happy birthday bebe

Today is my sister Juli's 26th birthday.

We are two out of the original three (same parents) so we're alike but also very different.

she actually has pigment in her skin

Growing up, Juli and I were pretty close. We shared a room in the first house I remember living in and pushed our beds together.

Then we started to grow up and I immediately entered into the awkward phase of childhood. Juli, however, remained cute. That's why I had to become fluent in sarcasm; I couldn't rely on my looks.

thanks, glasses

Then we hit our teen years and things became more volatile, mostly because she got boobs before I did and being two years older, that was unacceptable.  

Really, though, Juli and I have very different personalities. She is outgoing and beautiful. Everyone who meets her is drawn to her and she gets her energy from being around people. 

she slays with her smile

And she's very brave. She went to Africa for two months when she was in college. She was gone for her birthday that year but I managed to take her out with me anyway. 

And Juli is way more fun than I am. While I'm busy worrying about consequences or making a pros/cons list in my head, Juli is diving right in.

i'm worried about it but juli is ready to kick its ass

 Even though she's an adult, my desire to protect her from everything and help her with anything is still crazy strong.

post 20 mile run because i didn't want her to do it alone

 We've done a lot of stuff together, too, like going to Europe for a few weeks with our Opa.

we louvre it

name that landmark

And we've had some pretty epic road trips up to Lutsen where our family spends Christmas.

 Even though I'm older, I find myself following her lead, like dying my hair brown.

she definitely looks better than i do with brown hair

 It didn't last long, though.

i need to be able to blame the dumb on the blonde

 Now we live far apart and I don't get to see her often. I miss her. I miss us.

from our recent chicago trip

Bebe, I wish I could be with you today so we could go for a run and eat chocolate. I love you so much!