Your 20s can be quite the whirlwind. You may go to college, or do a lot of traveling. You'll likely fall in and out of love, and make lots of new friends along the way. Moving out is always a milestone, and comes with a bunch of emotions, mostly because it means leaving your family for what's next in your future. Yes, you're not totally leaving them behind, but you can't imagine not living across the hall from your brother and sister. You're wondering how to stay close to your sibling in your 20s, especially if you are the first one to head out into the world. Sending memes just won't cut it on this one.
Maybe you're headed off to the West Coast, or checking out a new city that's a bit closer to home. You're beyond excited, and have been waiting for this moment for such a long time. It's bound to be quite the adventure, and you are looking forward to living with your besties or significant other in your own space. All of those IKEA catalogs and Pinterest boards dedicated to home decor are finally going to come in handy.
You already miss your sibling, though. They're your favorite person to talk to, and truly the peanut butter to your jelly. When you were kids, you would dream big together, and couldn't wait to be adults. Now that you're there, you're realizing it's going to take these seven things to stay close despite the distance.
01Plan A Weekend Together
Traveling is always an option when it comes to your siblings. All of those family vacations by the beach prepared you for the day you'd move out and need to bond with your brother or sister. Planning a cute weekend trip will put that time together in the books, and give you a chance to make even more memories.
Maybe you'll go camping in a national park, or take a road trip on Memorial Day weekend. Your sibling will be in charge of packing the s'mores supplies, while you'll curate a #fire playlist of your favorite jams for those long hours on the highway. Adventures always bring people closer together, and you could both probably use some time away from what you do on the reg.
02Talk On The Phone Once A Week
There's a lot to be said for picking up the phone and calling your family. Sure, you don't always have the time to have a full conversation and spend hours on the line. But when you do have a few moments, it can mean the world. Texting is easy, and you'll probably send your sibling a thousand memes once you move out. Hearing somebody's voice just has such a different effect, though, and even FaceTime has us feeling closer to the ones we love.
Once a week, make it a point to ring your brother or sister and see what's going on in their life. Start a list in your phone of everything you want to tell them, even if it's just a new song you think they should listen to sometime. Putting in this little bit of effort will surely keep you close.
03Keep Up With The Same TV Shows
Leave it to television to always bring us closer to the people we care about in life. There's nothing that you and your sibling love more than watching a new episode of Survivor on Wednesdays, and that won't change once you move out. Sure, you'll probably have to FaceTime so you can see their reactions to tribal council. But, it's like they're basically there with you for all of the action.
You'll never run out of things to talk about when it comes to Game of Thrones theories, or who should get the last rose on The Bachelorette. Despite the fact that you were the first one to move out, your family will loving stay close over episodes of Chopped, and even an argument over the remote.
04Have Your Sibling Over For Dinner
Watching so much Food Network together on Saturday afternoons prepared you for being the first one to move out. If your siblings are younger, then you're probably the one who can cook. You've taught them how to make the perfect grilled cheese, and introduced them to the best of brunch. Having them over for your legendary homemade mac and cheese will surely make for some sweet sibling time.
Maybe you grew up in a household that always had dinner together during the week. You'd catch up on what happened during the day, before running off to get your homework done. As you got older, you and your sibling would slip out to Chipotle instead. Bonding over burritos is still the best way to stay close to your sibling in your 20s.
05Take A Shopping Trip
Odds are, if you're just settling into your new place, there's a lot of shopping that needs to be done. You'll make a thousand trips to IKEA and wander around the home section of Anthropologie before your space looks exactly like the catalogue. Having your sibling around to help lift the heavy boxes and make suggestions about which bedding to buy is key.
Even if you're not purchasing new plants for your space, shopping trips always make for the best bonding time. You and your sibling will likely splurge on something you both don't really need, and look at the window displays while catching up. Carrying all of those bags always requires an awesome buddy, after all.
06Ask For Their Advice
Your sibling has likely been there for all of the big moments (good and bad), thus far. They sat front row at your graduation, and stuck it out on the bleachers for all of your soccer games. You turned to your partner-in-crime for a reliable shoulder to cry on during breakups, and they gave you the best advice about love. They brought you some snacks from the kitchen just to make you smile. What's sweeter, a sister or a pack of Oreos? Together, they're unstoppable.
Going forward, you'll want to continue to look to your sibling when life feels sticky. They grew up with you, so they understand where you're coming from on most situations. You never have to face the real world alone, and your sibling will always be the best sidekick.
07Hang Out In Your Hometown
Moving out has been such an adventure already, but you'll always find your way back home. Look at Hannah Montana, after all. No matter how much she loved Malibu and her life in front of the camera, she had a special place in her heart for Tennessee. Those roots will just never go away.
For you and your sibling, your hometown is common ground. You both will travel to all sorts of places on this planet throughout your life, but where you grew up will stay the same. Once you move out and are living on your own, you may not think about hanging back where you started.
You're ready for what's next, but don't forget about all the good times with your sibling that are still to come. Staying close sometimes means heading home for a bit, because you moved out first.
