Alisha and her friend Joey have invited their readers to play along, as they both post letters to their 16-year-old selves today. I thought this sounded fun, so here’s mine:
Dear 16-year-old Katie,
I write to you from 10 years down the road, from a little apartment in Boston, where I just moved with the love of my (our?) life. You won’t believe the amount of traveling you’ll have done by the time you reach your mid-twenties – your upcoming trip to London with the band is only the first of many adventures.
So much will change for you over the next 10 years. You’ll graduate high school, go to college (at ACU, which at this point isn’t even on your radar), study abroad in Oxford, then go back for a yearlong master’s degree. You’ll fall in and out of love, and finally marry the man of your dreams at 24. You’ll work various jobs, writing and teaching and assisting a few different people. And you’ll realize over and over again that you don’t have all the answers.
I want to tell you a few things, some trivial, some more serious. On the light side:
- Growing out your bangs will prove to be a good idea.
- That annoying boy from ninth grade will become one of your best friends in college.
- It’s OK to love country music, even when it is no longer “cool.”
- You might not like Friends now, but you’ll grow to love it in time (and quote it incessantly).
- Hot tea will become essential to your survival, though you’re not a fan right now.
- You will continue to love being the girl who hangs out with a group of guys.
More seriously:
- Soak up all these trips with your friends – you’ll cherish these memories.
- Heartbreak is awful at any age, but trust me: the heartbreak from now won’t last. And those sweet boys you’ll date in high school aren’t really right for you anyway.
- Knowing what (and who) you don’t want is just as important as knowing what you do.
- Keep writing. Keep writing. Keep writing. It will turn out to be the thing you love most.
- Despite the fading away of most high school friendships, that boy who’s been your friend since fifth grade will still be close to your heart a decade from now.
- Asking questions is way more important, and honest, than having all the answers.
- Keep “doing that Katie thing you do so well” (as Mr. Walker will tell you in a couple of years). When you’re 26, you’ll own a T-shirt with the slogan “Just be true.” That sums up a lot of what you need to know.
Again, there are lots of changes ahead for you. But you’ll make it, with the help of family, lots of dear friends, good books and dozens of journals in which to pour your heart out. I love you, and I’m proud of you, and I’m glad you’ll always be a part of who I am.
Love,
26-nearly-27-year-old Katie
If only it was possible to go back and speak with yourself… would you listen to what you had to say? I noticed the title of your post because I had a somewhat similar one a few days ago: http://theignorantbystander.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/top-ten-ways-to-squander-the-best-years-of-your-life/
I read a sci-fi story exploring this topic once (a very long time ago, so do not ask me for names):
A man told of his having had a discussion with a stranger as a child, where the stranger obviously wanted to make some valuable points. Alas, these points were now long forgotten. At a later stage, he is himself in the position of the stranger—and is annoyed by how that pesky child does not pay attention.
(In my recollection, it is implied that some form of accidental time travel was involved, with the man being identical to both the stranger and the child at different times; however, the general point works well even if three different people are assumed.)
Oh I love this! I am a little more than 10 years past where you are now – enjoy this time as much as you did highschool. It sounds like you have had a very happy journey. I look forward to rummaging around the rest of your blog posts. Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed today.
– Emily
I can’t think of much that I would tell my 16-year-old self. Maybe don’t date Zac Hester, Give up on conventional religion early and make out with Sky Seals as much as possible.
Na, I wouldn’t have listened anyway — not even to myself.
Crystal
http://www.crystalspins.com
Congrats for being freshly pressed! Now more people will discover wonderful you. 🙂 I love to imagine talking to myself long ago or to myself in the future. Anything to stop and notice life so it doesn’t seem like quite such a blip in space.
its a good idea 🙂 opens you up and makes you think. its a good way to remember the past and sum up the good / bad points.
i thought about writing my eulogy of how i want people to remember me like, and that certainly helps you plan your future steps. have a go maybe and blog it? 🙂
Well done! Great idea to write a letter to the 16 year old self, I should do the same next year 🙂
Sounds like you had an awesome time the last 10 years.
