I can only hope that you've come far in life and made great friends and memories along the way.

To my previous self: as I think back on the past, all I can come up with is braces, wild hair, and not being able to say actual words in front of a cute guy. God knows that I've come a long way since then, but I still hope to go farther. In just the past year I've learned so much. I finally figured out that I don't need a boyfriend to complete myself. For right now, all I need is God, my family, and my friends. I've also learned that it's completely okay to be different than everyone else. Being your own person and standing out from the crowd is worth it in the end. Yes, you will probably be teased all the time but you'll be happy if you stick out.

Since I've gotten older, I've found people just like me, and they're some of the best people I've ever met. Another thing I've learned is to not worry about what others think. Growing up, I would always try to impress other people and make friends with them. I realize now how stupid that was of me. If someone doesn't love you for you, they're not deserving of your friendship. Being popular isn't all it's cracked up to be. I didn't realize this until I was a freshmen in high school. I would much rather be friends with everyone instead of two or three snobby friends who talk about me behind my back, you feel me?

To my present self. Since my freshmen year in high school, I've become a completely different person. I now know that a simple smile can brighten someone's day. Being a genuinely kind person is a great thing to be. I've become a lot more outspoken. I dropped my social anxiety problems back in sophomore year and became a social butterfly, well somewhat. I have a lot more self-esteem and I'm completely happy with who I am, despite what others may think or say. Guys are not one of my top priorities anymore. I just want to continue to work on myself and be happy, independent gal without a boy getting in the way of that. I want to continue growing stronger relationships with my friends, family, and God. My goal for this year is to be a consistently positive and friendly person.

To my future self. Well, for one, I hope you have graduated college and met the guy you plan to spend the rest of your life with. Hopefully you will have your dream job by now and settling down. You'll have your lifelong friends that will come over just to watch The Bachelor and gawk over the very handsome men. You'll be extremely happy and drama-free. I know that throughout your whole life, God will be there with you every step of the way. Just have faith in him and you will turn out A-OK!