I still remember the good old days of nail-scratching and hair-pulling with my younger sister. We told on each other, compared ourselves to each other and sometimes even wished the other didn’t exist. Since my sister and I are only two years apart, it was very easy to find ourselves wanting what the other one has. She being the younger sister, would strive to be like me. She looked up to me and copied me because I was her role model, and honestly, nothing bothered me more. But now that we are older and more mature, I appreciate her more than anything.

We discovered our true identities when we both attended high school together. I developed a Type-A personality; I became a girl who needs everything to be perfect. I love dressing up in cute clothes and shoes, I spend a lot of time on my makeup and my favorite night time activity is clubbing. My sister, being the complete opposite; she became the all-natural, laid-back, makeup-less, beach girl who loves reggae and seeing bands in concert that no one has heard of.

Living together was tough, especially when we both went through our hormonal teenage stages. We fought a lot, never hung out outside of the house and found that we like very different things.It was tough trying to relate and get along. Eventually, we realized that we should just start doing our own things and go our separate ways. It was very obvious to how different we were, and because of that, we struggled to develop a strong relationship for a period of time.

When I was prepping to move into my dorm, a sudden wave of sadness hit me. Despite our completely different personalities, we still love each other more than anything. I realized that my sister is the only one I go to when I need to vent about our crazy parents or our little brother. We agree on everything dealing with friendships and boys. Most importantly, she mellows me out by pushing me to become more carefree, and I help her prioritize her responsibilities. Together, we are an unstoppable duo; the perfect balance.

The first couple of weeks of me not living at home, we barely talked. No calls or texts were exchanged, and I only saw her through her Snapchat stories. Soon enough, I started having deep nostalgic thoughts. I kept thinking about all the adventures we’ve had together like going to music festivals, concerts and family vacations. I started to miss having her as my wing woman, my partner in crime. I missed having someone as fun as she is in close proximity. I couldn’t take not talking to her anymore. Finally, we began to communicate, texting small greetings to each other and eventually leading up to full-blown conversations throughout the day.

It’s true that distance makes the heart grow fonder. I never realized what I had until it was gone. A sister is so much different than any best friend you can make in college or in high school. A sister is a best friend with even more benefits. Sisters don’t judge each other, they know how the other feels without giving any hints and they can sense emotions and thoughts in each other. I’m so grateful that we are finally mature enough to realize how important we are to each other. I miss her every day and always look forward to seeing her when I am able to. The distance college has given us was immensely healthy for our relationship, and for that, I am eternally grateful.