Dear Younger Self,

Life is a real roller coaster. You would never expect to be in the position you are today. Majoring in your favorite thing in the world. Your hair is shorter than expected. Smiling most days and being filled with positive emotions a lot of the time. Even being okay with the body you are in.

But, it didn't come without some struggle.

Please feel free to eat that extra bite of pasta. Don't starve yourself.

You think you look fat, but trust me, you don't.

You look beautiful. Your metabolism is fast right now so enjoy it while you can. Stop drinking so much coffee. It gives you bad anxiety and jitters and really doesn't do anyone any favors. Try to ditch it altogether if you can.

Stop constantly worrying about what other people think about you. Honestly, it doesn't matter, and at the end of the day, it's your own self that you have to deal with, not anyone else. Don't bottle up your emotions so much. Try to gently face negative feelings and identify the emotion instead of just ignoring, suppressing, and avoiding it. This just causes unwanted situations in the future.

Feel free to dance and sing more. Do the things you enjoy. Who cares what others might think? You love music and performing so much, continue with that passion even more.

Not getting something you want is not the end of the world. Don't put your eggs all in one basket. Try to have back up plans and don't always expect things to go in your favor all the time. Please do not burn yourself out so early in your academic career. Take it from a rising college sophomore. All those hours and hours of studying isn't worth it if you're putting your mental and emotional health to the side in order to get that 4.0 GPA.

Stay connected with your high school teachers. They helped you grow and develop into the person you are, so don't just forget about them when you graduate and move onto college. Go with your gut! Usually, your first choice is the best choice. You will end up regretting a lot of things from always changing your mind.

Stop planning every little detail about the future.

Let the universe do its thing and just live each day to the fullest. Things change, plans change, and you will most definitely change. Please just try to relax and stop stressing out about every little thing. Try to not micromanage as much. Go out of your comfort zone. Try some new things. Explore as much as you can.

And most of all, please just be in the moment and enjoy every little thing that life has to offer, whether it be good or bad.

You never know what might be a great learning lesson.

Sincerely,

A Still Imperfect, But Older, You