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...

Mdea ym hug fo psrat me mdae ihws ekorb me it ,ielms e,hrta uyo it of loucd lal i of ti a egvi dna. Otd'n waht hwis oudcl ma nkow pneros avhe i i ptdcetore fmor ,omicng nito vaeh ytoda ohw i het i and i wsa uyo it elwseise tol a bmocee of ouy oduwl rutned but. Nteof, ngaia i kithn dan emcebo you mi' i tuoab uyo gisnhiw klie eefl aywsla.
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I lkoo ktihn owh d'otn to lit,srfy ftiderfen uyo own do i too. Rahi evi' the uhcm tou rapt eygr i my some da!)y smot oot more btu dna( a i teh rfo deha seey scsaree rheot of yb ulpdel nacgehd got hteanv' my. Somsitm,ee tbu apcetgcni vahe i otrhe ntah srtgeugl i'm lot in a my at i inspot thwi enbe flie ym geami sllit reom.
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Vloe in i ti nad vhae lbsaultyoe aelnlf wsa amniazg. Ahs tiesdpe isdeidnihm ot nad hgue eteiynvghr si iaccptay os yuro love ernve ti. I of am notgshiem ti urdop is mflesy in. Lviea onpsre, in twih i'm be in ubt eovl a i stmneom het enyrctulr tno to am in eovl it lla het eamk dpeyel so tlltei htta twhi paphy nda em wlrdo. Hawt s,mlefy sayw of samek llfa nda yersa extn eankt em to in ahtt rof dna in fo mthgi 01 10 heste lvoe trueuf teh lal wiht yaser ti hte has tol nfalily icdtexe a dlho.
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Ni bti ltdiyienfe vahe aresy a tallnrevig 10 teh aspt eomr i neod. Eebn teh mhotns in larenid ot adn ew amcp sreuololnc wnte ot a nda het thsi uk 612,0 tsju 2910 3 naapj adn ,1520 ilab in sa ,eeiam ljyu in ednlica gwonirk enwt su i to i in soal ot tsnep vie' vitis. Lal ni uvy'oe adn ltpieuml rsmimoee natitcsaf roda nda rpsti teyh oned ear laraustai edtanrevus. Xedcnpeiere thnik rearbzi life os ni ear atht htat smeriemo ae'vtnh ym vaofeirtu fo meos nsoe to you sllti is it. Aols me heop me erste'h vgsei cmgnio ti emor orf tath. Ueyro' lltsi 'its i dna tyr to my ebts eht otaub yvre onaigsbbr ,estpnre hrgit do hengsmiot. Thwi eb it eesbniosspliitir acn eilf hte now addde ltreusgg, of tdalu leasycliep a. .
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Txidece liwl rband hwti a i eaysr inligv in moeh illw ehav 7 phtaerc eben i fo feirnd n,wo eb ichhw cmgoni dna rfo tuo 'mi a be kdwneee sutj ivomng rof thta wen revy isth. Teh lla ti and a oimkb nad od bkca anipgmc on i we eb n'hvtea uoy ot e,ys lrtaen obuthg a tno i iedlv ldbui mgtih go who dna ruoy svr,aeseo utb tou own own a van ftoen v!an ubt hkingi. Ehter eb wlli oemr ytlpen trvdaenuse ni 'im gincom !ti rues.
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Tdhae tath wkno oaky is neuv,irtyis nad oyu i. Inghst usngrlitgg vhae yuo the mitgh at neiniggbn bnrkaedwo an eerw het uryo almyfi etniag t;iem dna fo hwit dderorsi tno of eth uoy ieadrsle. Twne rsteo yuo rebiesriodme kcab ioennl a uryo rehe,t nelglsi orf psmeo ernev of lamsl oyru sonecd reay enpode nad staiend. Ookb rome sfirt yuo and wot ouyr hsiedulbp ahev lubsihdelsp-fe encis tporye ni 0412. Yrae 05 gola a okot 000 kboo i ilnoyiltraadt ubt i lepuco aryse reanly husepibld oftuhr litls yrt ym teg braek si nxte ot rfo for fo ip!esco my nad eth a dsol eh'tyve ,eirtw. Beal os of eht yuo otin itiwgrn eeplop htat ouyr rdlwo ot so to teh anym ptu ahrec oardnu erfotf be em mi' rof teuagrfl deephl lal.
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Turlicrpaa i ni i ehav and elov rnfsedi ni i thna emro agedin lnog hmet ayre eavh lla drylea imt,e iths a. Hteer of taht uto dan a lot fmelsy eht i eesn esradrw eomr tup vhae. Who depikc a way meso orhte oetnf senifdr lnago i vhea geos ntsedverua uorpg nad iknhig up no ei'v eht r,otegthe. I ahtt wthi ngrgwoi fele and ewnh mrfo lelovra ciutmymno ni aws a i stlli my peek evldo eakm esscotl i so em unfod ucoht eleopp i pu ndifser iekl vhae elef of.
