Cue the guilt trip. Because family is always complicated.
The expectation is strong. Many people are raised to believe when you are visiting your hometown or where you have family means checking in with family, full stop.
The idea of being nearby and not visiting can be seen as rude, selfish, or even hurtful.
Do you have to, if you don't want to? Is there a situation where it doesn't matter? Is it rude not visiting? Where do you draw the physical and mental lines?
Of course, it depends on that relationship with your family, and if you're anything like it me, it brings up a lot of feelings. Boundaries and family don't always go hand in hand, and it gets even blurrier and complicated with traveling.
If you're traveling, and trip has a business or a specific purpose
In my mind, this is the least fuzzy situation of all, because you're in town for a completely different reason. By nature, these trips often don't really leave a lot of time for drop-ins or extended catch-ups - and that doesn't make you a bad person.
Because you're physically near family doesn't necessarily mean you're there for family. In my opinion, these situations are pretty clear cut.
If you're traveling for fun, and sightseeing
Doing something just because you feel bad isn't the same as doing it out of genuine love or interest. In this case, is it better not to visit at all?
My family is extreme: I have over 21 aunts and uncles on both sides of the family tree, so the odds of having someone in town is usually pretty high. In a family that large, though, not everyone gets along with everyone.
For a long time, I actively avoided them, but with time usually brings perspective, especially as I get older, or when I rarely see them. Every visit counts more, and more. But when I was young, it didn't matter - time seemed to be endless.
Of course, it's your time and money, so there's no requirement to shape your travel plans around other people's expectations. But the perspective has changed as more relatives have passed away.
