To whoever I might end up being in 10 years,
Life is pretty good as a college sophomore. Although you're happy at this moment in time, I hope you're even happier now.
I mean really happy. It's not about where you end up; it's about the journey and adventures you have along the way.
I hope that your parents watched you walk across the stage at your college graduation and were the proudest they've ever been of you. I hope that everything went according to plan with your degree and that you got out in four years. Grad school or no grad school, hopefully your student loans aren't excessive.
I hope that you are somewhere in New York City writing for the New York Times and accomplishing everything that you want to. If not, I hope that you are working your way towards the Times, living in a big city.
Remember to never pass up Nutella. Screw the calories; you only live once, and you can never have too much Nutella.
I hope that you remember your roots; that even though you grew up in a smaller city, you never forget where you came from. I hope you remember those high school marching band competitions and football games. I hope you don't remember the petty drama you experienced in high school, because in 10 years, it won't matter who you kissed at prom.
I hope that you got everything you wanted to out of your college years. I hope that your friends are still your friends, and that you've kept in contact with the few friends from high school you want to remember. Go out to lunch with them and enjoy catching up with them.
I hope that you have seen the world. I hope that you have been to Europe and back. I hope that you have seen bits and pieces of each of the fifty states. I hope that you have stepped foot on every continent and in every ocean. I hope that you have watched the sunset from every corner of the world. Stop and smell the roses in the town. Go to farmers' markets around the world and try new things.
Always remember that you have loving family and friends all around you. Remember that if you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to lean on in times of need, that someone will always be there.
Read. Every day. If you've stopped, pick the books back up and read. Reread the classics. "Romeo and Juliet," "Pride and Prejudice" and even "Dracula." Reread "Harry Potter," "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games." Hold onto those books, because at one point in your life, they were the best.
If you've lost sight of your dreams, then pull yourself together. I'm proud of who you have become. Turn every experience into a lesson to be learned.
Never forget who you are.