dear amy, see you in september

This is all the rage on youtube right now, to make a video and talk to your past, but I thought I would post it here instead. I'm not big on videos.

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Hey 12 year old self! Right now you’re still in grammar school, probably 7th grade. Here’s a tip: study a little bit more, try a little bit harder. Although, that extra credit project for science was pretty kick-ass. After you graduate, your “best friend” will basically back-stab you. You grow apart, but it’s worth it, because you find out who your best friend is. She’s awesome and means so much to you.
While in 8th grade, your grandmother on your dad’s side gets really sick. You go to visit her at various hospitals and nursing homes, but you always get scared in those places and run out into the hall to cry. No matter how scared you get, or how sad you feel about her sickness, go see her as much as you can. You regret it just a little bit in the future…..your future self wishes you talked to grandma a little more, and told her just how much you love her.
For high school, you almost went to TMLA. You had THOUGHTS about it, and you actually envisioned yourself going to that school. I just want to thank you for making the choice to go to SFP. In those four years of high school, you meet some of your best friends and you have some of the best experiences of your LIFE.
In your freshman year, you meet a girl the first day of school that was in your Cor by accident (she actually belongs in the Cor before you). She won't remember this little fact, but you do. A couple weeks later, you meet her again through a mutual friend. She becomes your high school best friend. She is AWESOME. Thank you thank you thank you for being friends with her. And just so you know, right now she’s engaged. :)
In your sophomore year, all of your friends have Sweet 16s. Maybe you should’ve had one, too (but to be honest, most of the people you would’ve invited – you don’t even talk to anymore, and most of the people you would’ve wanted to be there….well, you haven’t met them yet).
In your junior year, you meet one of the greatest guys in the world. Throughout the next two years, you two become really close, and basically tell each other everything. You have the hugest crush on him. Tell him, damnit! Tell him you like him…what’s the worst that could happen? It might’ve changed your life and changed your relationship with him (I’m sorry to tell you this, but you barely talk to him now). Also, cherish all the memories you make in your Junior year. Looking back, you think that Junior year was one of your favorites (despite all the Regents exams you have to take…..you kick ass on them, though).
At the end of your junior year, you chop your long hair off and donate to Locks of Love. I am so incredibly proud of you for that. You did something so awesome that you’ve inspired your future self to grow her hair out and donate again.
Right before you start your senior year, your Opa passes away. I’m really sorry to be telling you about this, but I want you to spend more time with him. You used to spend every morning and every afternoon with him when you were in grammar school. And even though you’re in high school, he lives just across the street. Go spend some time with him. Play the piano for him (he loves that!), play a few games of chess with him (he lets you win. He never lets ANYONE win.), or just sit and talk with him. Ask him what it was like growing up. Those are the stories your future self wish she had, and she doesn’t.
Here’s some advice. GET A JOB WHILE YOU’RE IN HIGH SCHOOL! Your future self has a job, but she’s looking for more work, and the job market BLOWS right now. You should’ve started working earlier, started building up your work experience earlier. I understand, high school is tough, but it’s not as tough as you may think.
At the end of Senior year, you have to take the AP Music Theory exam. You get a 3 out of 5, which is pretty awesome according to your standards. It was a freaking hard test! You also have one of the most life-changing trips ever…you go to Australia with small group of kids from the music department of SFP. Thank you for making the decision that you wanted to go. It was the trip of a lifetime. And you know why? You get to perform in the Sydney freaking Opera House. Hell yeah. Some more advice….be true to yourself. Some shit goes down in Cairns and you get into some fights, but you make up with your room mates over chocolate and Oreos and THE LIST. The List is hilarious…..you should try to save it (you didn’t).
Now you’re college bound. On your first day at MC, you hear this sophomore girl around the corner talking to her friends about the two Hanson concerts she went to that summer. Go talk to her. Go talk to her NOW. Don’t wait until the next day when you see her at the bus stop and talk to her about your mutual favorite band on the bus. Get off your ass in the cubby and seek her out NOW. One more day of friendship with her could’ve moved mountains. She plays a pretty big role in your college life. In your junior year, you find out your major just isn’t for you. Let me prepare you for that….back out. Back out now. Change your major to Music and Psychology at your earliest convenience. When you finally do switch your major (after lots of crying fests), you take a bunch of awesome and interesting psychology classes and meet a few great new friends. You meet some new and incredible professors in the psychology department. You KICK ASS on your final paper in Interdisciplinary Studies. You participate in two Global Learning trips (the first one to Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic at the end of your freshman year, and London in the middle of your senior year).
You get to meet your newest cousin Livia while you’re in Austria with your school on the global learning trip. Take more pictures of the day you spent with your family. You only have a couple pictures of that day, and you cherish those pictures so much.
Your sister gets married, and it’s one of the best days ever! You all basically have the time of your lives. But a little advice, when your camera breaks a couple weeks before that, don’t send it in for repairs. Just get a new one. Then you would’ve been able to capture your own memories at the wedding, instead of having to rely on mom and dad’s camera (because the batteries eventually die at one point in the evening, and they forgot to bring back-up). And get a picture (or more) with your date. Your best friend tries to take one while the two of you are dancing, but it’s your backs. Now, you only have a picture of his back and your ass to remember.
You and your cousin Emily get to go to Austria to visit your family for a few weeks. Thank you thank you thank you again for making a great decision! It was one of the best times of your life, you got to see your family’s life (instead of them always coming to the US to visit), and you got closer with your cousins Emily and Barbara.
The next few years, your cousin Barbara comes to visit a couple times, and you become so close to her, which is awesome. Get even closer. She lives so far away, but because you constantly talk with her, you have such a strong connection with her. (That train ride at 3am coming home from Long Island was totally worth it with her, despite how worried and pissed off your dad and her brother were).
You learn to knit. Ask Oma to teach you at an earlier age. You could be knitting sweaters by now! But knitting is awesome. Start selling your creations earlier. Don’t wait until NOW to figure out ways to sell them. You could’ve made a fortune by now.
You join the Cabs. This is a blessing in disguise. You make lots of friends, you increase your friend count on facebook (you increase your PICTURE count on facebook because of it), you learn crazy music at crazy speeds, you make your father proud because you become the 2nd generation, and you have the time of your life. You should’ve joined earlier, I’m just saying. But you’re grateful you joined when you did, even though sometimes you get stressed out because of it, and you don’t enjoy everyone you meet there. You’re part of a legacy and you’re really really happy about it.
Your Oma gets sick, but because you don’t have a full time job, you’re able to spend time with her and take care of her. This is one of the best things ever. Spend more time with her, though. She doesn’t always tell you personally, but she loves having you there. She loves having the company. She tells mom all the time. Offer as much time as you can to hang out with her.
Oh yeah. Your hard drive in your laptop dies in November 2008. You call a company to recover all your pictures and music and stuff. It was a lesson you had to learn….but seriously, next time, CALL ADAM. He has a $13 cable that will probably get all your info back. Stupid stupid stupid. Live and learn, Kristin, live and learn.
12 year old self, in the end, you turn out okay. You have awesome friends, close family, a pretty great job, and hobbies that you love. Even though I gave you a bunch of advice on how to do things differently, you turn out to be a pretty decent human being. <3