I swore I'd never move back to my hometown. When I became a mom, I changed my mind so I could be close to my parents.

The author decided to stay in her hometown after becoming a wife and a mother.

Courtesy of Lindsay Karp

• While in college, I swore that I would never move back to my hometown, wanting to see the world.
• But a mysterious illness brought me back, and I stayed once I had kids.
• Now, I love being back home because we live close to my parents.

"I'll never move back," I often told my college friends of my suburban hometown outside Philadelphia. "It's not exciting....