Good Morning Los Angeles / Good Night Dubai - Where am I going?

I forgot. I really did. An email came in to tell me, don't forget you're flying out tomorrow to Dubai. I spend a night there, and then I'm on my way to Lebanon.

I don't really know what to expect. I haven't even booked a place to stay in Lebanon. No good! I don't know where I'm going. What am I going to do? I don't even know what the currency is over there.

My parents both said I had lost it. What's new, right? My mom actually told me, "You better come back alive." I just told my father I was going to Dubai. I neglected to mention my trip continued into Lebanon. My roommate said I was nuts as well. So did his wife.

All in all, I think I'm entitled to a holiday. Yes, entitled. If you don't treat yourself to a good time, no one is going to feel sorry for you, maybe except yourself. And if you don't take care of yourself, who's problem is that? I've worked really hard in the last few months, with conferences, simulations, clients, cases, hearings, winning those hearings, losing some hearings, and also getting published. What does all that mean in reality? It means living at the UCLA Law library until 11pm almost everyday. It means getting up in the morning and worrying about your clients and not making mistakes and making sure you do everything in your power to serve them. A good lawyer has to shoulder the problem of his or her client. That's our duty, and that's not easy. So - all in all - it's time for a break.

It's funny though, when I tell people I have a stressful life, people look at me with bewilderment. I often get the comment, "Didn't you just go to Germany?" "Didn't you just take a road trip to Santa Barbara? Weren't you wine tasting there?" "Didn't you just come back from France?" Ok, yes to all those things. But no one sees how hard I work, except for those neurotic law students who seem to have tabs on who stays the longest in the library.

So - what is the lesson from all this? It's really just this. When you work - do something you love to do. Do something that brings some kind of meaning in your life. When I wake up - I believe that I'm in this world for some other purpose than to survive. I have to believe that the work I do makes someone's life better. Thus, when I work endless hours or even having crushing losses, I know this: It was worth it, and I did my best. The ultimate result is that I don't appear tired or worn out to other people. In fact, for some reason - people think I have an enjoyable life.