A letter from November 17th, 2013

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...

Edam lcodu whsi ti ebrko ugh ti nda fo all ti fo em yuo of i em a vgie ym dame apstr ar,eth lse,mi. Whis uoy i evah heav of onit lodcu lwodu tteeocdrp enturd ti mfro am eht eposnr iwsleese i mc,noig mcbeeo tol tub i who dtno' i oknw tahw odtya swa ouy a i nda. Dna 'im bauto nofe,t inhgsiw i alwsay agani oyu flee oyu cmoebe like i nhkti.
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Do now 'ondt i rftl,iys i oto yuo rdfniefet oklo how to ihntk. Cnhegda gyre hte i ym dleulp rtpa oot fo btu rheot cmhu het y!)ad dna( aihr e'vatnh reom i otu a ym iv'e fro eyse rsescea head stom mseo tog yb. Tol stem,eimos ipntso ohter feil a i'm eavh tsill my imgea i at ecipntgac i in nhat wtih eebn sgultrge my tbu rmeo.
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Dan i hvae in ti saw yalltsoueb agiamzn vleo lnfael. Uoyr ash to hgue miidhsndei loev os ti nevre dna cacpatiy is ditpese terievgnyh. Of ma is lfseym ni hogstnmei it uoprd i. I rlowd hpypa 'im a so tlilet tub oevl ni eb yeplde eakm em urnytlrec hitw to ni olev and stnmemo het all otn ma thta avlie ti soenrp, hte in ithw. Of 01 eturuf lla eth a txen rof evlo taht 10 areys ihtw ehtse emaks aesry and ti flla tol hsa tdxiece etakn yl,mefs wath gmith oldh het flliyan ot in of in yasw adn me.
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Efinlydtei agnlrvelit in eorm ibt atsp i a aehv het saeyr oden 10. Tsivi relsoculon lridnae laso the tenw bnee entw 05,21 eim,ea to su i uk lndaeci and ihst sjut sa wrgknoi dna a 1290 jnpaa ive' mohsnt ni adn ni lbia ot 3 i sntep macp in to eth ni we yjlu ot 1,206. Ndeo yhte plmietul dan nad ni oseemimr prsit ltiuasraa droa cfnitatas lla are ruenavedts y'uevo. So litls ahtt ntkhi exenicepred atht is fo 'naevht rea it ot ituarfove nseo ouy mieormse oems azbrrei ni efil ym. Veigs nmoicg pheo soal sehe'rt em me rof mroe it thta. My to abuot is't ytr stbe yerv trpne,es nomieshtg do e'ruyo teh sillt bbngisrao nad i ritgh. Daedd het own it lsrtgg,ue fo ielsirtsoipensbi ltaud can hwit yilpleasec eb a eilf. .
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Tou lngiiv lwli of ewn be evry ihhcw hiwt for in tjus vongmi a i rfdeni texedci and ocmgin thsi be i 7 htta tarchpe eenb orf bdnra a rsyae mhoe n,wo veha ilwl ewdkene im'. Ot eb nwo guothb og we ont i wno a eth fneot anv! pgacnmi dviel yrou but nva kmbio do i tou ti aevnth' a e,sy dna nad evo,asers nikgih ulidb a hgitm back on lla oyu tbu rtenal who dna. Ntauveesdr emro ngocim tneypl ures terhe ni eb ti! mi' illw.
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Kaoy iyisevtnu,r i thade nokw you si hatt adn. Eth na aiyfml fo ouy aveh fo oury hgmit gnthsi naetig ta gingulrgst ngenibnig hte nad ei;tm rewe iwth you dsaliree eht nwkrdaobe nto edosrrid. Idstnae opeend ienllgs entw neoscd uryo oyu ht,ere dan lmsal of nvree oyur ortes kbca year a ederiirmsbeo noelni for omesp. Iecsn ldibheusp in oobk adn uyro lesuplisbfehd- ifsrt vaeh owt 0124 mroe uyo ertoyp. Ty'vhee teh ryae tilsl rof i ieubdsplh isce!op sdlo i ym 000 wtir,e rof dan lyearn ruhotf boko get ittyodlraialn okto rasye exnt my tyr is 05 ogla to a pouelc a but rbake fo. Eb odaurn utfglare rteffo peploe atth em os eacrh gitnriw teh heepdl ruoy to of tino lla oyu ynam ofr ot os i'm het laeb upt owdlr.
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Ethm aery in aleydr tihs imt,e in roem olng i hnta aenidg alirrptuac aevh nefrisd a lal i evah nad olev i. Rsdawer i etrhe fsmely a the sene ptu hatt rome uto of and tol have. Rheto i tegorhe,t hte euevnrdsta ive' up wya dan a on dkiepc vhae geso aognl hwo seom fenot sfinrde ropug higkin. Ohtuc heva i whit up tomcniumy in lefe i ewnh of i rgwgoni velloar elik asw i a deovl os flee pkee ostcles tlsli hatt dan frmo em ym onfdu eakm inredsf oeplep.
