Letter to myself

Dear Ellen at almost 20,
Then next few years are going to be interesting. Those friends you made over the last year in the fraternity, you'll stay friends with some of them. Some will come and go in your life, but one constant will always be Jayne. She will be the best friend you could ever have. Make sure you appreciate her. And as low maintenance as you both are, don't let it go 6 months without talking. It's way better the way things are when you guys are 40 and spending almost all of your free time together.

You're going to meet a guy soon. He's really nice and totally not your type. The relationship won't last very long, but you will get the best thing ever, a son. He will be the light of your life and your everything. He will make up for his angelic baby days when he's a teenager though. So get your rest now!

You'll spend a long part of your life trying to make a relationship that isn't meant to be work. Learn from it, and never settle again. You are worth more.

In your career, you will bounce around a bit, until you find the perfect company. It will be small and like a family. There are things you'll sacrifice, like vacation time and regular reviews/raises, but the benefits so out weigh the sacrifice. They will treat you with respect and never make you feel like a body in a seat. The owners of the company are some of the most amazing people you will ever have the pleasure of knowing. Just ignore the fact they are Republicans and Catholic. It will rarely come up.

Start now taking better care of yourself. Maybe then you won't hit terminal mass and HAVE to do something about it. There is no magic wand or pill. You will have to work very very hard at it. But the way you feel will make it all worth while.

Go roller skating and take Jayne with you! Trust me, in 20 years you will wish you hadn't dropped out every time your friends went.  The worst thing that will happen is you fall down. And it hurts way less then the time you fell off of Rain and had to walk home with the reins in your hand. You will thank me for the advice. So will your knees!

The most important thing to remember over the next 20 years is that you are much stronger then you think you are. Whatever you set your mind to, you can really do it! Oh and tell that bitch in your head to get the hell off your bus! She is telling you lies!

Love,
Ellen at almost 40