A letter from November 17th, 2013

Time Travelled — almost 10 years

Peaceful right?

Dear 28 year old me, It's 18 year old you here, typing this from my bedroom. I've just finished flicking through some photo albums and I'm feeling nostalgic, so I figured why not make some nostalgia of my own for future me? So here I am. How's life? Right now I cannot possibly imagine where I will be on this day in 10 years time. 28 seems almost like an unattainable dream and it's so crazy that right now you are reading this from that very age. Do you look very different to what I do now? I hope you've learnt to love yourself. On the topic of love, have you fallen in love yet? I really hope that you have. Even if you're not in love at this very moment, I hope that you've experienced it at least once. I also hope you've done plenty of travelling, and have crossed off some new things from our bucket list. I've already started doing that, so now it's over to you to finish it off. Don't rush it though. Take life slowly and try to absorb everything that is around you right now, it's not going to be there forever. Where do you live now? I sincerely hope you've moved out of home even though this place has a whole lifetimes worth of memories made in it. Have you tried living overseas? Maybe you found someone else who loves to travel like you do and are currently exploring the world with you. Have you camped in the woods? Do you own a kombi van? Have you visited a castle? Things that are happening to me right now: I just finished my first year of university and didn't enjoy it very much at all. I made a total of 0 friends in the entire year, and even for someone as antisocial as me, this is a record (I really hope you go out more now and have a solid network of friends, even if it only consists of a few people.) I also just rearranged my bedroom two days ago and I'm starting to redecorate it into a "natural" feeling room. I really like it :) I've also been writing a lot of poetry on my blog thepoeticunderground.tumblr.com a few days ago I reached 5000 followers. Do you still write poetry? Maybe you even still post on there, who knows. I hope you do still write though. I enjoy doing it right now. I hope you use the computer a lot less than you used to/I do at the moment. I deactivated my facebook at the start of the year and never want it back. That being said, I do still spend far too much time on the internet, and I hope by now you've learnt that actually going outside and living your life is a lot funner than simply watching others live theirs. How's mum and dad? Right now all mum ever does is sit on the computer 24/7 and it's horrible. Whenever I go to talk to her she doesn't really want to talk and you can feel that she's waiting for you to leave so she can go back to talking to her "online friends" again. I hope she's stopped using the computer so much too. I hope mum and dad are both happy and healthy. I especially hope that dad is happy. I can tell these days that he's not and it's so sad to see because he's such an amazing person and deserves to do things that make him happy. I hope you visit mum and dad often, and I think you should give them a call after you finish reading this email. I think the strangest thing to think right now is that in 10 years time it is perfectly possible that I could have a partner or even a child. 10 years feels like an eternity but at the same time also like the blink of an eye. I hope you've spent these past 10 years well and still remember everything I've learnt about life and myself this year. I believe in you, 28 year old me, and I think you should know that even if it feels like you're alone some times you can know that 18 year old you is right here cheering you on. Don't give up on your dreams, and remember that you are a beautiful person inside and out. Stay positive and enjoy every day that you are able to spend in this world. All of my love, 18 year old you.

Epilogue

9 days later

Dear 18 year old me,

Hello from your 28 year old self! I found your letter in my emails today, and what an experience it was to read it. Parts...

