30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 2

A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

My 'Big Cuz', Tammy! She's like the sister I never had. The whole Pacific Ocean and half of the USA is between us, but we have a special connection, a bond. The above picture was taken the last time we were together - for Christmas last year, when we visited them on a holiday. We didn't get to spend a lot of alone time together to catch up, but the day we were flying out, we took a car drive together and it was wonderful. We always laugh and laugh and laugh until our bellies ache, no matter how long its been from when we saw each other last.

The above picture was taken on a surprise trip to the States in 2007. The Pacific Ocean is behind us and we were on a driving holiday while I was there. Again, lots of laughter!

The above picture was taken on our 2004/2005 trip to the States. I hadn't seen Tammy since 1997 and wondered if we would have the same connection as the last time we saw each other. I was still quite young and thought maybe as an adult, we might have changed our relationship. But no... Tammy and I clicked and it cemented for me, just how much she, and the rest of the family, meant to me. Very sad to say goodbye to them when we had to leave.

The above picture was actually taken in Australia on Tammy and her husband, Bryan's trip to Australia in 1997! Here we are somewhere along the Great Ocean Road. I was Tammy and Bryan's chauffeur for their trip and of course, we had so much fun together! We were in the car a lot of the time and would find it hard to drive when I would be crying from laughing so hard! Good, brilliant memories!

The above picture was taken on our first family trip to the States in 1988/89. I think this would have been the first time I met Tammy (I had been to the States when I was 16 months old with my mum, but I don't think I met her then). Both of us were so very young then! The 2 boys are my brothers, looking very impressed and the 2 younger girls are Tammy's nieces (her brother's kids). Tammy has always been very fun-loving and entertaining, with a larger-than-life personality so right from the first time we met, she's always had a place in my heart.

So, we have only seen each other 5 times, but those 5 times have been very precious to me. Thank you, Tammy, for being the wonderful you that you are!