Dear me...

A letter to the 16 year old version of me...

Hi,
Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you, but the trans-lunar express was late and my jet pack is in for a service.

Anyway I guess your wondering how it is going in 2013. Well I don't want to give away too many spoilers but things are going pretty well, especially now I've got my new cybernetic legs.

But I still couldn't pass up this opportunity to drop a few words of advice to help you better prepare for the future. I do however understand if you want to ignore my words of wisdom from some old bloke. Believe me I would of done the same at your age.

Anyway my first piece advice is cheer up. You may think standing around morose in some corner at a party makes you look deep and philosophical, but it actually just makes you look like somebody nobody wants to spend time with. Lighten up, you'll enjoy life and you'll find people will want to hang around with you more

While were at it, the coolest people I know are those who are happy with themselves. Learn to be yourself and not to be envious of the others around you. Don't look back with regrets about opportunities lost, but forward to the possibilities to come.

I know girls haven't figured much in your life over the last 4 years and you are probably at this point looking upon them like they are some alien species, but really they are not that different. Just talk to them, smile a lot and things will go fine. Oh and do something about your hair. It will always be greasy, but a washing it more than once a fortnight will help.

While I mention it practice talking to people. You may think you can go through life avoiding interacting with others. But you will have far more opportunities in life if you take the time to communicate with others. You will always be shy, but if you practice you will find it will get easier.

If you get the chance, try and travel. The worlds a big place, but you won't believe how much smaller its getting. Try and see some of it while you have the chance. Learn a foreign language(French or German,doesn't matter). You may think that you will never have any use for such things, but believe me it will come in far more useful than you think.

I should tell you to work hard in your A-levels, but others are telling you the same and you won't listen to them so why would you listen to me? Anyway it doesn't really matter. Your results will set in motion a chain of events that will result in you meeting the most important and wonderful person in your life, so don't panic with what you get; it will work out in the end.

You may also think you have at most only 5 more years of education. But you will learn that education never really stops. You will also get the hang of that exam thing though.

I have just one more request. If you see a career adviser who suggests that a job in chemistry has a greater future than computers, slap them on the back of head for me.

see you in 33 years

Tony.

P.S if you have any spare money buy as many Apple shares as you can.