Greets.
That’s such a great post! I love the idea of going back and reassuring your 16 year old self – it kinda seems like making some things from the past right, in a way…
This is beautiful and wise. I can’t wait to read the letter to your twenty-six year-old self in ten years!
This idea is awesome. I think I will do the same sometime soon. Oh the things I would say to myself!
That’s good advice to your younger self. I think everyone would love to tell their teenage selves a thing or two, but even if I could send a letter to teenage me, I seriously doubt teenage me would listen, because when I was 16, I knew everything already.
http://packplace.mindspring.com
I love this post. Really. I think it’s about time I dropped my 16-year-old self a line or two. Oh, and congrats on Freshly Pressed. 🙂
Katie –
Congratulations for this wonderful site and getting Freshly Pressed. That’s a wonderful achievement.
I think you’re correct in writing to yourself now. I wish I’d done it during that period in my life and kept the letter. I wonder what it would be like to do this wee assignment every five years or so and keep a running file with each letter to catelog the lessons, observations, dreams, and aspirations of our lives.
Keep up your writing. You’re doing it so well. I’ve enjoyed my journey through your world. I look forward to returning in future, if for no other reason than to see where you’ve traveled to iin the interum.
Claudsy –
This is wonderful!
This actually made me cry! I know I’m a sap but I just love this idea. And your letter to your former self was so, so sweet!
-Lindsay
http://www.thedailyawe.com
If only we could go back in time and take different paths…. Great post, loved it. Maybe I’ll do one of these letters in the future. It’s interesting to see the roads you took, and what you think were the more important things. Congrats on getting on Freshly Pressed!
[…] the “Letter to your 16 y/o self” from the front page of wordpress who linked me to Cakes, Teas and Dreams. Let me know if you decide to write a letter to your 16 year old self. I’d love to read […]
I wrote my letter and posted it. Found you on the front page of WordPress (Freshly Pressed). Congrats on that!
-Jess
Awww, this is great. Your tomato soup tweet is catching my eye as I write this comment. You ate soup at exactly the same time I ate my faux tomato soup…which I then blogged about. Whoa. 🙂 Really cool letter to your sixteen year old self. Such a great way to stop and notice time (blowing by!!!) and recognize all of the tremendous changes and accomplishments that occur over ten years…or…more…in my case. Thanks! ~Heather
This is really interesting. I do wish that we could go back in the past and tell our younger selves the things we know today. In the end, life is all about what you learned from the past.
I’ve often wondered what it would be like to meet my 16-year-old self. I guess it would be a big mistake. We would hate each other for all the right reasons.
The fave lines are:
=> Keep writing. Keep writing. Keep writing. It will turn out to be the thing you love most.
=> Despite the fading away of most high school friendships, that boy who’s been your friend since fifth grade will still be close to your heart a decade from now..
From the start I had been wanting to know if it was really a 16 year old writing this.. I loved your post for more than 1 reasons
1) Concept is highly unique- I do such bizarre things; and your writing made it so much acceptable 🙂
2) That guy from my 1st grade, I haven’t quite able to really forget him- http://oliviasbiopiclog.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/my-1st-crush-was-my-last-affair/
3) All the right words without sounding as sermons..
4) All through it was so fresh
5) I so wish It was a little longer. I had begun to love my travel through your post..
Congratulations and Love
Great post! You’ve inspired me to do the same. I only wish I could have received such a letter when I was 16 warning me of future bad choices!
I am 26 too and I may just write a letter to my 16 year old self. Lovely bits! Especially about writing and about those sweet boys who aren’t right for you anyway. 😉
what a brilliant idea of writing!
You’ve got to print this out:-)
Just found your post today. What a great idea. I often think back to my teen years and wonder what I might have done differently with some good advice. I’m going to write myself a letter today! Feels very therapeutic:)
So on point. 16-year girls everywhere should read it!
I really love this post. What a fantastic idea. I think you may have started something here for sure – by the looks of it there are many of us out there that would like to do the same thing! Great to find your blog on freshly pressed. A great read!
