Oh Brother...

If I could compare my brother and myself to a body of water, I would be that bubbling brook that is bumping, jumping, and bouncing over rocks and trees at lighting speed and seems to be going in every different direction at once. They are the ones that go flying over ledges and make beautiful waterfalls only to crash and burn on rocks below. My brother is my opposite. He is the ocean, calm, predictable as the tide, rarely ruffled, even keel, and magnificent. Ten years separate us, he is ten years my junior and as time has passed the tides have shifted. Growing up he was always wanted to do whatever I did, go wherever I went and hang out with my friends. He looked up to me and I adored him more than anything. Now at over six feet tall and almost 18-years-old I literally look up to him! Daniel is a wonderful young man. Shy, quiet, kind, loyal, loving, and crazy smart! He plays baseball like a pro, holds a 4.0 going into his senior year of high school after taking nothing but AP and Honors classes, and he is still the best brother a sister could ask for! It is fair to say I want to be like him when I grow up! Before school started he was able to come out and spend almost two weeks with us, it was a blast! The main event was the Yankees vs. Red Sox game that our parents treated us to. Daniel has always been crazy about the Yankees and although I am the New Yorker it has taken him some work to convert me to a Yankees fan...

The rest of his trip we spent playing video games, hanging out in the park, eating, and playing our childhood favorites: Uno, Backgammon, etc. I am terrified of being hit in the face with any sort of ball. I was hit in the eye as a child and have a deep respect for round things flying through the air at my face! Daniel is patient and after 12 years or so I have become decent at his favorite pastime...wiffle ball. I approach it more like swatting a fly and figure if I hit the ball with the bat then the ball cannot hit me in the eye....I get a lot of hits! I did not find out until later than all of the curve balls are saved for his brother-in-law and I get the nice slow pitches down the middle....I did not tell him that I played easy on him with Guitar Hero! ;)

Our tio (uncle) lives in NYC and is one of Daniel's favorite people! Devin had not been able to meet Tio yet and so we all met in Time Square for some shopping, dinner, and dessert. What a perfect afternoon!

Being so far away from my family is the only thing I still dislike about New York. It is times like these that get me through! Daniel was the first boy to ever steal my heart and although Devin came along and swept me off my feet, Daniel will always be my number one guy! I love Brother, thanks for being you and thanks for coming to visit!