Sisters

Today is my sister’s 31st birthday, her second birthday in quarantine. And though she has had worse birthdays, it’s never fun to have to spend your day cooped up inside. I have a summer birthday so at least I have a nice day to be out and about, but March birthdays are always a bit tough. So I’m celebrating with a few pictures and the special memories behind them. With a lifetime together, this post could go on and on, so I tried to pick just a few recent favorites – which was really hard!

2011

In 2011, Anna studied for a month in Prague. In her travels, she had acquired quite a few trinkets so my Mom and I went over to help her move home. While there, we couldn’t help but get in a few must-see destinations. Over 10 days, Anna gave us a tour of Prague, then we headed to Salzburg (where we of course had to do the Sound of Music Tour for my mom) and finally, Budapest. All three cities left their mark on me, but what was even more memorable was the time that I got to spend with Anna. It was our first vacation together in a few years, definitely our first as adults. And I think we got to see each other in a new light.

2013

In 2013, Anna moved to Bulgaria for a year to complete a Fulbright Scholarship. I was getting married the next year and instead of doing your typical bachelorette, I decided to fly to London to meet her to attend the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Convention. After a few days in England, taking in the sights like Kensington Palace, the Harry Potter Studio Tour and the London Eye, we headed to Bulgaria where she introduced me to her students. 

This has to be one of the craziest vacations of my life. On this trip we met Matt Smith, we both got tattoos, both ended up in the Emergency Room, almost got arrested and totally got into a stranger’s car when we found out our hostel in Sophia had been closed. None of this (with the exception of meeting Matt Smith and the tattoos) I would necessarily recommend to anyone. We also spent Thanksgiving in the basement of the British Consulate in Sophia, Bulgaria. It is 10 days of my life that I will never forget.

2014

Anna was the obvious choice for my maid of honor when I got married in 2014. She has never been a pink fan but kept her mouth shut when I ordered this blush flapper number. She even donned the pink gloves my mom insisted she wear to cover up her tattoos (she now has almost full sleeves on both arms). And she wore the pink heart sunglasses and posed with the pink parasol for pictures. A real trooper and something you’d only do for a sister.

2017

As kids, we would go to Quebec City a few times a year. I could walk that city blindfolded. But once I started college, we didn’t have time for those weekend jaunts anymore. So this was the first time we had been back as a family in years. And this time we brought our significant others so they could see the beauty of a city that we had considered a second home as children. 

2018

Our 2018 trip to Disney World was special for a lot of reasons. Again, it was our first time back together in several years and we are both huge Disney fans. It was also to celebrate Halloween, our favorite holiday, and as a family we went to the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween as Peter Pan (Anna’s husband), Wendy (Anna), Captain Hook (Alex), Smee (my mom), and Tinkerbell (me of course!). We also met Ariel at the Princess luncheon at Cinderella Castle and she was part of the inspiration for Arielle’s name. 

2019

My previous favorite picture of my sister is a black and white photo I had taken on our Prague trip in 2011. But when I snapped this picture at Anna’s wedding, it quickly replaced that one. It is just such a stunning image of Godmother and sleeping Goddaughter. I was also Anna’s Matron of Honor that day and it is a memory I will keep forever. 

Happy Birthday to my sister, my built-in best friend. Wishing you a day of magic that you so rightly deserve!