Would you give anything for a little pep talk from your older wiser self? Our writer has one tip to share in this letter to her younger self.

Dear Me,

Hi! Future-You here. Hope you like the banana muffins I’m sending—the kids and I made them. There’s three of them now, and at 7, 4, and 2, they’re finally old enough to do that kind of thing. Exciting times to look forward to! I just wanted to talk to you about a couple things.

I know, you’re sleep-deprived. You’ve got a newborn and a toddler, and you can’t even imagine what having a third would be like. Your dreams right now are short-term: get the baby to nap, keep the toddler entertained. You don’t exactly spend a lot of time lost in your thoughts, or making big choices, because trying to make life easier seems difficult in itself.

Can I just give you one piece of advice? Trade in that prehistoric beast of a minivan.

Can I just give you one piece of advice? Trade in that prehistoric beast of a minivan. You need an upgrade–and you deserve one. Why? Look around. It’s easy to miss, but really, all your wildest lifelong dreams are taking shape; everything is growing and changing, and that’s because you’re doing something right. As these kids grow up, you’re going to have so many trips to the grandparents’, family vacations, and boxes of flat-pack furniture to lug home. Not to mention the carpools to swimming, baseball, and soccer. A superior vehicle can make all the difference. May I suggest the all-new 2018 Honda Odyssey?

Hey, the easier you make things on yourself, the more time and energy you have.

I know what you’re thinking: “Whoa, slow down there, Future-Me. What about … you know, *us*? I’m kind of looking forward to getting my groove back someday.” Hey, the easier you make things for yourself, the more time and energy you have. You’ll find yourself booking a weekend road trip with your girlfriends. Growing your own vegetables and taking them to the neighbours to trade. Maybe even starting up that home business you’ve been thinking about and delivering orders to local customers. Yes, really!

You and I, we live life at several different speeds simultaneously, so we appreciate anything that makes the journey a little smoother. Things like:

• The safety features of the Honda Sensing™ Technologies, with Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Keeping Assist System, and Road Departure Mitigation System

• Power-sliding doors and pushbutton start–save yourself the frustration of fumbling for keys!

• Magic Slide 2nd-Row Seats were invented—no more “MOM she’s in my bubble!”

• CabinWatch™, to see if the baby is sleeping yet (even in the dark)

• CabinTalk™, to override headphones and get the big kid’s attention without yelling

• AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot capacity, so everyone can stay connected on-the-go

• Height-adjustable hands-free power tailgate for easy grocery-, luggage-, and flat-pack-furniture-loading (I’m telling you, there’s going to be a lot of this–if only the Honda Odyssey could help assemble it, too …)

I’m just putting this out there: we have to make room in our lives for the things we want. But we don’t have to lose ourselves in the process. Embrace the practical features that help you find more time and energy to be yourself, all while getting where you want to go. You just might find that the all-new 2018 Honda Odyssey really is the ride of your dreams.