Sacrifices MUST be MADE (Original Post 6/6/11)

Right now I am preparing for the Georgia Bar Exam and I’m living in a happily married person’s hell. I am living in the space that a happy couple never wants to live in. Now, for the 3^rd time in our relationship, I have had to utter the two words that are the enemy to every relationship…LONG DISTANCE. For the next 10 weeks, my husband of almost two years is CLEAR across the country. This isn’t your ordinary long distance, this is the “I won’t see you for 12 weeks because we got other stuff to do” type of distance. There will be no kissing, hugging, loving, hand-holding, staring at you while you sleep…NOTHING! But sacrifices had to be made, RIGHT?!

In March, we told you that we were in our last days of grad school and we were just tired. When law school and business school were over we had just ONE week to enjoy each other’s company before we would part ways. Enjoy we did, but you’ve never seen time move this fast.

When I begrudgingly decided to take the bar exam, I knew that in order to pass, I was going to have to take extreme measures. I really didn’t do all that great in law school because it wasn’t my passion. Therefore, I would have to learn many of the things I needed for the Bar in my bar exam class. Law school and being an attorney has been, and will always be, a plan B for me. But I will NOT get embarrassed on Facebook in October when those results come out. Therefore, I made the decision to be away from Julius during this time.

Quite frankly he’s a distraction. No one understands the rigors of Bar Study EXCEPT the people who have either taken, or will take the bar. My 12-hour study days will do nothing but annoy him, and he will constantly want to go out to eat, go to the movies, or do anything to make me believe that studying this hard can’t be healthy. Actually, for these 12 weeks, it’s exactly what’s necessary for me to become an Esquire.

But this decision wasn’t just about me. I had to have an amazing husband who respected me and my goals enough to make the sacrifice too. He could have told me to bring my ass to LA and work it out. Instead, he said for 12 weeks he would leave me alone, but “YOU WILL PASS THE BAR.” So the challenge is on. But as the overachiever that I am, I’m taking this challenge to a whole new level, so that I can take my relationship to a new level. Who can make a perfect relationship better you ask? I CAN!

I’ve decided to take this summer (and it’s ridiculous structure) and work on some of my weaknesses in our relationship. I wake up early and workout 6 days a week. I’m on a strict diet, and I hope to lose 10-15 lbs. Not to mention I study my ass off! Lastly, I’m not the neatest person…shocking right??! So I’m trying to put my clothes away when I take them off, make my bed every morning, wash my dishes after I use them, and actually be an adult for once in my 26 years of existence.

The point is, the time apart sucks (see generally, The Tale of Two Cities right here on YBM), but I would suck as a wife if I left these 12 weeks the same way that I came. Julius is making a tremendous sacrifice by allowing me the time to study for this test. Therefore, I will be sexier, cleaner, and you will have to address me as Attorney Johnson in about 4 months. Mark my words…this is just the beginning of an amazing transformation.