This is a letter that I wrote a few years ago, to my teenage self. When I wrote this, I was in a place of feeling like I had finally fully ‘arrived’ in my own life. Since then I have made another new and exciting experience: How it feels like to start creating the life you really want to live, to really make it yours. Too many times I see and hear narratives of teenagers ‘going off the rails’ or ‘getting in trouble’ and then ‘back on track’. And I know that my slightly crazy journey from ‘school drop-out’ to ‘PhD student’ could easily be caught in this box too. So today I thought I’d share my letter, to resist these narratives, and as a tribute to my teenage self who got me to where I am right now, as well as to everyone, no matter your age, who might relate to her. Forget the rails, it’s totally OK to create your own path.

OK – it’s officially summer. Blue skies and over 30 degrees in London. #Heatwave. Perfect timing for something I have been wanting to write about for a while now…

Since the first sunny days, my facebook and twitter feeds are filling up with body-positivity messages and I really enjoy reading them on the morning train, as a nice way to start my day.