"It's like going to school with your brothers and sisters." - an anonymous friend. From pre-K to 8th grade, I went to school with the same group of kids. Along the way, some left and some came, but overall, my friend was right, it was like going to school with brothers and sisters. Because when you were with them for 5 days a week and, on average, 9 hours a day, then you start to become a family. Maybe it will be quite dysfunctional but still a family, in a weird way, nonetheless. It wasn't always great but truthfully, I couldn't imagine those years with any other kids. Looking back, even though I wouldn't want to go through those awkward years again, those 10 years of schooling were unique because they were with the "St. Pat's family." And here's what I learned later on about what that experience was like.

1. Personality.

You'll never know more of who someone is then going to school with them for 8+ years.Especially in the years of growing up and exploring what your personality is. You'll know who the kid is that will always make the rest of class laugh. And, even better, he or she will be there everyday to add some craziness to the classes. On the flip side, once labeled the goofy or crazy or dramatic one, it's hard to

2. Inside jokes.

Even if there were some kids in class who you weren't best friends with, you still had inside jokes together. Because most experiences at those ages came from what happened in school and as one class those years, you had those experiences together. Whether it was that one crazy and over zealous music teacher, or that one teacher everyone loved [S/O to Mrs. Pascucci], those will always be memories that only the kids you went to school with will understand. And laugh at while reminiscing.

3. Cycles-who's the friend this week?

Naturally, when spending a lot of time with the same kids, you go through cycles of who you like and who seems to annoy you. Friends will change and thats okay. Even though that happens, its not as if you'll never see that original friend again. Because, hey, you have classes together every day.

4. Recess.

It will only took one soccer game during recess for me to be labeled the chick that sucks at soccer. But it's okay, because I really do suck at the sport. It was in those moments during recess where you learned who in the class was good at what sports and who in the class was the go to flag protector to have on your capture the flag team. Or who you definitely wanted on your dodgeball team for gym.

5. Drama.

Started around middle school, because, as sad as it was, the drama free years of elementary school had ended. Drama free became a thing of the past. Having gone to school already for 5 or more years already, tensions and drama between kids started flaring up. And in this case, it's even worse because of the history and changing friendships between everyone.

Through it all, the good and the crazy, each one of us made it out alive. Graduated, and moved on. But, still carry the memories from those years. Because, although it was both fun and dysfunctional, it was a family.