1L: Month One

So, I’m on week five of law school. So far so good. I’ve survived being cold called a few times, I’ve dug through hundreds of pages of cases and statutes and rules, and I love every minute of it. Weird, right?

Things I love about school: free lunches, speakers, tons of activities and groups, new friends, library time, yoga, fitness classes and how nice everyone is. Almost every lunch period I’ve had somewhere to go listen to someone talk about an area of the law or something pertaining to school in general. Usually these talks include food of some sort, which is an added bonus! I’ve gotten to listen to a couple visiting speakers, the most interesting to me so far being the visitors from West Africa. I loved learning about how the law works in that part of the world and how they are trying to develop something like the EU in Africa. I have also noticed how there is never ending activities, so I’m never at a loss for what to do weeknights or weekends. Whether it be a football game, trivia night, or the upcoming barrister’s ball- I love the endless activities that I can choose to attend. I also love our library. Up to this point I’ve never used a library really and I enjoy using a few hours at the end of each school day to try to wrap up a bulk of my work there in that serene setting surrounded by my peers all doing similar work. Also, I love how genuine this school is, everyone really does care about how you are doing and if you are enjoying school. I’ve also had the benefit of taking advantage of the fitness classes and brand new facilities on east campus for much needed late-afternoon study breaks.

I’ve found a great rhythm already and I’m starting to get in the groove of everything, I’m awaiting the return of my first practice test and we’ve just been assigned our first graded legal writing assignment. So time to start working even harder.

This post is mainly for me to organize my thoughts, but I figured I might add some notes for people perhaps considering law school.

What to expect:

• you are going to work harder in law school then you ever have in undergrad
• the professors are there to help you, don’t be afraid to approach them with questions or ask questions in class
• being cold called sucks, but no one will judge you if you don’t give a brilliant answer
• make a schedule for reading and life in general, it really helps, trust me
• don’t waste time sitting doing silly things unless you are purposefully unwinding
• make sure you take breaks from school, burnout is a real thing
• exercise, law school requires lots of sitting, but staying healthy is key to getting everything done, so be sure to get in a workout- I paid for a workout class membership to encourage me to workout at a scheduled time each day, so far it is working pretty well!
• set goals and make sure you reach them
• try out a study group, talking things out helps you understand
• ask silly questions (simple questions) if you have them
• start outlining when you start to have an idea what is going on, keep outlining once you start
• read the case once before you attack it with the highlighters
• color coding highlighters helps me pick out the different parts of cases and helps when cold called in class (ex. green = facts of the case)
• be a human, take a day off once in a while when you can to help relieve stress and come back more prepared to start work again

Overall, so far I love school. I’ve found the reading long but interesting, so I think I’m in the right place. Keep looking here for more updates as I have time to write them, this blog is serving as an unwinding tool for me- but feel free to comment if you have any questions about law school, or any tips for me as a 1L if you’ve finished or are further along in law school than I am!

1L over and out.

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.

Disney Cruise Line: Mediterranean Cruise Overview

Have you ever wanted to explore the Mediterranean from the comfort of your favorite cruise line? Have you dreamed of walking in Ephesus or longed to see the unique architecture in Barcelona? Do you have kids or young teens wanting to explore the world but are unsure of where to start? Do you want a safe way to tour Europe without unpacking your bags more than once? If you answered yes to any of these questions, a Disney Cruise to Europe is for you!

The above itinerary was what we had for our cruise when we went in the summer of 2013. If you’ve never been to any of the locations on the cruise, or just want to get a taste of what the location is all about, there is no better way to discover Europe than on a cruise!

I’m sure looking at the huge price tag for the Europe cruises has a lot of people wondering if the cruise is actually worth all that money, my response to you would be in multiple parts. The first being- can you afford to go on this cruise? If it will be a huge financial burden,  move on and look for perhaps a single destination you would be comfortable with on your own, or perhaps even a different cruise line (Princess, Royal Caribbean, Costa all have similar itinerary for sometimes a much smaller price tag). Second, if you want to spend more than a few hours in any given location, the cruise is not for you. Say you want to explore a lot of different places in a short amount of time, you are comfortable with the price tag and everyone in your group is willing to spend 12 days on a cruise- this is for you!

