A Letter to My 20-Year Old Self

Ever wonder what you would say to yourself if you could go back to a certain period in your life.  Well, here's how mine would go....

Twenty-Year Old Erica,
Hope things are going well..even though you probably think they aren't.  These are the best times of your life..no worries really.  Sure, you feel like the weight of the world is on you when you're deciding on a major or in your case whether you should switch for a fourth time.  But you know what you should do, take a step back..think long and hard, and decide what makes you happy.  You know you'll make the right decision..you always do..though you'll regret not trying harder at that whole medical profession, one day you'll realize local government is actually a lot of fun..you'll realize that in local government, anything goes and you can meet all kind of crazy, fun, smart, dumb, weird people!  They make life interesting!

Deciding on where to go on Saturday night won't seem nearly as stressful when compared to deciding on where to send your newborn to when you have to go back to work.  Finding the money to pay for that shirt you just HAVE to have doesn't seem nearly as stressful as finding the money to pay for said daycare.  It's all in your perspective, really.

I really think you should go to more football games and stay in Greenville a few more weekends a month.  There's no better time to be carefree and have fun than when you're in college.  I know Chris thinks he has to work 40 hours/more a week, but convince him to take off..tell him there will be plenty of time to work once you start having kids, mortgages..then you'll really need it.

Tell those credit card companies on campus that you don't need their free shirt..trust me, you'd be better off to go to the store and buy 10 than to open up that credit card for the free t-shirt that you only wear to sleep in anyway!  But I do know you're stubborn, so if you just have to have the free shirt, at least pay off the cards before you have kids.  Life is so much more easy and enjoyable without debt!  You should actually go ahead to www.daveramsey.com to see what kind of money you'd have saved up in 11 years if you don't pay those monthly credit card bills.  You'll be debt free, except for the house, and loaded by 29!

After you get married, think about moving away.  You and Chris should really get out and make some time for yourself before you have kids..maybe even move to somewhere like Boston so that you could have season tickets to the Red Sox.  Imagine working and then going to see ball games all summer long!  You won't be able to do that again until retirement, so might as well enjoy it!

Definitely don't buy that first house that you guys set your sights on.  Though you'll make money on it and it'll be a good investment, you'll go even deeper into debt trying to fill it up.  You know how you are..you have to have things when you want them, in your time frame!

I know you probably won't listen to a word I'm saying and that's okay.  Life is full of things we would've done different.  And just think, if you don't go through trials and tribulations, you definitely don't appreciate the joys and accomplishments, such as seeing your baby smile the first time, walking that baby into his kindergarten class and having that teacher tell you that she's impressed with how well he's doing.  Now that's what makes it all worth it..that's what makes your heart smile!