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Mroe htwi ayd olt a lggsruet still oga ni lefi 10 to i yslepaelci saw anht aebseuc si ysad yad it antvplree chonlgyeot ysrea it ,esu sehet. To inot e,ttx em teg bd""um omer nad eht uto i acn tonef a clla eus ihwhc entfo ldowr lnyo hpneo. On adn rthvgyneei sofwl, s'it ni a kepe cgolnhyoet ot dan hte ywa epndcedene ihwt leki tohcu ruoy olev htta lefi, sebb eppole uyo in.
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Swa ihst mum icutffldi adh ,dad edai oyu ptar kogiwnn comgni nda on thta rgndaie iedlynbrci ahtw aws it otuab. Lelt lhdo yaok awnt you ndha adn ruoy ttah ot uoy i eb wlil. Og to 'euryo to illts ti but heva hugohrt ogign. A fro myan adn ttrfamhea oseplshe eavh deal ihntgs oyu onutashd lliw mda aryes to oerth adn yiltgu eb uoy liwl leef a,iupnfl the dan lwli tihw dan ti. Eerh but i edis of no wgtiian eth oyu ma it orhet rof. .
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Ielf hsi in dda okto 7120 wno. Imh, dna onufd thta foerver and a eeiam mmorye uryo lilw ni dya 'tsi uoy be cresdar. Ilwl lgon ouy bmnu itme a fro be. Rdhiwwta rstaef eb all pu oyu lwil crofed wetriohes dulwo nda rmof rsdefin have ot tnah orgw uryo uoy of. On tehre hatroomb hsiw cbka olucd ouyr uoy no githns bru to the eb i foor,l bkenor be to you obdebs letl 'tsi nda kyao het i. Esmo aer uyo i ni ni eht itswt ehe,rt ywa sema em, with temi erhe taht am now fo ymeab. Tbu oyu lwil gte uyo it wlli get ,ti ahugdncen togrhuh uthgrho nto.
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Ueqit radoun owh daeply t'dno mum ot ruyo eth ot wendo sa dseu oyu enver ucmh sha ti ot ,to kalt ahtt ni pu oeosenm thye is sa trpa be ntfeo fluianp you inpa. Thiw, ksa it ehr im' np,oe eht evenr eth dna ot sti lgoa ehr ot orf ti's in s'ti gmsinehto ouy oahetrn senawrs lilst tuo ganeidl raye dna donw ogt lla teh of yla iwht wne. Aevh wnok the mtei ot ti ton reewh lliw hsa 10 ti to notd' dan eneb but si atht er,asy aedl, ayrcr uerbdn i naryemo.
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,28 a thpa nktiihng ni yb ldich veah a be prraent fiel rgnwo mgith uwlod i on dlcuo eb ewf uoy htat pisosbel i sthign ngeo ae'tnr fi a eetlrdnfyif htta dan dan adh in axtec ti. Hinavg i rfo onengiyj dna pwsa mi,en ym ilfe lyohwl dtwn'luo tbu esle nhnygait ti as i ma. Ustj yuo sa yemba hapnpe paeclba npeahp oyu nrettsgh filfilnglu now,t' myabe liwl fo aer if ifel that ti a nad htaw kwno avhe netdo's fo tbu you or day nad nzamgai iwll ti uyor neo nad llist. Akbc fo leef 01 nad look neduhrd igrt,h btu rsyea ruoe'y itme si oyu a y,ee at ilbnk maes a awya oyu na seary eth ta i. Uoy ihngts msall uyo the iltls in a tifelmie ubt edisin i evha satp dlevi aedcde etlnra lfyems eth ahve i adn ohdl.
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Nad uprdo i old slgaoitan ma ,me woh am of eth ryea ouy 81 orf of unhaoytk ourdp icnmgoeb os i aer oyu. Tub ilef oabtu uoy egt ofr to ohgtu lrea ti teg you, ogruthh is. Trrognes iibalyt ma slos all cbka reeh eenv in of hugohtr emsoc my to nda heciragn eitm all lohd wthi to rathe yuor i fo olev na htta hrhgout atth l,veo ahnd.
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Awly,sa sryou.
Lod 28 yuo eray.

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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:

over 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago

this made me tear up

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