During the summer before my Freshman year in high school, I went to a creative writing camp with a few of my friends. Our teacher introduced us to a website called futureme.org which allows you to email a letter to yourself in the future (assuming you still have the same email address).
At the time, I didn’t think much of the activity, until I received a letter the next year. Getting a letter from your past self is an odd experience. There’s a strange “older sibling” feeling that you get while reading one of these letters. It’s not exactly the same as reading your old diary entries, or random little notes you might’ve written when you were younger that you’ve found in an old drawer. Instead, this is a letter that’s addressed to you. Not your friend. Not you from three years ago. But this you. Right now.
This young, naive, probably kind of a mess person is asking you how your life is going, or for the answers to their burning questions, and you are supposed to have all the answers.
Here’s the letter I sent to my future self in 9th grade. Warning: 8th grade me was very obnoxious and sucked at writing letters.
A letter from June 10th, 2016
Dear FutureMe, Can you draw yet? I doubt it. Btw all of your drawings suck and they need to go in the TRASH. Or burn them, that’s okay. How much Youtube have you been watching? A lot. How’s AP Human Geography going? So far, even though I haven’t started it, I suck at it. Ok, so I guess you’re great, blah, blah blah. Peace! I’m so cool, btw that’s not cool. You’re not cool either.
Love, Past Sydney
p.s. Mrs. Davis wants you to send her an email about this, I’m guessing you’ve forgotten by now, so it’s [teacher’s email] (That’s ur old school if you’ve forgotten) Tilap [an old joke that isn’t funny anymore].
If you ever decide to write a letter to your future self, hopefully, it will be better than mine!