[where I work]
After almost five months of one teenager or another at home, I can't quite believe that on Monday I won't have any interruptions or distractions or requests or chat during the day, and that I'll be able to occupy my personal space, well, personally.
Tom moved into a flat with friends a week or so ago and has been doing a week's work experience (an 'internship' in CV language), but is now a full-time student again. And, as of yesterday, Alice is at university. She decided to give it another go; as soon as she left the first one, she reapplied for this year and got a place at a university that should suit her far better. She held onto it even though she wasn't sure until quite recently whether she'd be going. She was then offered a room in her first-choice hall of residence, and things just came together. With the minimum fuss she got ready and went off, and now she's a student. She has had a fine gap year, earned a living, proved herself to be extremely well suited to the world of work, gained lots of new skills and friends, and now knows she's very employable. Plus, she saved lots of money so won't be a penniless undergraduate. And now we just wait and see how things go.
In the meantime, we have two newly very clean and tidy bedrooms. You lose a couple of teenagers, but gain some space. And, lest we become too fussy and houseproud, we still have one messy one at home to keep things real.
