Natalie & Stephanie
Stephanie (32)
Natalie (30)
Weehawken, New Jersey
Las Dos Hermanas
“Nata” and older sister, “Tata” were born in Caracas, Venezuela. Raised by a single mother in very humble surroundings the sisters became each other’s system of support. Their first language was Spanish, and they came to know each other as best friends playing among the mango trees in their front yard. They came to the United States when they were 6 and eight years old as their mother wanted them to have a better quality of life. They have fond memories of the people, culture and customs of Venezuela and still hold those values close to this day.
The sister’s dynamic is fire and ice, yin and yang. Absolute opposites. Natalie exudes outrageousness, a bubbly, flirtatious attitude and a fabulously feminine aura. From her bright and over-the-top wardrobe to her spicy and fiery persona, she is a ball of magnetic energy wherever she goes. Stephanie on the other hand is cool, calm and collected with a quick wit and a masculine energy. Where Natalie lacks in life her sister compensates and vice-versa. They are stronger together than they are apart.
As South Americans they weren’t raised with the same values as sisters in North America. They view subjects that are often taboo in the United States as normal and natural. Sex, sexuality, nudity and body image are all things that are to be celebrated, not hidden, especially from one’s sister! Stephanie is the nudist of the duo and the sisters think nothing of sunbathing in their birthday suits in their public-facing window! Additionally, they’re both spiritual people who believe in the nourishing power of positive affirmation. If either needs a cleansing, they will burn sage in their home and will use various crystals to unblock energies in one-another. They’re also incredibly affectionate and weren’t raised with the same notion of “personal space” as most siblings. It’s not uncommon for the girls to give each other backrubs, fix one another’s hair or give a face massage! They are so close that they hold hands in public, strangers mistake them for a couple instead of sisters! They of course kiss each other on the mouth every time that they say goodbye to one another!
Natalie considers herself pansexual, meaning that she is attracted to the personality of a person whereas the gender is less of a priority. In practice she dates both men and women, but she finds herself dating more women than men. Stephanie also considers her sexuality to be fluid. She’s also more attracted to women than she is to men. It can be tricky and complicated with two single sisters who are both attracted to women living under the same roof! They have made it a point to have candid conversations about who they’re dating and who they’re breaking up with so as to avoid any unwanted drama. There has been the awkward occasion of them walking in on one another’s bedroom, “hookup!”
Recently the sisters had an explosive fight because Stephanie decided she wanted to move out of state and rent out her room. Not only did Natalie not want to live with someone other than her sister, she didn’t want her sister to go! After a drag out argument and with the help of their cousin Andres, the three sat down and resolved that Stephanie could travel but not move away…and she most certainly wasn’t allowed to rent out her room! Stephanie was working in the hospitality industry, but her restaurant was shut down due to COVID, so she wanted to explore new career paths and opportunities and that means visiting friends and family across the United States. Natalie hopes that this doesn’t mean that her sister will be moving permanently. Natalie has agreed to allow her sister to travel, but she’s going to come along to keep tabs on her!
The gals’ best friend and cousin, Andres is a constant figure in their life. Unfortunately, he just left for a new job in Miami. Without his presence as a form of checks and balances the girls are a bit worried that their relationship might ebb to more volatile than tranquil. Only time will tell if living together is really the dream that they had hoped for! Their mother lives in Philadelphia and is also very involved in their lives. She can sometimes feel like an outsider to the girl’s incredibly close relationship. Mom comes to visit as often as she is able to. The trio even just went primitive camping together!
Although their day-to-day life has its ups and downs it’s nothing compared to the turmoil their family who still lives in Venezuela experiences year-round. They have aunts and uncles who are living hand-to-mouth in an unstable country. Andres, Stephanie and Natalie send money and supplies when they can but feel terrible about not being able to do more. They would love to visit their family and discuss what ways they can help improve their livelihoods.
Natalie and Stephanie’s bond was forged by the culture and customs of their native country, but it was solidified even further by adapting to a new life in a new country. Today the girls are still adapting, navigating relationships, jobs and adulthood. The only catch now that they are in their 30’s will be, will they navigate life together forever, or will one need to part in order to truly grow into the woman that she was meant to be?