When I bring a friend to a family function, they are completely overwhelmed by how big of a family I have. They turn and ask, "How on earth am I supposed to remember everybody's names?" or say, "Wow, I bet there's a lot of drama being in a family so big." But the truth is I love how big my family is. On both my mother's and father's side, there's so many relatives and extended family that we stay in touch with and visit. I also have family all around the world, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and even across the Atlantic throughout different cities in Italy.

Having a big family makes life so much fun. Family functions are always full of so much laughter, love, and food. Whenever we host something at my house, I usually expect a few family members to stay until at least 1 a.m. sitting around a bonfire, chatting and spending time together. And you should see how much of a party our weddings are. No matter what type of reception, my family from near and far will all be right there together on that dance floor doing the Cha Cha Slide and not giving a care in the world about how silly they might look.

I also love that no matter how large a number of people in my family there are, we are still a close-knit family who supports each other and are there when anyone is in need. I've been dancing since I was two years old, and at every recital every year I always had an extra big group in the audience to cheer me on. Having not only your parents, but also siblings, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, cousins, and even second cousins show up to watch you perform and support you is such an amazing feeling. It's a small gesture, but growing up with their encouragement about doing what I love has always made me feel so blessed and important.

Distance has absolutely nothing on my family. I have taken many trips to Michigan to visit my family, just as many of them have taken trips here to seen us. Family from Pennsylvania road trips here often to spend time with us and even my family from Italy travels here to spend a week or two in America with us. We don't even speak the same language, but still, cry our eyes out when it's time to say goodbye. Having a large family (especially all around the world) really makes you realize the importance of time and how much you should appreciate and cherish your memories made with the ones you love.

Holidays are always hectic but in a good way. On both sides of my family, you can hardly fit everyone in the same room when it's time to open presents on Christmas, let alone trying to fit everyone around the same dinner table. Family dinners are usually spread out between two or three rooms and contain so much food that you think you're going to have to be rolled out of the house when it's time to leave. However as much food as there is, if there are mashed potatoes there, we all know better to expect any leftovers of them.

Lastly, I love being a part of such a big family because I was raised in a world with so much love, discipline, and appreciation for those around me. I was taught to always share with my cousins. I was taught to always say thank you. I was taught to be considerate of my family members and help them with tasks like cleaning up or doing the dishes. I was thrown into a position of having a role model, but also being one as well. I look up to my older cousins, just as my younger ones look up to me. I am surrounded by people who cheer me on and want to see me succeed. I am surrounded by aunts who share my articles every week, hyping me up and making me feel proud of my work. I am surrounded by cousins who work at the same restaurant as me and are there to vent and hang out outside of work. I have the sweetest grandparents who are so selfless and giving to others that it makes me so proud to be their granddaughter. I have siblings who tease me but are always the first people there to defend me.

And lastly, I have the two best parents in the world, who have raised me to be able to notice how amazing my family is and also show me every day how blessed and proud I am to call them my parents.