Dear Not So Little Brother,

It's still hard to process that you're so far away and following your dream of earning the title of United States Marine. I can still remember us playing with our toy cars on our "Towns and Roads" area rug, or playing guitar hero until our hands started cramping. It's not like sending someone off to college, and I hate hearing that. When you send someone off to college, there's still communication. When you went away, there was no communication. But now, I just miss you. You are my best friend and I cannot wait to see my baby brother again.

There's this saying that only one percent of the population will join the military, and only one percent of that joins the Marine Corps. These men and woman that take on the challenge of becoming a United States Marine by going through the 13 long, hard weeks. Their communication with the outside world is stripped. This was the hardest three months of my family's life. The Marine Corps tells you that no news is good news, but I didn't care. I wanted to call you everyday and see how you were doing and it felt like Christmas every time I got a letter in the mail from you. When you first left, I was so mad at you for leaving. Fall semester was starting up and all I could think about was how my baby brother wasn't going to being around. It took quite some time to realize I was being selfish and I'm sorry. I remember one letter you wrote me specifically during boot camp, because in this letter you told me to focus on my academics and don't let anything stop me from doing the best I possibly could. I want you to be proud of me, and because of you this has been my best academic year since grade school.

I couldn't be any more proud of you for everything you've accomplished at such a young age. This is something that you've dreamed about since we were little and the determination you had was admirable. You spent years preparing yourself for this part of your life whether it was getting yourself into the fittest shape possible or just reading and learning everything there was to know about the Marines. I've never seen someone so focused on achieving their goals. You will always be my biggest inspiration and my role model.

It has now been about seven months since you began your journey in the Marine Corps. It never gets easier when you come home to visit, because saying goodbye feels worse each time. The first time seeing you after boot camp will stay vivid in my memory forever. I remember my eyes swelling with tears, sprinting to give you a hug, and of course slapping you in the back of the head for making me an emotional wreck for three months. Sorry, I still think you deserved that. Regardless, Mom, Dad, and I were so relieved to see you. You grew into this mature and remarkable Marine and that experience was simply breathtaking. When you left for your MOS training, I was crushed. The next time we see each other won't be until next year, but our weekly FaceTime chats help the time pass a little quicker.

In all seriousness, I am so proud of you and every other person who has achieved the title of a United States Marine. Because of you, I have become the person I am today and I wouldn't change that for the world. You will always be my day one, and I love you to the moon and stars and Pluto and back.

Love,

Your Big Sis