Dear 29-year-old Kelly

Dear 29-year-old Kelly,

Hello, there future Kelly. How is the year 2017 treating you? I hope this letter finds you well. Things are a bit weird right now in the old 2012 so I thought I'd shoot you a letter just to remind you how things are going for 24-year-old Kelly.

First things first, you'd better be goddamn successful, 29-year-old Kelly. I'm doing all of the hard work so you'd better not have squandered it. Right now, I'm working three jobs. One is that internship at City Weekly (which I absolutely LOVE but it doesn't pay so wah, wah), the other is another internship with Foretelligent writing for trade magazines and such (and it pays!) and the last one is with Northeastern Services, where I help people with mental, emotional, and psychological disorders. I'm tired all the time and I commute like a mofo. So you'd better be at a place where all my hard work has paid off. Ideally, you'd better be on staff at some really awesome newspaper or magazine, preferably out of Utah. And you'd better love your job. If you don't, go somewhere else. Remember when you used to say that you don't care where you work as long as you make enough to not stress over money and you love your job? I really hope you still believe that. If I were getting paid to work at City Weekly, I'd be set. But anyway, at the very least, please, oh please, don't still be living with mom and dad. Right now it's okay for me to still be living with the folks considering I just barely graduated from UVU and have no money. But to be 29 and still living at home is embarrassing. Don't be that person, 29-year-old Kelly.

Also, I hope your love life is going well. And by that, I mean I hope a love life exists for you. I broke up with Jacob Hyden (remember him?) about a month ago and it's been pretty slow goings since then. I'm not bothered by it in the least. And I'm not just saying that cause that's what I always say. I really mean it this time. I'm quite happy being single right now. With all the other chaos in my life, I don't really have time to be in a new relationship. I'm fine just where I am, thank you. Hopefully you've found the time to have a relathionship.

It just occurred to me that you might be married. If this is true, good for you/us! How did you two meet? Wait, no. Don't tell me. I want to be surprised. I hope it's a good story, one to tell the kids and grandkids about. I wonder what he's like. The only thing I know for sure is that he makes you happy, like ridiculously happy. The only way I could see myself getting married was if he made me so happy that while I could see myself being able to one day be without him, I don't ever want to. Does that make sense? I hope it does and that's how you feel about this guy. I can't wait to meet him.

Wait, do you two have kids??? That's going to be weird. I hope that you're much more comfortable about the idea of having kids cause right now, 24-year-old Kelly is terrified of being a momma. I'll leave that to you. I'm sure you'll be much better at it than me.

Well, 29-year-old Kelly, in general, I hope you're doing okay, that you're happy with your possible husband and possible children. And if you don't have either of those, I still hope you're happy. I hope you love your job and love your life. And, if you have the time, think back to when you were me, 24-year-old Kelly writing this on the kitchen table in mom and dad's house and think about everything that's changed and happened and it makes you smile.  I hope your pile of good things is bigger than your pile of bad things.

Love you.
Mean it.

24-year-old Kelly