Growing up, my family was always super into traditions. Holidays, vacations and even just weekly meals were always full of tradition and importance. As I have gotten older, it has been fun to form my own traditions while still maintaining all of mine from my childhood.

Since 1999, the year I was born, I have gone to Anna Maria Island with the same three families every Fourth of July. We always piled up in the same house and went to the beach all day, every day. The cover photo for this article was actually taken on one of those trips. We always had the best times and I will cherish those memories for the rest of my life. Obviously, as time goes on, things change. College, conflicting schedules and a whole lot of other things tend to get in the way. But that's okay because traditions are meant to be changed.

Another tradition I have made for myself is my annual Christmas party. My junior year of high school is when I truly fell in love with Christmas. I decided to throw an ugly sweater party and made all of my friends participate. It turned out to be so much fun and this year will be my fifth party. It is a great way to get all of my friends and family under one roof for the holidays. Right now the party is always at my parent's house. I'm excited for the year I'll be able to host it in my own house (once I move out of my studio apartment). But that's okay because traditions are meant to be changed.

Remember, not all traditions can last forever. Some are meant to be broken and some are meant to be changed. That is just the way life seems to go. It is never too late to start a tradition. Traditions make the world go round. They make the hard times easier and the long days shorter. To me, they are the best indicator of a true and loyal friendship.