Dear me,

Wow, you made it to 50! Great job! How’s life?

Were the last 35 years of your life interesting?

How was university? Were the IB HL classes you took in high school helpful?

What was your major ?

Do you have a family? If not don't be sad, husbands do not define a woman.

Please don't get caught up in family matters that aren't directly related to you.

Family may be important but they can be a pain in the neck. Family may always come first, but if they are bringing you down, the drama is not worth your time. Whatever happens, happens. Learn to let it go. I know family relationships can be tough, but just be strong. Stay true to who you are never give up on yourself, you are a great person never forget that. Never lose faith in yourself. You do you, don't ever let anyone change who you truly are.

Please make sure you don’t lose your bubbliness and cheerful spirit. Don't lose your laugh that burns bright. It makes you unique. Trust your gut and always do what you think is right. Be your own person, live your life according to you!

I know at this age things may begin to get boring and your ability to go out and explore may be fading away. But always remember to not lose your strong sense of curiosity; don't let old age get in the way of your life. You still have a long way ahead of you although it may not seem like it. Go out and have fun, explore, go somewhere you've never been; do something exciting; live each and every day as if it were your last; make every second worthwhile.

How's your health? Please try to stay away from processed foods. I’m sure that around your time things probably have gotten much more harmful to the body than now. I know it may be hard to stay away from all those yummy juicy foods that just make your mouth water, but remember you’re going to thank me later. If not, your weight is going to sneak up on you and just pull you down a deep hole that I ensure you won't be easy to climb back up. Stick to a healthy diet, believe me. Lastly don't you ever forget to eat your fruits and veggies!

Love your 15 year old self,
me xoxo- Gossip Girl (your favourite show in 10th grade)

Greetings from the future,

I'm finally 50! I feel so old. Young me, this letter totally took me by surprise. I've completely forgot that I wrote this to myself now although I'm glad I did, it really inspired me to stay true to myself and to live everyday as if it were my last. In fact, it inspired me to follow my dreams and travel the world. I really plan on making the best out of my life.

About my life, it's going great. I have a great job, a wonderful family and I'm happy. The last 35 years were a rollercoaster. My life has been all over the place. I started off in Saudi Arabia then moved to Canada and now I'm back in my home country. Being back in Saudi really reminded me of my high school years. If you want me to be completely honest with you, the HL classes that you are going to take in high school are about the same level as the classes you're going to take in university. I advise you to take full IB in high school and really engage in your classes and try your hardest because once you are in university your life will truly begin.

I majored in physiology. I enjoyed the program very much but, I feel like the subject was not for me. I was too rushed to find something that I enjoyed and potentially wanted to major in and I never really thought about what my future is going to be like if I majored in physiology. I believe you should really think long and hard in what you're going to major in because if you choose something that you don't enjoy, then you may be miserable for the rest of your life. I know it sounds stressful, but just take it easy, everything takes time. The best decisions are made through long hard thinking.

My family is wonderful. It took a while until I finally found “the one,” so I encourage you not to rush anything. Although my life seems pretty bright, I did experience some dark times. Over the  years, family matters have consumed me. I found that everyone's problems became my problems and I frequently found myself in the middle of things that I had no part in. These issues really affected my mental health, as I began stressing over things that weren't worth me stressing over - which really brought me down. Be cautious and wise about the people you spend your time with because these are the memories that will truly last with you.Thankfully my health has been pretty stable over the years due to my clean eating - although recently I've been feeling pain in my back.

Now young self, this all may seem very pressuring but, don't you worry. Don't base your life off of people's expectations of you, but off of your expectations for yourself. Everything is going to fall right into place. A key piece of advice I would like to give you is to not rush anything. Rushing will do you no good. Take your time and you're going to be successful, Insha’Allah. Always be yourself and never change for anyone no matter who it is. Live your life and meet your fullest potential. Never restrict yourself from things that make you happy, and don't be too hard on yourself. You've got one life; one chance; one moment: don't hold back.

From your future self
Lulu

P.S. Good luck I believe in you!