Dear Twenty-Two Year Old Courtney,

While I sit here pondering my future, I can only imagine what my life will be like in four years. So much has changed since I wondered into the scarcely lit dungeon of south campus. With my map in hand and binders in tow, I could have never be prepared for what the next four years were going to entail. Who would my friends be, would I make the freshman volleyball team, would I have a beautiful boyfriend, or get a job?  I didn’t question what my family would be like or where I would be living throughout high school because that was such a miniscule part that my immature self had yet to think about. So just like four years ago I am left with eager questions of what my life will be like and what the astonishing campus of the University of Iowa has in store for me. 

My Friends. Right now I am struggling with the fact of facing leaving my friends to move four hours away to the booneys of Iowa City. Currently, I have formed a close-knit group of friends in highschool. Sophie B, Kendon S, DJ D, Tori D, Max M, Will R, and Maddie W- my go-to’s for anything ranging from a Saturday night watching the stars dance, laying in the bed of DJ’s Pickup or a summer day inside watching the guys play fortnite. Que the eye roll. I have many questions to ask you about my current fantastic friends. Some of which are, will I even be friends with them in four years? Will we all still live in Wisconsin? The list could go on and on. As for the future, who will I meet in Iowa? I hope that you meet people as good as the people you were friends with in highschool. Right now I am nervous to meet my future roomate, Carley. Will we get along? Share the same interests? She seems nice. Rushing for a sorority has me the most nervous. I always wondered how girls could straight up judge others to get in to thier “elite club.” I never thought that I would do it until I heard such good stories of girls meeting their best friends. I think that rushing will be a good learning experience whether it be good or bad. Some girls can be mean as a pitbull that would rip you to shreads. I hope that you have enjoyed your time at Iowa and that they were some of the best four years of your life because now you really have to become an adult. I hope that you cherish your friendships that you have created over the years and the new ones that you have now made in college.

My job . Working as a CNA is as tireing as it is rewarding. The job is no where near luxurious, but it has taught me the most about life and aging then anything else in my life, besides my mom of course. Courtney Lynn, you must never go back to your job as a CNA once you get a degree. Yes it has been a fenominal learning experience, but it has really screwed up your back!  As of right now I have goals to become a speech therapist or speech pathologist. Right now you better be on track to graduating in May and not behing missy! I hope you have applied to fenominal masters programs and enjoy what you are doing. I pray that you got a degree in something that you love and can easily find a job with, if you so happened to switch your major. Do something you enjoy, just like Ross loves working in the museum. Please excuse my ‘Friends’ reference. I hope that you cherish the oportunity that you have been getting and get a degree.

My family. As of now, I am sitting on a Monday night with my mom and sister watching the beautiful boy batchelor balance his attention between bloodthirsty women. My mom and I have always been close, but I can’t say the same for Ally and I. We don’t have a lot in common and we are opposite personallities that definitly don’t attract. I desire for Ally to finally grow up and learn that there is more to life then her friends and boys, and mature just like I did. I want to be the best of friends with her but right now I can’t really see that happening. With four years between us, we are at different points in our lives. I am here deciding where I want to go to school for the next four years and what I want to do with my life and she is right where I started entering the 9th grade. So I aspire to confide in my sister and become friends. Let’s take a moment to discuss mom and Mike, if they are not married or engaged once Ally graduates, you need to have a serious discussion with that man! He has been dating my mom for three years and he needs to get a move on! I have began to build my relationship with my dad agian and I hope that you contine to strengthen it. And I very much hope he isn’t dating Miriam or at the very least realizes no one in his family likes her. On a brighter note, I hope that you cherish your relationship with your family and don’t take it for granted.

Nothing but love,
Eighteen Year Old Courtney