A Letter to 20-Year-Old Me

Dear 20-Year-Old Lizy,

When you grow up, you will learn how to drive a boat.

You will also live in a few awesome places after you leave Potsdam. Speaking of leaving Potsdam: do it. It’ll be the best choice you’ve made to date, for so many reasons.

When the question comes up, don’t move into 38 Bay. In real life you did this and I think you probably should have done something else.

Find more friends in the politics department.

Start doing your goddamn homework.

Stop degrading yourself because of rumors you hear.

Don’t put so much gravity on your future. The people you are close to now will go away, and the people who you think aren’t important will grow up to teach you how to drive a boat.

Except for Allonah. She pretty much stays close the whole time. You’ll find yourself in Athens, Georgia with her and someone named “the Dragon Master” drinking her mother’s kahlua, and realize life is good.

In May of 2013: write it.

When you live with Mark for a summer, the two of you will watch the first few episodes of a series called Mad Men. It is now several years later, and you just started Season 5 with someone I will let you discover on your own. Don’t worry, it isn’t Mark.

Just wait til you find out what happens to Laura.

I have a lot of pent up thoughts about the decisions made during this year. There are so many huge decisions that took place. I can’t help but wonder how things would have turned out if I handled things differently.

I’m still extremely bitter about this year of my life. What keeps me up at night, a lot of the time, has to do with what I could have done differently. I could have gone to more dance classes. I could have done more politics homework. I could have finished my Peace Corps application. I could have moved into any house but 38 Bay.

I am glad for where I currently am. I am curious for how things might have been different.

Don’t place so much importance on Potsdam. You will leave the people you know and love there, life will go on, and life will get better. You won’t regret anything, but you will take the lessons you learned from the people there with you everywhere you go.