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Hi! It’s little Teija here!

I hope you’re doing well! I wonder if you’re already a pediatrician or studying to be one! Right now, I’m dreaming big about going to med school someday. Being a pediatrician would be so amazing because I love helping kids (I know I’m one too lol), and I hope you still feel that way, too. I imagine you have many friends who love exploring the world with you, and I hope you’re always having fun together, laughing a lot, and making wonderful memories everywhere you go.

Have you been to lots of places yet? I picture us in cool places with big beaches, making sandcastles, playing in the water, and maybe even trying fun water sports like surfing! I want us to try exciting things that make us happy. Don’t forget to visit local beaches whenever you can. There’s something magical about the ocean that makes everything feel better. I hope you’ve seen beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the kind that make you smile and feel warm inside. Maybe you still have a journal or take pictures of all the cool things you’ve done. That way, you can look back and remember all the good times.

Keep going after your dreams! I’m counting on you to make them come true.

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Wow… it’s so strange reading your words and realizing how different things are now. I can barely remember when all those things were so important to me. Life has thrown us some curveballs, and my perspective has shifted a lot in ways I wouldn’t have anticipated. I guess that's part of growing, right? Here’s a rundown of how the past couple of years have gone.

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Right after your letter, everything changed fast. I started getting sick while we were in Trinidad, and honestly, I don’t think we ever got along with that heat. Growing up in Canada made us real winter kids, so the tropical weather just didn’t sit right. I was young, so the memories are kind of fuzzy, but I do remember moving back to Canada being a wild experience. One of the best parts was getting to reconnect with family, people I’d naturally lost touch with over the years. These reunions, bittersweet and surprising, opened a new chapter in our lives, one filled with laughter, warmth, and the quiet realization that we were home again.

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The journey of adjusting to life in Canada was far from easy. We arrived in the middle of summer, which at first felt like a welcome relief from the intense Trinidadian heat. That warm Toronto sunshine gave me a chance to explore the city, there were trips to parks, the zoo, and even Centre Island. Beneath that excitement, I was lost. Everything felt strange and unfamiliar like I was trying to find my way through a maze I didn’t have a map for. The streets were bigger, the air smelled different, and people moved like they were in a rush to get somewhere important. I missed the slower pace of home, where everyone knew everyone, and life seemed a little simpler. It was confusing, especially meeting family members who seemed like strangers, even though they were supposed to be my own. I felt like I was learning them all over again, piecing together memories that didn’t quite fit with the people in front of me. Some days were filled with laughter and discovery, but others felt heavy with loneliness I didn’t know how to explain.

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This feeling of being out of place followed me everywhere, but things started to change when I began school. Finally, I found some steady ground a space that felt like my own. I wasn’t the only new kid, and somehow knowing we were all just trying to figure things out made it easier.

Back then, I was annoyed with school, always wishing I could fast-forward to when I was older and past this stage. But looking back, that time holds some of my best memories, ones I didn’t appreciate then. It’s where I met my best friend, for one a friendship that started with a random seat next to mine and ended up feeling like home.

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At this point in my life, things finally felt normal. I had my routine down, friends I trusted, and the city wasn’t so intimidating anymore. For the first time, I started to get a sense of who I was and what I cared about. I was beginning to understand my interests and passions. Even with this new stability, I struggled, especially when it came to school. The material got harder as I moved through elementary school, and there were days when I’d get so frustrated trying to keep up.

There was one teacher who made a huge impact on me during this time. She stayed late after school almost every day, patiently going over the things I didn’t understand. That time together helped me get through the work, but it also gave me a new sense of purpose. I realized I wanted to be a teacher, just like her. Someone who could make school a little easier, and maybe even a bit brighter, for kids who felt as lost as I once did.

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That stability didn’t last long. As I started preparing for new changes, I began applying to different high schools, which meant leaving behind the friendships I had built over the years. My friends and I overlooked just how significant this transition would be, too excited about what was ahead. Before we knew it, high school arrived in a rush. We graduated, moved to new schools, and started making new friends. I missed the comfort of my old school, where everything felt familiar and safe. It was hard to navigate this new world.

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I missed the ease of my old school, where I knew how to navigate the environment and felt comfortable being myself. Now, I was constantly comparing myself to others, wondering if I was smart enough or if I’d ever truly fit in. It was a tough time, but I held onto the hope that, just like before, I could find my footing again and turn this anxiety into a source of strength.

The pressure to do well in high school was overwhelming; it felt like everyone expected us to hit the ground running. Suddenly, failure wasn’t just a bad grade, it was a possibility I had to confront. I found myself questioning if I was cut out for this, worried that I wouldn’t measure up to the new standards or that I wouldn’t find my place in highschool.

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These changes didn’t stop, though, because then COVID-19 happened. I mean, with everything else that unfolds in our lives, I didn’t want to share too much and mess up our timeline. There’s something you should know...COVID-19 is a virus that impacts the entire world. It’s deadly, and it led to something called quarantine basically, self-isolation to stop the virus from spreading.

When this time comes, I hope you stay safe. You can do that by staying inside and wearing a mask. And no, not like a masquerade mask! I mean the kind doctors wear on TV. I know this sounds bizarre, almost fictional, but it was all too real. It wasn’t just school that changed; life as we knew it shifted completely.

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The funny thing was, despite all these changes, life sort of stopped. It kept going, but everything looked different for a few years. Our family stayed together, all of us working and attending school from home. We went from barely crossing paths during the day to being together 24/7.

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It wasn’t just our routines that changed, even though milestone moments looked different. I started grades 11 and 12, celebrated my 16th and 17th birthdays, and even finished high school all while sitting on my bed, surrounded by the familiar walls of my room. It was strange, marking these huge moments without leaving the house. The world outside felt distant, but inside, life kept moving, just at a slower, quieter pace.

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Now that I’ve caught you up on our future and my past, let me tell you about life as I know it now. In the past few years, things have certainly sped up. I started university, diving into an undergraduate degree in childhood research a decision that felt pretty random at first since I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to pursue. However, university life has been amazing; it has given me the chance to explore and experience a life I never imagined.

I’ve had opportunities to dive deep into research, studying childhood from new perspectives and learning about the complex lives and needs of kids. I've met people who are as passionate as I am about making a difference, and being in this environment has opened my mind in ways I never expected.

I’ve also found myself exploring outside the classroom joining clubs, volunteering, and even working on projects that bring together what I’m learning with real-world experiences. There’s a sense of independence now that feels both thrilling and daunting. For the first time, I feel like I’m shaping my path, one step at a time!

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Wow, that was a lot to take in! I feel like my brain’s about to explode just hearing it all! Moving to Canada and leaving behind everyone in Trinidad… I mean, how did you even make new friends? Also a virus? That honestly sounds like something out of a horror movie, not real life. I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed to learn we’re not in medical school, but knowing we’re still doing something that helps kids makes it worth it. From everything you’ve shared, it sounds like you’re genuinely happy and excited about the future we’re building.

So, yeah maybe there’s been a lot of change, but that hasn’t stopped you. Hearing it all, I can’t help but feel excited myself. It sounds like life is turning out better than I could’ve imagined!