Dear Younger Self

Dear Madeleine,

Did I get your attention? Well good. I’m sorry I had to use your birth name to get your attention. I have very good reasoning in why. I know you dislike it, and you have to attention span of a squirrel, maybe it is because you are 4 but don’t worry about that. It is getting better now that you are 13.


Photo taken by Aurora Um of Author

You may think “Oh this is boring, I’m going to play or draw.” You have currently moved from America to Korea. You don’t really care, but are a little sad you won’t go to your father's work any more and have PB&J's for lunch. Since you came a little late (two thirds into the year) you didn’t have to go to daycare.

Being 4 is great. You get naps, which you don’t appreciate much back then. You get snacks throughout the day. You get to watch TV. You get to see your mom all day.

That all changes when you go to school for the first time at HFS. You start in year 1, this is British curriculum not American so you are not in grade 1 yet (American curriculum is one year behind, I’m pretty sure). There you meet one of the kindest teachers you have ever known and your new best friend.

The teacher, her name is Ms. Parkinson. That isn’t her last name any more because she gets married later on.

Your new friend, you met her through your teacher and being the new kid. She shows you around and gets you well acquainted with the school. She is the headteacher’s daughter you know. Her name is Ella J. D. you hang out a lot later on and play silly little role play games, you may call them “Pretend”. You meet a lot of new people but she stays by your side. This is the mentality I wish we could have kept.

Skip a few years later. You are 7.

Ella moved and you don’t really have any close friends. Most of the people you hanged out with have left as well. You are not used to this feeling of not really knowing anyone. You had friends sure, but they didn't really have same interests, so it was kind of boring.

Fortunately, when 2013 rolls by, there were new girls and you became friends. Their names were Abbey and Jasmine.

Abbey is a green eyed, sandy blonde Australian(with many other ethnicities but that would be too long), who is tall and loves chocolate. She was very new to the whole makeup thing and phones and electronics, and she is the one you will read a lot with.

Jasmine is a Korean-British girl, slightly taller than you with chestnut brown hair and golden-brown eyes. She does taek won do and can totally beat someone up even with her small stature.

When they ask you to do something you think is crazy? Do it.

When your parents recommend for you to learn something. Do it.

When you are uneasy about trying something new? Do it.

I'm giving you advice about the future and an answer to all the things you chickened out on. When you said you didn't want to do it, you missed out on fun times.

Okay so we are going to skip ahead a year.

February 10th, 2014

You are on a ferry on a school trip to Japan, and you think "This is absolutely crazy. I can't believe I'm doing this." You may feel a little sick on the ferry but it is totally worth it. You try rollercoasters and new foods you even try and attempt to pick up octopus with a pair of chopsticks, that was not successful. During that trip it is your birthday on the 14th, you get called up and get a cake. All I can say is don't be shy, own it. :)

Photo taken by Daniel Green - Author is the short one

A few years later you will have to move to the hot and humid Singapore. It will make you sad, confused and nervous. You need to get over that and push through because you will still have your friends from Korea and be able to contact them and laugh with them again. You will make new friends at your new school, a the Singapore American School. You will try and see a lot of new foods and look deeper into different cultures. You won't know if you like it till you try it.

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." ~Neale Donald Walsch