Julia's Juice on Life

I met my younger self for coffee today at 9 am. She got there 30 minutes early and I got there right on time.

I got an americano and she got hot chocolate cause she hated coffee. 

She was stressed about getting over a 4.0 GPA and being involved in so many activities that she felt she couldn’t breathe. I laughed and said you will not believe how easy your life will eventually be compared to the hell of doing all the things you always thought you had to do. 

She asks if we finally work in those tall towers we used to drive by and dream about working in? Yes, our first job was in a skyscraper downtown Minneapolis and it was surreal. Now we keep climbing and strategizing what the next move in our career will be. 

She asked for the names of her friends and she didn’t realize how many she never met. I tell her they are most amazing people and their support is unwavering. 

She asks did we ever grow out of our love for sports? I tell her that our memory and interest is still strong even though we no longer play them competitively we still love watching them. Somehow you still manage to know the most random facts or stats about teams/athletes and you realize you are telling people outside of your dad too.

How about Hannah, where is she now? Hannah is in North Carolina working for Duke something neither of you could have ever imagine to happen. Crazy you both grew up saying how cool it would be working for a professional sports team or living outside of MN and she did both of those. You are so proud of her because she did it all on her own and she continues to live/chase after her dream.

She asked how are our grandparents– do they still have the farms? Both of the farms are still around but you lost Grandma Pat and Grandpa Fritz both to cancer. You cry cause you know how important both were to you and the role they played in who you are but smile cause you still have time to visit Grandma Bernadette and Grandpa John. 

Are we married and with kids? No and content with the age and stage of life we are at. You remind yourself that you are on your own journey and it is beautiful. 

She asks did we finally date a guy that truly loves us and wants to be with us? Yes, we did and he is just as goofy as you are too. He cares deeply about you and the people closest to you which is more than you could have ever asked for. He hates seeing you sad and loves experiencing life with you. 

Did we finally become okay with our body? We have become to love our body the way it is. However, we still struggle somedays whether we are too bulky or too fat after a weekend of eating out, but it has taken sometime. 

Do we still workout then? Yes, we have a healthier relationship with working out post high school sports and college. We outgrew the need for going for a 4 mile run after having a meal out to eat. 

I gave her a big hug and said I am so proud of your resilience. You have made it through so much and you will look back at this time and be grateful for it all to happen cause it makes now so much better. I told her I would check-in with her again soon but bye for now.