Did you ever share a room with your sibling? 

I shared a room with my sister for almost my entire adolescence. At first, when we were kids, it was amazing! My best friend slept a few feet from me and I was never alone. Then, as we got older, suddenly our little shared room started to feel too snug, choking us both and I realized I was never alone. As human beings, like any living creature, we need a hidey hole to retreat to that’s all ours. Like a mouse looking for shelter or a monkey in a tree, some personal space is super important. 

Luckily for my sister and me, once we grew out of each other, we moved out of the house and got our own space. However, for the 26-year-old in this next story, a man who’d carve out a special place in the world with his studio apartment, he couldn’t seem to find his peace when his big sis came around.