Responding to my 'Dear 21 Year Old Elisa' Post

Some of you may know that tomorrow is my 21st Birthday! I'm so excited! But it has also come to the time that I have to respond to one of the first blog posts that I ever made which was a letter to my 21 year old self when I was just 18 years old. It is scary how fast time has gone, it doesn't even feel like 2 minutes since I wrote it! But I bet a lot has changed, which is even scarier!

So here we go, I bet I get emotional! I have posted the original letter in this post and I have put my response to the post in bold font. But, just in case, here is the original link to the post, which was also my first ever blog post!:

http://littlegeordielass.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/dear-21-year-old-elisa.html

*disclaimer. The formating for this post is really bad and I've been having issues editing it properly; like the purple font (wth) and the paragraphs not going in place properly.

Dear 21 year old Elisa, Hi 18 year old Elisa!

You are writing this blog to yourself for you to look back in 3 years time and see what you have achieved and what has changed in your life. Your 18 year old self has written 10 things you would like to achieve by the time you are 21. Hopefully when you do turn 21 you will look back at this list and see what you have achieved, and don't forget to reply! I remembered!

1. First thing is first, you will have hopefully graduated uni now and have an Honours degree in Drama, but just stick it out and continue to work hard. Also decide what you want to do with your degree and plan what you want to do after uni.
So I did graduate! And I did work hard because I graduated with First Class Honours, something which you never expected considering you just managed to get into your chosen uni! Now my plan after uni; I have decided to stay an study a Masters degree. My final year of uni made me realise what I wanted to do, the beauty of such a versatile degree, which is arts management, so you have found a Masters degree which provides you to do this, and go on a placement! So good luck, again!
 

2. I'm surprised you never did this before you were 18 (you did treasure your sleep) but try and do an all nighter.
I still do treasure my sleep, but you never did an all nighter. Why did I even want to do this?! The closest I got to was about 5am in the past 3 years, but this is such a random thing to have on this list... Such a strange child!
 

3. You have had the same hairstyle since you were 16, you are starting to get bored of doing the same thing with it every day, so by the time you are 21 you will have done something different with your hair.
I did a few things, I dip dyed my hair blonde and attempted to dip dye it green (why, I don't know) but the quiff still remains! It's iconic, people now know me for my quiff! But, you are planning on dyeing it again, putting some purple low lights in it. I kept it natural for graduation, to Mam's request, so when I have some money I will get it done.
 

4. Do something completely out of your comfort zone because you are always afraid to do something out of the ordinary. Is hate to use the phrase 'yolo' cause I know you hate it but make some memories by doing something absolutely ridiculous (just don't get arrested in the process).
Hmm... Ive done a lot of things. Why did I use the phrase 'yolo' on this blog?! You have done lots of things out of your comfort zone, nothing that got you arrested thank God! You lead a trip of volunteers to Edinburgh, ran in the SU Elections which was a massive thing for you, organised a holiday to Florida, you have had some fab nights out at uni, and even joined the gym! Congratulations!
 

5. Since leaving sixth form your friendship circle has become a lot smaller with your friends from home, try and make a lot more friends when you are at uni and keep meeting new people who you will maintain contact with. But stay in contact with your circle as well!
You have so done this! Your sixth form friendship circle is so close knit now and you always try and meet up with them for drinks when you can, and this has grown so you have met new people to! But you have met so many people at uni as well from doing so many different things! Hopefully this won't change when you do your Masters.
 

6. Fulfill afew more things which are on your bucket list. You have already completed about 1/5 of the list so try and get afew more ticked off it.
You gave blood! This was one of your big things that you wanted to achieve and you did! Well done! I can't remember the other ones because I can't actually find the list (awks), but giving blood was 100% on there.
 

7. You always get your confidence knocked by some of the smallest comments which can make you come across as vulnerable and timid, if you want to be more successful in life try and take things on a whim and be less sensitive cause if you go through life with small things affecting you it won't come off well.
Aww, this is quite a sad one for me to read. I am a different person now, a much stronger and more emotionally stable person now who has learnt to not take life so seriously. But you do have your moments where the little things effect you, everybody does. It is just a reminder that you are human. But in these past years you have become so busy to worry about little things, and the people who made you feel like this are the ones you have managed to remove from your life. Go on, lass!
 

8. Get a better fashion sense. You are slowly improving on this considering your new job but you should know by now society will judge you, I know it's very superficial for you to say but if you have a better fashion sense it may increase opportunities for you and you will feel better in yourself.
HAHAHAHAHA... I just learnt to stop caring about what people think of me! Yes, you like to shop for new clothes now and again but you always wore leggings and a vest top at uni because of your course, as did everyone else so you stopped caring! Nobody cares about what you wear, as long as you feel comfortable, and if people do ridicule you because of what you're wearing then they are the ones with the problem-not you.

9. Get the body that you are dreaming of and stop being lazy. You know yourself that you aren't happy with your figure so instead of being lazy try and do something about it; it will make you feel great, you will feel accomplished and you can wear bikinis and crop tops!

Well uni happened- it was inevitable that I as going to put on weight at university. You were just over 8 stone when you started uni (2 weeks after your 18th birthday) and coming out of graduation at over 10 stone- a lot of that weight put on in final year. The reality check was when you began to notice your stretch marks on the inside of your thighs, and how unhappy you become with your bust size and how difficult it was making your life -you've considered reduction surgery. But the only way this will be possible is to lose some weight from good old-fashioned hard work. So just before you're 21st you decided to step foot into a gym for the first time. It's hard work but you are loving it! You are now learning to eat appropriately and moderate your treat days. Even though you haven't really achieved this goal to feel confident in your own skin to wear a crop top, it is definitely an achievement for you to join a gym and begin working towards a healthier you. Who would have thought that you would be going to the gym 4 times a week!

10. And finally, you have a massive list in your phone of places you want to visit. Do it!

Money has obviously been an issue because you've been studying, but between the ages of 18 and 21 you have had some decent holidays. Firstly you sent in your first holiday with your boyfriend to Lanzarote to visit his family over there, Dubai for your brother's 21st- freaking Dubai! Salou in Spain, somewhere you always wanted to visit and loved! And, finally you saved your pennies to head to Orlando, Florida with your lad this Summer which you have blogged. Also get excited for New York City in 2 weeks time for your 21st birthday! But you have just done a blog post on all the places you want to visit, but it wont come cheap! Get some pennies saved and make it happen.

Hopefully you won't forget about this post and you will respond to this post in 3 years time. You did! Some things you will hopefully keep the same, for example you will still be earning money, be close to your family and still be with your boyfriend.Yes, and living together now! Just remain positive and your time will come if you wait for it. Nice sly little Imagine Dragons reference thrown in there... 

From

18 year old Elisa x

Aww. It's absolutely crazy how much can actually change in a few years. Not even with what I am doing with my life, but my attitude and behaviour towards issues that really would have really got you down. I'm so glad that I made this letter to myself to see how much I have evolved as a person, I wouldn't say I've changed - just improved who I previously was.

Now I have decided not to do one of these lists for my 25th birthday because there I literally have no idea where I will be; when i wrote this I knew that all these points would be challenged while I was at university, by the time I'm 25 I literally will not have a clue where I am or what I am doing. I used university to guide me through this post and I won't have that this time. 

But I have learnt that sometimes it is nice not to have any expectations and to just go with the flow, living life without a plan. And if you really put your mind and heart into something then anything is possible, that is my message to 25year old Elisa to remember.

Take Care, 21 Year Old Elisa x