Hey me,

If you're in the office at your NGO, in that museum your curating, on the streets, in Dad's basement, playing "Animal Crossing" or eating in a Paris cafe---listen.

I hope you're alright. You know what, I hope you're not just alright, I hope you are flourishing.

I know you've been through a lot, but I know that you've made it. You have become someone I wish I could be right now, and I look up to you. The path to becoming you has been hard: sleepless nights, questioning my worth, heartbreak, failing, missing the perfect opportunities and wasting my time on things that should have been left alone. I wonder how you got through it all. I wonder how, in any moment, you told yourself to keep going. I wonder how you're able to crush your problems into the dust. I wonder how you were able to love after always being broken down. I wonder how, despite all criticism, you did what you wanted to do.

I wonder how you proved everyone wrong about who you were and who you wanted to be. I wonder how you were always so forgiving. I wonder how you dealt with the pettiness of everything. I wonder how you got passed the loneliness you feel when you realize you like being alone sometimes. I wonder how you gave up those important to you. I want you to take my line of thought and think about where you came from. I want you to see that you can do it all, that you always have your own back. So I'll give you some, possibly ignorant 18-year-old, advice. You're the strongest person I know, and I know you're always going to be that way.

Take your strength, and please empower others. I know that you're afraid of being lost in this world, so please don't let anyone else be lost among it all. Look back at me as an example---cringe, laugh, move on and make yourself even better because of it. Always dream bigger, better and then dream even bigger than that. I know we can be a little idealistic, but we use our idealism as a springboard. We dream big so we can do big things. We have hope and faith because we are confident in ourselves. Don't let anyone ever shame you for that.

I have had a whole lifetime of struggles and mistakes to become you, and I want you to push yourself more than ever before. Even if you aren't remembered by the world or by anyone close, I will always remember you. You are my idol and I hope to be you someday. I want to love you so much, but I haven't seen you yet and I don't think I am ready to love us yet. I'll work on it though because I know you have.