20 years

I just got the invite to my 20 year high school reunion. I knew it was coming, and unfortunately I won't be attending because of a schedule conflict, but it got me thinking about the me I was then, versus the me I am now. Despite it feeling like it has been no where near two decades, more like two blinks of the eye, quite a bit has changed...and definitely for the better. I wish I could write my teenage self a letter, tell her how things are now...I wish if I could she would actually listen. I think it would go something like this:


Dear K,

Well, you made it...you got through, got yourself a diploma, and now it's time to move on, except, well...don't, SLOW DOWN, enjoy your summer.

Get to know your sister, she ends up becoming your best friend, and she needs you now. When you will realize this you not only will feel really guilty, but really sad that you didn't do it sooner.

Instead of just trying to graduate, try to enjoy college...take a few of those classes that you WANT to take, instead of just the ones you HAVE to take. You don't end up graduating on time anyway so you might as well.


Oh, and regarding that, the reason you don't is because instead of trusting your gut and calling off that wedding, you go through with it, and it ends badly...TRUST YOUR GUT, ALWAYS TRUST YOUR GUT.

You aren't Martha Stewart, you CAN'T be perfect, no matter how hard you try. You can't control much of anything, much less everything, and Martha ends up going to jail so stop wasting your time trying to be her.


You aren't super model skinny, but you ARE thin enough and pretty enough, so take off that stupid cover up when you are in Mexico, you will look at pictures of yourself 20 years from now and think "damn, I looked good back then."


You will spend about a bazillion dollars on every cream and serum that advertises a dramatic reduction in the appearance of fine lines and sun spots and you will be disappointed in every. single. one. Save yourself some money, WEAR SUNSCREEN.


Regarding men, if your first instinct is that he is a douche, you are right. He is. Oh, and that guy, that guy that you have been pining over...he is gonna call in about 10 years and guess what? Your heart is NOT going to skip a beat, you are NOT going to run off together into the sunset and have the greatest love affair of all time, matter of fact you aren't even going to know who the hell he is when you first answer the phone...you can stop pining.

The next 20 years will fly by.

You won't accomplish what you think you should, it's ok. Contrary to what you want to believe, you will find out you are more ordinary than extraordinary, but again, it's ok. You aren't as smart as you think, nor as fat. Stop taking yourself, and life, so damn seriously, no one gets out alive so you might as well enjoy it while you can.

K