On Your Birthday, Write to Next Year's You
Past a certain age, birthdays get quiet. The cake shrinks, the wishes get practical, and even "happy birthday to me" starts to feel like a formality. But your birthday is still the best day of the year for a conversation with yourself — it's the one milestone that belongs to you alone. More and more people mark it the same way: write a letter to next year's you. What did this year of your life add up to? What did you pull off, what did you fumble, what are you wishing for? Seal it, schedule it for your next birthday, and every year you'll receive a letter from the person you were — a relay race run one year at a time, each age handing off to the next. Keep it up and the letters become a private chronicle only you can fully read; one writer went from twenty to thirty, and those ten letters side by side are more honest than any photo album. Below are birthday letters people chose to share. This year, after the candles, do one more thing: leave a few lines for the you of next year.
Ideas to get you started
- Take stock of the year: one thing you're proud of, one regret, one person you're most grateful for. Those three lines are a snapshot of who you are at this age.
- Make three wishes in writing — one for work, one for the people you love, one just for you. Score yourself when you open it next year.
- Record your current baseline: where you live, who you see most, what's worrying you lately. The changes will surprise you in twelve months.
- Schedule delivery for your next birthday and make it an annual ritual. Delivery within a year is free.
Real letters from the vault
636 public letters杨文锎
生日快乐！我是五年前的你呀，你过得还好吗
n5776
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 4 years 1 month
来自九年前的张若萌
我最亲爱的宝贝李琰： 生日快乐呀我的宝贝！二十九岁啦，快奔三咯。 不知道现在叫你这个称呼还合不合适。李琰你好，还记得我吗，我是2020年的张若萌，你当时口中的老婆。 2020年的我在浙师读大一，你在大理海底捞上班。我们还在熬艰苦的异地恋，此时此刻我在连麦陪你睡午觉。现在入冬了，十一月天很冷，你在员工
和李琰的1927
Nov 28, 2020 · Will travel 8 years 10 months
来自九年前的张若萌
我最亲爱的宝贝李琰：生日快乐呀我的宝贝！二十九岁啦，快奔三咯。 不知道现在叫你这个称呼还合不合适。李琰你好，还记得我吗，我是2020年的张若萌，你当时口中的老婆。 2020年的我在浙师读大一，你在大理海底捞上班。我们还在熬艰苦的异地恋，此时此刻我在连麦陪你睡午觉。现在入冬了，十一月天很冷，你在员工宿
和李琰的1927
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 1 day
写给十九岁的刘宇豪
十九岁的刘宇豪你好，我是十九岁的高子逸，不知道你现在怎么样呢，今天是你十九岁的生日，除夕我不能陪你过，但是我希望你收到这封信能感受到我在你身边。到现在我们已经在一起九个多月了吧，真好！我好喜欢好喜欢你，希望我们能一直一直在一起！遇见你真的很幸运，你包容了我很多缺点，一点点弥补我的恋爱观，我爱你！祝你
逸子GAO
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 2 months 14 days
傻瓜
哈哈哈，我猜你收到这封信的时候一定很懵，这是我一年前发的。嗯。。。跟你分开真的灰常后悔的，我也不敢再去找你，毕竟我连身为男朋友最基本的事情都做不好，哄人这种事我学了好久，但是一实战就是对不起我错了之类的。。。跟我在一起是不是感觉非常累，我就像一个只会玩的小孩子，从早上到晚上每时每刻都在给你发信息，等
傻瓜
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 10 months 3 days
Photo letter
生日快乐，我自己
生日快乐有没有觉得好帅，哈哈
揪人心
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 2 years 4 months
Photo letter
写给未来的…
Surpise! 这可是来自三年前的一封信哦，不知道你有没有考上理想的大学，她还在你身边吧，人生过的好快啊，这么快你就高中毕业了，现在的我才刚上高一，绝对不能辜负父母的期待哦，也不知道该说什么，祝你生日快乐，万事顺心，最后留下一张她的照片给你，好好照顾这个傻白甜
Poison54844
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 2 years 9 months
想你的第不知道多少天
这是来自一个人晚上想你睡不着的晚上，给你寄个邮箱吧，这个点你应该醒啦，祝你生日快乐哈19了也是大孩子了
n5909
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 3 months 2 days
Photo letter
严漂亮，今年的你还好吗
哈喽，严漂亮，你好呀(●°u°●) 」记得没错的话今天是你24岁生日本命年了！祝你生日快乐噢这封信来自3年前的你躺在沙发上给你写的。2020算不上太好，也算不上太差。今年的你和别人合伙开公司，以失败告终，所以呀，有能力的情况下不要和别人再合伙了。你考了学历，猜的没错的话，看到这封信的你应该拿到毕业证
德美德美
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 2 years 9 months
两年前的信
2020年11月28日，星期六，晚9点多emmm，其实也没啥想说的，现在2020年比以前好多了不是吗，xzy，好多了，不是吗...希望你能在两年后实现现在所想吧，虽然我也不知道有什么想要实现的，毕竟想要实现的太多了，想要改变的也太多了，这样反而不知道该实现什么了...反正，就是想过的好点，不是吗。虽
叶汐
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 1 year 9 months
两年前
呃，真是呃，照现在这个时间，5分钟前，你已经收到了第一封信，没事，这是第二封，这封没什么意思，就是刚刚才登上这个网站，第一封没登，所以不会有记录，这挺让我难受的，不过我懒的再发一遍，所以才写了第二封，呃，没事的话，那只好再祝自己一下生日快乐了。18岁快乐噢。
叶汐
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 1 year 9 months
写给未来的你
我是3年后的你。梦想里的你Stelvio应该买过了吧纹身也学成了吧 离梦想又更进一步了吗不知道有没有女朋友 还是结婚了。不要再犯错了 一定要对女朋友好啊金融和饭店你也都坚持下来了吧。希望你能每天都有着学习别的东西的欲望也希望你一直保持着梦想更喜欢你一直有着孩子一样的想象力和创造力最后 祝你生日快乐呀
n5951
Nov 28, 2020 · Traveled 2 years 4 months
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to write it on the birthday itself?
No — a few days before or after is fine. What matters is the delivery date: set it to next year's birthday, and the arrival becomes the ritual.
Is this only for writing to myself?
Not at all. Plenty of people write to a friend or partner ahead of time, scheduled to land on that person's birthday — a gift that was prepared with a whole year to spare.
What if I forget to write the next one?
The best moment to write next year's letter is right after opening this year's — the feelings are still warm. That's exactly how long-time users keep the chain going.
On Your Birthday, Write to Next Year's You
Write yours