Dear 16-year-old Me (A letter)

Yo (This is an ironic greeting... just read to the end).

One of my bloggy friends,  Alana (who, coincidentally, is on my sidebar), wrote a letter to her younger self and is encouraging others to link up and do the same. I thought it was a pretty nifty idea and decided to take a hint from this video and write it to 16-year-old me (no, I don't have skin cancer).

So here goes. 

Dear 16-year-old Me, 

Let me start of by telling you that you really should have given the parental units an easier time over the past couple years - they're going to go through a lot of hard times and a lot of heartbreak here in a few years, and you are going to be plagued with guilt. Guilt that you can't be there for mom and dad, guilt that you can't fix things, guilt that you treated them the way you did when you were younger, guilt that you set the example that you did. You'll eventually remember, though, that it's not your fault and that we all have agency - we all make choices, whether they are good or bad ones. 

Speaking of choices - girl, you will be offered $300 to be in a hair show, and you will agree. I wish you wouldn't. They chopped off 13 inches of your beautiful hair and dyed it platinum blonde. Do you know how hard you're going to have to work to grow those beautiful locks back out? So. not. worth. it. Actually, just quit getting bored with your hair, please, because you'll end up growing it back out, then just chopping 13 more inches off. 

You're good at what you do, but you will never be the best. You'll do really well in forensics, but you will miss nationals by one point. This will really upset you and your partner, but it'll be okay. You will also do really well in swimming, but you will miss going to state by half a second. This will really upset you, but it'll be okay. You'll give the speech at your high school graduation, but Matt's will be better. This doesn't really upset you, because you're just happy to be done. 

On a totally different note, you're a freaking idiot. You're going to spend a few years making really bad choices, setting a bad example, dating stupid guys, and breaking your parents' hearts. It's going to be really painful for you to take that step and change, and there will be people who hurt you and tell you that change is impossible. You know it's not, though, because you're going to. 

Because of that change, you will meet your husband. He will walk into your life one day and you will never look back. He will love you in spite of yourself, and when people tell him that he's an idiot for marrying you, he will ignore them and stick by your side. He will become your best friend and the person you love most in the world. He will have amazing family members who love you, too. Oh, and he's tall, dark, and handsome, because I know that's all you care about right now. 

Basically, you will always love pizza, chinese food, and having fun - none of that will change. You still hate pickles and mustard, although you've learned to tolerate carrots. Yeah, you've made bad decisions and you've made good decisions, but you are still you (just a better, smarter version of you). You still have not figured out that you are not a gangsta, you sort of miss playing the oboe and the flute, and you're now fluent in German. Just keep on living life - it will take you where you need to go. 

16-year-old me: Don't change a thing. Except maybe the hair - change the hair.  

Love, 

23-year-old you.  

PS: Don't forget to send in questions that you want me to answer! I'm going to start answering them on Monday.