Throughout my life, I’ve felt close to my sister. Being only two years apart, we’ve become best friends. We shared a room until the age of 11, played on the same sports teams and even had similar interests. But, as the older sister, I’ve had to venture out on my own a few times. Taking on high school without her turned out simply. I found a whole new crowd of people, so I felt distracted by all the new classes, new friends and a new schedule. My sister would soon join me in these experiences. Once college rolled around, he idea moving five hours from home did not seem easy. Even so, Boston became my new home.
Even as I moved to Boston, my sister would soon become my support system in college.
The experience excited me, while the distance from my family lingered in the back of my mind. I began my freshman year in a community service program for first year students. When my family dropped me off, the schedule of the program distracted me. But as the school started and the semester went on, I realized just how much I missed the comfort of my family. Sure, everyone around me acted nice and friendly, and my classes occupied me for most of the day. However, I still felt like a stranger in my own dorm room.
The comfort of my bed felt like the only thing that I truly owned, and this only happened after a few good nights of sleep. I would video call my family in attempts to feel better, but Facetime only served as a tease of the real deal. When I finally went home for Thanksgiving break, I remembered feeling truly comfortable.
I missed the connection that I had with my family. Relationships vary, and before college I had never thought about that. Growing up, my family and friends all felt similar. School and home life went hand in hand. I could take my friends home for a playdate after school. I worked on projects and assignments from school at the living room table next to my sister while my mom cooked dinner in the kitchen. The lines between the two sides of my life blurred with these crossovers. But, in college, I never left school. The dorms and classrooms and dining halls all harbored the same atmosphere: foreign.
In my sophomore year, the unfamiliar feeling of college faded a little. The streets I walked to class everyday started to feel as home as the strip of town near my high school. I lived in a single dorm, and having a whole space to myself lent me more autonomy and ownership over my life and time.
I missed my family. I don’t think that will never change. But this year, something new changed my college experience for the way way better. My sister started her freshman year at a school less than three miles away from me. I felt excited to show her around the city I’d attended in for two years, go out to parties, and just get food with her. However, having her so close gave me a comforting support system like never before. Just knowing that we could see each other in a matter of minutes put me at ease.
Having someone you can fully trust proves useful for many situations. For example, I found that doing errands with friends difficult. They distracted me, or their schedule made us rush. With my sister, running errands became quick and easy. We knew everything about each other, and would dedicate time to each other. This relationship helped make things simple. Traveling became less of a stressful event, and I found a Halloween costume in a night. Doing things just became less of a hassle.
One time, my sister texted me at 3 a.m., complaining about something stuck in her eye. I rolled my eyes, responding that she should go to sleep, and it would probably go away. The next morning, she had an eye doctor’s appointment to get it checked out. Being so close, I could go with her and giver her support with just a 10 minute train ride. After, we went to get lunch and spend some time together.
Of course I appreciate my friends, but it felt different having someone I lived my whole life with near me. We have an incomparable bond between us. We get each other like no one else.
We try to see each other once a week. Sometimes we don’t meet this goal, and sometimes we meet up three days in a row. No matter what, we always make time for one another. Knowing that I have someone to depend on brings such peace to my life. I think before college I took that for granted.
My parents did anything and everything for me. All my life, I had amazing relationships with people who I could count on. Starting over in college truly showed me that the people in your life can affect everything about it. I’m finding balance in my life adjusting to my independence and broadening my ‘family.’ Though I feel glad to have made incredible friends in college, no one compares to my sister.
