Dear My Lovely Future Self,

How are you doing this fine day? Now, I know you weren’t expecting to hear from me again, especially so soon! But I really enjoyed writing to you the other day. It felt a bit cathartic to talk about what’s going on. I’m having the best time and I really want to tell everyone about it, but it’s hard to explain it to anyone who’s not here.

I only give Mum and Dad edited highlights because they worry over every mention of me going out drinking and hanging around with boys. I think things were different in Mum’s day and she took her actual work a lot more seriously. LOL.

And then there’s Scott who should get it; he’s exploring the world too after all. On the very rare phone calls that we manage to co-ordinate he sounds bored when I tell him about our pub golf or the lilo races we have in the pool. He tells me of the different art galleries and landmarks that he’s visited, making it out that he’s having philosophical debates with all these cool travelling buddies. He’s constantly making his adventures sound better than mine, when really it just sounds to me like he’s getting stoned in every city he visits and talking bollocks.

I think that was a long-winded way of saying that it feels right emailing you, because you’ll totally get this! Because you know the gang and you know that whilst it sounds like we’re messing about and just drinking our way through the summer you’ll know that there’s more to our friendship than that. You know, the conversations we have in the wee hours round the campfire. And we talk about the future and how our lives are going to change come September when we all head off to uni; well, Douglas is going on a second gap year, but the year after he’ll be going to uni.

I even love the work too. My favourite is when I’m on the kids’ club rotation as then you really get to act like a big child. We do arts and crafts and play games. There’s something so invigorating about the summer holidays because the children are excited all the time and it’s sort of infectious. It’s making me glad that I picked English Lit, so that my options are open in case I want to go into something like teaching. I dunno. I guess running a kids’ club on a campsite is widely different to running a classroom and having to mark homework and to plan lessons. I know it’s not all playing with parachute silks and face painting, but it has made me think.

Anyway – I love it here so much and I know I’ve only been here three weeks, but I don’t want it to end. Can you believe that I almost didn’t come? The night before I came here, I was petrified, and I drafted an email to Lionel telling him I couldn’t do it. I’m so glad that I didn’t listen to that little voice in my head. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt so far from being here – and my one bit of advice that I still hope you’re following – it’s that you shouldn’t talk yourself out of doing something just because it seems scary. Who’d have thought before this I’d be happy getting on a stage and leading people in the ‘Cha-Cha Slide’ ;)?

Remember, you are capable of more than you ever expect. My note to self this time is to be brave and be bold. Make those leaps.

Laters dude.

X x x