**Linking up with MamaKat today: 1.) If I could tell my teenage self…
Dearest Tiffany,
This is your 36-year-old self writing you a letter. Freaky, right? It’s not as old as it sounds to you right now, I promise. I’ve learned quite a bit over these past two decades and I wanted to share it with you.
Have more fun and loosen up. You’re too serious, too anxious, too stressed out all the time. Yes, you have many responsibilities. Yes, you should get good grades. Yes, you should work hard. BUT you need to have more fun. Relax more. Hang out with your friends more. Take a nap. Skip a day of working out. Go ride a bike just for fun. Life is too short.
Don’t worry about boys. I know you don’t understand why boys aren’t interested in you. (Except for that ONE boy—watch out for him, he’s an asshole and is going to crush your heart. Sorry.) It’s ok that you don’t date, that you don’t have a date to the prom, that there’s no special guy in your life. You just haven’t met him yet. And trust me, he’ll totally be worth the wait. You end up with the best guy on the planet. Lucky girl.
Put the beer down. You are drinking way too much. I know it seems fun and all your friends are doing it but, seriously, bad decisions will be made when you drink too much; you’ll feel like shit and it’s just not a good idea. Wait until you meet your friend Amy and then you can drink wine like a lady.
Live in the moment. The sooner you learn this, the better. Do whatever it takes to get better at this.
Keep a journal. Write everything down. What you did on a Saturday. How you feel about your new high school. Struggles, joys, everything. Write it down. There will come a day when you would love to know what you did on a Saturday in high school and you won’t be able to remember and you’ll really want to know.
Go to therapy. I know you’ve been to a couple and they sucked. Keep trying until you find a good one. The way you feel is not normal. You need help; it doesn’t mean you’re crazy. It just means you’ve been through a lot and you need help dealing with it. Go right now.
Be ready for lots of love and joy. There is much pain coming your way, I’m sorry to tell you. Much, much pain and sorrow. It will hurt, you will be devastated, but it will make you stronger. It will make you a better version, maybe even the best version, of yourself you can possibly be. But on the other side of all that pain is so much freaking love and joy that you will feel like your heart is going to burst. You are so happy it’s not even funny. Remember that.
Last thing…go for the short hair, it looks awesome, and wear your damn sunscreen, will ya?
Elastamom's Excerpts 
Love this. If we could all do this and actually have gotten the letter. So many things might have been easier :o) I guess that wouldn’t be life though. Cute picture too!
This is awesome. I wish I could send a letter back to my 15 year old self. There are so many things I’d tell her.
I loved this. A lot.
You’ve gotta be one of the coolest people I know! This is cute!
I would love to be able to write a letter to my teenage self. My life has turned out so amazingly different than I ever imagined. I loved this post and all of it’s honesty.
The only thing I see different in you is your hair length. I don’t think you have aged one bit!! Wouldn’t it be nice to go back in time and talk to ourselves? And I would definitely have to agree about keeping journal. I love this idea!! And I love how open you are!! I’ve missed being on here and reading your blog! Sorry for the long absence!!
I could really relate to having more fun and living in the moment. That is still advice that I try to give myself now. I loved this idea! Great write Tiffany!