Dear 18-year-old Kathleen,

(Im stealing this idea from Mandie, who stole it from one of her blogger friends....thanks for the idea Mandie!)

Dear 18-year-old Kathleen,

Yep, you read that right. You go by "Kathleen" now. No more "Kate", "Katie", "Katey", or any other variation. Kathleen sounds so much more mature than Katie, but dont let it fool you. You still know how to be a kid in your grown-up life. In fact, you will spend a lot of time over the next few years thinking "am I REALLY a grown up now?"

You are 18. You are at your dream college, meeting some amazing friends in your dorm and rushing a pretty kick-ass sorority. Do yourself a favor and take advice from your future self: CHERISH these friendships. Your Johnstone A girls are some fun chicks who you will sadly lose touch with for a while. Try to ensure that doesnt happen. It wont be dramafied or scandalous, but you will slowly fade from each other's lives and youll wish you stayed close. Start being a better friend so you stay in touch with one another and give yourselves the opportunities to create more fun memories in the future. Sure, youll find each other again through the internet in several years, but trust me....you'll wish you spent more time with the girls and less time with boyfriends.

Youre gonna make a bunch of mistakes in the next few years. A BUNCH.  Some pretty major mistakes that will certainly effect your future and your happiness. It's all gonna be okay. Dont beat yourself up and dont second-guess yourself. Make those mistakes, honey. You make the right decisions at the time, and you make the best of them in the long run. Those mistakes are the reason you are an incredibly strong woman by the time you are 30.

Quit looking for Mr. Right. And definitely stop settling for Mr. Right Now. Remember those girlfriends I mentioned above? Pay attention to them.  I promise you will find an amazing man to spend the rest of your life with...but you'll have to go through some pretty annoying (and expensive) lessons before he comes along. (Oh, and hint, hint: he's not 6 feet tall. stop looking for height. You're tall. You've always been tall. Get over it. In fact, embrace it. Your future husband is the most incredible man youll ever meet.)

Youre pretty good with money right now. But it's easy to be "good" with Mom and Dad's money, isnt it? Eventually you will need to be good with your own money, too. You make some pretty good financial decisions that will let you buy your very first home on your own. Listening to mom and dad when they say "dont use credit cards" and "if you cant buy it with cash, you shouldnt buy it" will pay off in huge ways while youre still young. Be proud of yourself. Even when you work a job that you think is "beneath you". You learn just as much from that job as you do from your "important, highly valued" positions. Start learning to brag about yourself more and worry what others think less. Everyone will have opinions. Always. Just do your best and dont give up.

Start talking to God on a more regular basis. He will be your main source of comfort for a long time when things get rough (and they DO get rough). Dont just talk to Him when you need something. He's there all the time and likes to be thanked for all the awesome stuff He's providing you. You should thank Him more. And Mom and Dad, too, while youre at it. Oh, and when sh*t hits the fan, its not Him punishing you. He doesnt work like that. In fact, I'll say it again, those tough, terrible, difficult, sad, horrible times will make you an amazing mother in your future.

Yep, thats right. You WILL be a mother. And remember how I said to learn to brag about yourself? This is where that will come in handy because you should pat yourself on the back when motherhood finally arrives. That may not sound like a big surprise to you at 18 years old since being a mommy has always been your ultimate goal. Youre probably thinking "Of COURE I'll be a mommy. Thats all Ive EVER wanted." But there will be many years of fears and tears, thinking motherhood was not in His plan for you. Enjoy the time you have with your husband (not the first one...he sucks.......its a long story, but leads to that whole "it'll make you stronger" theory) because when your child finally comes home, life gets busy FAST....but in a good way. A GREAT way.

Spend more time with your brother and your Grandmas. You will wish you had more memories with all of them. Just because you didnt grow up with grandparents doesnt mean you cant build relationships now. So start. Youll be happy you did.

Start a savings account and label it "Baby Fund'. Deposit as much as you can, as often as you can. You'll need it. And it will be worth every penny you start saving now.

Dont get a cat in college. Its a bad idea and you end up allergic to them.

Wear sunscreen. EVERYday. Sure you look great with a tan now, but you'll learn a lesson the hard way if you dont start slathering on the SPF. Oh, and hit the treadmill. You wont be skinny forever. Sorry.

Start watching Mom cook, and ask Dad to teach you how to use the grill. Your future family will graciously eat anything you put in front of them, but you're gonna want more knowledge in the kitchen. Might as well start practicing now.

Take a photography class if you get a chance. Your kid is SUPER cute and youll want lots of pics.

Ya know that whole "lack of patience" thing you struggle with right now? Get used to it. Its genetic.  Learn how to deal with it and understand that God is not going to give you a bundle of patience over night....but He will hand you situations where you need to practice patience. So slow down and start to listen before acting. Practice letting go of your timeline and letting God work His magic.  You will be infinitely happier when you figure that out.

Finally, continue trusting people and seeing the good in everyone. Sure, you'll get burned by "friends" (and even some family) along the way, but you will be able to sleep at night knowing that you tried your best and entered situations with a positive outlook and a glass half-full. "Trust everyone until they give you a reason not to trust them" is a good theory a lot of the time. And the folks who lose your trust arent really that important in the grand scheme. The lessons you learn from them are more important than the friendships you will lose. (But also dont forget to forgive easily. That'll be important, too.)

Smile more. Make sure to get all your friends' email addesses. And use them. Keep in touch with people.
You have to be a friend to have a friend.

You're Welcome.
Love,
Your 31 year old Self.

PS Did I mention to be proud of yourself? Youve done a really good job getting yourself to where I am now.  Your life is good. You are happy.  Thanks.