great way to get a taste of so many different places in a very short time) and it is really hard not to just be a tourist on these trips. You are drug around in a group of individuals clad in walking shoes, D-SLRs around everyone’s neck, and of course the lovely walkie talkie contraptions or “whispers” as some guides call them also draped around one’s neck. You look foolish, but you get to see a lot this way. The problem is the only thing you are doing is SEEING a lot, you aren’t diving into the culture head first. The first time I went overseas I just spent a lot of time looking at the sights and I didn’t really get a lot out of the trip other than I saw a lot of cool things, basically all I was doing was following the tour group and seeing what was in front of me. I wanted my next trip to be something I got a lot out of both educationally and emotionally, but I’m different like that, I use travel as a way to express myself and learn more about myself. That isn’t how everyone likes to do things, but I’ve found I really come back from trips feeling overall better about myself if I really immerse myself into the locations I visit.

go somewhere and don’t just follow the leader

Let’s make this silly situation better! Let’s say you ARE on one of these tours and you aren’t off on your own (which I find is always the best way to see anywhere if you have more time and aren’t on a time constraint- if you are on something like a cruise I do think the shore excursions are the best way to get the most bang for your buck ), there are plenty of ways you can still discover what your destination is all about. Most trips give you some free time to eat or shop, take advantage of that! Find a map, wander down some side streets, get kinda lost and then figure out your way back to where you came from- it really gives you a sense of accomplishment to be able to find your way around somewhere completely foreign to you. It also makes you figure out what makes that place tick. Do the places to eat/drink get cheaper as you walk down side streets and get further away from tourist traps and closer to where people actually live? Usually it does. These are also AMAZING places to eat because it is where the locals eat, so usually a more reasonable price and you get the chance to talk to people who aren’t used to having THOUSANDS of tourists encroaching on their space every single day. From personal experience this is when I’ve really learned the most about cultures elsewhere is just by doing this little trick, going off the beaten path. Sometimes you don’t even have to go that far to find places with menus only in the local language (MOST of the time you can get by with English, but I find that it is polite to try to communicate in the local language first before going to English). Remembering you are a visitor to someone else’s home, be polite and be willing to try new things and talk to new people. You never know who will be willing to talk to you or what you will encounter. That is truly the beauty of traveling.

The times that I’ve strayed off the beaten path have been fantastic. I’ve found great hidden places to eat, lovely shops, and amazing people. I’ve wandered around places in Italy, France, Spain, Scotland, England, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Greece, Monaco, Alaska, Canada, New York, Turkey, Malta, and so many more places. Each destination has something to teach you, my goal each time I travel is to discover what exactly I’m learning from that place. Holland taught me that I CAN find my way around a city I’ve only been in for literally minutes, Greece taught me to see the beauty in simplicity, Scotland taught me to appreciate the beauty of the world around me and England taught me that I can be so much more than I ever thought I could. Traveling really has helped me find direction and meaning to my life and traveling alone has helped even more.

go somewhere ready to try to “fit in”

Do research before you visit another country, learn how to say hello and thank you at the very least. I know so many people that complain about people who visit America or even move to America not being able to speak any English, give other countries the experience you want to have with foreigners, or at least try! Learning languages can be fun and a great family activity to do before embarking on a cruise or going on a trip if you are going somewhere as a family. Duolingo is a great little app that gets you started with the basics  Look into customs such as dress and body language. For examples there are cultures where one finger pointing not something you should do. Always be aware of things like that. Walk with a purpose, don’t feel bad about stopping to take photos, but be respectful of the people around you. Don’t stop in the middle of a busy sidewalk, go off out of the way so the people who live there can continue to go about their daily business.  Always carry currency of the country you are in, don’t expect places to “just take” the dollar because you think they should. (I’ve seen this happen in a few different countries, the end result was never a friendly exchange…).

This blog has mainly covered the basics of how to turn what would have been a straightforward tourist experience into something where you become a traveler and really start to learn about other cultures and places in a more personal and in depth way. Remembering everyone has their preferred way of traveling and I’m not looking to boss people around into changing how they vacation, this is purely food for thought and a reflection on how I like to travel.

