Being an older sister is all fun and games until you go off to college and leave your little sister back home. To all you older sisters out there, remember that your older sister responsibilities will be tested more in the first few months of college than ever before. All of a sudden, after being in relatively constant contact for fifteen years, I was no longer living with my sister and best friend anymore. It was so unnatural to have to figure out a way that we were going to keep each other updated about our lives. It was so different because, at home, we would just pop into each other’s rooms, constantly roll our eyes at each other, and even get into the occasional screaming matches—classic sister things!
But now, I haven’t fought with my sister since August, and that seems absolutely crazy to me. I call her occasionally, send her pictures on Snapchat of my new friends and new life, and FaceTime her so I can see how things are going at home. But, alas, it really isn’t the same. I never had to try to talk to my sister, as it was just always a part of my everyday routine back home.
Defeated, I took to Google one day and hoped that they would have some answers for me. I laughed looking at my most recent Google searches: “How to keep in contact with sister,” “How to maintain a long distance friendship,” and even “How to talk without texting.” And, yes, you guessed it, Wikihow had the answer. According to Wikihow, this is how you maintain a good relationship with your sister:
“Come up with some fun questions you two could ask each other, from wacky to ordinary: favorite movie of the last few years, favorite weird-sounding ice cream flavor, place she’d most or least like to visit.”
For this suggestion by Wikihow, I randomly texted my sis about her favorite jelly bean flavor. She said coconut and buttered popcorn; the more you know!
“Follow her on social media—you will be able to see how she presents herself and her interests, who her friends are, and how she sees her place in the world.”
This question made me laugh; of course, I follow my sister on all forms of social media, but I still texted her ensuring she didn’t get a Twitter or Facebook that I needed to follow.“Take a trip together. It could be as simple as an overnight camping trip to the beach or getting a motel room at the mountain. There’s just something about a trip with someone that can really help you get to know them more and open up.”
This suggestion made me sad. Since we no longer lived together, I couldn’t go on a spontaneous trip with my sister. I decided that we could have a sleepover when I went home for fall break, though!
“Look through old pictures of yourself together. Remember some of the fun (and not-so-fun) times from childhood.”
My sister and I do this constantly, and I definitely sent her some pictures I found on my computer of us on Photo Booth circa 2012.
These suggestions from Wikihow, while hilarious and simple, definitely made me think about my sister more and reach out to her. I have no doubt in my mind that my sister and I will always be close, but I just want to make sure that this first semester in college doesn’t make us drift at all.