Some people say they were born into big families--I say that I was blessed to be born into one. Because amidst the craziness and loudness that comes with having a big family, also comes lots of laughter, crazy memories, and best friends.

There is a saying that you're cousins by chance and best friends by choice. After spending all summer together in Greece and practically living with each other, I think my cousins deserve a recognition for being the best friends I could ever ask for.

The best part about sharing the same blood is sharing the same humor. Our laughter is literally contagious. A shared look, a funny story, or an unforgettable memory is always followed by laughter, and lots of it. My cousins and I radiate the same, positive energy and although we fight, we always find a way to make a funny story out of it. I think that it is our ability to take any situation and find the good in it or get a good laugh out of it, that makes it that much more fun to be around each other. After all, everyone needs a good laugh, and that is something that is basically embedded in our DNA.

Having cousins who also play the role of best friends means you get to share your inner-craziness to the point where it no longer seems crazy to you. From partying until 6 in the morning, to traveling around Greece with six suitcases and a hope that we don't get lost again" this time", my cousins and I share some pretty wild stories. But isn't that where stories come from? They come from the crazy mistakes, the endless nights, and making the best out of once what seemed like the worst situations. You need people who not only encourage you to do crazy things, but people who stand by you to do the crazy things with you. My cousins and I know how to have fun; we are loud, crazy, risk-takers, and we could not be more proud of it.

Yes we love each other, but if you didn't know that, you probably would never have guessed it. That is because my cousins and I express our love in a different way. The truth is, we are loud people who love to yell, especially at each other. We yell, we fight, we call each other out on our mistakes, but in the end, we always laugh, and that is our way of expressing love. I definitely feel that it's important to have people in your life who are not afraid to tell you the truth, and who you can be so comfortable with to the point where you can say just about anything to each other.

Having amazing cousins means being each others personal advisers. Because we are blatantly honest with each other, I know I can ask my cousins just about anything, and I know their answers come from personal experience. They are also people I know I can complain to at anytime, even if I'm away at college, I know they are only a phone call away.

To my wonderful cousins, thank you for never failing to make me laugh, for the endless, crazy memories, and for being people I know I will always be able to depend on. We are loud, crazy people, with the ability to live a life full of laughter, and I am so glad you are people who will always be there for me to share a little bit more laughter and a few more crazy memories with.