A Letter to My 14 Year Old Self

Dear Katie.

It is too late to not get that perm but know better days are coming. There are so many great things ahead of you. You are going to travel, make great friends, have a career you really enjoy, own a truly outstanding collection of shoes, and have an amazing family.

But first. First, you need to get through High School. I’m going to focus on these few years because you’re going through it right now. You have a lot of teenage angst you can’t express. Try to talk to mom. You’re about to learn that your family is moving to California, after spending exactly one year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’s going to be rough, not going to lie. You’ll hate your parents for a while, be so mad at them, so angry. You will make some very stupid decisions in an attempt to make friends. You’ll make a few friends and join a team. The instructor is the first adult to make you feel lousy about your body but the feeling of being part of a team for the first time is pretty great. You will find a life-long, amazing friend in Geometry class. Don’t mess that up. You’ll have a great teacher that will influence your critical thinking. Driving is wonderful. The freedom! The bottom line: focus on the good things. These years go by really fast, it’s a blip, although it doesn’t seem fast enough. Your/ my 30-year reunion is coming up and it’s not even on the radar.

College. Wow. All I can say is you should really consider moving in with your best friend. And set a higher dating bar. But then again, all of your decisions have lead you to where you are now, which is pretty great. Don’t sweat your career path so much. It’s ok. It’s not all linear. Take a breath, take a break. Try to enjoy the journey. It’s more than a few words on your poster.

Enjoy all of your experiences. You are brave and adventurous. Be your own hype-woman. You can do this, all of this, and be amazing. There is an incredible new chapter just around the corner.

Finally, in January 2020 you might want to buy extra toilet paper, Lysol, and vodka.