For one of this week’s tasks we were required to choose one of three provided writing assignments. I chose to complete this one. It is a letter about my hopes, dreams, and fears I plan to encounter in the next 10 years and where I hope to be at that point in my life.
Dear Natalie,
I hope you were able to achieve all of your goals and aspirations.
In regards to skating, I know if you continued to work hard every day, pushing through the pain, stress, and frustrations you would make it to be on top. I hope that you were able to use the criticisms and negative tones of others to motivate yourself to become not only a better athlete but a better person as well. If you did these things, I ensure you made it to where you wanted to be and if not, you did the absolute best you could and you should be extremely proud of yourself. I am also sure that you expressed great appreciation and thanks to all that helped you reach your best potential (especially mom and dad!). I am sure you continued to have a positive influence on many children, inspiring them to become the best skater and person they could be. Also, if you haven’t stayed in touch with all of the amazing people you have met throughout your skating years, reach out to them, not only the ones here in the States but the ones you met all over the world as well.
I’m sure you succeeded in graduating from UMW, as you did from University of Delaware in 2015. I would hope you were able to attend and graduate successfully with a Masters degree related to the environment, whether it be Agriculture and Natural Resources, Water policy, or Environmental Law, I am sure you made the right choice. I know you probably encountered some struggles you had to push through but, you made it (even if it was chemistry I am sure you got through it!). With your degrees I am sure you are currently working at a job you enjoy and are able to help improve environmental conditions not only here in the U.S. but, possibly worldwide. However, I know on the side where ever you end up living, you will find a rink close by that you can coach and continue to help little skaters achieve their goals and give back to the sport that has taught you so much.
One thing I am positive that you did not lose sight of, no matter what happens, is family. I hope you are still close to mom and talk with her daily, sharing ideas, opinions, and other daily news. I hope you talk and visit your parents and brothers frequently. No matter what happens over the next 10 years, I hope you are there for them. I hope you didn’t say you were too busy or can’t make it to see them for some other reason, be there for them and they will be there for you (even if all they want to do now is play a video game together or watch a movie, I hope you made some time). So, with that good luck, stay focused, be kind to others, and work hard.
Until 2026,
Natalie – 2016 version
I chose to complete this writing assignment because it really made me think about where I would like to be in 10 years and what I would like to accomplish within that time frame. It also allowed me to think about what is really important to me, like my family and friends, and has reminded me to make time for them even if I feel I have too much to do at that moment. Overall, I enjoyed this writing assignment and it allowed me to put down in writing where I would like to see myself in 10 years. It also provided me a letter to my future self that if I am not there yet, not to give up, it will come, some of the best things in life take time.

Dear future Julianna,

So 10 years from now means that you are 32. Hopefully at this time you have graduated medical school and are nearing the end of your residency. I imagine that you did more than the typical 4 years of residency and went to specialize more specifically in your career (thus making it be more than 4 years of residency). I assume at this time you are getting offers from hopefully hospitals for future employment. I’m also guessing you have permanent dark circles under your eyes from the grueling hours of residency. I hope that you by this time have settled down and married (not sure about kids though by this time if you are still making barely any money in residency). I hope that you live in a city and have a cute little apartment with a dog named Marshall. I imagine that you are in BIG TIME debt at this point in your life from school loans (which will hopefully begin to reverse itself by age 42). Oh and please don’t be working at an office, make sure you have hospital privileges. I’m guessing you went into surgery or specialized in pediatrics because everyone thinks that is what I am going to end up doing. It doesn’t matter though what you are doing as a doctor as long as you are helping, You better though be volunteering at a free clinic of some sort to give back to your community or I will be mad at you. I assume by this point in my life I have also learned how to cook considering you are a 100% Itlalian (yes that is sad). Whatever you are doing though, make it count.

From,

22 year old Julianna

Hey future Andrew,

This is from you ten years in the past, hopefully you have remembered writing this in the beginning of 2016 as the time has passed.

Im assuming (hoping) that you are pretty successful by now, possibly working in Washington D.C. for an international foundation or internationally.  If not, I’m sure that you found your way to something that you were interested in.  Just make sure you aren’t doing anything that you aren’t happy with.

By now, I am also hoping that you have at least one child that you can throw a baseball with in your free time.  I hope that you have instilled in them some of the values that your parents taught you back in the day; don’t forget those, they made you who you were and I hope those same values stuck with you.

I hope you stayed in touch with all of your good friends that you made through your years in college and baseball.  If not, reach out to them; they are some really great people.  I’m sure you could use some time with them.

As of right now, I don’t know much about how the world is going to be in 2026.  So I’m sure you are doing great and going with the flow, as you always have.

Keep being great!
Much love sent from the past!

Sincerely,
Yourself Andrew

This was my favorite assignment this week.  It gave me the opportunity to really look at where I want to go and who I want to be in the future.  This relates to digital storytelling because I will be able to actually recall this letter in 2026 if I want to.