Over the past 14 years, you and I have done everything together. We went to grade school together, competed in sports together, got our driver’s licenses the same year, attended proms together and even graduated high school together. It always was so comforting and natural for us to go through both our baby steps in life as well as major life changes together as sisters. We were always inseparable, until it came time for college! For the first time in our lives, we had different goals, goals that would send us in our own directions. As I had a dream of pursuing a career in the medical field, you had a dream of a career in education. When it came to applying for schools, we did have a few colleges in common, but at the end of the day, we chose to become rivals! In the Fall of 2015, you made your way to Penn State Altoona and I went off to Temple University. As incredibly hard as it was to separate for the first time in our lives, there were a few things we benefited from because we attended different colleges.

1. We appreciate each other's time more than ever.

Before, we would see each other at school every day and at home every night. It was weird moving away from each other and not seeing each other again until Thanksgiving break. The only thing that kept us together were the daily texts or the occasional FaceTime chats. I cherished the time we were able to spend together so much more. Whether it was being home for the holidays or when we were home on the same weekends, it was always fun to tell each other about the crazy party experiences we had, compare classes, and show pictures of the people we have come to call great friends. I learned to appreciate the small amount of time we did get to spend with each other throughout the school year.

2. We are able to create our own memories.

During our childhood, most of our memories were made together. As cool as it was to experience things such as prom and graduation with my sister, I think making our own memories at our college allowed us to grow as individuals. I think making different memories from one another will symbolize a new, exciting time in our lives as sisters.

3. We learned more about ourselves than ever before while apart.

Not living right down the hall from each other forced us to really take control of own lives. It made us have to make our own life decisions. As we both know now, we both made some good decisions as well as poor decisions during our freshman year of college. Life in general is all about growing and learning from our mistakes. As hard as it was to be out in the real world by ourselves for the first time, we both had some incredible experiences that neither of us will forget. During the remaining three years of our college experience, we now know what to continue doing and what to do differently.

Regardless of how hard it is to be away from my sister for nine months, I know she is pursuing her dream. She will continue to do what makes her happy and change anything that continues to bring her down. These four years of college are what you make it. And I know she will do what she can to make the best out of them. Here is to the next three years! Keep doing great things. I love you, Sissy!