DEAR NADIA OF 2012
The Tuesday after Labor Day always marked the first day of school growing up. This was the first time in eight years, since the first day of my senior year, that I’ve been home. It was a little odd to wake up this morning in my teenage bedroom and not put my uniform on and head down Falls Road.
I look back on myself at this time and think about where I was physically, mentally and emotionally going in to my final year of school before college. If only I knew then what I do now. There is so much I want to tell myself and maybe even some advice I want to give. So I decided to, again, like I have before, write a letter to my younger self. Here is my letter to Nadia, 17 years old, on the first day of her senior year of high school in 2012.
Dear Nadia of 2012,
Congrats on making it to the first day of your senior year of high school. You have worked hard and have gone through so much, especially in the last few years, so you should be excited to make it to this milestone. This will be a year of many ups and many downs. You will have more fun than you’ve ever known possible at the school, you will face some darker moments you never could’ve imagined possible, you will learn so much about yourself, and your confidence will soar to new heights.
To part some advice on you, I want to start by saying to make the most of every moment. Even though you are eager to get out and start a new chapter, these will be moments you will never get back. Always make sure to do well in school and focus on learning for the sake of learning, not just for taking test. Give your all and your artistic ventures and really lean in to your inspirations, no matter where they may come from. You may not get the playing time you want this year on your teams, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be putting in the work. Really do cherish the people you hold close and savor the moments you share because you never know when things will turn around on you.
I’d hate to ruin the surprise, but some of your biggest dreams will come true this year. In a few weeks from now, you will board a plane to Los Angeles with your dad where you will meet your mom and visit your dream school. All three of you will be so amazed and eager to see you there the following year. Don’t worry about the ACT score are you open on the way to your visit. You will get a letter of acceptance many months from now, and it will be such a sigh of relief in addition to a marker of your hard work. You’ll have a corner play in field hockey named after the school, and you’ll look back and wonder if this might have manifested your fate, lol.
There are many incredible adventures to come over the next eight years. You will meet new people who will become your lifelong friends, embark on some amazing opportunities and have a chance to fully be yourself. There will be moments that change your life forever, both good and bad, but you will always come out stronger. I don’t tell you this to scare you, but rather to give you some peace of mind. Remember to focus on enjoying the good things in life rather than waiting around for something to go wrong or you might miss some beautiful moments.
You are strong, driven, energetic and smart. You have so much to give in all facets of your life, and I urge you to never lose this magic. There will be people who will give you a tough time along the way, but these people can also be seen as lessons. You will always come out stronger, even on the darkest of days. Your senior year will be filled with so much fun, so many laughs and so many good times. I look back on that time with a smile on my face, for the most part, and I am glad to have the memories and lessons I made and learned along the way. Don’t rush things because sooner than you know it, you’ll be on another flight to LA with your parents, ready to move in to your new home.
I feel like I learned and grew immensely in that final year of high school. I can’t wait for you to experience the same. I think about how my interests shift, the new music I discovered and the difference in my priorities from the beginning to the end of the year. You deserve to be happy, to feel loved and supported and to be successful. These are things I tell you because there are things I still tell myself now. You have everything at your disposable to change the world, so make sure you make the best of it.
I’m excited for you to take on this year and the many that follow. I know that you will experience so much. I never want you to dim your shine or change because of outside influences. Again, keep that magic that makes you you and take it far. Good luck today and in the rest of your year. I know that you, that we, will kill it.
Sincerely,
Nadia of 2020
