Before I started college, my younger brother and I did not get along. At all. We'd pick on each other constantly, argue over the smallest things, and be mean to each other just because we could. I couldn't wait to get away from him and he certainly couldn't wait for me to move out. Move-in day finally arrived and as soon as my family drove home, things were different.

"I'm sad because I keep thinking you're gonna come home tonight but you're not actually coming home." This was the text I got from my brother that same night, and quite honestly, it made me sad. Things were already shaping up to be nothing like they once were.

My brother and I text each other quite frequently now. We even FaceTime now and then, too. We have fun laughing over childhood memories and things our parents have said, and when I come home for breaks or an occasional weekend visit, we get along extremely well. Having our own space has improved our relationship exponentially.

Now and then, when I'm on the phone with my mother she'll tell me the house doesn't feel the same now that I've gone away to school, and she'll specifically mention that my brother actually misses me. If you would've told me this a few years ago, I would've accused you of being crazy. My brother actually misses me and wishes I was home?

College has helped me grow into a person I'm more proud of every day. My classes have challenged me, I've made wonderful friends, I've become more independent, but I've also grown much closer to my younger brother. Absence truly has made both of our hearts grow fonder, and I am so grateful that college has changed our relationship for the better.