Dear High School Me,

You are probably wondering what the future holds for you. You probably have no idea where you're going to end up, what you want to do with your life, or what you want to be remembered for. You want to know what is going to happen to your friends, your family, and the life you have cultivated for the past 18-ish years.

The truth is this: there is no way to know what your future will hold. The universe does not like to be put into a box that limits its possibilities, and the more narrow-minded you are, the less likely the universe is willing to comply with you. So, enjoy high school. Enjoy the freedom, the comforts of home, the homecooked meals, the ideals and beliefs you have grown up with. Take it all in, but do not let them follow you in a chained box. Let them be free, allow them to adapt, and encourage them to support you throughout your life as you figure out who you are.

Most of your friends from high school will probably never talk to you once you go off to college, but this will help you realize who your true friends are. Make sure you try your best to keep in contact with them, because they will always be your connection to home, and even more so, they saw you at arguably the weirdest time of your life (besides middle school, which was just a dark time for all of us). Making friends in college is hard, so please remember that when you enter college, you are not the only one alone. Embrace the loneliness. You will have times where you are going to be alone in life, so learning how to live with it now will make college and life beyond so much better.

Do not worry so much about finding someone who loves you. You will find someone who thinks the world of you, who loves all your flaws, and who makes you the better version of yourself. You might find that person in college, you might find that person when you're 50 — you will never know. Remember that you will have your heart broken, and that things will get messy, but it will not be the end of the world. You will accept it, you will move on, and you will grow — and eventually find someone who is your missing puzzle piece. It may take more time than you expected, but I promise you, your heartache and pain will pay off.

Remember that you do not need to limit yourself. You might not like your major in college, but you must realize that what you major in does not directly relate to your career choice (besides being a doctor). Try new things, do what makes you happy, and I promise you everything will fall into place. The more open-minded you are, more doors will open up for you.

Finally, love yourself. You are truly unique, special, and one-of-a-kind, so do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Stay true to yourself, trust your instincts, and do not limit yourself. Please make mistakes, because each mistake teaches you something new about yourself. By living your life to the fullest and embracing the road bumps along the way, I can guarantee you will enjoy your future. Look out, kid, you have the rest of your beautiful life ahead of you.

Love,

Your Future Self