Look for more in this series of posts, I hope it helps others prepare for travel abroad (and even in their own country). I’m aiming to help others grow through travel the way I have, it really is a way of life and once that travel bug bites you there really is no better way to learn more about yourself or relax.

What I learned during my unexpected “gap” year

things don’t always go according to plan

And for me after graduating from college, things certainly did NOT go according to my life plan I had plotted out for myself in my head. I had always pictured myself graduating from undergrad and then either going right on to law school with no problem or accepting a fantastic job in my chosen career field.

This was far from what happened…very far. I accepted an unpaid internship in marketing and was rejected from the two law schools I applied to. I applied to thousands of jobs- and I mean thousands and only got responses from three employers. One was a part time opportunity over 1,000 miles from me that required me to relocate and the others were either pyramid scheme jobs in disguise or a “build your client list” type job…neither was anything I wanted to commit to.

the feeling that things will surely never go your way again

Around let’s say the beginning of October after I graduated I started to feel defeated, like things would never look up. Nothing was going my way. My horse was unrideable, I had been rejected from my grad school choices, I couldn’t find a job that would allow me to move out of my childhood home and I had very little motivation to keep trying. It was disheartening, I had never had this kind of experience before, actual failure. I graduated with honors from a pretty good university, but that didn’t seem to matter, I was still not successful.

Seeing everyone else seem to have success on their facebook pages was disheartening, but one thing to keep in mind during tough times is that no one ever glorifies the hard times in their lives, they only want to share the positives. So I started to look at the positives and think about what I could do to change my life so I could get back on track.

Regrouping

After being able to show a friend’s horse at a horse show in KC, I regrouped and got back on track with what I needed to be doing. My parents encouraged me to take a LSAT prep course and I signed up and began taking it. Just the idea of having a schedule again really helped me. Even though I worked two jobs and did photography jobs on the side, I still really hadn’t gotten into a groove since everything was very flexible and subject to change.

I put my heart and soul into studying for that silly test, after lots of terrible practice scores and going through thousands of pages of workbooks and hours of class, I got my LSAT score back in January and happily was able to apply to law schools with the confidence that THIS time would be different.

and it was different

I got accepted. Not to just one school but to seven! It was thrilling, even though I got rejected from my dream/goal school, I got offered scholarships, sent bumper stickers and tons of emails telling me I was the perfect candidate for their school. It was uplifting and fantastic to finally have something turn positive. I had a future, I was going to law school. This is my chance to have a second chance at doing things correctly. I know what I need to do to be successful now, and if I fail this time I have no one to blame but myself- but I know I have what it takes, I have the drive and the will to make being a lawyer something that can be a reality. I have a plan and I’ve promised myself I have to make good on at least most of that plan.

how i would have handled this differently

My advice to everyone who is going into college, is in college, or is facing an unexpected gap year is this. If you are going to college now- a new freshman- please remember to take school seriously, this is a time to discover yourself and find out what you  are good at and what you want to do with the rest of your life. Try new things, meet new people, join a group, go greek, play sports, get involved, and go to class.

If you are in college, be sure that you are taking advantage of your opportunities. Ask for help finding internships because those internships will lead to a job somewhere. Network, make business cards and give them to potential employers. Keep your social media something you are proud that people will find when they google your name. Be smart and finish strong.

Unexpected gap year headed your way? Find a job that will keep you above water, any job, it can literally be anything that makes you money. Pet sit, house sit, baby sit, drive for lyft, do something. Don’t sit around and feel sorry for yourself that your life isn’t going according to plan. It happens to a lot more people than you think. Find something that you live and get immersed in it- this will help you re-prioritize and find out what direction you want to go, what way you really want to go, not what people have been telling you for your entire life. Once you’ve found that direction, start running that way and don’t stop until you’ve reached your goal whatever it may be. You can do it.

recap

Surround yourself with people who support you, or who have your best interest in mind. These people will help you reach the goals you set for yourself. Stay away from negativity.

Travel. See something new that inspires you to think. Travel is more inspirational than you think. It allows you to find yourself in a new place, you realize what is important to you and who are the people that will allow you to be yourself. It helps you grow and become a better person. Solo travel is even better, it can be scary at first, but it is worth every second of fear. You will prove to yourself that you are stronger than you ever thought you could be.

