I often refer to my brother Miles as my twin because we are so close; however, a three year gap distances us. When we were younger, our relationship was a little bit more complicated and would often result in me being chased around the house with various sharp objects.
Surprisingly, as we got older and our big sister sadly left us for college, we became closer than we had ever been before. When Miles left for SLU, I was absolutely distraught. I couldn’t bear losing another sibling in the house! I always got so excited for Miles to come home for breaks and he even surprised me a few times. After the countless facetimes and seeing how happy Miles was at school, I eventually considered SLU for myself. The day I finally decided that SLU was the place for me, Miles was ecstatic (maybe even more than I was!). I was so happy that I would no longer have to worry about missing my best friend during the school year.
I am so lucky to have had an older sibling to guide me at SLU. From helping me unload on move-in day (keep in mind: I had A LOT of stuff), to walking me to my first day of classes, I could always count on Miles to show me the ropes. It also didn’t hurt that he lived in a townhouse on campus, so whenever I needed an escape from dorm life, I fled to him. Miles was fortunate enough to have 4 incredible housemates and overall amazing friends whom I formed great relationships with and am so thankful that I had as resources to rely on as a first-year. Having Miles at SLU guaranteed that I always had a piece of home with me at all times and definitely prevented any feelings of homesickness. I always considered SLU Miles’ special place, but now I feel that we will share SLU forever and have unforgettable memories together to recount on for the rest of our lives.
I have Miles to thank for settling me into my new environment and sharing this amazing school with me. I dreaded the arrival of his graduation which conveniently fell on my birthday. Although the event was bittersweet, I am so proud of him and all the accomplishments he made during his college career and admire the young man that he has become. I miss him everyday but am so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend two semesters with him and become even more bonded together than we were before. I am forever grateful for the experience that we had together and have eternal gratitude to SLU for igniting our shared flame that will never die out.