DEAR ABBY: I am a soldier in Afghanistan who is single with few friends, if you would even call them that. We work 24/7. No days off, no breaks. It’s not an easy life. You would not believe how nice it is to receive a message from family or friends.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a loving family who support me and everything I do. When I first got here, I’d get a message from them at least once a week. But now that I am seven months into a 12- month deployment, it has been almost two months since I have gotten anything.

Is it wrong to wish that I could come in, relax, and find a message waiting for me?

— DEPLOYED SOLDIER

DEAR DEPLOYED SOLDIER: Because you’re feeling lonely and forgotten, it’s important to let your family and friends back home know how you feel. They are not mind readers. You say you heard from them in the early months of your deployment. But have you reached out to them recently? If you haven’t, they may assume you are being kept so busy that you are unable to stay in touch with them.

DEAR ABBY: I am a senior in high school in Texas. Everyone has decided which college they want to go to and what they want to be. I have no clue. It is frustrating, because when adults ask what my plans for the future are and I say I don’t know, they look at me like I’m stupid.

I feel 18 years isn’t long enough to figure all that out. I am an introvert, and I would really like to open up a cute little cafe in New York when I am older. But every time I tell someone this is what I’d like to do, they ask how I’m going to make money at it. They’re right — I can’t make a living off a coffee shop, especially with the high cost of living in New York.

I’m lost and don’t know what to do. Please give me some advice. I need a friend.

— LOST IN TEXAS

DEAR LOST: You need a counselor to help you find direction. If there isn’t one at your school, consider discussing this with a career counselor at a nearby university or community college. Some courses in business administration would be valuable for you so you can learn the nuts and bolts about running a business and avoid common mistakes that might cause yours to fail.