As a 19 year old college student, I've found that it can be extremely difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Between school work and the stresses of every day life, exhaustion is inevitable. This means that thinking about what the future may hold is a huge, daunting elephant in the room. I often wonder how I can make it to graduation, to the real world, and to adult life as a whole when sometimes I feel like I can't even make it through the day without taking three naps. So, these are my wishes for you and, when you look back at this time, I hope that you are happy with how far you've come.

Dear future me,

I hope that you're proud of yourself for overcoming hardship and for coming out of it stronger (and smarter) than ever before. I know that life hasn't always been easy. There were many times where you simply felt like giving up. I'm glad that you didn't, and I hope that you never do. Things won't always be easy, but I know that you'll always be brave enough to get through it.

I hope that you have a career that you love, one where you wake up and look forward to what your day may bring. I'm sure you'll be making an impact and I pray that you never stop growing, changing, learning, and thinking big.

I hope that you are waking up each morning with the love of your life right by your side. I hope that every night you are tucking in your beautiful children, reading them a story, and kissing their foreheads.

I hope that you have loyal friends, but I hope that, above all, you have been loyal to yourself. I hope you've learned about who you are and have embraced yourself with love and acceptance.

I hope that you didn't settle for anything in life and that you never sold yourself short. Be confident in your abilities and you will always end up exactly where you need to be.

I know that sometimes you used to think that perhaps you should be more graceful, more subdued, or more refined. I hope that you've realized that you should never try to quiet down your soul. You have a lot to say and your words are very important. They deserve to be heard and I hope you never let anyone tell you that they don't.

Most of all, I hope that you are deliriously, blissfully, sickeningly happy. I'm sure that things haven't been perfect along the way, but I hope you are able to see beauty in the winding path that you have taken. No matter where you've landed, whether or not it's what you had expected or planned, just know that you are exactly where you need to be.