I was convinced I just didn’t like holidays anymore. In my mind, I equated them with all stress and no fun.

But that finally changed a year and a half ago when our family moved away from Nashville and began our conversion to living a quieter life in Fort Payne, Alabama.

Last weekend, for the first time ever, I chose to participate in decorating our family’s Christmas tree. Every year until now, I had always found something else to be doing instead. My subsconscious perceived holiday-related activities as some kind of personal attack on my sense of well-being and inner peace.

So, what has changed to make my heart grow three sizes? I figured it out. It’s because I’m not having to travel anymore for the holidays. No more having to drive three hours out of state after having worked all week, only to have to try to get kids bathed and then not be able to sleep in my own bed, using my own pillow.

It’s not really that groundbreaking of a concept, I guess: That traveling out of state makes any holiday more stressful. After all, so many classic American movies have plots based around this concept. Consider Planes, Trains, and Automobiles or Home Alone as obvious examples.

We’re all in it right now. The cliche: “The hustle and bustle of Christmas”.

Yet I feel fine. Because I am not traveling. I am sleeping in my own bed, using my own pillow.

Not only am I not feeling any kind of holiday-related stress right now, but I am specifically enjoying the holidays.

In my effort to understand why, I considered this: Why is it that my wife is drawn to Hallmark movies?

Part of it is that the plot almost always revolves around a small town and its signature traditional event associated with Christmas: A pageant, a ball, a market or festival… and it causes the two main characters to fall in love.

And where we live now, whatever the season, there is always a signature traditional event either where we live or in a nearby town. During the sunny months, our town hosts “3rd Saturday Cruise-In” where the main street shuts down for the evening, as classic car owners like my dad line up their vehicles for everyone to come check out.

In February, it’s the DeKalb County Children’s Advocacy Play. On the 4th of July, it’s the fireworks show in the field behind the high school.

Last weekend, it was Christmas with the Alpacas at TMMA Farms in Trion, Georgia.

This past Friday, it was the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade. I find it hilarious that my California-native wife not only happily went along with the seemingly “very Alabama” idea of standing on the back of a Jeep and throwing candy and old Beanie Babies in the parade, she thought, “Why not also toss out some Ramen and oatmeal too?”…

So we did. It was equal parts ridiculous and heartwarming, as our entire family was heavily  involved with our small town’s signature traditional event.

It’s official: Now that the traveling aspect has been removed, I like the holidays. That was the problem for me all along.

I am no longer the Grinch.