I came to bring the pain...and the party to Victoria

^Class of Fug

So,I've finally decided that I want to go to University of Victoria for law school. Yes, it is smack dab out of the blue, especially since I've rioted against continuing school and questioned why anyone subject themselves to more school. So here I sit, about to embark on something I'm not sure if I should do, but know that I want.

Where did this come from, you ask? Well, I think a large part has to do with the fact that since I've started working at a law firm, I've realized that being a law clerk sucks. Yes, I know I have to 'pay my dues' in order to really get to whatever this job will lead me to. And, this experience will help me become a paralegal. And yes, I can now be eligible to be a licensed paralegal now that Bill 14 has been passed, but I say "fuck it". I think I've just grown such a hatred for this profession that I feel I need to elevate myself and get this degree to do something else. Does that sound weird? Yeah, it does. Why get a law degree if I don't really intend on practicing law? *shrugs, since I have the background I might as well do it. And just because I have a law degree doesn't mean I have to practice. Besides, 'LLM' would look so cool after my name.

And why University of Victoria? Well, since my program is relatively still new, not alot of schools have accepted it. However, UVic and some school in Calgary do recognize my program and I figured Victoria was the "lesser of two evils" (To be by the endless ocean, or be by the endless flat land?). Besides, it ought to be interesting to experience another way of life, a life on the West Coast.

I've talked to a guy I met last summer who hails from Vancouver and asked him about Victoria. The idea I got from him is that Victoria is like the equivalent to somewhere like Barrie. 'Cept with nicer beaches and maybe more trees. Yes, lots of trees. From the pictures I've seen, there's not a whole lot of urbanization ("it's [urbanization] not as much as Vancouver and Vancouver is not as much as Toronto" he says) and according to him, "most people come to Vancouver to party instead". Grrreat. It's suitable for Ish and April, but we all know that I'm not exactly the quiet type. However, my qualms about going to BC, where I'd be plucked in with a huge pile of Asians, were quashed when he told me most of the Asians are centralized in Vancouver. Although Victoria is not exactly diverse: all White.

So why would I subject myself to all this stuff that I'm not used to and not too fond of? Because I love the idea that it may be a challenge and it will be an adventure. It is something for me to discover on my own (well, not totally on my own. I need my Humber girls to get me through law school) and to try out. I've lived in the same area my entire life, and it's time for me to open my eyes and a change of scenery would be nice. That is not to say that I'm trying to get away from anything around here.

Oh, no. I know I'll miss so many people and things terribly. I'll miss my girls (even if you're mad/hating/whatevering me), my boys, my boy toys, my dysfunctional family, my house, my bed, my walk-in closet, the places/things I take for granted (like Square One and Mississauga Transit, but probably not the TTC), Mississaugan suburbia, the jadedness that is in us Torontonians and yes, even Captain's Pool Hall. I know I won't find anything like all of the above in the West Coast. I'm gonna have to somehow adapt to it all and I'm currently trying to figure out how to get a snowboard on a plane because I know that that is one thing I will probably be doing alot (besides looking at trees and, oh yeah, studying). After all, I can't imagine that there are any decent clubs (are Toronto clubs decent?) in Victoria and I do have to wonder if I will find some decent Chinese food there.

Although I probably won't be moving for another 1.5 years, there still isn't alot of time to prepare. First, I need to prepare for the LSAT, which can take god-knows-how-long for me to prepare between working and school. Second, I'm going to have to scope out somewhere to live over there while I'm here. I most definitely won't want to live on rez because a.) it's just too dirty and b.) too noisy it's just too dirty. I haven't lived on residence before, but from what I've seen, it pretty much sums up rez life (besides the non-stop humping). This means I'm going to have to start saving up big time to pay for an independent lifestyle. Hurrah.

It sounds like I'm purposely trying to torture myself by going to this 'hell hole'. Nahhhh, there's also other things I'm looking forward to. The weather will definitely be more bearable, and not like the absurdly bitter winters of the East Coast (lowest it gets to is about 5 degrees Celsius!) and because Victoria is gonna be on the Pacific Ocean, beach beach beach (won't have to worry about the E.Coli a la Lake Ontario too much)

So there you have it. Some people have tried to talk me out of it (I'll miss you too!) but I think this is something that I need to do. Not just for the sake of 'advancing my education', but just something of a life experience. AND, I encourage all to come visit! Yes, it's like a $200 5-hour plane ride from Toronto, but you only have to visit once~! And everyone's invited (I'm sure Ish and April will be cool with it haha) to crash, so don't worry about accomodations!

Aaaahh, an unprecedented future is a plausible future!