Positives and Negatives of this cruise

We went on the Magic before it was refurbished, but the ship was you could tell in very rough condition, still beautiful but very beat up. I’m sure after the refurbishment the ship is as good as new and the staterooms are back to their glorious selves.

The food started out very poor quality, but after they restocked food in Rome and we complained about the food not being up to par, our meals went from drab to fab overnight and our dining staff was very helpful in being sure we got amazing meals from there on out.

I wanted to spend days on end in some of these locations. Cinque Terra, Italy is my new dream home location. Instead of going to Florence where all the museums were going to be closed that day, we ventured over to the picturesque towns of Cinque Terra. I had never even heard of these cities and we were informed that you could hike or take a train between these cities and many people spent a week or so just traveling from town to town discovering what each had to offer. I wish we could have spent the full 12 days in those towns, but instead we had to get back on the ship and move forward on our journey. The one thing I don’t like about cruising is that you cannot be spontaneous and change your itinerary because you found something wonderful, you have to keep going with the ship- but on the positive side I now know of a place I am dying to go back to when I can afford to.

A beach in Cinque Terra, Italy

The shore excursions are all quite expensive and it is a gamble to go with outside tour companies at most of these ports since the main city is far away from the port in most cases. However, the excursions were well done and we thought well valued, although I can guarantee that you can expect to spend at least $100 per person per excursion if you want to actually do something for more than an hour while in port. So be sure to add in the added cost of excursions to whatever itinerary you are planning to do.

A Disney let excursion through a beautiful walled city in Malta.

Safety Concerns

With places like Greece and Turkey on the itinerary I’m sure some of you have safety concerns, but when we visited in summer 2013 I never felt unsafe in either of these locations. The only place I ever felt uncertain was in Rome but we had an excellent tour guide that quickly steered us away from any possibly bad situation. Be aware that this is Europe and summer is tourist season, carry a bag in front of you and never let your important possessions out of your site and do not separate from your tour group- this is dangerous to you and also puts your group behind of schedule and may prevent everyone from getting everything out of the tour that they should have.

Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey

Things to be aware of

In many of the different places different currency is used besides the Euro, be sure to change money on the ship when needed so you have some emergency money in case anyone might need a drink of water or a trip to the bathroom. (Most places charge for bathroom use)

Babysitting is available during the day in ports- don’t worry about dragging your small kids around places they don’t want to see. This is Disney, they have the best childcare available, use it!

The ship might not dock right in the heart of an interesting place to go explore, sometimes the ship docks far away from any tourist friendly areas and there is sometimes a shuttle back and forth from places of interest to the ship. Be aware when this last shuttle is and be sure not to miss it- also do not plan as if the ship docks in the middle of Athens or right in Rome, because it doesn’t, extensive transportation is needed for most of the places the ship docks with some exceptions. Mykonos is easy to get off and explore on your own and where you dock in Turkey also has some tourist areas right off the ship.

Mykonos, Greece

Bargain with vendors when you can, most can be talked down in price for little gift objects, and many cafes and places to eat right on the path will be more expensive than if you wander down a side street to where there are more locals.

All in all, if you use your time in port wisely and think long and hard about what you want to see on your excursions you can easily get your money’s worth of these amazing cruises! I hope you enjoyed this post and I will soon be posting individual port reviews of what all you should see when you visit a few of these places. Also be sure to check out my other blogs on Disney Cruises for more information about other sailings. Feel free to share this post and leave comments on what should be added!

