Letter to 17 Year Old Me

Dear 17 Year Old Kim,

Right now you are coming to the end of your senior year in high school. You believe that everything you have planned will work out, and that everything will be exactly the way you envision it. I have some news for you, you couldn't be more wrong.
Sitting in front of you is a stack of acceptance letters you are receiving from the colleges you applied to. The most exciting time in your life is coming. You received an acceptance to Niagara University, and a hefty scholarship to go with it. I am telling you right now, this is your best chance at being debt free. Do not be afraid to leave home. Do not stay around for a boyfriend that will put a plastic cubic zirconia ring on your finger and break your heart. GO SEE THE WORLD. Your life is about way more than settling down to be someone's wife and pop out some kids. You aren't ready to be anyone's wife. You need to be Kim first.

Bringing me to my next topic. When you are 19, you are going to meet a man that will change your life. This is the man you are going to marry. He is going to give you all of the feelings you have tried to find with the ones before him, but he is the one who awakens your soul. The one that everyone will tell you that you don't have. He is kind, sweet, gentle, giving and most importantly he treats you with respect. You have never loved a man before him, I promise. He will make mistakes, he will hurt you sometimes, he will make you cry, but he will never break you down. He will build you up, rather. Learn to forgive, because it will make everything much better. Before you meet him, you will think you have found "the one", about seven times. But I promise you this, beer goggles can make tin foil look like shining armor. Don't fall for it.

Some pretty bad shit is going to happen to you kid. But guess what, such is life. It will thicken your skin and prepare you for all of the things to come. Take every experience as a lesson. You have a lot of potential to be something great so don't let mistakes and "life lessons" weigh you down. Don't sweat the small stuff because in the end, it's only a speck in the many events that will make you. Never make excuses, always work hard because you don't DESERVE anything. Do not follow the crowd and develop a sense of entitlement. I can say from your future perspective, you do not. You have a tendency to work too hard on things that aren't part of the big picture. Make sure you pick where to focus and what it will get you in the long run.

Things won't always work out the way you expect, but breathe and remember, they are working out the way they are supposed to instead. Give in to your spontaneity and impulses. You are only this age once. Because someday, life happens and you won't have as much time to do the things you love as you expected. You want to eat a roll of cookie dough? DO IT UP GURL. But one more thing, your metabolism is your best friend right now. You are in great shape, so appreciate it. In a few years metabolism takes a vacation and you need to put a little more work into fitting those denim jeans. That brings me to this point. The media is going to wear you down. Your self esteem isn't going to build itself. The pictures you see, they are not a real representation of a woman. So stop trying to be a size 4. You love cheese fries (and soon beer), so indulge! Everything is okay in moderation, just try to develop some healthy eating habits too. It's not about how you look. Looks will not last you your whole life. They will transform and eventually you will look like Grandma. (Try to remember people's names though). What will ALWAYS last you is your education. No one can take knowledge away from you. Read as much as you can get your hands on. A kind and giving heart will also last you. The man you will meet will bring that quality out in you. He will show you how selfish and stubborn you are. He will unintentionally change that about you. He will change you for the better.

Your life is going to be an adventure. Do not be afraid of the unknown. Take the first step and let the path reveal itself. See you on the way.

-21 year old Kim