All good things must come to an end, even Christmas break. As students pile their suitcases and load up their cars to head back to school, there is a void that is left at home. Your inhabitances create a shift to the balance that Mom and Dad and your siblings have created- most spend all Christmas break trying to compensate for this shift. Whether it be buying copious amounts of groceries (when I came home to avocados on the kitchen table I thought I was dreaming), or maybe your parents screams for you to wash the dishes after your siblings have taken over this role the previous months- who knew one body could cause such a rift.

When I come home, I’m usually greeted warmly. Usually. Give it fifteen minutes, and it is like World War III in our household. A peace has been created as a result of my absence. My sister has full privileges of the family’s car. The DVR is never warning them of too many shows being recorded at once. The phone chargers are never wandering away from their rightful owners. Oh, and a case of Miller Lite usually lasts my Dad a little longer. Not to say me being home is an inconvenience for my family- it is just a change. So what happens when you leave to go back to school

Mom cries a lot.

She may not admit it when you are home, but the moment you flea the nest the water works start.

Your siblings get the family car back.

It was a rough few weeks of fighting over the car keys, but you leaving gives your sibling full access to freedom

A new chore chart must be created.

Now that you are no longer at home to complete some of the domestic duties, Mom and Dad have to reassess who is taking out the trash and who is doing the dishes.

Less grocery shopping.

Admit it, months of dining hall food can take a toll on anyone. While you are home eating everything and anything in sight is inevitable and your parents soon become frequent flyers at the local grocery store.

Mom has one less person to gossip with.

Suddenly there is one less person to keep tabs on; Mom has grown so used to being able to gossip about everyone she doesn’t know. Your siblings brace for impact.

There is one less person to blame.

When you were home 3 people were blamed for letting the dog out before we had to be somewhere important. Now that you have left only 2 people can be blamed

The house feels empty.

Even though you might have caused a few fights here and there, everyone loves when the whole family is together under one roof.

While you are busy starting up your new semester, the shift you caused is slowly balancing. Nothing extreme is changing at home, but Dad taking the long way home from the doctors appointment and Mom taking you out to lunch even though you had plans with friends is their way of saying they miss you while you are at school- even though you ate the last chocolate chip cookie.