Dear Mini Me,

I am so excited for the adventure you are about to embark on. High school has been amazing, and it is nothing like you expect it to be. This is going to be the most amazing adventure for you. I hope you take more time than I have to enjoy it. Cherish the relationships you form, and let yourself grow. Don’t let anything or anyone hold you back. This is your time to experience some unimaginable things.

As I look back on the last three years, it amazes me that I have met and formed relationships with so many incredible people. Not only have I made incredible friends, but I have met people who have changed my life. This year has been inconceivably difficult. I lost many things, but once I got over the initial pain, I realized that these things weren't a loss at all. Yes, the school work has been overwhelming at times, and there have been countless moments where I have been ready to give up, but they always passed, and great things have always followed. When my boyfriend became my ex, it broke me into a thousand little pieces, and for weeks I thought I would never be whole again. But guess what, here I am, whole and better than ever. I gained a best friend out of that relationship, and a year later, we are still best friends. Relationships get harder, and so does school.

Study hard, it will get you so far. Understand that these years count, especially junior year. This is the year that colleges are really going to focus on when you start applying to schools. Put in the effort. It won't always be easy, and if it is, you are doing something wrong. Challenge yourself; push harder than you ever have before. Make every moment count for something. What I have to say next is the most important: leave no stone unturned. Explore every opportunity that comes your way, and reach for every idea you have. When the writing job comes up, reach for it as if you were reaching for your college diploma. Don’t be afraid of the opportunities that pop up. Realize that Gatsby didn’t just go after a girl, he went after the girl of his dreams; he went after the one that got away.

When I read Gatsby I thought he was a foolish man. It appeared to me that he was reaching for a life that he could never have. When I finally grasped the reality of his story, it changed my life. Gatsby took a chance. He never let where he came from stop him from where he was going. Did it work out for him in the end? Read the book and find out, but reach for what is ahead. Your big brother will stomp out a path. It is not your job to follow him: stomp out your own path. Make noise as you travel, the world is a big place, don’t stay in one spot too long. Let the opportunities and your dreams propel you in a direction that will allow you to create a life you are excited to jump out of bed to live.

The people that I have met throughout high school have given me the greatest gift. They have taught me who I am not, and who I want to be. By no means do I have it all figured out. There is so much I still want to discover, and so many more stones to turn, but I have loved every minute of my high school years; even the ones that seemed impossible. You are so much more than just a number, and I hope you realize that faster than I did. Your SAT scores and GPA do not define you. They aid you, they drive you to be amazing, but they will only be around so long. You will live years past your high school GPA, focus on what will matter ten years from now.

I hope you love this adventure as much as I have. Don’t be afraid, everything will work out. Embrace the hardships and welcome new people. However, don’t hold on too tight because things are meant to end. Every ending will bring you a new adventure. I wish you the absolute best in the upcoming years, and I hope you can learn from the experiences I have had.

All of my love,

A girl you will be proud to know