Back to the Future

My mom recently gave me a bunch of photos of our trip to NYC summer of 2002, when I went up with my friends Lola and Reese. I couldn't believe how much I've changed when I saw the pictures, and it got me thinking about whether or not the old me would be proud of the current me, and at that point I really wish time travel existed. 

Does anyone else long to hang out with their old selves? Anyone? 

Anyway, if teenage me was able to time travel to the future, I think she would be....

Dave circa 2002 

...happily surprised at who I married. I posted  a short"our story" on the blog here. Long story short (if you didn't want to click over), I had a HUGE crush on Dave in high school and we were really good friends (I even drove him to school our last year in high school!), but the timing wasn't right (I was with a really crappy guy) and I thought he was out of my league. I was (am?) a bookish nerd and he was a football playing popular jock. If teenage me knew that, at our senior prom, the next time she would see Dave in a tux was our wedding day, I'm pretty sure she'd faint. 

...surprised that I don't have kids yet. I had this ridiculous plan for my life. Marriage by 25, babies right away and done by the time I'm 30 so I could "live" the life in my 30s I built in my 20s. I think I'd have to knock teenage me around a bit for thinking that. It caused so much stress in my mid-twenties when I wasn't where I was "supposed" to be. 

...happy that I have a college degree, but sad that I'm not a teacher yet. It's okay 17 year old me, that makes me kinda sad too. 

...most likely surprised that I'm 35-40 pounds heavier than her, but also sad that I'm more aware of my pants size than she ever was. 

...ecstatic that Lola and I are still close. We were best friends in high school and had a bit of a lull in our early 20s where we just lost touch due to graduation, college, life. I'm so glad that we work together so we were able to reconnect. We picked up right where we left off and it's awesome!

What would your teenage self think of you?