*All photos are my property and can be purchased, please leave a comment and I will work with you if you’d like to purchase a photo from anywhere on my site*

Omaha Food: Little Espana

Have you ever returned home from an amazing trip overseas or elsewhere having eaten the most amazing cultural food you’ve ever had in your entire life, just to realize you’ve been placed back in the Midwest of America where everything comes out of a freezer or a plastic bag and then onto your plate? Imagine a tiny bit of Europe nestled in the heart of Omaha, in Rockbrook Village is the latest edition to the traditional Spanish Tapas restaurant Espana, “Little Espana”.

The new Tapas bar features a modern feel with elements from the Benson counterpart evident throughout the building, exposed brick walls and large art pieces give the dining area a modern yet comfortable vibe. A modern looking bar greets you as you walk in the door with an entertaining light feature underneath the surface so the bar is constantly changing colors.

Large canvas prints cover the walls as if to mimic an art gallery, and it works. The beautiful images and wall art give you a glimpse into the Spanish culture while you indulge in the traditional Spanish Tapas.

The tiles on the ceiling reminded me of the Espana in Benson and gave the whole room a warm and sophisticated feel. The same familiar Spanish music fills the space bringing you more and more into feeling just like you are sitting at a Tapas bar in Barcelona or Madrid.

This space also features a patio for outdoor dining with a covered space, the management also plans on having live entertainment in the very near future.

Alright, enough about the space. You get it right? It makes you feel like you are in an upscale modern cafe and sitting in a neighborhood Tapas bar in Spain at the same time! Onto the best part, food!

Sangria. We asked for a sample of the white and the red sangria when the waitress asked us what we would prefer for a drink, so we got to sample each! I would recommend the white sangria to anyone who likes a more sweet drink, and the red for everyone else. I’m all about the sweet drinks, so of course I got a glass of the white! Sangria is available by the glass, half bottle and bottle, so perfect to share if you’d like!

Having been to Barcelona and trying out a Tapas bar there as well as tasting their sangria, I can say that this is authentic sangria and the only thing I’ve found even close to what you can get in Spain!

There is a full bar menu and a TON more drinks to choose from than in their Benson location, I’m sure they are all wonderful, but I just love the sangria!

Onto the actual food! The two locations have slightly different menus, this location in Rockbrook Village is designed to be a quicker experience. Instead of the made from scratch when you order paella and it taking 45 minutes this location has fewer paella choices and they only take 15 minutes to make.

Espana prides themselves on making their food from scratch, so everything is homemade and it makes the food that much better (and better for you). Tapas come out pretty quickly after you order and are served on these fun stacking plates, perfect to share (or grab your own dish before anyone else can!).

On the menu there is truly something for everyone. Spanish salads (enough for a meal), Spanish sandwiches (something new, I debated trying one but I always end up getting Tapas), some basic entrees (chicken, salmon, steak, mahi-mahi), cold and hot tapas and of course a few desserts.

The first of the tapas that we shared was the new fried manchengo cheese in a whiskey sauce. Absolutely to die for, the sweet whiskey sauce complimented the cheese and the light batter on the cheese so well you could just gobble up the whole plate (but I would recommend sharing so you can eat some other things besides just cheese!)

The second of the new tapas we tried was the Pig’s Ear. I’ve never had pig’s ear before so I was curious, and the menu mentioned that it had fried egg on top so I couldn’t resist trying it (because if it has egg on it, what can go wrong?) This is another dish I would recommend sharing because there is a TON of food hidden underneath those two eggs! Little strips of lightly battered pig’s ear, the waitress recommended that we break the yolk of the egg to use that as a sauce for the pig’s ear and that was an excellent recommendation. The dish was a little salty, but not in a bad way at all. Just a warning for anyone who is on a low salt diet, this is probably not the best choice of dish for you!

My personal favorite from childhood til now, patatas fritas. Fried diced potatoes covered in the best aioli sauce ever. When I was younger this used to be a dish I would get and I would ask for extra of the aioli sauce because it is so sweet and delicious. I still love this dish and the potatoes are great to soak up any extra sauces from any of the other dishes you may have ordered. This is also a dish best shared as the aioli is rich and filling!

