My sister Jacqueline is three years older than me but four grades above in school. We shared absolutely everything, from clothes to the responsibility of cleaning the fish tank, and even a room for a little while. Growing up, I assumed she would always be just right on the other side of the wall, there whenever I needed her. She has always been my best friend, and, as cliche? as it sounds, I didn’t realize what I lost in having my sister around until she was gone.

When she got into UC Berkeley, I was beyond thrilled. Having her only an hour away would make it feel like she was practically home. I thought we would still be able to share clothes, go out to lunch together and tell each other about our days. But I soon came to realize how different things were going to be.

Before she left, when I wasn’t hanging out with friends, I had Jacqueline there to keep me company. I had never been without someone, but now I was alone. I used to take our Netflix binge-watching time together for granted, but now when she comes home, I treasure the opportunity to sit and snack with her while watching our new favorite show. Additionally, while not nearly as important, my closet shrunk in size by about half when she left, and I miss the wider selection a lot.

Since being apart, my sister and I have figured out several ways to keep in con- tact despite being on completely separate schedules. First, whenever we are going to buy something, we send each other pictures, and if one of us doesn’t respond fast enough, we call each other until we get the other’s approval. Even though we no longer live together, I can’t let Jacqueline buy something I wouldn’t even want to steal. We also call and text each other throughout the day; whether it’s a life update or just a new phrase we’ve started saying, we are constantly keeping each other informed. Occasion- ally, we even get the chance to FaceTime, which is a little bit difficult to do because we are very rarely free at the same time. FaceTime, though, is my favorite form of communication; being face to face with my sister is something I never really appreciated until she was gone, and video chatting almost makes it feel like we are together. I have also gotten the chance to visit her a few times. For example, I went up once for the weekend, and we went to a Jack Johnson concert together.

Jacqueline is moving to Boston after she graduates in the spring. Once she moves, our relationship will only be harder to maintain from there. Not only will we not be living together, but we will be in completely different time zones. I am not quite sure what part of the country I will be in for college, but I do know that there is a very slim chance it will be close to her. We only have a few more months of living near each other before we become completely separated, but I know that our relationship can handle it. Plus, we have the entire summer to get tired of each other.

—Comiter, a senior, is a Lifestyle Editor.