If you and your sibling are in college but attend different schools, you may understand the struggles of being apart from one another, especially if you are close. But when it’s time to go home during a break in the semester, being with your brother or sister is always a good time. You might have been annoyed with your sibling from time to time while living in the same house, but you look back on those memories and wish you had more time to be with them day to day. So what happens when your sibling decides to travel to Europe for a semester? My sister is studying abroad in France this spring. Lovely, right? Not so much for me. When she told me the news, I realized I wouldn’t see her for an entire six months. Now I’m faced with the following challenges while she’s living it up in Paris.
1. The time zones aren’t the same.
It was really convenient when I could call or text my sister whenever I wanted during the day, and now I have to consider the fact that Paris is six hours ahead of New York time. It's a little strange calling her at noon eating lunch and she's in the middle of cooking dinner. No more late night gossip sessions.
2. Shipping packages to another country is expensive. Really expensive.
My sister is celebrating her 20th birthday while studying abroad in France, and buying her a gift, let alone shipping it, is a lot of money to spend. I have to pay how much to put her gift in a box?! Whatever, her happiness is worth it.
3. You’re automatically the black sheep in the family.
Everything my sister is doing in her new country is way cooler than what I'm doing at college. Half the time my mom calls me, we end up dishing to each other about the museums and cafes my sister gets to experience. I could have just won a Nobel prize and my family would think her stroll down the street was more interesting.
4. Your friends don’t even care about you anymore.
Don’t get me wrong, my friends are awesome. But anytime I mention my sister’s name, they instantly want to know her day to day life story in France. It's like I'm my sisters personal reporter, without the pay.
5. Night life is so much better in Europe than in America.
My sister FaceTimes me outside of cool bars and restaurants every weekend, meanwhile I can’t even get a drink with her in a bar here in the United States. What’s up with that? I get a little more jealous every time she spills the beans about the "coolest jazz bar ever" she just went to.
6. The weather in France is so much better than in Pennsylvania.
My sister will call me during the middle of the day and will tell me how warm it was in Paris. Meanwhile at my school, it’s only 50 degrees and I’m still considering wearing my parka just in case it decides to snow. Edinboro is the only place you can experience all four seasons in two days.
7. Food in America sucks.
My sister constantly brags about the amazing food in France. I’ve been trying my best to eat organic food because it tastes so much better than non-organic food, but I’ve heard nothing beats food in other countries. The crepes alone look better than any five-star dish served in any restaurant in America.
8. Even though she’s in another country, I still love her and miss her just as much as when she was in America.
I’m glad my sister is experiencing life in another country. This means she can be my tour guide when we visit Paris together! Come home soon, sis.
