As we get older, I have heard that some people think family vacations are overrated. I have been going on basically the same vacation for 18 years now and I would beg to differ. It might be because of how great my family is, but our giant family vacation is something I look forward to every summer. Here are just a few of the many reasons family vacations really are the best:

1. You get to eat junk food.

Since you're on vacation, your parents buy Pop Tarts and Lucky Charms instead of organic fruit bars and Whole Grain Chex. It's the one week where you can eat absolutely anything and get away with it. Diets basically go out the window and no one cares in the least.

2. Nothing beats family time.

There are very few things that beat a sibling or cousin bond, and this week, you are inseparable. You get to see members of your family that you probably don't get to spend time with very often.

3. You have a partner in crime for every situation.

Do you need someone to go midnight swimming with you? Or perhaps someone to stay at the bonfire with you until 3 a.m.? Or even someone to sneak away to the nearest Dairy Queen with? Lucky for you, every accomplice you would possibly need is within walking distance.

4. Your bikini body doesn't need to be bikini ready.

No one is less likely to judge you than your family. And since we're all in the same boat, we all understand that your diet has only consisted of junk food for the past week.

5. Getting to have group dinners.

It's always fun to get to share meals with your whole family. Even more so when it consists of people who you don't get to share a meal with that often. It's always nice to have the whole family together. Piles of barbecued steak, hot dogs, burgers, veggie burgers, salmon and more are a delightful feast.

6. Boring things are fun with family.

The Lumberjacks Monument would usually be quite uninteresting but your family can make anything more entertaining. And the sand dunes are always a little more fun when your cousin goes tumbling past you down the hill.

7. Reminiscing on previous vacations.

Everyone loves sitting around the campfire and bringing up stories from past vacations. Such as the time your cousin took a particularly dramatic fall down the sand dunes.

8. You get to be a little kid again.

Since you're spending time with younger family members, you get away with playing silly games. No one can judge you for playing flashlight tag or sharks and minnows in the water.

Who says family vacations aren't the best? These reasons are only some of the many reasons why.