In a few weeks I'm starting at Harvard Law School, and it's hard to overstate just how big a change that actually is. I'm moving countries, moving cities, stepping into one of the most rigorous academic environments out there, and going back to being a full-time student after years of building a career and a life that looked nothing like that. In this solo episode, I'm talking honestly about how I'm preparing for all of it, both practically and mentally. I've always loved change. Looking back, I can trace that love through a gap year, transferring universities, and quitting a job I'd built a whole career around, and in this episode I dig into where that comes from, including discovering myself through theatre in secondary (high) school and my dad's early encouragement to explore and travel rather than play it safe. I also talk about what I actually want out of this particular chapter, beyond simply surviving the transition. The bulk of the episode is a practical toolkit I use whenever I'm about to go through major change, the kind of thing I wish someone had told me earlier. I talk about why resting properly before a big transition matters more than people think, and why knowing your support systems, the people you'd actually call in a crisis or just on a hard day, makes such a difference once you're somewhere new. I get into the smaller, less glamorous parts of preparing too, like sorting out your regular appointments and your emergency admin in advance, so you're not scrambling to find a hairdresser or sort your insurance in the first stressful week of law school. I also talk about the routines and rituals that keep me grounded, why hobbies matter so much for holding onto your sense of self and finding community in an unfamiliar place, and how I plan to stay properly connected to friends and family while I'm thousands of miles away, including the weekly phone call ritual that got me through my years living in the US. Towards the end, I give a quick preview of how I'm thinking about the year ahead specifically, covering academics and why I'm not approaching them competitively, how I'm thinking about law firm recruitment, the move itself, the rigour of law school, and the routines that are mine to keep me feeling like me, wherever I am. If you're sitting on the edge of your own new chapter, whether that's a new city, a new job, or a return to school after years away, I hope this gives you something useful to take with you.
