​An Open Letter To My 2018 Self

Dear 2018 Self,

You’re 21. Now THAT’S weird. Was your birthday a good one? What'd you do?

2016 sure was a crazy year, huh? That was two years ago. Wow. It was the year that you figured out the type of people you want to surround yourself with, you voted in your first presidential election, you signed a lease on your very first apartment in downtown Los Angeles and you had the time of your life. 2016 was a sh*t year in the minds of many, but it also had its amazing moments. How was 2017? We all have high hopes that it’s going to be great.

You graduated in March from FIDM with your AA in social media marketing. You couldn't wait to be done with that school. Did you ever go to graduation? What did you learn in April? Did all of your hard work pay off? I sure hope it did.

How are your close friends? Where do you live? Do you have a job? What did you do over the summer? Did the Giants win the 2017 World Series? How did the other Bay Area sports teams do? Warriors? Sharks? Sorry for all the questions. I'm just really curious about the future me. I hope Mark Melancon has worked out well for the Giants. I hope that when you’re reading this you look back onto the 2017 baseball season with happiness as you think about Buster Posey running into Melancon’s arms after the last out of the World Series.

Whose album are you obsessed with right now? I was listening to Post Malone’s when I began this letter and now I’m listening to The Weeknd’s. Was Ed Sheeran’s album amazing?! I can’t wait to listen to it. I’m obsessed with Castle on the Hill and Shape of You.

But the most important thing I want to ask is… Are you happy? I hope you are and that you’ve figured out how to find the positive in every situation. Please tell me that you’ve learned to become more accepting of flaws - both your own and others’. Assure me that you’ve stopped trying to reach an unattainable perfection. I want you to live your life with no regrets and do what makes you happy, regardless of how that may differ from society's expectations and how other people define happiness.

And please stop worrying. If things didn’t work out exactly as you envisioned, life has a plan for you. Everything happens for a reason. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing was meant to be. Excuse me for being cliché here but you’re on the very long path of life. You'll get through its peaks and valleys. You need the hard times to learn and grow. Keep reaching for all your dreams and everything that you wish for. You've surrounded yourself with some pretty amazing people who support you in all your decisions. Don’t stop being so unbelievably yourself, never settle for less than what you deserve and always push yourself to break boundaries.

Love, Your 2017 Self

xoxo