I was absolutely blessed to have been born three years after my brother, Casey. He and I are as different as siblings can be—he’s the super smart science and math lover. I’ve always been the creative one: better at English classes, while incapable of doing math without counting on my fingers. However despite our “differences,” we have an incredible relationship and I’m so grateful that I had the pleasure of growing up with him. Here’s why.

Video game prodigy

I’m the girl who can kick your ass in Super Smash Bros (n64, melee, or brawl...just hit me up for a battle) and the girl who dressed up as Misty from Pokémon for Halloween this year. I played with Barbies and Polly Pockets, but I was also exposed to the world of gaming. I like the mall, but I’d rather sit and play FIFA than apply facemasks and do my nails any day of the week. That’s all thanks to having a brother who geeked out over games from Pokémon, to Paper Mario, to The Legend of Zelda, to Mario Kart, to RuneScape, to WoW, to Digimon.

Sports

Can’t lie, I didn’t really get into sports until recently. Hockey, in particular, which interesting enough, my brother doesn’t even really care about. But he was always the one who knew all the baseball, basketball, and football statistics and I had to constantly hear about it. So I guess I’ve been “educated” all my life.

The family baby

I love being the youngest child. I’m only in a family of two, but still...being the baby is fun. Even though I was three years younger, I always got my brother’s Gameboy when he got the upgrade, I got a phone when he got a phone, and we shared the Wii. And then video games became “older kid things” like the use of a car, and an understanding of college before I even had to start thinking about applications.

Ahead of the musical times

We’ve all got our thing. Music is my brother’s “thing.” He has had a radio show at UMD for five years and he had a music blog before that, and he’s always been really critical about music. Actually, it’s pretty annoying sometimes. Probably one of the only things we argue about. But he’s always been able to show me amazing music, and I’ve always known the “cool” music before it became “cool” to people my age. Plus, he put me through a pretty hardcore pop-punk phase. Skate shoes and graphic tees, my friends. Skate shoes and graphic tees.

I know how men work

This one is up in the air because honestly there’s no way in hell I know how men’s brains work. You boys are truly foreign to me. However, having an older brother helped out a little in that department. Actually...not at all. Didn’t learn a thing. But thanks for trying, bro.