Future self.

On a cold, snowy, craptastic day like today two years ago (ish) I wrote a letter to myself.

Wed., Jan. 2, 2008.

All pre-blog and brown hair and 50 extra pounds ago.

I told EmailCapsules.com (which either does not exist any more, or has turned into this) to e-mail it to me in three two years.

I just got it today, but I’m willing to overlook the four-days-late thing seeing as how I only paid zero dollars for the service and wouldn’t have even know it was late except that they told me when I sent it, and really, I guess there’s a chance I told them to send it in two years and four days.

I’ve edited out one sentence, which was about, umm, this one, umm, thing, because, um, well somethings are pri-vate. Gawd. But here it is in all it’s spelling mistakes and grammar errors glory. (UPDATE: Also, I actually said 2007 where I meant 2008 in the original. I was confused. It was a new year. I have changed it here though so I don’t look totally stupid).

Enjoy.

Well 2008 is starting out well. Can’t wait to see what it brings. I started 2006 in Iowa and then moved to south dakota, but i really do plan to stay in oshkosh for 18 months to two years.

… Also, if you are looking for a job, remember to look somewhere warm. Although you may think it’s not a big deal — you hate cold weather.

If you are thinking of selling out — either with work or with a guy you only kind of like — don’t do it. You’re better than that. Have faith not only in God, but also in yourself.

Also, if you have enough money to have bought a christmas tree you are doing very well — remember you didn’t have one for two year back in 2006 and 2007. Oh, and tell April I said hi — I really hope you are still friends with her.

love, past self

So, ya, I only stayed in Oshkosh for 8 months. And, I still live in a land where it snows everyday.

But, I totally had a Christmas tree this year.

I’m glad I (past self) think I (future/current self) am worth more than whatever it is I could be settling for. It’s good to read that.

I’m also glad I still have faith in God, and most days, myself.

And yes, I’m still friends with April.

Speaking of April, she recently made this thing called a vision board at her church, where you cut things out from magazines that represent what you’d like to have or be in the future. That way you can pray about it and stuff.

I liked the idea so much, that last week we made them in my youth group, and I tied it in to the New Year. (I’m clever).

Only a handful of high school girls showed up, and the project turned out to be A. a hit (I think) and B. a great excuse for us to talk about that one girl in that old seventeen magazine issue who dated a guy who was really a girl.

The sole boy, an (awesome) college guy who helps me, was, um, a little less excited, but willing to give it a go.

Mine is obviously on alarmingly pink poster board. Obviously.

IMG00600

Starting with the top center, there’s a picture of a computer with my blog card pasted on the screen under a sign reading “Web site launch of the year” – a goal I didn’t even know I had Jan. 2,2008.

To the right, that’s a picture of a church because I want to explore that section of my talents as much as I can. The quote reads “One girl really can change the world.” I’m one girl.

Underneath that  is a stack of books, which were incredibly hard to find among our stack of make-up magazines. The nail polish and the butterflies were mostly just pretty. I want to be pretty.

On the top, well, that’s a picture of Hawaii because I want to go there or live there or live somewhere like it . If you look close, you’ll see a mini-Johnny Depp. I can’t have a vision board without Johnny Depp.

The large quote in the center is my favorite part.

“I have to believe in fairy tales. I have to believe in love.”

(If I told you Taylor Swift said that, would it be any less blissful?)

The whole thing is a little shout-out to my future self. A little nudge to the hope that three years from now I’ll be living somewhere south of Kentucky, changing the world one blog post and prayer at a time.

I’d like that.

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Comments

  1. Other then the fact that I think Jan 2, 2008 is only two years ago, you have some very wonderful future goals for yourself. I had a class write letters to themselves one time and mailed them back to them in 6 months. That worked well. Most forgot all about the project and were surprised when the letters showed up in their mail.

  2. OMG! You’re totally right. my past self messed up the year in the letter. Wow. Well, I changed it in the post for clarity sake, and so I don’t look totally lame.

  3. My high school AP English teacher had us write letters to ourselves, and he mailed them to us four years later. I put my former best friend’s address at the time because I wasn’t sure where I’d be and I thought we’d still be close. We weren’t. At all. But she still forwarded the letter to me. After reading it, I wanted to puke. I was so lame back then, and I had actually created a list of “99 reasons why I’m cool,” or something like that. Most of it was “Billy Madison” quotes. My friends and I were obsessed with Adam Sandler back in the early 2000s. Sigh. I’m glad I actually grew up, though, and it only took less than four years to do it.

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