To myself at 17.

Hey Em,
You've never liked wasting time on sugarcoating, so we'll jump straight to the point. Just so you know - you are much too young to worry as much as you do. Learn to live in the moment. Sure, planning is never a bad thing - but try to focus less on what's going to happen tomorrow, or next month, or in college, or after college, or when you're 50, or when you're old.

Spend more time with your best friends. Time with them will be different as you all start getting older, entering careers, marrying, and having children. Also realize, though, that some friendships will grow with you, and others won't. Learn how to recognize which relationships are healthy - and which ones to let go.

Let mom and dad work out their relationship on their own. Know that their divorce WILL skew your view of relationships - but it will skew it in such a way that you will be all the more determined to fight to make yours a good one.

Accept early on that you're probably not going to be in the same career forever. So do your best in bakery science and give communications a try. When you're 22, you're going to think you're "too old" to change your major. At 22, you are practically larvae. (Yes, dear readers, I realize that at 27 I'm not exactly Little Ms. Old and Experienced either, so please stop snickering.) You are never too old to change your major, or start another career, or go back to school. For now, though, stick with it, and always remember that you don't know what's at the end of this path. You can't go into healthcare yet, but there's a good reason for that. And you will eventually, so just be patient with the whole bakery science thing and appreciate the friendships (and the knowledge of muffins) that you'll build there.

Finally, learn to communicate - really communicate. Realize that being assertive is not the same as being mean. Don't take good relationships for granted. Learn to maintain friendships - and realize that even though you've lost touch with someone, odds are they'd still appreciate knowing you're thinking of them, even years later. Don't date people to fix them. Don't date people who make you feel like less of a person. Don't ever be afraid to hold fast to your beliefs. You have a strong sense of intuition - follow that. Know that it's OK to question your faith. Know that the right faith will encourage questioning. Finally - love yourself for who you are, and learn to recognize your own perfection. Do not be afraid of your own success, for by doing so, you'll cause yourself to fail.

With love and hope,
Your future self

P.S. You will never regret not getting a tattoo.