Siblings. Ya gotta love 'em. Sure they can help create the chaos in the house and drive you up a wall (imagine what it's like for your mom though), but they are priceless human beings, who you love through anything. This is why it sucks when they move. I'm the third of four siblings, and there are pretty significant age gaps between me and my older siblings. By the time I started my freshman year of college, both of them were married and lived in different states. So here are some things you definitely know if you're siblings live in different states.
1. You have a bunch of permanent vacation spots.
With one sibling in Tennessee and one in Oregon, I always have somewhere to go. Whether it's driving down south for spring break or flying to the other side of the states for Thanksgiving, I always have someone relatively ~ex*otiC~ to go compared to my tiny little Amish country school. Plus housing is free so...
2. There is always a reason to travel.
Going along with the first one, there is never a reason to be in one place for too long unless you have to! Birthdays, graduations, holidays, etc. are all good excuses to go on a good road trip!
3. Time zones make things tricky.
Okay, so time zones can be a pro and a con when it comes to the whole "out of state siblingship" thing. The three hour time difference can make important communicating hard since my brother has a full-time job and a family, but on the bright side, I can call him late if I just want to talk to someone. Behold the power of the college kid sleep schedule. Sister and "at home" family calls during the day, brother calls during the evening.
4. Social media becomes SO important.
God bless millennials and their obsession with social media because it sure helps to keep you in the loop with your sibling's lives. I get to see all the pictures my sister-in-law posts of my niece on Instagram and Facebook while receiving tons of goofy random snaps of my brother-in-law from my sister. Sometimes it's just stuff you can't send over text or call, so it's a nice way to stay connected.
5. Coming home = chaos.
It's not often we all get to be in the same state, but when we are its crazy. Our childhood home suddenly seems so small when it goes from having mom, dad, and little brother living there to all the sudden being filled with three more siblings, two siblings-in-law, and a baby. Trying to figure out who is sleeping in which room at what house is always an adventure. It is the most beautiful, happy, loving kind of chaos there ever has been and will be.
6. Traveling is crazy.
When my sister got married in Tennessee, it became a flurry of road trips, plane tickets, hotels, and rental cars. Once again, pretty chaotic, but being able to be all in the same place for a little while makes everything totally worth it.
7. Your friends don't usually know your siblings.
Because of age differences and the distance, it's easy to have friends who have never met your siblings. Since I wasn't involved in the same stuff my older siblings were in high school, most of my friends didn't even know I had older siblings when we first met. It's weird knowing your friends' siblings when they've never met yours. But once again: siblings homes = vacations. It's always fun to pack up some college kids in a car for a 7-and-a-half hour car drive to your sister's house for spring break. Being able to get away and they get to meet your siblings. It's a win/win.
8. You will inevitably miss out on some important things.
This is by far the hardest part about living away from your siblings. Roadtrips and plane tickets are handy, but both take time and money, and there will always come a point where you're going to have to miss something. You don't have to like it, but it makes you appreciate those time when you are together so much more.
9. Group chats a major key.
From orchestrating parent's birthday gifts to celebrating getting your license, there are many ways group chats help you keep incommunicado. As always, work hours, time zones, and school can make responses scattered throughout the day, but it's still irreplaceable.
10. It makes you realize how much you love them.
You're always going to get irritated with your siblings at some point, but being away makes all those frustrations seem so insignificant. Missing people really does make you love them so much more.
