“Traveling is a way to unlock the world and explore. Exploring and understanding other cultures is such an enriching experience that brings meaning to my life.” –Emily Dushek
Emily is my sister and my best friend in the whole world. Growing up, we were as close as most siblings are when they’re younger, but there was a period in our lives, mainly the 6 years in which we both attended middle school, where she really disliked me and did not like having me around. It wasn’t until I was ending 8th grade that we began spending more time together and were actually able to tolerate one another. Throughout our one year in high school together and the years that followed when she was away at college, we became extremely close. She is the only person with whom I can be completely, 100% myself and not hold back at all. People often get annoyed when they’re with us together because we have hundreds of inside jokes that we will repeat at the same time, and our laughs often mimic each other’s. We still fight – frequently, might I add – but we are usually back laughing again within ten minutes. Her views and the decisions that she makes affect me greatly because I am in every way shaped by having her in my life. One of the most difficult things I’ve gone through was having to say goodbye to her at the airport in September of 2014 when she left for Spain and was not supposed to return until May (she came home for Christmas and surprised me. I cried – a lot). She did this – chose to study abroad for a year – because her meaning in life is to travel and experience global culture in order to gain a better understanding of our world. Hers is a restless soul that longs for adventure and unpredictability, which is very unlike my own. I rely on plans and schedules and I do not enjoy change, and having her as my sister and the main influence on my life has helped me branch out and try to appreciate the frivolity of life and find joy in impulsiveness (I am still not great at this, but I’m getting there). Her mission of exploring the world has instilled in me a desire to travel, and I am beyond excited to adventure with her in foreign countries and experience global culture next Spring when we are both abroad. I believe both of our lives will be enriched by sharing those experiences. Through Emily, I find my meaning in life by loving her unconditionally, from the day I was born until the day I die. She is the single person whom I know for a fact I could not live without, and I physically cannot picture my life without her. I might be a completely different person than I am today if she were not my older sister. She has forced me to be patient and understanding and tolerant, to be compassionate, and to love others, even when it gets difficult. The love I have for my sister is so immense, and I truly do not know if I would be able to survive without her in my life.
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