Dear Future Self,
I am writing to you from a period of big change and transition. I am sitting at the edge of the unknown and I can't yet see out past the fog, but I know there are magnificent sights we will see as that fog begins to clear.
There are some things I want to tell you, just in case you don't remember as clearly as you do right now.
Take things as they come. Life is unexpected and your whole day's plans can change multiple times before the day ends - that's where a lot of the fun is. A lot of things might not work. That's ok... as long as you have what you need to be safe and fed you are fine. And, there is always another bus.
Have high expectations for people and groups, but if you're the one pulling them along and nobody is
as invested as you... let it go.
Enjoy people. Everyone has a story and something to share with you. Say good morning, smile, and ask how someone's day is going. Don't be afraid to talk to random people in a park or on a bus. They might turn out to be one of your new best friends.
Express yourself and be silly. Use your words to the full range of their expressive powers. Don't just use average boring everyday words. Words have life.
Seek first to understand. Even when you are in your own culture, seeing and listening through unbiased eyes can teach you a lot - I bet, and bring you to places you never thought you would go.
Remember to relax. Working hard is good, but so is doing nothing besides sitting outside, talking to friends... or cooking dinner and watching youtube videos.
Appreciate what you have and be thankful. Enjoy nature and family. Observe changes of season and enjoy the cold.
When you turn on the tap and water comes out, feel blessed. Electricity and water are a privilege, not a given.
When you feel out of place in your own country, breath through it. I think it will pass.
If you feel insecure or unsure of yourself, remember this: You moved to another country - by yourself, learned the language, built a way to support yourself through hanging up fliers, answering the phone in Spanish, developing various curriculum, turning a high school class around, starting an improv troupe, teaching at corporations, writing for companies, being a receptionist, doing projects with the peace corps, and so much more. And at this point, all of that doesn't even seem like a big deal - but it is. You can make things happen.
Be open to being loved. Love them like they'll be with you forever; appreciate them like it's your last day together.
So, although right now I feel nervous about the future, I know that this is the next leap I need to take. Sitting on this cliff any longer doesn't serve our growth. The only way is to jump... and trust that we now know how to fly.
Me
