The things I'd tell my 8 year old self

This clipping from Tiger Beat magazine surfaced on Facebook over the weekend...

Each month the magazine would publish pics and bios from readers looking for pen pals. When I wrote it, I was in grade 3, in a school that I loved with some sweet friends. I did lots of extra-curriculars and my parents were the centre of my world. My brother had just been born and I was adjusting to my new role as a big sister. I was a happy kid and was appreciative to have a lovely little life.This little snippet in Tiger Beat would generate more than 200 letters from people all over the world and it was so much fun to write to all these new people and make new friends.

The post garnered a lot of attention from friends and family on Facebook ranging from people reminiscing about their own pen pals from when they were younger to my dad mentioning how he thinks the postman hated us because I ended up receiving over 200 letters from all over the world.

Seeing this article made me feel nostalgic of that time in my life and generally just being a kid. I've seen many posts in the blog world about lessons people have learned over the course of their life or things they would tell their teenage self and while it may seem a little silly and random, I couldn't help but think about what I would go back and tell my 8 year-old self, both practically and for future reference

• In 20 years you'll still love to dance and read. You'll even write a blog called "dancing through life". In 20 years you'll even know what a blog is. 
• Cats will be a crazy phenomenon on something called the internet in 20 years. Trendsetter. 
• You don't actually like skating. your grandmother just dreams of you being in some sort of Figure Skating championship and you want to make her happy. She'll get over it. 
• In 20 years, you will still squeal because of New Kids on the Block. 
• You'll also still have an affinity for Zack Morris
• Years from now you will giggle at the clothes you and your mom thought were cool. Even the Blossom hats. 
• You will eventually break your promise of writing back to everyone who writes to you because you will receive so many letters. Some of them will be boring. Or really long. Or come in on a day when you get 9 others and have Brownies that night. That's ok. They will forgive you. 
• You will continue to exchange letters with the lovely gal from the Philippines and in 20 years the two of you will remain connected on something called Facebook. 
• You will not meet boys through this pen pal program because your mom will go through all your letters before you. Don't worry, there will be plenty of boys in the years to come. Trust me. 
• Speaking of boys, that boy you have a crush on at school? You'll move away and come back and reconnect with him when you're 17 and he'll become your high school sweetheart. 20 years from now he'll still be a very special person in your life and you'll cherish his friendship immensely. 
• Hug your mom and tell her you love her often. 

Definitely fun to think about and reminisce. The world has changed a lot since then, but in other ways not so much. Oh Tiger Beat. Oh 8 year old me. Thanks to my Uncle Glen (or Unkie as I called him back then!) for posting this clipping on Facebook. 

Did you have pen pals growing up? Did you read Tiger Beat? 

What would you tell your 8 year old self?