Disconnect from social media and technology for a bit. Re-prioritize your life and remember what is important. Don’t do things just because you’ll get a cool instagram photo. Do things because you want to, a cool photo is just an added bonus sometimes.

Set goals and make sure you meet them, give yourself rewards when you make it. This helps keep you on track and moving forward. Moving forward is key.

Don’t be afraid to have a little fun, let loose and go out with friends. Don’t forget where you came from but know where you want to go, or at least go try to figure out where you want to go. (And I’m not talking about bar hopping, I’m talking about life lol).

Never give up friends. You are strong and can turn your life into whatever you want it to be. Be open to new things, be flexible. Be willing to make a change or start from the bottom if you have to. You can do it.

Day Tripper

When I was studying abroad in London in the spring semester of 2013 I had gone through hundreds of travel brochures and pamphlets trying to decide what all I wanted to see while I was there. By springtime I had seen more than a handful of museums and art galleries both on and off the beaten path, I’d gone to countless restaurants and pubs both touristy and local haunts, I’d seen parliament, gone on the London eye, taken Harry Potter walks, seen little Venice in London, gone to the markets and to Wimbledon. Since I only had a few more weeks left in London (and finals to study for) I began to mentally tick off what I had seen and what still needed to be seen. Suddenly I remembered- ABBEY ROAD! How could I have missed that?!?

So quickly I messaged my best friend (who conveniently wanted to go as well) and we set up a time to go visit the iconic tourist destination. Located in zone 2 on the Jubilee line is St. John’s Wood tube station and just a short walk away from the unique station in a beautiful London neighborhood is the iconic crosswalk and Abbey Road Studios. We got to see quite a few groups cross the street in an entertaining fashion and saw a few important looking people go into the studio. All along the wall of the studio and on the street people have written song lyrics from Beatles songs as well as left their names.

There also is a webcam set up so you can see people crossing the street for I believe up to a day after you were there so if you didn’t get a photo you can go to the time you were there at and see yourself crossing the road and perhaps screenshot it if you desire. When we were there a guy was there who would take your photo if you liked and then print it out right there for you (for a charge of course). We opted just to cross one at a time so one person could take a photo of the other.

 

 

It was a beautiful day and a beautiful neighborhood to just walk around and ponder what it must have been like to be a Beatle. It was also entertaining to watch people cross the road as it is a relatively busy street and the crosswalk is just one of the ones that has lights, not an actual signal.

If you ever find yourself in London be sure to take a short trip and cross Abbey road for yourself!

 

*all photos are property of Julianna Zieno Photography, if you are interested in the use of or purchasing a photo please contact me through the comments*

UNL Law Visit

As many of you reading might know already, I’m heading to law school in the fall. I haven’t quite figured out where yet but after this visit I think I have a better idea.

 

I’ve always kind of let fate and conveniences choose my schools for me (except for when I studied abroad, that was all me). I knew that this time would have to be different, so I put together a list of things that were important for me to get out of law school.

 

1. Not treated as a number
2. Help with employment
3. Bar passage rate
4. Employment rate
5. Ranking
6. Tuition price

 

I’ve been admitted to six schools so far and I’m excited at all the possibilities that are ahead of me. So as I needed to put some rhyme and reason to everything I knew I needed to prioritize what was important to me and so I created my little list of important stuff. So far UNL is winning my list. Therefore I felt it necessary to go visit and see what I thought of it myself.

 

To be quite honest I cannot see myself actually living in Lincoln and enjoying it, the drive through cornfields made me long for a skyline of tall buildings. However, upon walking into the actual law school I felt right at home. Students were having lively conversations with each other in the halls and the building had a sort of high school vibe. Only at this high school everyone actually has a will to learn and a passion for what they are doing.

 

We got to sit in on an International Law class that is a 1L class required at UNL and even though it was only an intro class I was so excited to be there. I’ve always been interested in law and politics and government and I can already tell that law school is going to feed my nerdy love for this stuff. I can’t wait to get out there and try to make a difference with this degree. This is the first time I felt like I belong. I loved my graphic design degree and I enjoyed my classes, but I never felt like I was good at it, there always seemed to be someone better than me. I feel like law school is going to be where I excel and I cannot wait.

