Of all the jobs I've worked, I've never found a bond quite like the one I share with my restaurant family. I've spent the majority of my weekends and holidays with these people for the last three years. They may not be blood, but they are definitely family. We're big, we're loud, we're crazy and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here's why:

1. Work hard, play hard.

Nobody knows how to party quite like a bunch of disgruntled restaurant workers after an intense dinner rush. Whether it's out at the bars dancing the night away or at the pub down the street, there's something about popping open a nice cold one (or two or three) with your co-workers while bitching about the obnoxious large party at the family table that just brings you closer together.

2. They're forgiving.

Maybe you're the jerk who forgot to fill the bread drawer, the notoriously lazy one who refuses to run food or the host who triple sat everyone. You may have been fighting and calling each other names an hour ago, but once the rush is over and we've returned to baseline, we're all friends again. Most important of all, we can laugh about the drama of the night over the aforementioned cold ones.

3. They've witnessed your highs and lows.

They were there for your birthday when you went to the bars and got blackout drunk (and only tease you about it from time to time). They were there when that boy broke your heart, and you couldn't hold the tears back long enough to get through your shift. They helped you celebrate the best of times and held your hand through the worst.

4. They've become your best friends.

You've probably lost track of all the days, weeks, months and hours you've spent together. Maybe at the beginning these crazy people were just your co-workers, but there's no denying that somewhere along the way, they became so much more. These are the people you turn to when you need a shoulder to cry on. They are the ones you call on when you're home alone, bored and looking for something to do. The ones you grab lunch with on your hour break during that crazy Saturday double or road trip to the beach with.

5. They taught you invaluable lessons about life and yourself.

They never let you crack under pressure. Everywhere you turn in that restaurant, there's someone willing to have your back when the going gets tough (at work or outside). They taught you that sometimes you just have to let it go and laugh. They showed you the value of hard work, but never let you forget that you're part of a team. They've shown you time and time again that some of the best things in life are chaotic and messy and that you can handle more than you think. Most importantly, they taught you that family doesn't always come by blood. Sometimes family is just a great big group of people willing to tough out the hard times together and laugh and love when things are going well.

To my own restaurant family, I can't begin to tell you how much you all mean to me. Thank you for always being there to make me smile and giving me three years of endless laughter.