thoughts on home…

It’s been a while since I wrote to you all and I feel a bit like I’ve abandoned the blog.  I just finished my toughest semester yet and it left little time for quiet moments in my own Rainbow Valley.  But summer’s come again and I can finally meet back up with my favorite Blythes (if only to send some of them off to war…)

But my subject tonight is (what else) our recent sisterly reunion!  Seeing as it took 24 full hours for me to get home, I had a lot of time to think about the trip and why leaving my sister was so difficult.  This trip really showed me a lot about home and what home means.  I had never been to Chile-I’d never been further south than Mexico!-but being with my sister I felt at home in a way that I haven’t in the longest time.  12 days felt like 12 months because I was so comfortable to be myself and know that I was safe and wholly accepted.

I love my home in New York and I often have glimmers of that homey feeling.  But sisterhood is on a whole different level.  It’s been 11 years since we lived in the same house, but she’s still the closest person to me in the world.  Maybe it’s cheesy or cliche, but feeling at home is all about the people you’re with so now I find myself feeling homesick for an apartment in Santiago that I’d never seen two weeks ago.  Comfort food feels like the fresh maraquetta rolls or plump avocados and a cheese I can’t pronounce.  After months of cursing the cold as I waited for summer, I would give anything to be bundled up under the big green blanket, strategizing our appearance on Supermarket Sweep and eating popcorn.  I mean, who else appreciates the importance of the huge bonuses or the way David Ruprecht says “dollarzzzz??”

I’m getting off track. I guess what I’m saying is that yes, home is where the heart is.  But more than that, home is where the shared language of movie quotes is or where your germophobic tendencies are recognized and validated.  Home is where a single line from Community is enough to keep you laughing all week or your horrible attempts at Spanish are (usually) not laughed at.

So this doesn’t quite relate to Anne, but I think she would agree with me.  I think she knew how fluid the idea of home can be and embraced it wherever she was.  She would tell me to cherish my memories of Santiago and sister time, but also to revisit those kindred things here in my physical home.  She would remind me that I can have multiple different kinds of homes at the same time that fufil different parts of me.  And I think she’d also say that it’s okay to still be a bit sad…but that December isn’t far away and until then there’s always Skype.

Thanks again, Anne.  You always give the best advice…

-lil sis

back to life, back to reality…

And just as Anne shows us time and time again, the sun does indeed keep on rising and setting, whether we have our sister by our side or not.

It is so much more lovely with a sister, though, isn’t it?

Here is a a little something from my other blog (I know, boo hiss… a big sis only blog? LAME)

Also, as mentioned previously, a few photos from the journey:

Did you notice our sunset beach tribute to Anne? We were reading from Rilla. You didn’t think we’d let two whole weeks pass by without a tribute to Walter, did you?

-big sis

reunion update

This is the Anne Girls, reporting to you live, from the depths of despair.

Tomorrow marks the end of our long-awaited South American Reunion 2011.

There has been frolicking.

There has eating of empanadas.

There has been a tribute to Walter Blythe on a sunset beach.

There has been giggling.

There has been singing.

There has been shopping.

There has been broken Spanish.

There has been sisterly synergy out the wazoo.

In the days to come, there will be photos.

There will be updates.

But for tonight,

these words are all we can muster.

Anneishly yours,

lil and big sis