I think some greater force must have been looking out for me when they blessed me with a big family. As someone who is extremely introverted, I have always found it convenient to have so many people to lean on. It’s also been a lot of fun to have four siblings who I consider best friends.

My brother Rick and I have been close since we were young. I’ve been told I was very upset when he started attending Kindergarten because I lost my playmate. I’m not sure I would have actually survived my freshmen year of high school had he not been a senior, and a well-known senior at that. Of course, I occasionally grew annoyed with being Rick’s little sister. But at least people noticed me. Plus, it was really fun having senior boys hanging out at my house.

Seven years ago, Rick moved out to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian. While I would have liked having him in Lawrence, Kansas with me, trips to visit him in LA are always incredibly enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I took advantage of a couple days off of work and flew out to visit him in LA. I’ve been there enough times now (14 to be exact) that I’m pretty familiar with the city and all the things it has to offer. This time we enjoyed a day in Santa Monica, a trip to Westwood and one of my favorite thrift stores, and spent our nights at the Comedy Store on Sunset, where my brother performs. Whenever I go to LA, people always ask me if I met a famous person or if I saw any movie stars walking along Rodeo Drive. Besides a few times when I’ve met a well-known comedian at one of my brother’s shows, my answer is usually no.

On my final day there, we decided to cruise the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. It was a beautiful, clear day in LA, which is often hard to come by. We didn’t really have a destination in mind so we just drove. We rolled the windows down, listened to some music and talked. We reminisced about our shared childhood, wondered about people from the past and talked about what we wanted out of life. It was a perfect day.

I didn’t meet any movie stars or see a famous person randomly walking down the street, but I got to spend a lot of time with my best friend and brother. The past couple of weeks have been stressful at work and the weather has been cold and grey. Whenever, I feel like I’m going to go crazy, I stop and think about that lovely day in Malibu and how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family.

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