Hey Girl,

It's you, just in the year 2017. Yes, you are in college now and no you're not the same little girl you are now. You live somewhere else now, you got a new puppy and you're about to spend four months abroad. Some things have stayed the same, you're the exact same height and shoe size, your little brother is still annoying and you still love Nick Jonas and Taylor Swift.

Most importantly, you've become someone you would be proud of. You went through some rough patches, but you figured out how to control your acne and learned how to wear makeup. You're no longer as shy as you used to be, but it took a while.

The world is in a very strange place right now, bad things seem to happen more than good. Maybe that's just because you're more aware of the world now, but before you find out what the world is really like, please promise me one thing-- never lose your sense of wonder. Wherever you go, try and see the beauty in everything and everyone. Make sure to ask questions and get answers.

As you go through high school and get into college, you'll learn the feeling of rejection. You'll also learn how to not let being "not good enough" get to you because you're already good enough. You're just not meant to be there, you're meant for somewhere else. Rejection is a hard lesson to learn, but it is so important since you will learn you don't need a hard shell to take criticism, but to simply be open to being a better version of yourself.

You may cry when you don't get into a certain college, but you'll also cry when you get into the college. You'll also learn that crying, running a few miles and cuddling with your dog and mom will always make things better. You may think mom doesn't get it, but she does and she see's the good and bad in you that you can't even see. Trust her and try every day to be a better person.

Stop being embarrassed about speaking up or being different, that's what makes you special and 10 years from now when you're on the doorstep of adulthood, what makes you special will be what keeps you from going crazy. Over these next 10 years and for the rest of your life– remember to embrace what makes you special. Some people may not like it or understand, but one day you'll have better friends that you have right now who will embrace what makes you special. They will remind you that you are special.