Buongiorno! Come va?

Us Italians have some of the funniest stereotypes you can think of. From eating pasta five times a week to yelling "thatsa spicy meataball," we take them like champs; however, some of these are quite true. For my Italians, I hope you find just as much enjoyment in reading this as I did in creating it. Even if you're just looking to find out all the quirks that come with this nationality, you may finally understand why your Italian friend always stood out a little more.

As my grandmother would put it, "Basta!" Let the list commence, we've got the Azzurri to watch later and sauce to simmer.

1. You're surrounded by food 24/7.

If there isn't food at your house, walk two houses down to your Nonna's and she'll be sure to have food on the stove. It's safe to say, we have multiple stomachs.

2. Low-carb diets don't exist.

Bread and pasta are the staples for our food intake. Tell your family you're going on a diet and they may have a heart attack.

3. Nothing beats your grandmother's cooking.

Face it, no matter how hard she tries, even your mother can't cook like your Nonna.

4. Kissing everyone hello takes half an hour.

You would always rather be the first to arrive than the last. That way, everyone has to come to you to say hello rather than vice versa.

5. Leaving food on your plate is offensive.

Your grandmother will question why you didn't like her cooking if you leave so much as a crumb on your plate from the seven pieces of bread you ingested.

6. Around the clock Espresso.

Admit it, you have one of these sitting on your stove. We're like the Energizer bunny, we just run off of caffeine instead.

7. Every get-together is a celebration.

Family gatherings will begin around 2 p.m. and it's safe to say you won't be saying your goodbyes until 3 a.m.

8. You only have one volume--LOUD.

Your friends will constantly be telling you to shut it or tone it down a notch, but your family will always say you're too quiet.

9. You had a hunch you were part of the Mafia.

The men are always suspiciously quiet when you bring them their coffee with cigars.

10. You were a pasta expert at the age of four.

Rigatoni, Penne, Tortellini and Conchiglie, you've known pasta shapes since you could speak.

11. Hand gestures are the only form of communication.

Yes, it's true, if our hands were tied, we'd have a difficult time explaining half of what we say to people.

12. Wine is the new water.

It's safe to say we were drinking wine before we hit puberty.

13. Everyone's a cousin.

"Wait, so you could be my second or third cousin twice removed?" At family events, you have no idea who half these people are, but have no fear, they're probably a cousin of yours.

14. The mere sight of this makes you cringe.

15. Never driving more than a mile to visit relatives.

If you're like me, you live a block away from your aunts and grandparents. We tend to keep the family close for random visits.

16. If it's not home-cooked, it's not authentic Italian.

17. You have an Uncle Joe or Aunt Maria.

18. "Basta, only a little Nonna."

Your family never understands portion control and serving sizes

19. Sleeping in isn't possible.

Nonna would wake you up at 7 a.m. for church on Sundays and you knew you'd be cleaning the rest of the day.

20. You ate five courses at family gatherings.

You had to have cheese, salad, main courses, dessert, coffee and biscottis, with room for bread and sausage later on.

21. Shaving is a nightmare.

Us Italians know the struggle of having to shave our legs every day because of our genetics.

22. You're a fanatic about your heritage.

23. Secrets don't last long.

Everyone in your family will know your business by the end of dinner, even if you weren't there.

24. Mama Mia, all the dishes.

It's always been tradition in the family for the women to wash the dishes. Little do the men know, it's when the gossip comes around.

25. Your world revolves around food.

You're content with how much this related to food. We can't help it, we enjoy eating!

26. Above all, you cherish your wacky Italian family.

They will always come first to you, as no one can replace the endless traditions and good times you spend together.