Within the next week, I will officially be in my third year of law school. I can hardly believe it.

Transitions are always a bit hard for me - the last week of co-op I sort of lose my focus, start looking to where I am headed next, and generally feel a little "in between." With about a week left here in Puerto Rico and at the Federal Defenders, I am wrapping up some minor projects, saying good-bye to friends, and wondering when I will be back next. I head back to Boston next week and have a little time off before starting my summer co-op on the 2nd of June. Even though being out of school for six months sounds a little crazy to me, in reality it doesn't feel weird at all, since my co-ops are guaranteed to be different from each other, and I have already learned so much at the Defenders. This summer I will be at a mid-sized firm (25 attorneys) that does both civil and criminal litigation. I haven't worked at a firm before, so I'm excited to see what the "culture" is like, how they divvy up work, the case load of the attorneys, etc.

In addition to my upcoming co-op, I'm excited to be back in Boston. Co-op is good for helping you appreciate what you have back home - I'm thrilled to get back to my law school friends, a city I know and love, and an apartment filled with my stuff! The hard part is leaving behind cases that are still in the works, co-workers I'm used to seeing every day, new friends who I don't know when I will see again, and an island I've come to love. What's neat though, is that the closest friend I made on my first co-op in California, is here visiting me in Puerto Rico now. Proof that even brief friendships, made cross-country, can last. Pretty neat.