 

UNL is still my top choice, but I’m waiting to hear back from three more schools that I may go visit if I am accepted and then I will have a very hard choice ahead of me. This school visit has me very excited to start a new chapter of my life and I cannot wait to blog about my adventures through law school.

A global perspective

I never imagined that studying abroad would have had this much impact on my life. The quote that says you are a visitor in a foreign land and then become a storyteller is unbelievably true for me. Not a day goes past that I don’t attempt to make some sort of connection to when I was studying abroad. I’m sure my friends and family just think I’m a little nuts by now, but I don’t care. My journey abroad reinvigorated my thirst for knowledge; I became interested in learning all I could while I was living in a place so rich in history.

 

I discovered that there truly is no better way to learn than by going and experiencing where history took place. No amount of pouring over textbooks or watching videos can replace walking down the same halls as kings or stepping on the same stones as Shakespeare. There is just nothing quite like catching a train from Kings Cross Station or watching the sunset over the Houses of Parliament. Tower Bridge will never cease to amaze me and I could spend an entire lifetime in Hyde Park. Galloping a pony down rotten row knowing so many important figures in history had done the same is just an unexplainable feeling. Watching the ducks in the Serpentine is far more amusing than you might think. The pigeons have a way about them that is almost comical and if you sit and watch them they too become something amazing.

 

Every time I see London mentioned in an article or watch something that shows the city, I always have this sense of longing and a need to go back. It was in that amazing city that I learned to stop and smell the roses as well as to become independent. I learned that wherever you are in the world a Subway will always greet you with that almost strange scent of baking bread. I learned that you don’t try to make conversation on the tube; you sit and read your paper like everyone else. I was asked for directions by a tourist and I was able to successfully tell them where to go. I am proud to admit that I did visit the tourist areas but I also frequented many local favorites. I took a black cab and the complete stranger that was sharing our cab from the busy Kings Cross to Kensington graciously paid for our ride. People say the Midwest is one of the friendliest places to live, but underneath the rough big city façade Londoners are some of the most interesting and friendly people I’ve met. I will admit that I may have been run into by a fair number of mothers with their prams along High Street, but I’m sure I was walking much to slow for them with my American paced walk.

 

I’ve lost respect for American food. Many people claim that British food is terrible and I can attest that I had a lot of terrible meals there, but they were mostly in the dining hall. My friends and I found a bunch of restaurants that we enjoyed immensely. From our all time favorite burger joint down the road to a quaint little Italian place nestled in our neighborhood and my all time favorite Kensington Creperie. At least once a day I wish I was in London so I could stop by and indulge in one of their delicious creations. I am so lucky to be able to say I’ve had waffles in Belgium, crepes in France, pizza in Italy, feta cheese in Greece, haggis in Scotland, a full monty in England and tapas in Spain.

 

It is definitely safe to say that my time abroad has made me long to be able to spend more time in Europe and beyond. Not only for the delicious food and the different cultures that never cease to amaze me but for the history that lies underneath the soil of almost every European town. I know there is history underneath our own soil, even under where I sit right this very moment writing this post, but honestly right now at this time in my life I want to learn about history that didn’t happen here. Grade school spent so much time teaching us about Lewis and Clark and how America came to be. Perhaps at one point I had interest in American history but right now I have this overwhelming desire to know more about what went on across the pond.

 

It also seems appropriate to mention that it was while I was overseas that I decided I wanted to go to law school. It had always been something I had interest in, but after delving into British Politics I knew that the law was something I had not only an interest in but also a passion for. Taking a class in a meeting room within the houses of parliament made me feel like I was important. Getting a little badge every time and learning my way around the halls to get to my room every week was something I looked forward to every week and it was something I could see doing every day.

 

I can’t thank my family and friends enough for the opportunity to learn so much about myself and the world around me. The people I met there, especially my roommate, gave me a different perspective on the world. I would never have opened my eyes to what my full potential could be if I hadn’t made this journey. I cannot thank AIFS enough for providing me the opportunity to live and learn in the most beautiful neighborhood on the planet. My final thought on this topic for now is: if you have the chance to go exploring the globe, do it. You won’t be sorry. What you spend in money will be made up again and again in life experiences that no amount of money can buy. Happy travels my friends and I hope to be on another adventure soon.