we were girls together
We were girls together. Now we are women together.
Growing up, my sister and I were best friends. When I was 16, my older sister Linnea moved to Paris to start her new life at university. I felt abandoned and alone, it was like losing a piece of myself. She was navigating her life away from home, and I was navigating my life at home without her. I didn’t know who I could be without Linnea and resented her for leaving me behind. It took me years to find myself as an individual and grow without her guidance, and in those years our friendship began to change. We grew in opposite directions, and finding adulthood separately put a strain on our sisterhood. Today, seven years on from when she left for University we are finding each other again and creating a new adult friendship.
These images of Linnea and the interview that goes alongside them, tell the story of my perspective of sisterhood when I visited her for a week in Paris. As our lives evolve, something has shifted, and we are moving closer to each other both physically and emotionally. For a long time, we took our sisterhood for granted, knowing that we would be there for each other no matter what. Now I have realised that a deep friendship with my sister is something that needs to be cultivated and nurtured.
We went through girlhood together which created an irrevocable bond between us. The trip to Paris was an important visit for both of us: opening conversations that needed to be held to heal and grow and to step into a new adult friendship.
What is your happiest memory of us?
I have a lot. I think some of my fondest memories are when we used to build little villages for our stuffed animals out of books and things lying around the house, and creating whole communities and places on the floor in and between our rooms. We were so gosh darn cute and creative, and I still have such a love for the stuffed animals we played with all those years ago. I also have this memory of us in the little red shed by the river in Sweden where we just were swinging in our hammocks and singing Taylor Swift songs together. That especially feels like such quintessential sisterhood.
What was your favorite part about growing up together?
I think my favorite part of growing up together was the fact that we were really just each other’s best friend. Even if you annoyed me and I annoyed you it didn’t matter because we would always play together and be there for each other no matter what.
How has your perspective of sisterhood changed since moving to Paris?
I think it changed when I realized that sisterhood is about changing and growing with another person. I thought that my relationship with you would honestly not change significantly when I moved to Paris, but whew, was I wrong. I was becoming an adult, and you did too a few years later, and I underestimated how much this would shape our relationship into a different thing entirely. We were not just girls anymore - we were women.
Why is breakfast sacred to you?
As someone who has struggled with her relationship with food, breakfast has become not only a sacred space to me, but also my saving grace. It is something that has allowed me to fall back in love with food and nourishing myself and sharing this experience with others. Mamma used to wake up early and make us breakfast every morning before we went to school, and it was a time for us to connect, and a place where we could sit and simply enjoy. Before work (or when I finally decide to crawl out of bed on the weekend after a night of festivities), I will always - and I mean always - start my kettle for some black tea and begin making a spread. Whether it is a sandwich (egg, cheddar, spinach and veggie sausage on a slices of bread from my local bakery), homemade pancakes, stuffed french toast (cream cheese and caramelized bananas, heLLo), a quick apple cinnamon oatmeal, or a fresh croissant with some fruit, breakfast will always be an event. It’s a symphony of smells, a cacophony of crunches, and a sweeping melody of sizzles I dream of each night when I go to bed. Breakfast is a love letter I write to myself every morning.
Who have you become as an adult and who do you want to become as you continue to grow?
I have become a dorky, fashion-loving, trend-analyzing, breakfast-loving, independent and confident woman! That feels great to write down. I was once so timid and insecure in a place that never cherished me (high school) and when I finally left I never felt better about who I was. I want to continue growing into my own confidence and work on truly cherishing my own company as I do others’.
Where do you see yourself in a year, and where do you see us in a year?
I see myself outside of Paris, funnily enough. I feel like my time in the city is wrapping up soon, and I want to explore a new place where I can continue to grow and discover new parts of myself and my capabilities. I want to continue writing and do something where I’m thinking critically about the world around me. I also see us becoming closer in a year, both physically and emotionally. I think both of us have grown up a lot and have come to greatly admire the people we’ve grown into, and so our relationship will only get closer as time passes.
What have been the best parts of getting older?
I think my favorite part of getting older is discovering who I am. Teenagehood is a time of so much change in self and testing the waters of personalities and interests, that it feels nice to be in a time where I’m figuring out more solidly who I am. I certainly haven’t figured out where I’m going yet, but I think that’s one of those things that no one ever truly figures out - and that’s comforting.
What do you love about your life now?
I love how much more sure I am in myself. I feel more confident than I’ve ever felt, and I also feel so proud of what I’ve accomplished. I moved to France! And I have a job that pays my rent! And at 18, I took a leap that ended up paying off. When I walk into my local coffee shop they know who I am and ask how I’m doing, and that just feels so special. I certainly have things that I am less sure of and want to work on, but doesn’t everyone?
What does sisterhood mean to you?
Sisterhood is a lot of things I think. It definitely isn’t limited to just sisters in the traditional sense, and it certainly isn’t limited to having grown up with someone you consider a sister. I think it really is about growing and connecting and discovering your femininity with someone. Sisterhood is beautiful and messy and confusing and wonderful and I don’t think there is enough understanding of how sacred and important sisterhood is. Being a sister is about understanding turmoil, but also showing each other the beauty in it.