Dear Taylor,
I’ve admired you from a young age. You’re the reason I learned to play guitar and had singing lessons for a short period of time. I’ve also spent my money, and my parent’s money, on CDs and concert tickets over the years. I’ve gotten to know all the lyrics to your songs and have personal connections to some of them. I’m more than sure most of your fans would feel this way too but while I could spend my time talking about how much of a fan I am, I’d rather write a letter to tell you things you haven’t gotten to experience because you are a pop star.
So Taylor, I thought you would like to know that the end of high school is just like the rest of high school only with extra stress. There is a lot of pressure on your grades to do well to get into college. People are also pressured with their college level and AP classes to pass so they can get college credit. Applying to college was not nearly as annoying as it might have been when you would have applied because everything is online. Also, the application website can send your application to multiple schools, yet another bonus. Everyone stresses for months about receiving acceptance letters and scholarships. We learn how to apply for financial aid and look at what schools are the best for us. I decided on my school because it was the best option financially but also because I felt like I was a part of it when I first stepped onto the campus. I would like to think that you could compare this comfortableness to what it is like for you to perform.
Moving to college is a huge life changing the experience. I had never lived anywhere other than at home with my parents. I had only ever traveled with my parents too, and now I had to go live at school without them, and my cats. It was terrifying, I had to go to a place where I didn’t know a single person and they didn’t know me. You settle into your new life slowly but smoothly. I was able to make friends and learn how to manage my college classes while also figuring out how to live without my family for the first time.
At these times in your life instead of graduating high school and tackling college, you were on your way to stardom. You were getting signed, making your first two albums and going on tour. While the things you get to do must be glorious and exciting, I can’t help but wonder if you ever wished you had gone to your high school graduation and went away to college.
What would you have been if you weren’t a musician?
What would you have studied in college?
Where would you have gone to school?
You’ve been lucky enough to have your wildest dreams come true already when the rest of the world is still trying to figure out how to get to their own. I hope I’ve provided enough insight for you to understand a small portion of the things you never got to experience.
Until next time,
A high school graduate and current college student
