Sunday, September 19

Letter to Myself

I just got back from Proclamation night, a tradition here at UR for freshmen and senior women. The freshmen wear white dresses and senior their black graduation robes. We take class pictures, hear a couple speaches and the freshment girls sign the honor code. Freshmen also get to write a letter to themselves and seniors get back the letters they wrote freshmen year. The following is the letter I got back tonight:


Dear Self 2004,
Where do I begin? I feel so overwhelmed. It's only been two weeks but it feels as though high school was a million years ago. I miss it so much. I miss Alexis and Chelsea. I miss my teachers, classes and the feeling of accomplishment I had my senior year. I hope that I will have the same feeling my senior year at UR. I hope that I will have friends that I can't imagine life without, but I also hope that my high school friendships will still be a part of my life. I hope that I have professors that I love and activities that I have become involved in and taken leadership positions in.
Already my first two weeks here I am begining to imagin the next four years. I think that Jackie and I will grow closer as friends. I hope that I am also still close with the "B-Basement-Babes". I've had fun at a couple apartment parties, but I realize taht "girls night" in the dorm or going to a movie with a few friends is often mor memorable than parties. I've enjoyed talking to Grant since I've been here. I'm sure that if nothing else [ :) ] we will still be friends in three years.
I'm begining to not feel so lonely, but I still miss the people who know me inside and out.
My classes have been ok so far, but I think they will become more stimulating as the years go on.

A few memories I've made:
-Talking with Jackie on the Westhampton lawn
-Talking with Grant on the Bridge
-Going to Legally Blond and Wallmart with Grant and Jackie
-Kereoke, sining American Pie with Jackie and Kelly
- IMing accross the desk with Margret

Goals:
-Make the dean's list
-take a leadership posistion
-Be in a play
-Kiss a boy!!!
-Start something/ organize something
-Be dedicated in Synchro and go to Nationals
-Spend a Semester in Germany
-Keep in touch with high school friends and teachers
-Have an LLC reunion
-Stay close to my parents

Predictions:
-Bob will be going to school in California
-Scott will be nearly as tall as I am
-Aaron and Chelsea will be engaged
-Jessica will be married

I see ahead of me a blank canvas and it scared me and excites me. I only hope that I can look back and smile at funny memories and feel that sense of accomplishment. Enjoy your senior year!

Best of Luck. I love you no matter what you have and haven't done!

Anne, 2001

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, way to go Annie. I was so proud of you as I read through your list of goals and realized how many of them you'd accomplished--and strangely I'm just as proud as the one I know you didn't accomplish, "be in a play," because I know that it means you wanted to stretch yourself. People who can honestly say that they've accomplished every single goal they made in three years time probably just didn't set their sights high enough.

Plus you're taking basics of acting this semester, aren't you? So taking part in a play is definitely do-able for you.

Alexis said...

Annie,
Reading through your letter, it sounds like you accomplished almost all of your goals and just telling you that I'm proud of you doesn't really cut it. I think Richmond's tradition is a good one because it's amazing to see how you've grown and done what you set out to do. I hope you had fun at proclamation night and I miss you!

Kathy said...

Hi daughter dear,
That was fun reading your freshman letter. You haven't changed that much, yet you've experienced a lot. I think that's a good thing! I liked reading your predictions. Maybe Chelsea will meet a new Aaron! Scott is only 5'3 1/2, but he is definitely catching up to us. And why did we even let Bobby apply to schools that weren't in California?

How about calling home once in a while?! I think a new goal should be to get a cell phone and talk to people more. Writing is great, but it feels good to hear your voice. Maybe you should write more goals for the next four years...it couldn't hurt.

Alexis said...

Anne-
Why no more blogging?

Anonymous said...

Annie doesn't feel like she's as interesting in the United States of America, which is PATENTLY UNTRUE.

I mean, hell, if you've been dating me long enough you ought to have a few decent stories in you, right? And she could bitch about her roommates from last semester. In fact, if she won't, I will.

Anne's roommates during her first semester of senior year were a couple of snotty little brats. How freaking dare anyone demand that I drop three dollars on laundry to wash one freaking towel and ask for an apology. "I'm sorry that after taking a shower and realizing that there weren't any towels in the bathroom that I decided to dry myself and put on clothes rather than walking around your apartment bare-assed naked, you twit." Margaret from Anne's freshman year could be a real jerk, too, like the time her laptop broke and I tried to help her and she got bitchy and said I shouldn't be patronizing, but Anne's roommate last semester took the cake. I've never met anyone who was prouder of being completely unlikeable. Maybe she just didn't realize it, but I don't know how she could not.