I have seven older siblings and two loving and wonderful parents, making us a family of ten counting me, the youngest. The reactions I get when I tell people about my family are varied and honestly, pretty priceless. Everything from disbelief to wonder to absurd questioning follows just hearing the size of my family.

I get asked a lot of questions about my family, mainly things along the lines of “Do you all have the same mom and dad?” and “How did you all fit in the same house?” or (another one of my favorites) “Do you know all of their names and ages?” (For the record, yes I know them all). But the question I get the most is also the most ambiguous.

People always ask me, “What is it like to be a part of such a big family?”

The answer: it’s like a lot of things. It’s like being in Santa’s workshop on Christmas Eve because the sheer number of people and gifts is absurd. It’s like 45 notifications from the “Fam Group-chat.” It’s like having seven best friends. It’s like having nine parents. It’s like having sixteen people on your emergency contact list. It’s like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” in the flesh.

But seriously, more than anything, being a part of a big family is like being a part of a big family. It’s just its own category. There’s not really anything that I can compare it to except other big families.

I truly believe there is a magic that comes with being a large family. Even though it is crazy at times, having an inner circle that is sixteen people deep is so special.

I recently moved out-of-state for college and came home for Thanksgiving weekend to my giant family. It was loud and crazy and hilarious and I loved every minute of it. My Grandma did the dishes stubbornly and gave her disapproving glances to my brothers for not doing the dishes (even though she herself loves to do them to be helpful); I have never understood this complex, but I respect it all the same.

My siblings and I couldn’t avoid political topics entirely, but that was okay because we generally can talk to one another with a lot of respect and kindness despite differences (a feat of giant proportions during these raucous political times).

Despite the fact that my parents have been strict my entire life about not having indoor pets (probably due to the fact that it would be a public health disaster with so many people in one space) a brand new furry addition joined the crew this holiday. My brother brought his dog and everyone was cool about it and it certainly added a lively element to the joint.

My nephews and niece ran around wildly and made tons of noise, yet no one complained because it’s just a part of life. In fact, I personally was so happy to see those tiny humans that it was a welcome sound.

My mom worked tirelessly to make sure everyone had enough to eat and had a place at the table. And of course, random family friends (or sort-of-strangers, it varies year to year) filtered in and out because, for whatever reason, our home has always been a sort of "come one come all" space.

I've never minded this, but it does crack me up how no one ever questions the presence of pretty much anyone who joins our crazy clan for dinner. What’s one more person, right?

And last but not least, as cheesy as it sounds, we all went around and said something we were thankful for. Being a part of a big family can be overwhelming at times. Sure, it is crazy and chaotic and fun, but sometimes it’s easy for me to feel small and lost in the mix. But my family members and I are all parts of the same living and breathing machine that makes up our family.

My siblings are my greatest friends and some of the smartest people I know. My parents are like Father Time and Mother Nature, they created an entire world in our family, and I can’t imagine living without it.

So, in short, what is it like to be a part of such a big family? It's really stinking awesome.