I know that having a soulmate that you're dating and completely in love with and all is great and fun and whatever, but I think best friends are seriously underrated. As my girl Cristina Yang would say, "If I murdered someone, she's the person I'd call to help me drag the corpse across the living room floor." Although my love for Derek Shepherd is undeniable and his relationship with Meredith is one of the cutest aspects of the show, I think that the friendship between Cristina and Meredith is easily the best part. As much as Derek loved Meredith, there is a whole new type of love between best friends. A best friend is a reflection of yourself, who just understands you. Only a best friend would tell you "Don't let what he wants eclipse what you need. He's very dreamy, but he's not the sun, you are." Thank God for best friends.

When I was approximately 20 months old, I sincerely doubt that I had any idea who my best friend would be when I would be 20 years old. It's possible, because who knows what I really thought back then, but on August 16, of 1998, I doubt that I could've told you that my best friend joined me in the world that day, in the form of my cousin, Kaitlyn Marie. As we like to say nowadays, we're actually sisters, but our parents knew even then that they couldn't handle that, hence making us cousins. Even though I know it's not biologically true, I believe to this day that we will always be sisters, because as much as Kaitlyn is a part of me, I'm a part of her; Kaitlyn is my better half. Who I am today is because I was blessed with such an amazing best friend, so I thought I'd share my favorite parts of our friendship.

1. We love the same Netflix shows (and share a binge-watching addiction)

Even if we can't always watch a show together in person, she's always down to watch and rewatch seasons of our favorite shows so that we can share in mutual happiness of new episodes, and reflect upon the old good days of earlier seasons. She gets me.

2. We put up with each other

As much as I'd like to say we're both perfect, we're both a little crazy, sometimes a little b*tchy, and frequently a pain in the ass. No matter how much I annoy her, or she annoys me, at the end of the day, we both know how much we mean to each other, and know that we couldn't get through the day without each other.

3. No one makes us laugh as hard (We're also just the funniest)

There's times where one of us will start telling a story, and as we're telling the story it becomes less words and more laughing just because the story is clearly so funny, and the other one starts laughing just because we're laughing, even though we don't actually know the story, just because we love laughing together. Then the story will finally come out, and we're both laughing just because the other one is laughing, and people stare at us like we're crazy because neither of us is even saying words. That, is the best kind of laughter there is.

4. We'll always be there for each other

Although we are approximately 621 miles apart, which would make it very easy for us to allow distance in our friendship, we've stayed as close as ever. I know that even on a Saturday night at 3 am after a night out, I can FaceTime her and she will always pick up. (It's actually our fairly frequent weekend tradition). I also know that if I FaceTime her the morning after because I'm "sick", she'll answer again and immediately make me feel better. She's always there for me.

5. We can't imagine our lives without each other

She's my person, my better half. A life without her is something I simply can't imagine. In today's world, this definitely gets put into perspective each and every day; as I get older, I understand that more bad things can happen, and I feel so lucky to have someone that I can't imagine ever losing. (Also, we're family, so she's kind of stuck with me).

6. We've always got each other's backs

Whether it be me rapid texting her approximately 11 messages in a row or leaving a 10 minute long voicemail, she always is the first to find out when someone has hurt me or been mean, and every single time, she's pretty much ready to fight them. While she's not always there to say something to the aforementioned rude person, she's always ready with sassy remarks about them.

7. Regardless of who we meet and what we do, we always have each other

Considering that we live in two entirely different states, it could be easy to feel that we're "drifting apart" or simply not as close as we used to be. Although we both have our own lives, and our own people, she will always be my person. We may not talk everyday (lol unlikely), but she is still the person who knows me inside out and loves me anyways. Props.

8. We will never be finished

Even though I cry pretty much every time we separate, I know that it's never really the end. She and I have no finish point, our stories may not have began at the same time, but they will forever overlap. She's family, and my best friend, and I need her in my life as much as she needs me. We may continue to be far away from each other for now, but I know that we will always have an "us".

9. We pick each other up when we're down

The day after my graduation party, when I felt like my life was rapidly changing and I just didn't know what to do, my family and I all went out boating and had a fair amount of my uncle's hooch (non-alcoholic of course!!). Kaitlyn and I had been talking and I ended up crying to her about how I didn't know how much I would get to see her once I went to school and what would I do without her, and she immediately made me laugh so hard that hooch came out my nose. True story.

10. We'll probably be those crazy old ladies

For anyone who knows us, they would know that Kaitlyn and I can get a little obnoxious but still be very funny together. We're pretty much attached at the hip when we get to be together, which I can only assume will continue into our old age. Good luck to our families, present and future.

11. We've seen the best and the worst sides of each other

Kaitlyn is the person that has been through truly the good, the bad, and the ugly with me. She's seen me cry, she's seen me laugh, she's even been there while I peed. At the end of the day, there's no one else I'd rather share myself with, no matter what weird things one of us did. She knows my biggest secrets, and I know that she will guard them wholeheartedly and always comfort me when I need it.

12. Who needs boys when we have each other?

Regardless of what guy I'm "into", Kaitlyn ranks above him. After all, I know that if my relationship with a guy ends, life goes on, whatever, but if something ever came between Kaitlyn and I, I wouldn't even know how to cope. She is my coping, she's my soulmate.

13. We're best friends.

"Time passes and we may be apart, but cousins always stay close at heart." Kaitlyn is the best best friend I could ever imagine. She's kind, sweet, caring, talented, and an amazing individual. I'm lucky to be able to call her my best friend. "At the end of the day, when it comes down to it, all we really want is to be close to somebody. So this thing where we all keep our distance and pretend not to care about each other, it's usually a load of bull. So we pick and choose who we want to remain close to, and once we've chosen those people, we tend to stick close by. No matter how much we hurt them. The people that are still with you at the end of the day, those are the ones worth keeping. And sure, sometimes close can be too close. But sometimes, that invasion of personal space, it can be exactly what you need" (Meredith Grey).

Kaitlyn Marie, thank you for loving Grey's Anatomy and me. Thank you for being my for being my forever friend. I love you, Kitty!