Photo Project Day #10

Day # 10: A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.

Please note, before I begin this post, that when I read "messed up" I think funny or ridiculous or a little crazy-- all mixed with lots of laughs and fun times and sisterly love.

This said, Day #10 goes out to my cousin/big sister, Cristina. (Cris, is on right in the picture.) I am sure Cristina, knows why. But just in case you're reading this and wonder why Cristina is my partner in all sorts of "messed up" adventures, let me share some of my favorite Cristina moments:

1. Cristina was the one who came up to me in Aeropostale that time a few years ago and said to me in Spanish: "Pero Olivia, que haces aqui?? Cuanto tiempo sin verte!" (Translation: Olivia, what are you doing here?? It's been so long since I've seen you!") while I was paying for socks. When the cashier heard this, he asked his Hispanic coworker to please translate for me that there was a sale going on for other socks. Cristina did her best to not burst out laughing on the spot and walked away. I was left to pretend that I couldn't speak English because I felt so awkward I couldn't think of another response. (Please don't ask why Cristina came up to me randomly and pretended we hadn't come to the mall together. That's not the point. At. all.) This memory cracks me UP. Every. Single. Time.

2. Cristina and I took a trip to London and Paris a few years after event #1. While in Paris we wanted to go see the Arc de Tripomphe. We could not find the underground passageway. (Again, please don't ask why.) So we, of course, assumed you could only get there by running across the round-about/traffic circle. Because it makes complete sense to risk your life and run across 4 lanes of ongoing, nonstop traffic to see the Arc de Triomphe. Clearly. (We found the underground passage later.)

3. After posting somewhere close to 100 family wedding pictures on FB last June, Cristina and I proceeded to spend more time than I care to admit, "LIKING" the overwhelming majority of them. Because it's what we do.

4. Cristina and I love to karaoke. (It doesn't matter that we're no good...we try and that's what counts!). On the same day as the event just mentioned, we decided to practice "Find Your Love" so that we could perform it for the family the next day as after-dinner entertainment. We're just classy like that. Hey, hey, hey.

5. And then there was that time years ago that we cleaned that apartment in Spain with the...ummm... animal carcass on the balcony. Cris, I publicly apologize for chickening out at the very, very, very last moment and dropping the garbage bag. In the future, I will be the one to sweep up the bones.

6. On the trip to London/Paris, Cristina was with me when we learned that Covent Garden is, in fact, NOT a garden....

7. While not alone in creating the Chrana sign (see picture above), Cristina was a critical member of the Chrana welcome committee in the Vigo (Spain) airport last August. We know how to welcome visitors in style. Even if it calls a ton of attention and makes the entire airport stare at us.

Cris and I have an amazing ability to make the most mundane tasks more exciting. Travel? I guarantee that even if you think you have a ton of time, you're going to be running through what seems like the entire airport at the last call moment. Hiking? You'll do a long one on some hot August day only to make it to the very top in heavy fog. The view is just awesome when you can't see it. That's what your imagination is for after all. Thanksgiving dinner? Never complete without a suckling pig that we take multiple pictures with. The list is endless really. It's amazing how much we can do without even trying.

Cris, thanks for the laughs. I can't wait to see you again soon so that we can continue our tradition of crazy.