Dear past Kyle,

I know you’re young and think you have it all figured out but, trust me… trust you, life four years from now is very different than the fantasy that lives in your head.

For starters, you’re not going to be a teacher. I know you thought it was a great idea, but don’t worry, you now have something so much better. You’re now following your passions and you’re not looking back. Making that decision will be the biggest one to date but, don’t sweat it; it will help lead you to where I am now.

I know at this point; life isn’t much different than high school. You spend your days hanging out with the same people, thinking these are your friends forever. I hate to break it to you buddy, but that won’t last. The people you know now are going to be a part of your life for a while but, eventually we will all go our separate ways. You’ll stay in touch a little over the years but, things won’t be the same as they were hanging out on Friday nights after football games but, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. You’ll see countless people come and go out of your life, sometimes it’ll sting, and sometimes you’ll really feel nothing at all, that isn’t a bad thing either. Four years from now, you’ll have a great group of friends, some you’ve known your entire life, and some you just met. The important people will always come back into your life, weather they stay well, that’s the tricky part.

I know right now, you’re a fresh faced, 18-year-old who is a little awkward, with just a dash of social anxiety, a few years from now, that won’t change much. However, you’ll learn how to make it work for you. You’re going to date, and you’ll learn so much about yourself through that. You are going to have good relationships and bad ones; you’ll get to know the difference. You’re going to think you’re in love a couple times until you really fall in love. You’ll be afraid every day, not really knowing how to handle it without messing it up. I know you never really pictured yourself having feelings stronger than when you see your food coming at a restaurant, but trust me, it’s just a little bit better. You’ll learn to deal with all those crazy emotions you didn’t even know you had when you get there. Through all the ups and downs you’ll realize you wouldn’t trade any of it for anything. The highest of highs was worth every second of pain and fear that you’ll endure. You’ll know that really being in love with someone is the best feeling on this planet. Sadly, you’re also going to learn how to deal with a broken heart, it’s going to happen, at the time you’re going to think you’ll never recover, but you will. It’ll take a lot of time, and some great people to pick you up, dust you off, and give you a little nudge forward.

One of the most important things I could tell you is, remember to slow down every once in a while. You’re about to enter into a time where work will become a major factor in your life. You will spend months on the cycle of school, work, repeat. You are going to burn out three or four times before you learn this lesson. Stop and smell the roses every once in a while. Put off that homework or don’t pick up that extra shift for one night, and do something with your friends while you can. I’ll tell you kid, where you’re sitting now, the best stories you tell your friends now don’t start with, “I was doing my homework.”

These next few years are going to be some of the most life changing, exciting, and stressful times of your life. You may look confident on the surface, but I know you’re a little worried. You’re going to make mistakes, and that’s okay, every mistake you make will lead you down to road to where you are now, and trust me, you’re doing OK.

I guess I’ll see you in the mirror.

Sincerely,

Senior Kyle