Wow, I have been insanely busy this week!
I spent 4 hours doing database training for legal researching (the Westlaw program, for those legal minds out there!) on Monday, and then have been out from 7:30 AM to 5 PM doing training for the CASA program.
CASA = Court Appointed Special Advocate - it's basically a guardian ad litem, appointed by the court (we got sworn in at Juvenile Court today!) to interview and investigate a case (it can be either a normal family law case or a dependency case, in which there are allegations of child abuse and neglect) and write reports and recommendations to the judge on what we feel is the best course of action for the child.
I'm working with Dependency CASA, so abuse and neglect cases. The training this week, while long, was really well organized and definitely an eye-opening experience! It was also a lot of fun to bond with the other people at training - people of all ages, professions, etc. A few of us went to happy hour at the Garage today to celebrate the last day of training. It'll be nice to have those other CASAs to keep in touch with, because we (obviously) aren't allowed to reveal ANY of the facts or issues about the case to anyone else.
Another issue the CASA training raised for me is that while I do want a kid or two of my own, I definitely want to look into becoming a foster parent somewhere down the line. There is definitely a huge need for it, and while having to part with them once they turn 18 would be hard, it is a way to help more numbers of kids have at least one stable and happy home than would otherwise be possible.
It's definitely been tricky with time management - I still have a lot of paralegal homework left to do tomorrow and Sunday, and I haven't been running as much as I've wanted - it's hard to decide between running at 5 or 6 AM or running when it's almost dark out, and I don't really prefer either... Haha! Hopefully I can put some good miles in this weekend though, and get back on track next week now that CASA "boot camp" is over. I'm actually kind of sad - even though it was tiring and a lot of information, I actually had fun at it.
It's funny, I've always been pretty shy in social settings, and definitely not one to raise my hand in class (like, EVER!). But lately I've noticed myself sort of "coming out of my shell" a bit, willing to jump in and talk to people and plan things and be social and outgoing, and also participate in group discussions, etc. It's just interesting - I'm not quite sure what triggered the change, but it's been fun!
And in other exciting news... I'm going to the Sounders-Chelsea game tomorrow!!!!!!! I am SO excited! My best friend's roommate that he was going with somehow forgot that it was this weekend and planned something else, so now my friend has an extra ticket and I am SO glad he invited me!! I've been wanting to go to a Sounders game since they started, and now I get to go to one of the most exciting ones all summer! I'm a Liverpool fan, but it's just exciting to see a Premier League team coming to the US - soccer is still just on a different level in Europe (in general... I feel like I have to add that qualification given the ridiculously shocking US-Spain upset a few weeks ago!!).
Oh, and I finally checked out my pictures from the Rock N Roll 1/2 - some of them are actually pretty good! I'll try and get them saved/posted sometime when I'm not falling asleep at my computer at 10 PM on a Friday!!
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