I can remember a time in my life when I enjoyed time with my friends more than time with my family (or so I thought). It seemed like there was always somewhere I would rather be. Sadly, I see kids who think this way all the time—they don’t realize that family is what’s truly important.

I just spent 11 days in Santa Barbara with my family. Although we vacation in Santa Barbara every summer, we’ve never stayed for so long. Taking 11 days off work seemed crazy for all of us, but we were excited.

It turns out that a stress-free vacation is just what everyone needed. My mom got to run on the beach and catch up on her reading. My step-dad got to sleep in and make breakfast every day (which he loves). My siblings and I loved spending six hours a day on the beach, only to come back to the house and get in the pool. I’ve never seen my family laugh so much and worry so little.

I even witnessed my 14-year-old brother say, “Excuse me? It’s family time” every time he saw one of us on our phones. And if you know him, you know this is unheard of. But he was right! All we needed was right in front of us.

The older I get, the more I appreciate the little things in life. It’s the time we spend with the people who love us the most that means the most. As I reflect on my vacation, I’ve come to a realization. Contrary to what I thought when I was a kid, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.