A few days ago, I woke up to an email saying I received a letter from Nov. 1, 2019. I wasn’t sure what this letter was at first, but I soon realized that I had written to myself during my sophomore year of high school and scheduled it to be sent three years later, in the hopes that I would be in the middle of my freshman year of college. Though it feels like just yesterday I was a sophomore in high school, I’m now closer to being a sophomore in college. I became aware of the high expectations and aspirations I had for myself, some of which I am still working toward. But since then, I have frequently changed my path. When I was a sophomore in high school, I intended to pursue pre-med. However, I’m currently majoring in English with a minor in education and aspire to become a teacher. Without a doubt, college has been more challenging than I anticipated, not only academically but also mentally. I’m homesick the majority of the time and since I’m from San Antonio, an hour and a half drive from Austin, I find any excuse to go home. The last few months have undoubtedly been the hardest for my mental health. Most of the time I feel alone, and I’m still getting used to this new environment, area, and city. I sometimes even question my intelligence in light of the excellent school I attend, surrounded by the smartest people. Looking back after reading the letter, I felt as though I have chosen a simpler and less demanding path in life rather than pursuing what I thought was my dream. I also recognized how much self-love and hope I had, which I have been lacking lately. But that’s something I’m going to change. I might not be following the path I had envisioned for myself, but I could not imagine myself doing anything else. I may not have had the ideal college experience so far, but I still have years to figure out who I am and where I belong. I may even look back during my senior year of college and realize that once again I’m on a totally different path, and that’s okay. I’m gradually coming to terms with change. I’m rediscovering how to love myself. I’m beginning to appreciate solitude. I’m learning to not compare myself to others because we are all on our own paths. Despite all the difficulties, challenges, and mental breakdowns I went through, I believe that my sophomore high school self would be proud of how far I have come.
I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone write a letter to their future selves. You can write one to be delivered in six months, one year, three years, five years, etc. The letter I got from my former self was extremely eye-opening and made me realize how much I’ve changed. The website I used is available here.