Things I Learned About My Sister During Our Summer Vacation

I’ve written several posts about the cruise (see here, here, and here) we took this summer with my sister and her husband. I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend some concentrated time with her, something she and I have not had many chances to do during our adult lives.

I left home for college about the time my sister turned nine, so the last time we lived together was when she was still a kid. I lived at home for a few summers during college and law school, but I married when she was thirteen.

In the past forty-plus years, we’ve only had occasional vacations together . . . and those often with kids in tow—first mine, and then a decade later, hers. This was the first time in maybe forever that she and I had a stretch of many days together with none of our kids around. (Though we did have husbands—maybe sometime we’ll leave them behind also.)

What did I learn about my sister?

• She likes to run. As I recall, my sister took up running to do a 5k race on an earlier cruise she took, one I did not go on. My last experience running was in the summer of 1977, before I was married. I hated it. But she has kept up with it for several years now—to my surprise, and maybe to hers as well.
• She is an excellent planner. Actually, I already knew this from other vacations we’ve taken together. The ability to plan is one trait we share. We are each capable of organizing and leading an outing. We are punctual and detailed and can read maps and schedules. Also, we are each pretty agreeable about either leading or following. So going on vacations together generally seems to work out well.
• She has a lot more stamina than I do . . . particularly in the evenings. I go to bed early, but she and her husband stayed up for many of the night-time entertainment programs on the ship. That’s how she found the other Alla Tours customers on board the ship and arranged for us to disembark in St. Petersburg with them. That day, I was glad she was the leader and I was the follower.

  

• She likes ABBA. I don’t dislike the group, but I didn’t feel any need to stay up for the ABBA sing-along on the ship to commemorate our Stockholm stop. (See the stamina item above)
• She likes to sunbathe. I gave up time in the sun without a hat after a couple of very bad sunburns several years ago. I don’t like the sliminess of sunscreen on my skin, so I only use it when I have to. I sat out with her on deck one afternoon, but otherwise I tried to stay in the shade.
• She likes a good glass (or two) of wine. I tolerate wine occasionally to be sociable, but don’t go out of my way to drink it. (My vice of choice is Diet Coke, while my sister caffeinates with coffee.) She and her husband bought the alcoholic beverage package on the cruise, but my husband and I went for the non-alcoholic package, so I could get soft drinks whenever I wanted and he could get lattes.

Sisters can be different and still enjoy each other’s company. I enjoyed hers during our cruise this summer, and hope we can repeat the experience sometime. Maybe we’ll even invite our brother along.

Happy birthday this week to my sister!