Andrea, Julian's sister, decided to come visit us all the way from Virginia. It was the first time she had been on a plane by herself, and we are so glad that she chose to come here to see us in the Great State of Texas (cue: Julian cringing)!
One of the main things that Andrea wanted to do was take a tour of colleges while she was here. She is a high school senior and is looking at colleges with great engineering programs. Since both Texas A&M and UT are on the list, it was important for her to tour both. Now, since I am an Aggie, of course I set up for her to tour A&M a long time ago, but this time, she really wanted to take a tour of that other school down in Austin. So I contacted a friend and colleague of mine, Esmer, who works with New Student Orientation at UT. She asked two of her Orientation Advisers, Farzad and Ali, to give us a tour.
I have to admit that I had to tell Andrea (and myself) that I was going to try my hardest not to be (too) biased about UT. I think I succeeded failed miserably! On a positive note, the campus is pretty with nice buildings, and their openness to diversity is evident in both the campus climate and the make-up of the people we saw there. I can (almost) see the charm of UT...but it's no Aggieland!!!
I digress...it really doesn't matter whether I like it...Andy really enjoyed her time on the UT campus! She has taken tours of other colleges on the east coast and she said that UT definitely ranks up there for her. I am just happy that she is willing to take time to explore her college options and make the best decision for her future (and that her parents are supportive of this). She is a futuristic thinker who can adapt to any situation (yes, I made her take StrengthsQuest and yes, futuristic and adaptability are in her top 5). And anything that brings her closer to us cannot be a bad thing!
As a student affairs professional (read: nerd), it was important for me to see their student union space. UT has 2 student unions, a more traditional building and a new Student Activities Center. I think I could like this place...after all, they had a Taco Cabana Rapido in their Center. What's not to like?!
We spent many nights making dinner together and it was awesome to have an extra pair of hands working to make dinner/play with Jillian/clean up after. Julian and Andrea worked to make homemade french fries together, just like their mom had shown them. Isn't that cute??!!
Julian and Andrea are like 2 peas in a pod! It was awesome to see them together this whole trip because it is apparent that they are cut from the same fabric. At one point in life, their 11-year age difference seemed much greater, like when I first met them. What did a 9-year-old Andrea and a 20-year-old Julian have in common? But now, at 16 and 27, it is clear that they have much more to relate to each other on. They would stay up at night talking/playing on their iPads/watching the Olympics/laughing at YouTube videos/acting like teenagers! They finished each other's sentences, laughed at family inside jokes, and connected on their shared experiences.
Mari and Jose, I know you weren't here to see it firsthand. But I am sure you experienced it from the stories you heard or group family text messages...your kids had a great time together and truly enjoyed each other's company! You both did such a good job raising them, and they are both a perfect combination of each of you. And though they are so far apart in age, it is clear that you instilled in them an undying and unwavering sense of family. As siblings, it was amazing to see them live that value, so thanks for that! I know they make you proud. :)
I can't wait for Jillian to have a sibling so I can see her get to experience this too!
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