I thought I had the perfect gift.

For Christmas, 2021, I gifted my younger brother a trip to Seattle. Despite the fact he had secured post graduation employment in the Emerald City, he had never seen the Space Needle, Green Lake Park or Pike Place Fish Market. I thought it would be fun to explore his new home together. We are separated in age by eight years; he was only 10 when I left the house for college. It was time, I decided, to address our age gap with a “brothers bonding” trip.

And then, reality set in. I inevitably had a project come up during our proposed trip dates that would dictate I be in the South of France and Italy. Extremely conflicted, I struggled with what to do. Rescheduling felt like we’d fall into the cycle of “How about…” and “Sorry, that won't work…” until the moment was lost to utter and complete failure.

Sometimes the third option you haven't considered is the best option. A simple suggestion from an objective saint proposed “Why not have him meet you in France?” Deep breath. I called Connor and asked him to apply for a passport. We were going on an adventure.

Our "brothers bonding" trip allowed us to meet each other as adults. He was still my brother and I loved him unconditionally, even when I felt the need to punch him in the shoulder. I admit, it's a bit jarring that he now physically towers over me.

He arrived at our temporary home a few hours before me, having triumphed over the challenges of his first international trip. I’ll never forget walking into our villa overlooking the Mediterranean and seeing he had made it there himself…

I was damn proud of him.

And yes, a few months later, I visited him in Seattle.

A perfect gift.