Dear Past Me,

This is who you are.

I am pleased to inform you that every year you have accomplished more in your life than you ever thought was possible. The stress, depression, and social anxiety levels have dropped drastically. At 12, you became the shy girl in the back of the class when you attended a different school than your childhood friends. You knew that kind of life wasn’t for you.

At 14, you became a high schooler. You went back to the school where your childhood friends were. It was not the same. They chose to go down paths you never wanted to take. At 15, you left your friends behind  again to start over. It was one of the best decisions you ever made.

Being the new transfer girl was a scary thought. But, it was a thought you quickly outgrew. At 16, you maintained decent grades while participating in Varsity Cheer, JV Track, PowderPuff, and the Class Act. You developed close relationships with not only your new peers, but also with your teachers. You wouldn’t believe just how weird some of your teachers are.

I am so proud of the person you are becoming. Of course, you’ve made mistakes and you are going to make them again. However, there’s not a single moment I would take back. Every choice you have ever made has made you who you are today.

You became the girl who makes people smile like crazy in first period on Monday mornings. The girl who never stopped reading because you chose to live a million lives. You became the girl who decided she wanted more in life than what statistics could ever say about her.

You became Me and I will become a girl I can only imagine right now. But one day, one beautifully unexpected day, the imagined girl will become reality.