Every week, usually on Mondays at about 6, my 16-year-old brother Nick and I meet for dinner. The meals aren't lengthy and they won't continue forever -- we're both in DC this summer as interns -- but they've provided a great way for Nick and I to build a relationship. See, my brother and I haven't always been close. In fact, with 11 years between us, this summer is the first time we've spent concentrated, one-on-one time together. But when Sunday nights like these roll around and I'm staring another 5-days of work in the face, my weekly dinner with Nick is something I look forward to. It serves as a nice reminder of who I am and where I'm from at a time when I'm introducing myself to both a new career and a new city. It's also great to see how much Nick's grown up. When he was a toddler and I was a teenager, he was sometimes mistaken for my child (yes, this is strange). Now, I often wonder if he's confused with my college friends.
Another perk? Because neither he nor I know DC well, we've used the dinners as excuses to get out and explore the city together. A couple weeks ago, we had Thai food in Dupont, last week, it was Mediterranean food in Woodley Park and tomorrow, we'll meet for pizza in Chinatown. Over plates of pad thai and baskets of pita, we chat about work (he's interning with a member of Congress, something I did 10 years ago), family and friends. We laugh. And sometimes, I forget all the years between us.
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Aww, that's so sweet :) My sister and I (5 yrs apart) have always been close but haven't felt the need to talk to each other everyday... or even chat. At school we're lucky if we talk even once a week. But now, we're on chat or phone almost everyday... As we've grown older, the 5yr difference doesn't seem that much - and it's not because she's taller than me :)
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