I love my siblings, but, sometimes, you just need some time apart from each other. They annoy you, tease you, and are just outright mean. Now, I have two older brothers, so I guess my situation is a bit different from others, however, I think we can all agree that cousins are the best. Here are five reasons why:

You can talk about everything with them without feeling judged

Your siblings may be super close to you, but sometimes there are topics that you don’t want to bring up when you’re around them. It may have to do with your relationship, your personal issues, or even things that have happened among you and your friends. It is sometimes awkward to go to a sibling in certain situations, so your cousin is your best bet. They will listen and try not to judge you because they are family, and they are (usually) not there to make fun of you.

They’re not with you all the time, so you don’t really get annoyed with them as quickly.

There’s something so great about people being close enough but not too close for comfort. In my situation, six of my cousins live in Connecticut and two live in New York. It’s great because I don’t see them all the time, but I do get to see them for most holidays. When we are together it is like we never left each other, but with them, it’s never boring. It’s hard to find them irritating when we see each other only once in a while.

They are more like your friends than your family

We may be blood-related, but they are more like friends to me than anything. Whether we’re hanging out, playing a game, or just talking about life, it’s always a good time. It’s almost as if I hand-picked them to be my best friends, but I didn’t. Being cousins allows for a lot of similarities to each other because connections through your parents make you closer and more relatable. However, even though your genes are similar, each cousin is unique in their own way. Living in different states or parts of a state gives all of us different stories to share.

You’ll always do exciting new things with them

Because they live in a different area, they always have fun, new things to do. When I go to my cousins’ towns it is like being in a whole different world. Even though they may only be two hours away, there is always something new to see or do. And even when it is pouring outside, we make up something to do inside that brings us together to have a good time.

You can go to them with anything and they won’t tell anyone

Like I said before, you can talk to your cousins about almost anything and everything. Not only will it not be awkward, but it will also remain a secret. They’re not going to go back to your parents with anything because, as mentioned before, they are more like friends than anything. Likewise, they may be similar to your friends, but they do not live near you. Your secrets will remain in their respective states because who are they going to tell? They have no reason to contact your friends and tell them everything.

Overall, cousins win when it comes to having fun and spilling all of your deepest darkest secrets. But, I guess, siblings are pretty cool too.