To my younger self,

Life is short. You hear this many times as you are growing up, and it is so true.

Right now you are young and naive. You follow your friends and conform to what everyone is doing. You are outgoing, yes, but you are still too scared to branch out and be who you are.

You will waste hours on planning things and settle with doing things others want to do. You will waste time getting dressed in clothes you don't necessarily like and attempting to match your make-up to what the girls at school are doing. You will smile in every picture and quote them as "the best days of your life."

The best part is, you will wake up one day and realize that this is your life. Your family will help you along the way. Your "squad" or the people who have basically became your family will be there for you through thick and thin. You will feel comfortable in your skin. You will wear whatever you want and you will look even more beautiful than before because your smile will be genuine.

So, be yourself. Do what makes you happy! Go on 8-hour car rides on your day off, find a new hobby, be single, date someone unexpected, take chances. There will be people who will criticize your decisions, and sometimes your decisions may not be the greatest ones. However, you pick yourself back up and brush it all off because "the best days of your life" are just around the corner.