Love this I might have to try this. This really is a wonderful idea. Good job and congrats on freshly pressed.
BB_Baker
Beautiful! Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
I love it Katie, thanks so much for participating! My favorite part is the last, about doing that Katie thing you do so well — I think that’s good advice at any age. 🙂
I would have loved it if I received a letter from my 31-year-old self 15 years ago. But then again, come to think of it, if I did, I would have probably just thrown it in the trash right off the bat! I knew EVERYTHING back then, you know! *wink!* 😉
This is such a cool idea! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Maybe I might do my letter but it’s going to strange bcas most of life as I know it IS strange. BTW Love your letter, I am Sam.
Are you sure this isn’t a letter to my sixteen year old self?
I turn 26 in a month and am considering writing a letter to my 36 year old self as a sort of birthday present. Thanks for the inspiration!
That was lovely!
lovely, guess u oready had your head screwed on right when u were 16…I think i did then someone dear convinced me otherwise…lol
this was just brilliant……you have inspired me 🙂
*sigh* I adore this. What an opportunity to reflect on life’s achievements and unanticipated pathways. At 16, life feels so in preparation for the next stages; it’s spent looking forward more so than looking around in the present, so to think what ease it would have given our 16-year-old selves to know we’ve turned out okay so far so can stop worrying. Must give your 26-going-on-27-year-old self much peace as well to reflect on all you’ve already accomplished in just a decade. I’m delighted you showed up on Freshly Pressed so I could discover your blog 🙂
A very nice post. I love your imagination.
[…] actually got this idea from another 26-year old. After reading her lovely letter, I felt really anxious to send you one. This letter may be able to […]
i love this and will be writing my own letter tonight! i love the bangs comment– hair is very important.
I think this is a great idea! I think looking back helps you define who you are now and see who you might become …. I’m going to write a letter….
Great post! Only one other thing I would say to my 16-year-old self: “You WILL make mistakes – forgive yourself!”
[…] This blog was featured in Freshly Pressed today, and I felt inspired to write one too. People have been writing letters to their 16-year-old selves, and I decided to jump onto this bandwagon. […]
There are so many times that I wish I could go back 10 years and tell 18 year old me what life is going to be like. Than again I wish 38 year old me would show up and give me advice.
Great letter.
I love this! I would have loved this advice as a 16 year old. Unfortunately, i don’t really know if i would have taken it to heart, but then someone would’ve been able to say, “I told you so”
I’m not 10 years older than my 16 year old self yet but I already have many things to tell her at the age of 22!
Absolutely brilliant post!
I wish there was a way 16 year old me could have read this. It would have saved so much turmoil at the time!
Touched me heart deeply……inspiring and an exercise I will be doing for myself!
I love your post and your letter. There’s a beautiful country music song about just the same thing but I can’t remember who sings it or the title.
Congratulations on being freshly pressed 🙂 I’m so glad you kept writing because am going to love following your blog 🙂
This is so sweet.
I bet your 16 year old self would be happy to know it all turns out great in the end. 🙂
What a great post and a great idea. And you seem to have a really nice life…. thanks for sharing.
Wish I could have told my 16 year old self too keep playing football, might have had some abs by now haha.
http://minilaptop410.wordpress.com/
What a great writing! I wish it were possible to go back and tell myself all the things I should not have done and encouraged me to find things earlier on that I enjoyed rather than later. Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
Aw! That was adorable! It’s crazy to think how time flies by so fast!
…and don’t we all wish we had one of these letters sent tous back in the day so that we would have some solid futurama type of advice and reassurance that everything will turn out fantastically 🙂
Oh, Katie. This one is one of your best. Very meaningful and inspiring. Makes me want to write and I rarely say that. Reminds me of being at the Brad Paisley concert listening to him sing “If I could write a letter to me” to his 17 year old self. Go country music! Miss you so much. And, I am totally out of the loop….what does Freshly Pressed mean?
And now I feel inspired. Thank you!
