After having a brother who was there for me for so many years, I never believed that the day would finally come: The day where my brother would finally leave for college and I would only be able to see him when he was home for vacations. My brother and I had always been pretty close, sure we would argue at times, but we also had tons of inside jokes.

The house felt empty upon returning home from dropping my brother off at college. I missed seeing my brother and his friends hanging out in the TV room or seeing them outside tossing around a football. It felt like something was missing, like the house was incomplete.

As time went on, I got used to the change, not having him there.

I must admit being an only child at home was and continues to be dreadful. My parents put a lot of more attention on me and have become even more annoying than before. All the pressure has been placed on me, and at times it can be hard.

On the days I miss my brother, I text him, and if I’m lucky he’ll go on Skype with me, even if only for a few minutes. He catches me up on his life and tells me all about college. Facebook and texting have become the best means of communication between us.

Being able to talk to him, even if it isn’t face-to-face, was a huge relief because it allows us to continue to be close. I can’t wait to see him and hangout with him during his breaks from school, just like old times.