Dear Self,
This time last year you had about two weeks left of summer and you were freaking out about the littlest things like not knowing anyone in your classes, not being prepared for anything and not having people to support you while you're on campus.
Earlier that summer your sister signed you up for recruitment, which in high school, you were completely against.Crazy to think that, signing up for recruitment was probably one of the best things you could have ever done for yourself in the long run. You met more people, you were more social and you even made the best best friends you could have ever asked for.
Being in a sorority taught you a few things: You have to be open to constructive criticism and healthy communication, you have to be open to new people and new experiences, because if you're not you won't make friends. Lastly, you put in what you put out.
You didn't do much that first week of school, you got up, you went to class, you ate meals, you called your mom at least once, you did homework and watched Netflix, then went to bed. Being in a sorority changed that quickly, you made close friends within your pledge class, one specifically was Ashley, whom you've written about many a times before, and she introduced you to the funniest, most amazing, ridiculous pair of boys you have ever met in your entire life.
Your relationship with Nathan and Chase had its ups and downs and it was strange, but you wouldn't want to change it for anything. When people asked what Chase and Nathan were like, you explained it as Nathan and Chase's relationship paralleled Ashley and I's.
Regardless of how Ashley, Nathan or Chase came into your life, they taught you a lot of lessons.
Ashley taught you that your best friend can be the exact opposite of you, and they can teach you things you never knew about yourself. She also taught you that going out can be just as fun as staying in, which was hard for you to understand because you're very much a homebody; however, when you did stay in together some of the best memories made: Mulan, cookie cake, and dancing like idiots at 1am to the best early 2000's throwbacks out there. Even when times got serious and we had a legitimate conversation about our personal problems and cried our eyes out at 3am.
Nathan taught you that trusting people is hard to do, but when you find the few that you can, keep them close and never let go, even if the relationship has turned sour, try everything in your power to keep it healthy and happy. He also taught you the polar opposite lesson, sometimes it's best to let people go, sometimes they're too toxic for you to keep, and that's okay.
Chase taught you that yes, school is important, you should try your best in everything you do, but letting go and having fun every once in a while is okay too. Staying out to the middle of the night and sleeping all day the next day is perfectly okay, if done in moderation, and if you trust the people that you're with. Chase also taught you that it's okay to be the responsible friend who people can lean on and trust when they need help.
All in all, you learned a lot about yourself this past year, between meeting new people and trying new things. You have changed a lot. You've learned to love yourself, trust yourself and put yourself in situations that you would have never thought of before.
Now here's some advise to Your Future Self: take the chance, whether it's on love, school, jobs, or new experiences, the worst the other people can do is say no. Put yourself out there, stop being so reserved, you can only go up from here.
With All My Love,
Your Current Self
