I consider myself a "home bird." I love my family dearly. They say that friends are the family you choose. But given my choice, I wouldn't want another family. My family is my everything. We are always in constant communication with each other, whether it's over text, email, phone calls, drop in's, or family gatherings.

As you can probably tell, I grew up in a close knit family. My grandparents live practically down the street from me. My aunts and uncles all live within a 30-minute radius of me. I see my family all the time. My oldest cousin, Annabelle, and I are less than three months apart, and we are the oldest grandchildren. Being so close in age, we grew up together. I have known her since I was born. We went to separate grade schools, but went to high school together and ended up being in the same friend circle before parting ways and attending separate colleges. She's one of my best friends. We have an infinite number of inside jokes, memories, and countless stories.

Next came Annabelle's sister, Lily, then my sister, Erin, then Annabelle's brother, Aidan, and then finally our cousin, Abbie. We all grew up together and visited each other quite frequently. Before going to day care and elementary school, my cousins were my first friends. My forever friends.

Since my birth, this eccentric gang have been some of my favorite people. From spending countless summers together, meeting up on snow days and days off from school, creating silly games, vacations together, and everything in between, my cousins are so much more than just "my people." They're my first ever friends, who have been here longer than any other friends in my life. I long for the day when we start to get married and settle down, and our kids get to have the same close relationship we did. When I'm at college, I'm the farthest from home. But getting snapchats from my cousins, sending silly photos in our group chats, and doing FaceTime calls makes my next step in life all worth while. Knowing they're only a phone call away has made my transition into my independent life that much easier. Family is everything, and although we may not necessarily choose them, I'd choose mine any day.