These little sliders are one of the new tapas at this location, they came with fries (not pictures) and I believe they were pickled vegetables, I did not try this dish, but my mom raved over how good it was, so I believe this is a winner as well- and it could make a whole meal if you aren’t all that hungry! (Sharing is not necessary for this dish).

Some beautiful sourdough bread that came with the meal to soak up any extra sauce we might have.

And finally my all time favorite of the tapas- Empanadillas de pollo. Chicken in little pouches, with some sort of amazing flavoring on the inside served with spicy aioli dipping sauce. I’m making myself hungry just looking at the photo, this is my all time favorite and I never share! The combination of flavors just explode in your mouth. This is my favorite of the hot tapas and I almost always get it! (perfect to not share!)

Overall, this was an excellent dining experience and I would recommend it to anyone looking for somewhere different to go on date night or for family dinner or even for a nice lunch. Service was excellent, we took our time eating and never felt rushed, there was not too much noise level and it was easy to converse with your table. Prices are reasonable but not cheap, however the quality of the food is worth paying a more than you would for a chain restaurant.

I look forward to visiting this more convenient location more often, but I’m sure we will always go to the Benson Espana location as well.

I hope everyone enjoyed my first Omaha Food blog and I look forward to sharing my culinary experiences throughout town with you again!

For more information please like Little Espana on Facebook or visit their beautiful website at: http://little.espanaomaha.com/

As always, photos are property of Julianna Zieno photography and can be purchased, if interested please leave a comment.

The Language Barrier: Part 2

So, I’ve downloaded duolingo and as promised I’ve been learning and practicing my Spanish almost daily. I’m starting to feel comfortable with more words, but I get easily frustrated with words I’ve not yet mastered and with conjugations.

I’m now in the process of mastering occupations and those words that go along with them. However, I’ve found that if I do not go back ant practice weak skills the new lessons are almost impossible. So I’ve learned that the phrase ‘practice makes perfect’ really does serve true. The more I master the other skills I’ve gone through already, the easier the new lessons are. Although I feel discouraged at some points, I know that I am getting better and better every day. It also is nice to learn a language at my own pace and just repeat things as many times as I need, unlike I was taught in grade school and other classes I’ve taken for school.

So far I’ve been humbled by the fact that I know so little, I’m encouraged by the fact that I’ve learned more than I knew before, and I’m anxious to keep learning more and keep decreasing my language barrier. I hope that by the time I go through all of these skills I am able to completely communicate in Spanish and I will be one step closer to being a global citizen.

Now off to learn my occupation vocabulary words and speak to my phone in hushed Spanish as not to wake my roommates.

The Language Barrier: Part 1

Ever since I’ve finished my required two years of Spanish in high school and two semesters of German in college, learning new languages has been something I’ve put on the back burner. However, it’s been brought to my attention that knowing a second language or even a third language is something that will probably be necessary in my future. So I’ve brought it upon myself to get back into learning Spanish. How? God bless the iPhone, they have an app for that.

I downloaded duolingo, a free app from the app store. Now I’m on my way to getting back into Spanish! I decided to blog about it because just sitting on the couch speaking a different language into the microphone of my iPhone made me realize how much more of a global citizen I’ve become. After studying abroad I realized that most of the kids that lived in the neighborhood around me spoke not only English but also Spanish or French or Arabic, and all fluently. Here I am struggling to just force myself to learn only a second language.

When visiting other countries I often found myself struggling to read signage written in a different language. At the time I found it inconvenient, but now I see the need for me to learn more languages to become a global citizen.

With the help of my little app, I’ll be reading street signs like this in no time!

This is only the beginning of my language adventure. I have just started the Spanish part of my language experience. My goal is to learn Spanish, French, Italian and German to the point where I can roughly communicate. I also want to learn more about each culture before I move on to the next language. Stay tuned for more updates on me crossing my language barrier. Feel free to comment with any advice and encouragement!