Swih a me gevi ti me it okrbe uodcl edma ea,thr fo uhg fo i dan mse,li uoy tsapr emda my of it lal. Oitn eth you mofr eomcbe tdaoy olt shwi a ti do'tn duertn owh pctoedrte of i i vhea was ludoc dulwo dna i eieslesw haev pornse what i kwon uoy am utb m,ignoc i. Btoau ocbmee m'i nteof, aagin ouy elfe i layasw uoy nda i ginwhsi hnkti liek.
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Rilfst,y lkoo i o'ndt do kihnt oto you nwo ieerfdnft owh ot i. A fo i ogt a)dy! eludlp het oterh ei'v (and yb most aehd i my rmoe chmu tou rasecse iarh the btu syee atrp rfo nev'aht acghnde too mose my grye. Remo mi' nebe my at a tlils tcpagcnie i etrho psonti tglusrge tol soeeimmt,s ym in itwh vahe anht eiamg ubt ielf i.
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Ovle wsa ni nad i ti suloblteay ahev imanzga aellnf. Os veirheygtn uyor dimsndhiie nda ugeh ictapayc has esditpe it to evren evlo is. Ntiesoghm am ni i it udrop is fo lyfems. I het in to het os liettl ydelep adn rwlod btu ttha ni ma wthi im' leiav be tsonmem kaem ni a me thiw tno ayphp ,seronp it rrlctneuy all vole elvo. Dan ot rfo aswy ash lhod tdeexic a ti lnafily 01 love 01 me rseay syrae eamsk ahwt tkean fmsl,ye the utrefu xtne nad het imght in atht lla lalf hitw in fo otl eseht fo.
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Apts dnoe in lfintediye eth aveh tib i 10 mero a nletvlgira aersy. In adn uk het tjus anjap i bila petns iaee,m ni ljyu nseorcluol 9201 nshtmo us capm eht ,2610 'iev nda oigrknw osla wtne ot eenb to as nlirdae leicnda tivis to we dan ewnt a in htis 21,05 3 i ni ot. Nda rea llmptieu in tvnsuedear nad oard aaruaslti lal hyte euvo'y spirt eond stanaticf meosrime. Eienxpecdre zrrabie lislt is file it some fotruaevi htta a'tevhn htta esno os ot fo hiknt yuo rae in ym ommeseri. Hatt it loas rfo mero ocmgin sveig em epho em ethr'es. Hirtg 'its do het setb to getnshomi tyr illst uoye'r tep,nres my i yrve oiarnsbgb nad uobat. Eth dtual nwo flie htwi ddaed liopistbiinseers fo cna ti a eb ,gsureltg sipaleecly. .
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A jtus new ilwl ingliv a will chwih bnee ohme sith ,own i eb ahtt rhecpat of cginom rof i imngvo whit 7 ediecxt 'im eb tou orf nda efdnri eyvr rndab in aevh esyra enekdwe. We nipmcag i your ikmbo a hgtmi but it nighki all onw utb ton aesvs,reo to edliv nda fteon dubil i tou a a!vn how a on go od avn nda ntlrea cakb htoubg es,y onw dna be ev'hnat yuo eth. Rduatsneve mero eb gcmnoi m'i lptnye in t!i there sure wlli.
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Eahdt kyao uyo dan i ahtt rtuy,nvieis is nkwo. You you yrou ta fo nad bgeniinng eth rwee whit heva mfaiyl m;tie na mgthi esrieald tgrugslgin ishntg eht tno drsordei eth intaeg of nwbkdearo. Fro aery t,reeh fo eimerobdiers pmsoe verne cdenso ruyo epndoe ioennl ednsait newt dna uoy llasm kbac ruoy eosrt leglins a. Ytroep bu-sdliehplfse iesnc uilehspbd in isftr yoru ahev okbo uoy adn wto roem 2014. Stlli i ytr fro to a fo osdl yera het yleran s!ocpie tfohur 05 ym peocul ym texn is i raekb wret,i yetev'h toko olag egt itoarlnlityad a tub yaesr adn bkoo ieuhpdbsl orf 000. Iton me os utp hldeep eb for dlwor ouy efrfto of het oyru to ot ebla anym thta hte 'mi ginitwr loepep chrea so all naduro regfuatl.
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Anth ni ,etim glon i gaeind i omer haev ni ihts irefnsd temh ylraed all dna a veol i evha uacratpril arey. Of put uot dan esne ttah lto erthe roem a ehav teh mesyfl raerdsw i. 'vei evah seevartudn nsrfied up nagol pgoru tofen wya a i ekpidc tehor esog hnkgii dna t,teohgre no seom owh het. Aehv a funod em i lpoepe fo llaveor mmniycotu eepk fele esolcts ewnh hatt keli i i swa efel i uchto my dsrefni amek gwroign frmo twih olevd litls ni dna up os.
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Uecabse ni esrya htiw s,eu i yad cnlehoyogt it to gao lsilt 10 leceyaipsl a is lfei otl egstlurg thsee ermo laetpvenr yad tnha ti asw ydsa. B"um"d tefno acn me and heonp ot i etfno lwdor teg noti clla wcihh a ex,tt uot more seu onyl het. And ts'i oyu hatt htiw il,ef a tverhyeing hotcu on oelv oyur l,sowf awy sebb gyoehnloct neenceeddp teh peek klei ni ot nda eelopp ni.
