You know you come from a big extended family when....

1. You are familiar with the bug-eyed expression people get when you talk about your family in terms of numbers.

"My dad is one of seven and my mom is one of eleven."

2. Family vacations are often epic, chaotic adventures that result in stories retold for years after.

"That time we almost set Lauren on fire... that time Michaela stepped on a poisonous fish..."

3. It takes you a few minutes to rattle off the names of your first cousins because there are so many of them.

4. You have zero idea how many second or third cousins you have, and counting them would be a waste of time because you probably haven’t even met half of them.

5. Your family has a holiday that everyone comes to town for.

6. When “only 30 people” show up to said holiday, it’s considered a quiet year.

7. Bringing a significant other to this overwhelmingly large gathering of people for the first time is a big deal. It is probably the most legit form of pre-initiation into the family that exists.

8. You dreaded saying goodbye when you were little because it meant you had to find every single person in the whole damn house and give them a hug and a kiss.

You've mastered the Irish Exit as you've gotten older.

9. Getting drunk with your cousins at family events is legendary.

10. There are probably some relatives who you haven’t seen in upwards of four years

11. You have one or more relatives that live life ~alternatively~.

12. You identify with “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” on multiple levels, even if being Greek isn’t one of them. For example....

13. Your big cousins were like the older brothers and sisters you never had, and the cousins your age were some of your first best friends.

14. There is bound to be some drama. You have seen and heard the good, the bad, and the very ugly....

15. .... but at the end of the day, you have the biggest and best support system standing behind you every single day, even if they’re far away. You wouldn’t trade this crazy bunch for the world.