Dear 2018 Shelby,
So 2017 wasn't the easiest year for you. Now, 2018 should be a good year. Why? Because this year you're not going to take anything for granted. You are going to let this year live up to its full potential. When a chance comes, you're gonna take it. When you feel like giving up, you're gonna push on through.
2018 is going to be full of a lot of lasts, but it'll also be full of a lot of firsts. You are going to graduate in April, and hopefully you'll find yourself a big girl job. Sure, maybe you'll first take a couple of months in your favorite place in the entire world to relax for a little bit.
Then it'll be time for you to take a leap of faith. You may have to step outside of your comfort zone, and it's OK if you are scared. Sometimes the greatest things that we’ll ever do will be the scariest things that we’ll ever do. There will likely come a time when you ask if it'll be worth it. Believe me when I say it will be.
Hopefully in 2018 you make new friends. Make sure they're the right kind of people. You're getting to an age where fake friends aren't worth it. You're looking for people that you'll be able to do the momentous parts of life next to, whether that be weddings, baby showers, or even play dates. If someone is leaving a negative impact on your life, then let them go. This means it might be hard to say goodbye, but it'll be best for both of you.
Don't forget to forgive people. Sometimes this will be the hardest thing you do, especially when they really don't deserve it. You'll never move on from what they did if you don't let yourself. Sometimes it's best to just shed everything negative so that you can live positively. Sometimes it'll be easier just to be mad, but every ounce of energy that you spend being angry you take away from being happy.
In 2018 you're going to go abroad. You're going to Dublin and London. How exciting is that? You have been waiting to travel across the world for years now, and it's finally your turn. When you’re in Dublin and London, make the most of your time there. You don't know when your next chance to go back will come. Try new places and new foods and new drinks, and live in the moment while you're there.
You know what you want. Don't let anyone hold you back from getting everything you should, especially after all of the hard work that you’ve put in. There will be some people who treat you like you're dirt, and you've learned from the past that you are worth so much more than that.
Maybe 2018 will be the best year of your life, and maybe it won't be. Either way, don't take one single moment for granted. And while you're at it, make sure to take more pictures. It wouldn't kill you to add to your book of memories.
Sincerely,
2017 Shelby