Wish You Were Here

“Reunited and it feels so goooood,” she sang as promised, waltzing out of the taxi, seemingly unscathed by the twenty-four hours of traveling she had just endured. With her Vans and a-line bob, she looked the same, which for some reason is always surprising when you are miles (or kilometers) away from home. Brookie, my silly older sister traveled half the world from New York to Sydney to spend twelve days with me in Australia, so we didn’t waste anytime before getting the party started. (DISCLAIMER: the party is never full on without younger sister Taylor in tow.)

That afternoon we explored Newtown, a hippy neighborhood in Sydney, where we chatted over a Pure Blonde (yummy Australian beer) about the things that never made it into the quick phone conversations we had had during the last one and half months. We updated each other on our respective country’s news: U.S. economy still sucks. Shark attacks in Sydney Harbour.

The first five days of B’s trip overlapped with finals week for me, but this finals week did not boast the usual workload, snowstorm and head cold that those in Boston do. Instead, on Wednesday we took the ferry to Manly beach, and after class that night, we went for Mexican food at Baja Cantina. As California girls we have high expectations for our Mexican food—expectations that the east coast of the United States has never fulfilled, so we were delighted to read that Baja Cantina’s owner and operator had worked in both Mexico and California as a chef before opening this location in Sydney. We hoped that was enough experience to create a palate-pleasing menu. And, in fact, our prawn fajitas and red sangria were so delicious we went back the next night…and ordered the same thing.

On Thursday we toured Sydney’s beaches with echoes from me that they had nothing on those of the Gold Coast. Those beaches would steal Brooke’s breath the next week. So in the meantime, we danced with foreign boys at backpacker bars, shopped at the weekend markets and laughed. I was so happy to share Sydney’s delights with my sister and best friend, and it felt good to have a little piece of home next to me. Our little verbal disputes that never lasted longer than a few minutes comforted me—only the people who really know you can push your buttons. Driving on the left side of the road the following week prompted little “fights” like this:

“Brooke, you’re driving in the bike lane!”
“Kate, it’s a narrow road, and I’m trying my best!”
“Ok well I’d like to arrive alive.”
(Pause)
“Remember that time dad drank too many mai tais in Hawaii and…”

(NOTE: I also drove in the bike lane, so the above can be rearranged to reflect the change in driver. In fact, I believe it was me that almost led the group to its demise as I "merged" onto the highway.)

Beside having the time of my life in an exotic city with my big sis, I learned an important lesson last week: beautiful places are abundant, but exploring those places with someone you love next to you, making memories to last a life time turns those beautiful places into matchless experiences. Life is about the people with whom you share your experiences. B, I’m glad this one was with you.