If I could write a letter to myself at this age, I'd have a lot to say.

The first thing I'd tell myself was to stay strong. People may say things to you, about you and behind your back but you should never let it get in your head. They want it to bug you and if you give them the satisfaction of knowing it's bothering you, then you lose. They're just words, nothing to be bothered by. Keep your head held high and keep on walking.

I'd make sure that I knew I was going to fall in love and get my heart broken many times and though it may seem your heart will never mend, you'll survive. Boys are going to come and go your entire life and it's okay to be hurt when things end, but the hurt can't stay forever. You have to let go eventually and move on, think of the future. Not many people marry their high-school sweethearts and you're bound to find that someone special eventually, but for now just take it easy. Live life the way you want to and don't focus solely on finding that perfect guy. Because that search is pointless and will only leave you sad and lonely.

Girls are b****es. That's about all you need to know on that subject. They're mean, nasty, and devious. Though there will be the few who stick with you for the long run, there will be friends who never really were your friend; they were just waiting for you to succeed in something so they can take it away from you. Though girls may tell you they're your friend and their so happy for you, they're really jealous and just want to take the glory away from you. Don't trust them.


Adults suck at times, you may think, but fighting with them and wining when you don't get your way, will get you nowhere. They're here to support you and guide you. Although it may seem they're out to get you and that they want to ruin all your fun, that's not true. They've already made the mistakes you're making and they want to help you. Fighting with them when you don't get what you want will only punish you in the future. So show them you're responsible and that you respect their decisions and you'll be surprised to see that you'll get what you want eventually.

We all make mistakes. You'll do stupid things in your life, mistakes you'll regret for years to come, but without these mistakes, you won't learn for the next time. As much as the mistake may seem like a huge thing at the time, as you grow older those silly things you did last year will become so small and insignificant that they won't even come to mind. Things may seem bad now but it can only rain for so long.

Take school seriously, it'll pay off. You may think your social life is so important, and that without it, life will suck. Look at the big picture, the future. Although it may seem like fun to skip class and hang out with friends, it will do nothing for you when you're looking to apply to university and you just bombed your last math test. You want to get into a highly competitive course and need an 80 average and what do you have? A 72 average. The social aspect of your life won't look so important anymore. You'll be hit with the realization of another year at high school while your friends go off and start their new, independent lives. They get to grow up and you're still stuck in high school.

“No”. It's a simple word to say but not so appealing at times. It's a word that you learned in kindergarten but you'll soon learn a new meaning for. You hear the rumours about those girls who don't seem to have the word “no” in their vocabulary. The things that are said about them are nasty, hurtful things all because they don't know the meaning of “no”. It starts off with getting pressured into something you aren't comfortable with doing and then leads to more and more until you've dug yourself a hole that you can't find your way out of. So my advice, is say no whenever you feel the need to. If someone isn't okay with your no then they aren't good enough for you. Have a little respect for yourself and don't hesitate to say no.

Try new things. You're going to be exposed to so many new things and it may be okay to try them, but don't end up one of those waste cases who're going nowhere with their life and ends up pregnant or in jail. It's a harsh reality but someone has to warn you. It's not bad to try something new, experiment a little, just don't go overboard. It may seem cool at the time, but it isn't cool when you're skipping class to go back in the bushes and get fucked up with your super cool friends that are tripping out at the sound of the school bell.

So stay strong, fall in love, get your heart broken, trust no one, respect the people in your life, respect yourself, say no, go to class, and try new things. It's what being a teenager is all about. But every once in a while, don't forget to bring yourself back down to reality and remember there are things out there bigger than you, bigger than high school and bigger than your social life. Have fun, but be responsible.

This is the time to go out and find yourself, figure out what you want to do with your life and learn from your mistakes. So get out there and live your life. And remember – don't take life too seriously, no one gets out alive anyway.