Note: this was originally posted to Ben Around the Block on April 10, 2014. Slight grammar changes have been made.
…It’s been four months…
…But it’s time…
That’s right, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else: I, Ben Fischberg, am blogging again!
For those of you who didn’t follow my previous blog or don’t know who I am (if you fall in the second camp, move along; this isn’t the blog you’re looking for), allow me to introduce myself and my blogging history. My name is Benjamin Fischberg (known to friends as Ben and to a select few as Q). As of writing this, I am a 21-year-old History major at Willamette University studying to enter the legal profession. In the fall of last year, I spent a semester abroad in England. It was truly the adventure of a lifetime, as I traveled all across Western Europe, achieved a surprising degree of independence, enjoyed all kinds of amazing experiences, ended my 16-year experiment with vegetarianism, and embarked on an epic criminal justice-themed pilgrimage, filled with grim execution sites and historical landmarks. I documented this amazing adventure in sort-of-real time with the help of my travel blog, Fisch and Chips, which enjoyed a fair amount of web traffic and was generally received well (If you want to check it out in all its glory, here’s the URL: [link no longer valid]; OK, that’s enough for shameless plugs!). Blogging was an experience that I found pleasantly enjoyable, and I silently promised myself that I would take up the virtual pen should I ever find something to write about…
…and sure enough, I’ve found something, as my life is about to undergo a massive change. Here’s some relevant info: as previously mentioned, I am interested in entering the legal profession. As a result, I have held a two summer jobs in the past that reflect my ambitions, as a file clerk and a volunteer for my state representative. Once again, I have a relevant summer job lined up, this time as a volunteer for the Public Defender of Marion County. What makes this job different from my previous ones? Good question, hypothetical reader (thanks for being so curious right off the bat!)! Well, this job is in Salem, Oregon…on the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean away from my home state of Hawaii. Translation: for about three months, I will be living on my own in the capital of Oregon with no parental figures or university oversight. I AM COMPLETELY FREEEEEEE!!!!…and will most likely be absolutely lonely, cut off from family and friends alike. Hence, until the summer is over and my senior year of college commences, I will be using this new blog as a portal to a normal and healthy social life, along with being a means to capture my first solo excursion into the big, bad world.
There are a few things I should probably note about this blog. First of all, I should warn right off the bat that I don’t know how much I’ll be updating, as I don’t know how many exciting blog-worthy things I’ll run into on a regular basis. Second, unlike my London blog, I will not be writing extensively about murder, torture, or execution. So no white text, at least not for the time being. Hi, people who remember this trick! Third, because of the confidential nature of what transpires in a law firm, I will not be writing very much about my day-to-day job unless it involves a matter of public record. Although I might write a little about work-related shenanigans if appropriate, the main focus of this blog will be my endeavor to live on my own in the mean streets of Salem, Oregon for three whole months. When last I wrote, I wrote about living in a foreign country. This time, I’m trying something just as alien: living in my own country on my own.
Well, I think that’s enough for introductions. I’ve got one heck of a summer vacation coming up--employment, independence, preparation for the future--I can hardly wait!
Let the summer adventure commence!
But first, I’ve got to finish the school year.
Reflections:
Considering how stressful 2014 was for me, I'm pleased that I managed to keep a mostly positive tone for this introductory entry. It's weird to see me casually name-drop the Public Defender of Marion County, a place I have worked at several times and still have professional connections to. Given my current occupation in the legal field, I think it's safe to say my internship there was very valuable.
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