For the past several years, I made it a point to get out of town on Thanksgiving, with my excuse it was my birthday weekend and the perfect time to use some vacation days. Plus, why stay in one place when you can go somewhere else? I asked. If my and my husband’s families wanted to see us for the holiday, they’d have to catch us the day before, because we’d be out of there as early as Wednesday. Chicago was always my destination of choice, and my plans were always simple — great food, lots of shopping and lots of drinks.

This year, however, the tables have turned, and I am returning to my birthplace for Thanksgiving — a small town in Kentucky. It’s not exciting, the Black Friday shopping is limited to Walmart or JC Penney’s, and the WiFi is spotty at best. I will be making half of Thanksgiving dinner instead of ordering it off a menu, and my tequila will be replaced by sweet tea because I have to “behave myself” for the family.

So why go? I asked myself the same thing until I realized that, sometimes, regardless of all the places you can or want to travel, the best place to go is where you came from in the first place. Sometimes it’s better to serve up a poorly made pecan pie than to order a chef’s reinterpretation of pie off a gourmet menu. Sometimes it’s better to rack up points on Guitar Hero with my little brother than rack up points on my credit card from an overabundance of Black Friday shopping. Sometimes it’s just nice to be with the people you care about for the holidays.

Before the rush of 2016 travel starts up again, make time to travel back to where you came from. You may find you enjoy it more than you’re expecting.

— Holly Riddle, marketing & sales assistant