Student Bloggers
"As You Wish"
Date
September 4, 2016
“Have fun storming the castle,” I yell to my twin sister as she walks toward airport security. My parting words seem odd to the strangers around me, but Cady immediately breaks into a smile. The line is a reference to the 1980s cult film (and family favorite), The Princess Bride.
We part with laughter rather than tears. This is not an emotional goodbye. I’ll be following in her footsteps just a few days later for my flight to Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Despite the striking differences in physical appearance, Cady and I have always been in sync. So you can imagine my parents’ shock when, during our senior year of high school, we agreed to attend colleges nearly 800 miles apart. Cady chose the University of Richmond and I headed off to Northwestern University.
When we were younger, I often joked about the blissful two minutes I enjoyed before my twin sister entered the world. Now, I am lucky if I see her every few months. After two years of juggling conflicting school calendars, summer jobs, and internships in different cities, Cady and I have reached an inevitable conclusion: separation is becoming the new normal.
In a joint effort to delay our independence post-graduation, we plotted the ultimate study-abroad experience á la Mary Kate and Ashley. A Political Science major, Cady was accepted into the Scottish Parliamentary Program for the Fall semester. I followed suit and enrolled at the University of Edinburgh through Arcadia. Google Maps ensures me that our dorms are only seven minutes apart—an unexpected triumph considering our usual distance.
Our escapades begin this week when I finally arrive in Edinburgh. Let the adventures begin!