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Have you ever looked back on your life and thought, ‘if only I  knew then, what I know now…’? Whether it’s dramas with love, family, or your career, we all learn from our experiences and eventually become all the wiser for it. This month we asked nzgirl and songstress, Anika Moa, to take a jump back in time, and write a letter to her younger self, outlining everything she wishes she had of known when she was 25. It's been a while since we've last heard from Anika, but now she's back with her beautiful new album, Swings the Tide. She's also embarking a nationwide tour, with Anna Coddington (another fav nzgirl of ours!), starting in Whangarei tonight (July 17) and finishing up in Blenheim on July 31. For more information and tour dates click here. Although we don’t come programmed to automatically know all our life lessons, at least we can learn from other nzgirls… ___________________________________________________________________________  You are young and youthful and have led an extremely weird, wacky and wild life already. The things you have seen and experienced in the family and outside in the real world have made you a fiercely strong, humorous and brave woman. You have been signed to a major record label in New York and are able to work with any of the many artists and producers you want to and you can make the music you want to. What a dream come true for you…  Well, I know under all the hype of it you are just a normal girl from Christchurch with the dream of being a good musician. You want to be respected for your songwriting and ability to get inside people's heads with your lyrics and melodies… All you have to do is be honest with yourself and in your writing, and you will achieve that.
With all the glitz and glamour that may come with the being in the music industry, try to stay grounded and don't buy into the hype of any of it. Believe that you are an amazing, young, Maori woman achieving what YOUR dream is. Let all the nonsense of that fanatical world fall past you.
With the lessons of love, let your heart rule the roost! Fall in and out of love as many times as you need/want to. Let yourself be vulnerable. Let yourself dream of love. Let yourself breathe in new lovers. Try new things. Sleep with men. Sleep with women. Sleep with monkeys, if that's what gets you going…
But always be truthful and as honest as you can with your lovers. It is hard being in love. Believe me I know all about that. You will get hurt, jealous, go insane. You will cry, you will hate too, but they are feelings and emotions that we all have to go through. We heal and move on. When you are heartbroken you never think you're going to find love again but you will and you do. Kia kaha.  As for your finances, you only live once. Spend it if you've got it. And if you don't have it, hang out with someone who does… Just jokes. Try to keep it all in perspective. Doing a budget allows you to know what you can and cannot spend. Take care of your living expenses and bills first, and then you can buy your expensive shoes and op shop clothes and travel anywhere you want. Anika, your Maori culture and family is very important to you I know, so always be there for your seven siblings and your mother and father and your extended whanau. Love them unconditionally. Tell them you love them everyday! Keep on learning Maori, ask questions to your elders about the past and future, and never forget who you are and where you came from. Living in this world is blessed and heavenly tumultuous.
Be safe. Wonder aloud. Get cold. Get warm.
Get lost. Get found. Kiss lots.
Cry even more.
Every day that melts into the next will be less confusing,
More fun, less hard and more delicious.
That's all I have to tell you, for now.
I hope your journey is a good one.
He mihi nui I tenei ra
He mokemoke au I nga tamariki ra
Tama tu, tama ora
Tama noho, tama mate.
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