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Hey Kel,

Hi. It’s me. This is going to seem a crazy notion, but one day you are going to be 30. Yup. Thirty! Ancient! Once you get there though you’ll realize 30 isn’t old at all. What’s even crazier is you’ll look back at 20 and think, man. I was a baby.

Which brings me to this letter. In about four years you’re going to start this thing called a blog. I won’t bore you with the details or even get into what exactly a blog is here but trust me, you’ll get a kick out of it. You'll read other blogs too and you’ll see a few folks writing their younger selves letters. This will get you thinking about your own letter and what exactly you’d say to your 20 year old self given the chance.

You don’t believe it’s me, do you? Well here’s proof. Know those gold and red faux snakeskin pants you bought at The Express? Yes, those ones you love? I hate to break it to you, but they’re terrifically tacky. Go ahead, roll your eyes. I know they’re the hot trend and I realize you're not the only person to have a pair. I swear though, one summer you’re going to find them hanging in your closet down at Dad’s house and you’ll double over with laughter over the fact that you actually wore them out in public. On purpose.

If you get nothing else out of this letter, I want you to know this: you are going to be fine. Great, even. Yes, really. I know you are stressed about majors and grades and what to do after college. You wonder whether you’ll ever get to travel the world or if you’ll ever make it to New York and what you’ll do for a living. Again, I’ll tell you. You are going to be okay. I don’t want to share too many secrets ahead of time, but guess what? You do get to travel! You do make it to New York! I know!

Kel, I’m going to be straight with you. There are going to be some tough moments. They're not terrible by any means, but there are going to be a few years when you just have a tiny, lingering sense of feeling a little “lost.” You’re going to have a bit of a rough and tumble adjustment to life after college. In ways you can’t quite grasp right now, it’ll scare you, all that freedom. The fact that you don’t want to waste a second of your life or make any mistakes will paralyze you a little. You’re going to stress about your jobs and what you want to do with the rest of your life. You’re going to wonder if you are going nowhere fast during the first few jobs you take out of college.

You’re not.

I doubt you’ll listen to me now, because let’s face it, you’re stubborn, but trust me, you’re going to get it sorted out. It’s going to be all on your own terms and your own timeline. You’re going to do things how you want to do them, when you want to do them. And that’s okay. Promise. All of your life you’ve been the type of person who settles in at your own pace, gets comfortable in your own time. It was true when Mom went to your preschool teacher conferences, it will still be true when you’re 30. And that's really, really okay. Up until now, and for one more year, you and all of your classmates are judged by similar standards. But you know? After you receive that diploma? You get to start calling the shots. You measure success only against yourself, you work hard to create and accomplish goals that you set. Remember that.

Actually, let’s revisit that stubborn streak for a minute. You’re not going to realize this at 20, but I’m going to tell you that in 10 years? You learn that your give up over my dead body attitude will be one of the things of which you are most proud. You often will not do things the easy way. You will mistakes. (I’m sorry but it’s true.) But you have more determination, strength, and “nobody puts baby in the corner” attitude in you than you realize. If you say you're going to do something, you do it. You won't commit unless you mean it and at 30, we still dig that. So seriously, high-five, girl.

Now. Onto a topic I know you’re dying to hear more about now that you’ve come around to taking me seriously.

Love.

Oh yes, I know. It’s a burning question, running rampant through all of those other big "life" ones I mentioned earlier. I have to be honest with you, Kel. I'm still working on sorting this one out myself, even ten years later. But here’s what I’ll say. At 30, we’re not married, nor do we have little ones running around. You’re going to have some moments when this really stresses you out. You are going to date some awesome people and some not so awesome people. You're going to have great romantic memories and some not so great ones. You are going to be dealt some serious heartache, kid. But you'll make it through. Remember what I told you earlier? You are going to be fine.

Here is what I have to say about it all in the end. You will be disappointed, Kel. There will be people, employers, and friends that let you down, that hurt you. There will be moments that sting, wounds will be created. But you will also laugh and smile and love and giggle and act like a total goof-ball. You will see and experience and do so much, you won't quite believe it yourself. You will fall in love with life over and over again and you will be so grateful for the wild ride you're on. And Kel? You are going to have so. much. fun.

Enjoy it.

I'll see you in ten years.