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Four Years at the Mount

Sophomore year

Sincerely, me.

Sarah Muir
MSM Class of 2018

(11/2015)

Dear Sarah (ver. 2011),

So high school is great, isn’t it? That was sarcastic, as you know. I wish I could tell you that it becomes more exciting, but, alas, I cannot. However, you also know it is not all bad. Though these are not the best years of your life, they are certainly not the worst and it gets better.

College is wonderful and I am not sure if you have considered it yet, but I am planning on studying abroad. I hope to go to London because, I am sorry to tell you, you do not improve in foreign language so it is best to stick with English-speaking countries.

I wish you (well, I) could actually read this. If you could, I would tell you that whatever daydreams you are having are going to grow and evolve into wonderful stories, and that you really should start working on them because trust me, if you don’t, that nasty procrastination habit will NOT get better.

A great many things have happen in the past four years. You actually get a part in a musical (it goes well, don't worry), you manage to get a scholarship, your passion for writing increases and you even get a small job at a newspaper. Another big thing is that your sister (well, our sister) is getting married in a few months...yeah, I know, weird right?

You change a bit too. It's not too much, and probably not very noticeable to others, but you do and it is all for the best.

See you in four years!

Sincerely,

Me

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Dear Sarah (ver. 2019),

I have no clue what you are doing right now or how much has changed, will change, in the next four years. By your clock, Katie has already been married a few years and I pray that we did not make a fool of ourselves during the maid-of-honor speech. How well did we do in school? We better have studied abroad. If so, it was probably spectacular and I cannot wait to have the memories you already have.

I wish I could ask, "What are you doing right now?" and get some kind of response. If you could respond, I would also ask if we will travel and if so, where? What kind of people will we meet? What kind of person will we become? And what, pray-tell, are the next winning lottery numbers?

I wish you could give me a summary of the next four years. I know that it will probably be worth the surprise, but I am impatient and you know how we are when it comes to surprises. However, I guess I have no say in the matter. Let me just make it clear that you have better finished writing at least one of the books I have started. If you have not, then consider this a letter from yourself to get going!

Speaking of things you have done or should do, I wonder how many items you have crossed off our list. Have you been an extra in a movie or been to New Orleans during Mardi Gras? What about learning to ice skate? Have you become (miraculously) fluent in a language or gone to see the pyramids? (That last one is a bit of a stretch, all things considered).

I don't know what you are doing or even what I want you to be doing. Well, that is a bit of a lie. I know I would want you to still be writing and at least be almost done with one book. However, life changes and gives us both blessings and challenges and I understand that sometimes we must adapt. I am still figuring things out and, right now, you know more than I do.

I would love it if you are happy wherever you are and that you have someone to share it with (even if you don't that's fine too). Even though you are four years older and four years wiser, we are the same person (literally). If I know myself at all, I know that I have not changed on the important things.

Whatever happens between then and now, from the person I am and the person I will become, I know that the mistakes that I will make, that you have already made, have created who we are and who we will be. Wow! Dealing with past, present, and future tense is headache inducing.

Anyways, I am eager to meet the person I am going to become and I hope to have a fun time getting there. See you when I see you!

Sincerely,

Me

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