If you wanna go far
Then you gotta go far

– Noah Kahan

When I was a teenager, deep in the pits of insecurity , I wrote a letter to myself from the future.

I wrote down the things I was desperate to hear during the lowest moments, hid it in a journal and read it on bad days.

Now, well over a decade later, I don’t think that girl could comprehend how far we’ve come.

I Thought We’d Be (t)Here Forever

Being a teenager is rough, man. And this was in the days before social media and really smart phones. Facebook and Tumblr was the extent of what we had, and that was bad enough.

I remember reading physical magazines, watching the same TV shows as everyone else, and running home before the street lights came on.

It’s funny being a younger millennial, caught between the two generations. One foot in, one foot out.

Being a teenager in the late noughties and 2010s might not seem like a million miles away from where we are now, but so much has changed.

While I wouldn’t want to go back to that time, I am so grateful to have grown up then. I feel like there was a fun balance, but maybe that’s just the bias of nostalgia.

I was pretty lucky with my childhood and teen years, but I still remember the extreme emotions, deep self-hatred and skin-deep insecurity like it was yesterday.

Thank God it wasn’t though, cause I’ve had time to grow.

i was so fucking sad when i was 14 and now when i fold my laundry or see a pool of moonlight on the floor of my bedroom i know that miracles exist. i see love in everything. love sees everything in me too

– noonwalkdiary, Tumblr (as seen on Pinterest)

Some Things You Should Know

Dear teenage Rach,

Firstly, calm yourself down. Listen to me – we did it.

The degree, the career, the love you were so desperate for; it all comes to you in time.

And there’s the caveat, it comes in time.

What are you in a rush for?

Stop trying to grow up – just let yourself act like a kid, man. Don’t put the dolls away yet, there’s all the time in the world for that.

Believe it or not, one day you will miss this time, the simplicity and comfort that comes from still being too young so enjoy it while it lasts.

Some other things:

FOMO never goes away, but one day you’ll be doing all those things you’re dreaming of doing. It’s fun, but came at the right time for you.

In the meantime, say yes to it all. Yes to the concerts, the sleepovers, the trips into town. Get upset because plans changed, then wash your face and go out there anyway.

Get excited about new book launches, see the latest releases, buy CDs – there’ll come a day when that stops.

Stop putting yourself down.

Sure, a big part of being a teenager is being uncomfortable in your own skin, but my goodness there are bigger things to do. You’ll still struggle with this in the future, you know, but I think we’re finally getting somewhere.

Play with makeup, wear weird clothes, spend time with family, talk to your grandparents. All the classics we want to say to our younger selves, when we just want to scream – be present!

You don’t know who you are right now, and it drives you insane. But that’s the point of being a teenager, I’m sorry to tell you. You’re still learning, love.

And while you’re learning, be nicer to your mam. She’s learning too.

Appriciate the friendships and forget the drama. It won’t make a difference in the future when the group dissolves, people have babies and schedules make it diffiuclt to see each other, so just enjoy the time you have together now.

Be outspoken, be creative, and just bloody try stuff while you’re young. Don’t forget the passion and the ambition that you hold now, cause it’ll get you far. Future you is very grateful for it all.

There’s so much I could actually say to you (and I’m sure if teenage me was reading this she’d be annoyed that there was nothing useful) but I get why people speak in cliches at times like this.

The whole point is to figure it out on your own. Without these lessons, we wouldn’t be where we are today – and kid, you’re going to love it when you get here.

Be kind, okay? Loads of love.

Speak soon,

Rachael.

Christ, what a different time. The peace sign, fringe, bracelets…