You two are so close. What are you going to do without her?

In the months before my older sister Samhita Bondada left for college, these words were always guaranteed to be uttered by relatives, family friends, etc.

These remarks were usually met with a laugh and are taken in stride, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help thinking, “What am I going to do without her?”

Growing up, my sister and I always had a great relationship, but as we grew older, we became even closer and she became my best friend who I could trust with anything. Whether it’s watching Barbie: Life In The Dreamhouse, or taking non-revenue weekend trips to Los Angeles, she is my favorite person to be around.

As a child, I wanted to be just like Samhita. I copied everything she did and took interest in her interests. Little did I know, they would be the things that shaped me as a person, and impacted my life in so many ways.

By introducing me to Taylor Swift’s music, I found all music as a way to de-stress and found it to be a hobby of mine. By showing me how to paint my own nails when I was 9 years old, nail art became a major passion. Without her support, I wouldn’t have had the courage to put my skills out there and start my own press on nail business. 

So when she packed her bags and flew off to Bath, England, worry consumed me, thinking we would grow apart.

But when I opened her Instagram story two weeks later and it featured  one of our favorite songs on it, all of my worries washed away. Even if time zones kept us apart, our aligning interests kept us closer than ever. As I listen to a song in the car, I imagine her almost running a red light because she was singing along to it. As I watch an episode of our favorite show, I think of her snacking on popcorn in our late night TV marathons.

Samhita is the woman who I trust my life with. The woman who would drop everything to watch an old Barbie movie with me. The woman who hugged me as I cried when I didn’t do well on my math test. The woman who spent two hours in line on SeatGeek just to get Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets for me. The woman who I hope is having the time of her life in Europe.

So whenever I listen to “Starlight (Taylor’s Version)” or watch an episode of “How I Met Your Mother,” I feel closer to her than ever.

Follow Anvita @anvitabondada and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter.