Most people have those families where you see a cousin maybe twice a year for holidays or visit grandma and grandpa every two months for dinner. That was not how my Italian family did things. Growing up, having both sides of my family: five aunts and uncles, eight cousins, and both sets of grandparents, living no more than thirty minutes away, shaped me into the person I am today. Seeing family is an important part of anyone's life, but living so close together means cousins are basically siblings, aunts and uncles are parents (minus punishments), and grandparents are best friends who always have their door open and your favorite food ready for you. When you're sick, you don't get any sleep because everyone needs to make sure you're okay and drop off soup. You can't keep any secrets because once you tell someone, everyone will know. Family vacations down to the Jersey Shore feel normal because you are used to basically living in the same house as everyone. And Sunday afternoons are meant to be spend together over pasta and good food.

No matter what you will always have someone with you. Someone to call after a fight with your parents and will take you to get ice cream and listen to your problems. Someone to go out to lunch with or to the mall. It is like constantly having a best friend around that knows everything about you and just wants you to do well. Even though they embarrass you around boyfriends, smother you to no end, the only thing they want to see is you happy and succeeding in the world.

Living so close to family is the biggest blessing ever. It gives you a family oriented mind, an "open-door policy" heart, and amazing cooking skills. It can help you realize what your passion and purpose is in life and you know that you have full support of the people who love you. Blood is thicker than water.