I wish someone would have told 16-year-old me that it was ok to listen to country music sometimes.
this is a good way to reflect on what you have learned and done in the past ten years. just think, if it wasn’t for your past, you wouldn’t be the person you are today. funny how life works out. what an awesome post! I enjoyed reading it.
[…] 24, 2010 by melaniebooth I ran across this letter to my 16-year-old self (written by “26-nearly-27-year-old Katie”), and it made me think about what I would say […]
[…] made me smile https://katieleigh.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/letter-to-my-16-year-old-self/ […]
Love the idea. Unfortunately if the cynical me now were to write hopeful, know-it-all, 16-year-old me, I’d lake dash all her dreams. I think I’ll leave her alone. But thanks for sharing! And congrats on FP!
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
Very nice idea, it makes you think…
I love this!!
what an awesome idea. thanks for sharing 🙂
What a great idea. My husband and I did something similar when we first got marriage; writing about our future together. It is wonderful to go back.
[…] 24, 2010 by wranglerdani Found this through Katie… via Alisha. Since I never am one to turn down a writing prompt, here goes: My 4-H Dairy cow, […]
Loved your letter to the 16-year-old you. You inspired me to write to 16-year-old-me. Cheers.
I love this 🙂
Great post! Is all about being sincere with yourself and seeing all that you have been through and learned. Just great. Thank you for the post and congratulations on FP!!
Lovely post. No wonder it’s on Freshly Pressed 😀
I wanted to do this myself, except it was after spending one life-changing year abroad. I was very much inspired by a song, I think it’s definitely one you’d appreciate (even if you don’t listen to Japanese music). The song is about a 15 year old girl who writes a letter to her future self, expressing her anxieties about the future, and her future self writing back to let her know that it all works out:
Hi! Congratulations for being freshly pressed today… ^_^
Your post made me think of doing a letter to my 16-year old self too… I hope you won’t mind me adding your blogin my blogroll…
Katie,
I would like to tell you that 2 years ago I wrote a letter to my future self. It is currently locked in a time capsule in Grand Terrace, CA. One day I hope the letter will find me so I can read about my 16 year old self when I am only 36 years of age.
Being only 18 and just graduated from high school, I can tell you that all the advice you gave to yourself is really true. I loved the letter!
-KB
Great Idea. And advice. Would like to see one to ’20 years older You’.
really lovely post 🙂
I’ll make sure I do this when I get older. Thanks for the inspiration!
Very creative of you… It makes me miss the old times…
Keep it up!
Instead, you could imagine yourself in the future and write a letter to you present self. That way instead of regretting things you did or didn’t do, you can simple act upon the advice your “future” self gives to the one in the present – you. 😉
Katie, this is AWESOME!
I am going to write a letter to my sixteen-year old self right now!! Thanks for this – do keep writing
Nicolette http://www.nicolettesnotes.wordpress.com
this is such a fun and heartwarming idea. definitely doing this!
loved your post….amazing concept!!!though i dont believe you didnt like FRIENDS initially!!
“Asking questions is more important than having all the answers.” – – – >I love it how genuinely thought out this was. Our human capabilities may have limited us from finding all the answers but the ability to ask questions gives us a promise of infinite possibilities. Isn’t life sweetly paradoxical?
[…] meandering around my usual virtual whim, I stumbled upon a randomly pressed out blog entry with an interesting piece of letter a woman wrote to her 16-year-old self. One of her […]
great post. i love the part about asking questions being more important than having all the answers. It made me so nostalgic for my high school days as well.
[…] 2010 by A Musing Inked After perusing freshly pressed, I stumbled upon a post entitled, “Letter to my 16-year-old self,” by katieleigh. I have heard of this idea before though I have never really had any […]
i did something like this about a month back, only it was my 10 year old self writing to my 21 year old self. Imma do it in reverse, right now!
absolutely love this…:)
http://www.eurekanaija.wordpress.com
i did something like this about a month back, only it was my 10 year old self writing to my 21 year old self. Imma do it in reverse, right now!
absolutely love this…:)
http://www.eurekanaija.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/10-years-from-now/
Katie,
I loved this blog post! I just read your blog and am so happy to have come across it. As an 18 year old who often spends too much time dreaming of what life like will be in ten years, I was amazed to see how different the path you end up taking is from what you thought it would be.
