A letter from November 5th, 2020

Dear Future Diya, When you get this, you'll probably be on the way to your second year of college. I hope it's a good one :), like Stanford or UC Something or John Hopkins. Wherever we are going, I'm sure we are going to do amazing! I hope we are doing a pre-med major or a neuroscience one! That would be a dream come true. But dance has always been my passion, so we BETTER be doing that as well. I want you to remember everything that we've gone through. So far, I'm 14. Mom's health is ok, not much better, but we are hoping to do the surgery to help. I've made some amazing friends and lost some. I'm in my freshman year at ND, and it's all online. It is my first year of high school and we have been sucked into a world-wide pandemic and a crazy election. JOE BIDEN!!! I hope he wins. I'm also in the middle of history class right now :) Don't worry, I'm paying attention. I hope your life is good. I hope you've made some amazing friends at college, and that you are happy with your life. I can't imagine living alone, how are you managing it? I wonder how much I've changed, I can't wait to be 19. What car do you drive? Did you vote in the last election? Did you have a boyfriend, ever? What was his name? Was he cute? I can't wait to meet you. Remember this past couple of years, they are going to be really important! --Diya Pendyala, 14 years old