A letter to my 50 years old self

A letter to my 50 years old self to be read sometime after my 50th birthday.

Hey! Do you remember a time when you were 18 years old and you thought that people over 30 are sooo old? Hahaha, I know right! At the time of writing this, I’m 43 years old and feel younger than ever. At heart 🙂 Yes, maybe my body is not always in tune with this feeling, but hey, this is always a work in progress. It feels strange writing a letter to my 50 years old self. I can’t imagine myself being 50 years old, yet it’s only 7 years away.

I do hope you changed.

For better of course. The beauty of life is that things can change. This crazy notion that things can’t be different because this is the way they are? I find it so ridiculous! We don’t need to agree to the status quo. Life is better for many because someone, somewhere didn’t agree with the status quo and others followed. Never comply with things that don’t agree with your heart, only because ‘this is the way things are done here’.

So yet again, I hope you changed. Found new ways to discover yourself and the world. Found new ways to make your life better and more fulfilling. As I am trying now – I hope you didn’t give up trying.

I also hope you didn’t settle. Oh, what am I talking about? I know you didn’t. Settle to other people’s expectations and a ‘safe way’ of living. Regardless of your friends saying ‘it’s safer to ‘stay at the job’ instead of trying something new and risky. Regardless of society saying ‘those are the standards, the norms, you should adhere to and follow the rules’.

Regardless of people calling you ‘crazy’ for starting something new and adventurous whilst your life is pretty safe right now. I hope I find you reading this letter in a place where your heart feels at home. Wherever it is right now.

You are 50 years old now – and I assume you are a little bit wiser? It might be a risky assumption hahaha But I do hope you didn’t lose the spark. 

Where are you now? What do you do? I hope you are still travelling! I am very curious yet the unknown is very exciting.

You are probably curious about what point in my life I am right now – as I’m writing this. I’m a little scared, to be frank. I have massive plans and a big venture coming up, however, the universe seems to be conspiring against it right now. But I’m not taking it personally.

I did at first, but I can see now that this is just a test. To see how determined I am, and I am very determined. So hopefully where you are right now you are saying, go girl! I’m so glad you did it! I wonder how this journey went so far and I do hope it’s still going 🙂

I hope you are reading it and at the same time, you are well and happy. I am putting those words down realising that you will only read it in 7 years from now. But hey! For us 7 years is a lot- the whole world can go upside down.

As I am writing this, I am just at the beginning of my storytelling journey. Trying to build the community and express my love for life. Very frustrating at times. This world is full of travellers writing stories. But to succeed I need to believe that I am different and that my message will someday matter to someone. So I am learning. Let’s see how this is going to end. But then, it’s not about the destination – it’s about the journey, isn’t it?

On a more trivial side – you have just died your hair red and taken on a new ‘health regimen’. Let’s see how this is going to work 🙂 You are living in Malta, in your little flat that you love and as the borders re-open you are planning your more immediate trips. Oh, planning trips is one of your favourite things to do ever, isn’t it?

Did you go travelling across the world and found a way to make it your living? Or did something happen and change your plans – like it often happens? Did you fall in love? I wish I knew all this right now but I guess the beauty of life is in the unknown. We choose a path hoping this was the best one, and then the path gets winded and takes us to places we never thought we end up going. So whichever path you ended up taking – I hope you are happy.

I wonder in which part of the world you are right now. Is it a familiar one? Did you go back home – saying that, this could be one of many countries you call home so far 🙂 Did you find a new paradise on earth for yourself?

A very important question is –  I wonder what world are you living in as you read it.

Because right now, the world has gone a bit crazy. We are just recovering as a human nation from this crazy pandemic and the whole world is shifting in its priorities – so I hope. Did it work? Is the world a better place now? Are we kind to each other? More tolerant and understanding? Are we allowing our brothers and sister to be exactly who they want to be? I wonder.

It is time we started taking action to make the world a better place for generations to come after us. How did we do in the last 7 years? Did we take ownership of our faults? I really do hope so. I hope we teach our children that this world is a shared home and we need to care for it so everyone can enjoy it. Equally.

And finally, I do not expect you have it all figured out by now.

Life is not for that. I actually think the less we know the wiser we are. It takes wisdom to admit we don’t know. I hope you still agree. But what I hope is that you have love and respect for yourself. And what comes with it – love and respect for others. Nothing really matters more. Love and peace Pati, can’t wait to meet you – my better future self 🙂

Post scriptum: I have a little exercise for you – please mention all the names of people you had in your life in the past 7 years who were incredibly important, life-changing, taught you something or just loved you unconditionally – call or message them now to say how much you love them 🙂

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Pati's Journey Within

Hi, I’m Pati. A traveller, photographer (aspiring), dreamer and hopeless believer in magic. I caught the travel bug in my forties – and not planning to look back any time soon. I travel solo and on a budget and I try to spend as much time and effort as possible to truly immerse myself in the country I am visiting.

Whether you are like me and decided to change your life around a new dream or just wandering (because not all who wander are lost) – I am here to tell you that everything is possible. 

 

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