Feel free to check out my blog: http://tala92.wordpress.com/ Living between Dubai and D.C. it is my little window to the world. ‘Keep writing. Keep writing. Keep writing. It will turn out to be the thing you love most.’ Your words are blatant yet powerful inspiration!
Your newest fan!
viva la write girl
ha ha. this is a great idea. i have several letters FROM my earlier self addressing a twenty year old me or a fifty year old me. while i hope to eventually discover them naturally, and remember the things i did then, and read the notes i left o myself, this is like a time paradox that will probably go in circles. its pretty psychedelic.
Great post!
Katie,
I really enjoyed reading this post. I’m going to write a letter to my 16 year old self because there’s oh so much I’ve learned since those innocent days. At 25, I could not have been more confused but I’ve experienced so much.
Thank you!
Hope to continue reading great things from you.
Great post…I think I remember doing one of these “speaking to my 16-year-old-self” exercises in my writing class before and, yes, you definitely learn a lot about yourself.
[…] freshly pressed just now and found a post that was mega-intriguing. A blogger submitted an awesome freshly pressed post (and a few of her other friends have followed suit) titled ’A Letter to my 16-year-old […]
[…] I was perusing around in freshly pressed and found a post that was mega-intriguing. This blogger submitted an excellent post (and a few of her other friends have followed suit) titled ’A Letter to my 16-year-old […]
I did a similar exercise a couple of years ago. I wrote a letter to myself now from my 80-year-old me with whatever insights she has for me now. I don’t quite have ‘the courage’ to post it yet, however, perhaps I may do so soon. 🙂
Great letter.
[…] to my 15-year-old self (Naked pt. 2) August 26, 2010 by Lucy Dazilma Thanks to Katie, I will write part two of my naked reveal of myself, to myself. This is a continuation from part […]
YEAH, KATIE!!! You got freshly pressed!!!! I’m so glad! I can’t believe I almost missed it! I’m so glad someone with FP power noticed what a great blogger you are! And I’m so glad you’re loving Quincy (and how great a name is that for a place for YOU to live). That post about your day with Abi was heartwarming and made me look forward to being back in the States!
[…] Cakes, Tea and Dreams by Katie Gibson […]
[…] Alisha and her friend Joey have invited their readers to play along, as they both post letters to their 16-year-old selves today. I thought this sounded fun, so here's mine: Dear 16-year-old Katie, I write to you from 10 years down the road, from a little apartment in Boston, where I just moved with the love of my (our?) life. You won't believe the amount of traveling you'll have done by the time you reach your mid-twenties – your upcoming trip t … Read More […]
I did something similar when I was 11, except I was writing to my 21-year-old self. I hope that, when I open that letter, I’ll at least have done one of the things that 11-year-old me planned to do…
Ha! I’m sixteen and I absolutely LOVE Friends (and quote it frequently — in fact I realize that most events can be connected to a Friends episode.) I also drink hot tea — Earl Grey, no milk, sugar — every day!!!
I wonder, when I’m 26, what will I want to say to my 16-year-old self?…
This is a great read!!! One of the most excellent reads I have done recently. Congrats on being freshly pressed!!
All 16ers should read this letter. I think your sincerity is much more helpful than most parents these days.
thanks for sharing
[…] this regularly, but didn’t expect to reach for these books so frequently this year). 8. Being freshly pressed on WordPress.com! 9. Actually coming up with 52 lists for this blog. 10. Attending two fabulous […]
I enjoy reading your post. This is so cutee 🙂 i’m planning on doing this soon. Thank you for the inspiration ❤
xoxo,
http://www.colorsinmybubble.blogspot.com
[…] to Katie, I will write part two of my naked reveal of myself, to myself. This is a continuation from part […]