A Letter to My Younger Self

Dear my younger self,

Your whole time in high school is going to be one heck of a roller coaster ride. You will have some extreme highs and some extreme lows. Things change, people change and plans change, so don't focus too much on how you expect things to be. Don't expect too much from people because they might let you down.

You're going to experience heartbreak. It will feel like it's going to be the end of the world. But here's the good news, you WILL get over him! He will soon be out of your life and you will have no way of contacting him whatsoever, which is a good thing. Believe me! That jerk is not worth your time or your tears. You can't control other people's feelings and ambitions. So don't worry about him.

Take life one day at a time. You will feel overwhelmed when thinking about what to major in and where to go to college. Spoiler alert: you end up going to a great school and meeting some great people. However, you will still be unsure about what you want your career to be, so quit worrying about it because you don't have to worry just yet.

The summer before you go off to college you will experience the most amazing mission trip to Jamaica. You will learn a lot about yourself and definitely grow spiritually. You will be nervous at first because you won't have any family with you, and you will be challenged physically, emotionally and spiritually. You will do things- like chop bamboo with a machete- that you would have never thought you would do. It will be quite the journey for you, so get ready for it!

You will lose a dear friend who is now with the Lord. You will question why God did this to her because she was the definition of good. When she is in the hospital, you will tell your mom that you would still be her friend no matter the outcome. You will grieve very much from her death. And the truth is, I don't think you will ever get over this struggle, but you will be okay. You and Mrs. Dally will visit her every year on her birthday and bring along a bouquet of flowers.

The friends that you make freshman year are different than the ones you have now. You will realize who your true friends are by the time you are starting college. Some people you become friends with won't be good influences for you. Stay away from them. There will be better friends in the future.

You will face all sorts of troubles, but the good thing is that God IS present in your life. God is on your side. There might be times where that's hard to believe but BELIEVE ME! He has an amazing plan for you. When your life gets hard, just know that it WILL get better.

Much Love,

Angela Paige