Letter to my 30 year old self

as 2013 comes to a close, we are all thinking about the betterment of ourselves in the future. for some, this comes in the form of new year’s resolutions. as for me, I’ve decided to archive a letter to my 30 year old self that I wrote mid-exams (11/26) in my last year in university, in hopes for a more long-term resolution to take hold. enjoy-


Dear 30 Year Old Self,

Yes, this is your past self addressing you. While 8 years ago you were overwhelmed by a congestion of assignments, wondering if you’d ever finish your papers alive, I hope by now you’ve found a way to put your education to good use. Lol. Before we go any further, I just wanna ask- were all the hours spent over the articulation of new media convergence, relational aesthetics (Tomas Saraceno- where is he now? Did he ever get around to producing that social change his work promised?), and the semiotics of comic books worth it? I wonder how much different your life and your concerns are now. I hope you haven’t forgotten your guiding light, your belief that all worries are fleeting.

I assume you’ve encountered a few serious events along the road, maybe career or romance failures, or even deaths of people who are closest to us. However, the purpose of this letter is that I really don’t want you to lose track of me, your younger self. As I already feel my youth slipping away, unable to feel that ridiculously, dangerously carefree attitude I once possessed in high school (while that is not necessarily something I want to go back to), it becomes pressing to me to preserve what left of it I have.

First and foremost, never be too hard on yourself. Remember that life is a joke, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t mean anything.

Second, I want to remind you that you wanted to make change, not money. If you’ve given into the system by now, this letter might be pointless, because I’d no longer be addressing myself but an entirely different person. Are you pirating society, breaking it down so that you can build it up "as you would”? You spoke of such ideas drunk in the sand one night, but I can confidently say they resonate deep within you.

Third, I hope your heart hasn’t been irredeemably split in two by a man you put too much trust in, but if it has, remember that you are a pioneer, you always have been, and you always can, without question, make it on your own.


All the best,


Your 22 Year Old Self

“According to psychologists, resilience, not happiness, is the opposite of depression.”

Related article: Women’s Midlife Crisis now at 30