DJ Nyke: An Open Letter To 19-Year Old Me

To Younger (and more arrogant) Me,

I know life is going pretty good for you/us. We are in our second year of active duty service in the United States Marine Corps. Our body is in exceptional shape. We are also getting pretty decent at our side hustle of being a disc jockey. We are stationed in our country's capitol. With all these things in mind, I have a few ideas that will help us become a more successful version of ourselves.

*No, I'm not mad at you. Remember that. As future you, I'm quite proud of the man we've become, but these tips will greatly lessen some of the strains we've had to endure along the way.*

1. Save more money! Frivolous spending (like hundreds of dollars on Jordans and clothing) will do you no good in the grand scheme of things. Yes, it's nice to ball out, and yes, we have fond memories of those days, but having a decent nest egg at age 40 will be well worth the effort.
2. Don't lend money! This one is almost as important as the first... in one particular case, maybe more. If I told you that doing a favor for a fellow Marine might land you in jail and cause your license to be in jeopardy for the better part of decade, that would NOT just be a far-fetched story. If you have the ability to financially aid someone without putting yourself in a bind, go for it. If there is any doubt at all, don't risk it.
3. Enjoy your fast metabolism! It won't last forever. We'll remain slim and thin through all of our 20s and most of our 30s (off and on), but once we hit the 40s, it's a lot harder to keep the poundage off. Exercise more. Don't let it creep up you. We greatly enjoy being thin.
4. Put your craft first! I was never for sure what was going to happen after we got out of the Marines or if we were going to be lifers, but don't ever let your DJ skills fall by the wayside. You'll be presently surprised were those skills can and will take us.
5. Travel as often as you can! When I say travel, I mean out of the country. We got to see a lot of the world on Uncle Sam's dollar, which was cool, but now that he's not paying for it anymore, don't let that stop you. We've been blessed to see a lot of different countries and even other continents in our youth, but trust me, I think we can do better and sooner.
6. Control the libido! That one is self explanatory. Don't let "Miss Right" get away because you/we are too busy chasing "Miss Right-Now".

That's it, little buddy. Other than those few things, I think you'll do just fine. After all... we made it this far.

Signed,

Future You

P.S. - Be patient... that live action Transformers movie you've been dreaming about since 1984 when you saw the first animated episode, will eventually happen.