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Dan idea gnmcoi tsih rapt endriag wsa no ti htwa asw ginwonk umm taht ieildbncyr oyu iftfcildu d,ad tbaou had. To nawt ttah ltle yruo iwll ouy hnad i dlho uoy aoyk be and. Ubt evha to og o'urye to ogign illst it gthhuro. Feel spehsleo ihtw to adn rfhemaatt iwll easry elda eb adn lupa,nfi retho lwil fro ohdnauts uoy heva yuo uylitg nad it a eht hntigs lwli nyam dam nda. Fo oreth ma orf teh ereh it i utb no anwiigt dsie ouy. .
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Elif in ish onw dad koot 0721. Wlil ni ihm, dna decrras yuo emaie dnofu uyor and rorvefe 'tis eb day momyer a ttha. Ongl be fro temi nubm you a lwli. Ot rocfed orwg ruyo eb ahev lliw uyo hnat pu atrsef erifdsn mfor doluw tidhrwwa ihtrewose ouy lla nad fo. Llet bakc tinshg be eehrt odbbes sti' morohatb yuor eht on eb to brneko to oyka whsi ldcuo teh i dna ubr ,rfool uoy on you i. Way ret,eh ereh you i mseo abemy taht am teh etim in aer fo in smea won hwit m,e twits. I,t wlli ti unachngde btu egt uoy illw utghorh hthorug ton gte uoy.
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Ohw artp enrve sa to ooemsne o,t be eht mmu yuor fnoet uoy ylpdae eqitu esdu ythe ot tkla n'tdo is as sha yuo fnlipau umhc ot it ownde ni pu nduoar ttha npia. Fo to rhe lstil p,one otg in eenvr i'st ti 'im enw ts'i lal aks for rhe ersawsn otu nad teh eht twhi nwdo ouy aeyr teh loag sti iglnead gotnshmie ot adn yla rtahneo h,iwt. Ti hsa ti vaeh to i hweer tath bnee etim otn noraeym wlli bduner si t'odn dan e,lda syare, the 10 onwk tbu rracy ot.
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Ginhts fwe lspoebis i a ngorw if caxet lfie dha nterarp i a atth hatt 82, yb eb adn owldu ihtnignk idhcl eb a tihmg in adn ahpt ucodl no oyu it tenr'a goen in nedfeilrfyt aevh. My elfi dna ylowlh ahngiv waps ti i i esle sa inm,e tnnghiya ondutwl' ygnnojie tbu rof am. Llwi nad ngamiza fo anphpe tedo'ns eybam or tegthrsn ifle yda neo okwn yuor jsut eppnha uyo maeyb it fi adn wto'n, sllti it a btu ahve fo rae sa illw ilulfiflgn and eclpaba ahtw you uyo atth. And bnilk yawa tmie ig,trh ta uyo a i a is uoy at of 01 eey, yarse eelf eth yu'ore but dnrhdue na lkoo ackb rsyea eams. Mslal tbu lived i aehv ihntgs a eht ni odlh ddceae iniesd ptas tfilmeei yuo efmyls ouy slitl i haev anlret eht and.
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Ma duopr odl arye oyu ofr os am me, aer who dan honkauty fo 81 obgcmeni orpud the of i oyu i ntaoaglsi. Tbu to lefi ti u,oy gte uhtog ubtao etg uthrhog is uyo orf real. Lal reeh aehrt uryo eitm grhothu my ibtayli rcigaehn even osrtgrne scome ot dnha dolh ghtuorh cbka adn wiht am ni all atth an of o,evl of osls to i levo htat.
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Yusor ywas,la.
Dlo ryae 28 yuo.

This user has written an update to this letter.To see what they wrote, please


matheusgamer304010:

over 2 years ago

Have you become what you expected?

gracemcnee23:

over 2 years ago

Woah this is so cool to read, I hope you followed your dreams and achieved them, if not I still hope ur doing good.

Letter Author:

over 2 years ago

It made me proud to read this and realise I had achieved so much of what I was hoping 10 years ago. Life threw some pretty big curveballs at me, but I came out the other side a more resilient person. If I can do as much growing again in the next 10 years, then I can't imagine where I might be at 38.

victotoroia:

over 2 years ago

I usually send letters a year later, but this inspired me to write one to send in 10 years. A lot really does happen in a decade! Thanks for sharing and I wish you all the best in reaching your dreams!

marco:

over 2 years ago

this made me tear up

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