Family. Though many complain and wish for a different set of genes (sometimes out of embarrassment, other times out of anger), you can’t change those chromosomes that bond you to your family. Though "family" might mean you are biologically related to certain people in your life, it can mean a whole lot more when it involves putting in the time and energy it takes to be involved in the lives of these people and making sure your love and support is always there for them.

I have always had a unique relationship with my extended family. While some may live close to their relatives or see them every holiday and multiple times in the summer, I only get the opportunity to see my family once a year on the Jersey Shore (still sad I have never met Snooki or Jwoww). Even though my family is lined up on the East and West Coast while I'm stuck living in corn fields, there is something about the quality of the time spent with my family that makes them feel much more like siblings and second parents than cousins, aunts, and uncles...

...And I’m not just talking about a few here and there. With my dad being from a family of 11 kids and my mom of 5 kids, I can assure you that I have more than a surplus of cousins, aunts, and uncles, thus making the get-togethers that much more exciting (and sometimes dramatic). The thing is, my family knows how to enjoy the time given, dedicating that one week every year to solely family affairs. From beaching it together, to spending countless hours bent over the Settlers of Catan board (lets just say relationships have been tested over this game), we are always guaranteed to have a week full of sun, fun, and excellent food (thank you mom for being Lebanese).

There’s really nobody else I would rather spend hours catching up with and eating too many calories with. We may not be around each other for the majority of the year, but we seem to know each other as well as any of my other friends and we fight like siblings. While at college, you can bet that I receive constant updates about one cousin’s sorority, the other's current boy interests, and other crazy occurrences that have been happening while I’ve been away.

Even though family may not be extremely important to some or taken for granted by others, the distance and time apart is a blessing and an opportunity for my family and me to grow closer together. I may not see them on a regular basis or be an active member in their everyday lives, but somehow we push past the obstacles to form a strong, connected front. We do this by not only choosing to be a close-knit family, but also by owning up to our dysfunctional family genes and enjoying the short time we have.