AM Show co-host Melissa Chan-Green pens a letter to her 25-year-old self

AM co-host Melissa Chan-Green. Photo / Supplied

Does wisdom really come with age? Lillie Rohan asked five New Zealand high achievers to write a letter to their 25-year-old selves. Today, AM Show co-host Melissa Chan-Green reflects on her experiences reporting the news around the world, struggling with her cultural identity and becoming a mum.

Hey, 25 year-old me!

Congrats on your new job as a reporter with 3 News. Right now you are honing your map reading skills for when you’re riding front passenger with a camera crew.

Don’t bother. Honestly, soon the portable “sat nav” will become mainstream and you’ll be able to better use your time looking up people’s contact numbers in the White Pages (which will also become irrelevant, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. One step at a time).

It would blow your mind to know the news events you will be lucky enough to witness around the world over the next 15 years. You’re going to be so grateful for the opportunities - but keep your wits about you, especially during the protests in Cairo, Athens and Kiev.

The thing is though, figuring out what you wanted to do career-wise was always the easy part. Figuring out and appreciating your sense of self has been harder - but don’t worry, it will come.

Growing up you’ve questioned your identity and where you belong, feeling like you don’t really fit any ethnic group. There’s no category for part Chinese/Dutch/Kiwi on any forms. With three blonde younger sisters, you stood out and being different made you feel uncomfortable.

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You’ll be confronted by all of this again when you go to get married and consider whether to change your name from Melissa Davies. It’s a hard decision but it’s around this time you will finally feel comfortable being you.

Your little boy will be the love of your life - and as I write this, you are expecting a baby girl too.

Just a word of warning though - prior to having them, don’t ever say things like “I will never let my kids [insert unrealistic ideal]”. Because let me tell you - you will. You will do all the things.

Also, please don’t tell yourself that when you have a baby it’s just going to fit into your life and sleep wherever you are, whatever noisy situation that may be. Because good luck with that. I promise you, once you’ve spent hours trying every strategy in every goddamn book to get your baby to sleep, you will death stare anyone who even dares blink too loud when baby is finally napping.

Hot tip. Don’t fritter away your money putting songs on your iPod Shuffle. Save up to buy a house - any house - as soon as you can. If not, don’t stress - there will be other missed opportunities, bad decisions and relationships. That’s life.

And as I now approach my 40th birthday I wouldn’t want to be deciphering any maps forward because who knows where I am yet to go - but you can rest assured that I wouldn’t change the route so far.