Dear Future Daughter,

Wow, the many years that have passed to get to where you are today. If you're reading this, you have finally passed high school and have come to find this place we all call college. You have reached the four years of your life that can be an immense amount of emotions and memories. It is within these four years that some days will be your best days and some days you will be at your worst. I am writing this letter to you because I want you to remember a few things before taking this next huge step in your life into the real world.

First and most importantly, remember to do what you love. If you have a passion for something or a desire to have an occupation, I want you to remember that and hold that close to your heart. If you want to be a doctor, I want you to be a doctor, and if you want to be the next best zoologist, I'll support you no matter what. But, there are going to be many people who tell you that you can't do it and some days you will even feel like you can't do it yourself. But you have to remember this is what life is all about. At the end of the day you are going to be much happier to have chosen a path that you dreamed of doing, than settling for something you weren't quite sure about.

Secondly, college isn't easy at all. You're going to have to work hard and I mean it. You'll be up at all hours of the night, cramming for tests, and stressing about your GPA, and not to mention the loads of homework you'll have, but I promise the hard work will pay off. This is the part of college they don't warn you about in high school. College seems all fun and games but these are the years that really determine the fate of your future. So when you feel like the workload has gotten out of hand, I want you to breathe, study hard, and just remember your future and the goals you have, and I promise all this will be worth it they day they hand you that degree!

Now I can't skip the obvious part of college — the fun. This is your chance to join a sorority, or a club, or just go out on a Saturday night with your new friends. But with all the parties and opportunities that college can bring you, you can easily get caught up in it all. Mistakes will be made, true colors will be shown by the people who you thought were your friends, and you are going to get your heart broken. But I want you to make mistakes, I want you to find your true friends, and it will be OK if your heart gets broken. Most importantly I want you to find you. Going through all these experiences can be tough, but they can also be quite rewarding. Mistakes don't define you at the end of the day. The friends you have found will one day be your bridesmaids, and the boys who break your heart make you stronger and help lead you to the man that hopefully one day gets to marry you. I hope that you will find yourself within it all, that is my wish for you.

If you take anything from this letter, take this: follow your heart and do what you love, don't let anyone stop you. Study hard, make good grades, and keep your head up, it will all be worth it one day. Make mistakes, fall in love, find the people who will have your back no matter what. This next four years is going to be crazy, so hold on tight babe, because this is going to be a crazy ride.

Love, Your Future Mother