To Old Amanda.....

As I sit on the eve of my first 29th birthday, I want to write a letter to myself, for when I get old.

Dear Old Amanda,

In case you’ve forgotten, you’ve had some pretty great times.
You’ve had some awesome experiences that many people will never get to see. You’ve traveled to various parts of the US, it’s okay to keep traveling, you are really good at it, just pack lighter and smarter. You’ve traveled to various countries, don’t stop. Who are you kidding if you think you don’t love to see and do. Fill your passport up with stamps and your entertainment center with photo albums.

Here’s some more advice to remind you of where you came from:

• Drink a Wonder Woman every once in a while as tribute to the wild summer.
• Jam out to Elton John and remember you are an old soul.
• Remember your passions, you say you want to work on your writing, so write. You say you want to read some of the best books, so read. You think you want to start art again, work on that. Remember the things that you love to pour your heart into and don’t let those go as they are a part of you. Remember your elders, they have shaped who you are.
• Try to do a cartwheel once a year and it’s okay to admit that it’s gotten harder.
• Keep in touch with friends, life gets busy but it’s the relationships that you love.
• Remember the crapholes that you lived in, like Chad’s basement, or the duplex without air conditioning.
• Remember how wonderful your brand new condo was the first night you stayed in it.
• Remember how you appreciated a baler with autotwine. Your kids won’t appreciate the story, but they will be in a unique pool of children where they had a mother that baled hay, shoveled grain, and hitched a ground feed trailer (in the wind) to feed a bunch of cows that appreciated this action with their mouth.
• Remember that the first thing that you really remember buying was “Spud” the sheep. You paid $15 (mostly in change) and he was beautiful.
• Remember your first vehicle was a 85 chevy s-10 that was covered in dirt.

You’ve come a long way, old lady. And as you look back on your years, no matter where you are. Know you’ve been loved like crazy by many people in your life and that’s hard to beat. It's okay to be eccentric (spit and wear purple), but let's not get too carried away.

Love,
Young Amanda