Here's a sentimental story involving legal research and spatulas.

So, when I started law school, I was 22. I moved across the country by myself, didn't know anybody where I landed, and had nothing with me but two suitcases of clothing, a laptop, and an air mattress. /1

When I arrived, it was after midnight, and I discovered I had bought the wrong pump for my air mattress, so I couldn't even blow it up. That first night, I slept on a hardwood floor in a nest of clothes and cried myself to sleep. /2

One thing I hadn't brought with me: my boyfriend of 7 months, the very cute, quiet boy I had met while working in the library in college. After lots of agonizing over the decision, we had concluded he'd stay behind for my first year, and then he'd come join me afterward. /3

During one of the information sessions for incoming 1Ls, they told us all about the daily research activities on Lexis and Westlaw where you could earn points and spend them on things later. Well. That caught my attention. /4

We were young and had very little discretionary income to furnish our future apartment, so I diligently logged in each day to each service, did my little assignments, and collected those points. They were better than Chuck E. Cheese tickets. /5

And it helped that, while we were apart and I was cold and lonely and missed him terribly, I could still do a small something every day toward making our future home together a little cozier. /6

By the end of the school year, I had collected enough points to outfit our kitchen with pots and pans, a set of knives, a microwave, mixing bowls, measuring spoons, various other cooking implements, and a set of pastel spatulas. /7

We bought an old couch from my roommate who didn't need it anymore, made a massive Ikea trip, and moved into our first home together: a fourth floor walk-up about 10 minutes' walk from campus. It was cozy, and we were very happy there. /8

We moved a lot over the following years, as people in their 20s tend to do. My legal research kitchen tools came with us from apartment to apartment and even crossed the country. /9

Eventually, we replaced the pots and pans and the set of knives with nicer ones, but I held on to the pastel spatulas. They had the perfect level of bendability, and their lightweight handles were just right for my small hands. I used them every day. /10

But things made of plastic and rubber don't last forever, and the last of the pastel spatulas broke yesterday. I'm feeling rather emotional about it. The time has flown by.

And now I need to find the perfect spatula. Gonna be like Jed Bartlet looking for a carving knife. 11/11