April 10, was National Siblings Day. I am fortunate to have one of each, but I especially wanted to recognize my sister. Although I probably have many emotional scars thanks to her, I have even more to be truly thankful for.

Here are some highlights:

• First non-home haircut: My sister took me to a salon to get my haircut for my high school senior photo. It was the first time ever that I had gotten my hair cut or trimmed by anyone other than my mom. It wasn’t even a fancy salon. It was some generic place that is probably on par with Super Disappointments. But I think the woman did an awesome job. She gave me a cut that many of my friends remarked look like Teri Hatcher’s when she was on Lois and Clark (when she had the shorter shag type of hair). It was a high compliment because everyone knew I had the biggest crush on Dean Cain.
• First taste of Mexican food: I grew up 20 minutes from the US-Mexico border. The first time I ever had Mexican food (and, no, Taco Bell doesn’t count; anyway, I didn’t have Taco Bell until I was in college) was likely my last year of high school or first year of college. I was helping my sister move in to her new place. We got Mexican food from Alberto’s (Yes, Alberto’s, not Aliberto’s or some other variation of “-berto’s”). We had carne asada burritos and carne asada fries. Heck, it might have also been my first taste of guac. Oh. My. God I don’t even know how I could call myself a San Diegan at that time. It was the tastiest meal I had ever had on Earth. How did I live, what did I live on, before that fateful day? I have no clue.
• Other Restaurant Discoveries:
  • Bud’s Louisiana Cafe – My brother was born in New Orleans. That’s as close a connection I have to The Big Easy as I can get. One day my sister took me to this magical place called Bud’s Louisiana Cafe. Back then it was located in a tiny place in a strip mall in Tierrasanta. It was the first time I had ever had cajun food. I believe the owner (Bud) is from New Orleans. It was my first taste of Jambalaya. What a total life changer! As someone who is obsessed with spicy food, this really hit the spot and opened me up to different types of cuisine. Topped it with their house-made hot sauce, and it’s absolute perfection!
    

    Oh me, oh my!

    Then, to top off the meal, my sister suggested I try the bread pudding. Now, at first thought, I was kind of skeptical. I was not a big fan of bread, and thinking of a big piece of bread sopped in pudding? No bueno. But, I figured I trust my sister’s taste in food. And what kind of crazy person would I be to pass on dessert? I decided to give it a go. I must say, I was NOT disappointed.

    

    Bread Puddin’ my mouth – stat!

    It was probably the best damn dessert I had had in my life up to that point in my life. It didn’t taste at all what I imagined it to be. It was more like a custardy cake. It is topped with pecans (which I don’t really like), but the combo is just Mm Mm Mmmm! I mean, words cannot express how delicious it is! Hm, I wonder if I could somehow have it FedExed to me.

  • King’s Hawaiian Restaurant – My sister helped me move into my first apartment. Although thought it was kind of scary, something really great came out of it. I discovered that I didn’t live too far from King’s Hawaiian Restaurant Yes, that King’s. The company that makes those giant loaves of sweet bread that I loved so much growing up. They have a restaurant (and a smaller fast-food style location called The Local Place) — the only one on the mainland. It is as amazing as you can imagine.
    

    Kalua Nachos! Mine!

    When you first set foot in the establishment, the sweet smells of the bakery waft straight into your nose, and your eyes are treated to an array of cakes, malasadas and more. One of my favorite dishes that I’ve never seen on other Hawaiian restaurants is the Kalua Nachos. They are an absolute must have! The nachos are topped with juice shredded kalua pork, guac, salsa, beans and sour cream. So good!

• Taught me terrible jokes – I remember when I was a kid, I’d tell these jokes to my friends. They were long jokes where the endings were “A monkey peeling a banana” and “But I tricked him, mama. I wasn’t wearing underpants!” Yeah, don’t ask.
• Introduced me to the Darkside (i.e., expensive purses and shoes) – Prior to my sister introducing me to the triple digit price tag, buying a purse that cost more than $50 was already breaking the bank to me. I think it started when she got me a Coach purse for Christmas. It was the most amazing thing to me. It made me feel like a million bucks! And as my sister’s collection of designer purses increased, so did mine. I think it was more than just thinking “I have money; I need to spend it on something.” I really wanted to have something to bond with my sister about. Eventually the 3-digit pricetags escalated to 4-digit pricetags and eventually included shoes. I also think living in Orange County, CA, made me want to keep up with the Joneses. Most of my stash collection is now gone; most of it was sold to help finance our move. At first, it wasn’t easy to let go. But once I started, it got easier.

All of my life, I’ve followed a somewhat similar path — graduated from college, moved out of my parents’ house, and married my long-time boyfriend. However, now I can be proud to have an experience that she has never had — motherhood. I’ve been sharing my journey with her, and, in a way, it’s nice to tell her about things that she has never experienced. All I know for sure is she’s one excited auntie-to-be!