Dear 21-year-old me

I didn’t intend to write this blog today, but when I realised it was the 10 year anniversary of my move abroad for my student exchange I couldn’t not write something.

I’m forever grateful to the version of me who decided to embark on the adventure of a lifetime and so to mark a decade since catching that flight to England I’ve written her a letter.

21-year-old me in Barcelona in 2014

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Dear 21 year old me,

You’re about to embark on the biggest adventure of your life. An adventure which will alter the trajectory of your life in ways you can’t even imagine.

You are the living embodiment of “feel the fear and do it anyway” right now. I know you’re a little scared. You’ve packed your life into a suitcase and are about to fly to the other side of the world all alone to live and study for a year (or so you think).

You don’t realise the enormity of this decision, you’re just excited to see another part of the world.

But I want to thank you. Because this decision you made, to do something that no one else you knew at the time was doing, is the best decision you’ll ever make.

I want to tell you that you’ll have the time of your life living abroad.

That you’ll finish your degree and be awarded “best visiting student” as you do.

That you’ll make many lifelong friends.

That you’ll travel to so many new countries.

That you’ll experience, appreciate and value new cultures.

That you’ll form a new appreciation for the village that raised you and supports you from home.

That the lens through which you view the world will alter irrevocably.

I want to tell you that this student exchange led you to living another five years abroad in three different countries, where you (finally) entered the world of full time employment.

Importantly, I want to tell you that you’ll grow up so much during this experience, and yet it will foster your curiosity for all the world has to offer. You’ll gain so much independence and do things you don’t even realise you’re capable of. You’ll become more confident, more self assured, more resilient.

I want to tell you that you’ll meet the love of your life.

But I also don’t want to tell you any of those things. I want you to be entirely oblivious as you embark on this adventure because none of these things would have happened if you didn’t say “yes” and embrace opportunities that came your way, not knowing how they’d turn out.

So, I’ll just say thank you. Thank you for being bold and brave. Thank you for stepping out of your comfort zone. Thank you for feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

Ten years on, life is so, so good. And that’s because of you.

Love,

A very grateful 31 year old me.

“I’m sure I’ve missed out on a lot at home in that time, but I have a feeling if I’d never gone I would have missed out on a whole lot more.” - 23 year old Jordyn