Sixteen Years

Dear Diary. Last Friday marks sixteen years since I first started keeping a diary. I had no idea when I first started writing that I would keep writing. I just wanted to be more like Elizabeth Wakefield, the nerdier goodly twin of Sweet Valley High. Back then, I wanted to be the first female prime minister of Australia. I wanted to be an actress. I wanted to be an Olympian. I wanted to live in a world where people spent their days learning about history, and playing musical instruments, and being nice to each other. I was terrified I would never have a boyfriend. I desperately wanted my own room. 

Dear Me Sixteen Years Ago. You don’t become first female Prime Minister of Australia, but you do get to be the PM in the role play in Parliament House at year 6 camp. You do go to the Olympics, but not as an athlete, you perform in the Opening Ceremony and sing in the recording choir. The Olympics is everything you have ever dreamed it will be and more. You go to State Music Camp and are surrounded by people who play musical instruments. You go to university and meet wonderful, amazing, inspiring, talented people. You spend all day learning about history. You go to summer camp and become surrounded by people who live creatively and are nice to each other. You travel the world. You do get a boyfriend (several in fact). The boy(s) will break your heart but you will be okay. You have amazing, beautiful friends. You learn to live healthily. You get your own room. I promise. And you are exactly where you need to be to do all the things you want to do. 

Dear Me Sixteen Years From Now. I have no idea who you have become or what you are doing. Are you living in New York or London? Do you have an organic theatre farm? Are you a writer? An actress? A critic? Are you married? Are you single? Are you meditating? Are you running? Are you dancing? Are you eating beautiful food? Are you happy? I hope so. Because Me-Today can look at Me-Sixteen-Years-Ago and say, lots of stuff has happened since the first journal entry - good, bad, wonderful, exciting, terrifying, depressing, heart-breaking, thrilling, soul-enriching things that happen over the course of life and years - and despite all of this, I am here. And I trust that this is exactly where I need to be. 

Here’s to the next sixteen. 

With love,

Me.