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Ocnthoyleg bacuees lfei ti 10 ,seu it hwti ayd yliseapelc yads to i lto is llsti tarvnplee yad ntah ni htees gao rasey aws sueltrgg a moer. Lorwd nac ot tou hcwih i mreo a enfto hpnoe nda ,xtet sue u""mbd the me teg nyol efotn lalc noti. Ni wtih dan to 'its dan cyloethong on othuc a vole thta rouy opleep bsbe oswl,f teh elik rtyeighenv ouy ekep ncneeddeep awy ni elf,i.
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Mum oaubt it swa oyu that daie swa cnigom aprt sthi dha fticldfui gionwkn dda, gneadri ircdinbely whta and no. Yuo be lilw ntwa eltl taht i hdol yuo to kayo and ruoy hnad. Gogin to aehv uoye'r utb ti listl ruhgtoh ot og. Liwl nda eth oyu llwi esspleho snihgt liwl adle mda ehva dan ot amny ti htwi ehtro ouhsatnd elfe rfo liguty atathfrme you nda eb a syrea nfli,pau nda. You it ehre i fo fro niwgait eotrh teh ma on eids ubt. .
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2701 toko efli dda hsi ni onw. I,mh acrdrse odnfu adn uyo eb a dan eimea ni 'sti htta yad your lwil evofrre oeyrmm. Be rfo imte bmnu yuo ilwl a gnol. Rtsefa ulowd nath nda rwgo you uyo pu eirhosewt hvea all to wrhitadw illw fo frdceo ruoy fmro be disfnre. Otorhmba okrbne uyo back i'st ot eth no sntihg uyro llet be ro,ofl etehr i no be dan doebsb ot ayok urb the uyo hswi i cdlou. Msea i in moes istwt yaw are uyo ni em, terhe, ttah eth rhee bamye wtih fo tmei ma wno. Ti guhtohr huotrgh tge tge illw utb yuo ilwl you ,ti otn naeughdcn.
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Thta to erven wnode tiqeu anip ot sa ot ruyo eb hyet sah si as ni uoy ti mmu plyeda noruad dtno' tnfeo fanuipl who artp menoeos ,ot uyo pu duse teh cmuh klta. Pn,eo teh ist tuo wthi taeohrn 'tis ti lal wen tog yare lay adeingl het adn dna rhe rfo nogmseiht hwi,t nwdo fo reh ogal ouy in evren to 'its litsl eht aressnw to im' ask. Hsa ti ar,yse is eanmryo neeb have to i thta lwil rcayr dan it emti 10 eht nbrude btu hwree le,ad to 'ntdo nto onkw.
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Ogen had no uyo htpa ti doulw htta migth hstngi ni a firndyleeft hdicl by itknhngi atht xetac re'ant ni rngow i fi nda a be lsepsoib i fwe be dna feli tprnear vahe dlcou a 82,. Elif ym i btu adn aihngv it lhyolw eels enyigojn min,e htnnaiyg pwas am i as l'nuwtdo for. And zanamig iltsl adn or are e'ndsto hsgtetnr uoy flnllfigui aehppn eon myeab ti fo will atht uryo wlil iefl a o',twn uoy you jtsu as if dya eaphnp utb fo have twha ymbea dna it pcealba oknw. ,eye you yeasr nad efle waya ouy at i a aeysr an inblk rdnhdue ,itghr olok cbka ubt si a meas eth uoer'y ta of imte 01. Raelnt odlh a iiensd psat ni yuo masll uyo dvlei addeec inhsgt nad meefliti ehav sfelym teh avhe the i i slilt tbu.
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Orf dol igltsnaao i e,m ear ohw oigcmneb you urpod teh of opdru fo 18 onkutahy raey and am ma so i uoy. Gtuoh gte for si tge lefi tougrhh ti ,you uoy tub aler ot atoub. Eehr ,veol to cosme ym dhol leov rahet to andh lal bitliya adn fo hwit of ssol am atth ni kcba rouhtgh meit atht ruyo an i tgrnoers lal ehrgainc vnee tgrhhuo.
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Soyur w,lsyaa.
Eayr yuo lod 28.

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matheusgamer304010:

almost 2 years ago

Have you become what you expected?

gracemcnee23:

almost 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:

almost 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:

almost 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:

almost 2 years ago

this made me tear up

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