From back roads to plane rides, Thanksgiving break takes people around the country. For some, it is vacation time, while for others, there is family tradition.

Sophomore Tristan Susoeff kills two birds with one stone. Susoeff and his family travel to California every year for Thanksgiving.

“We go from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3.We try to go out there every Thanksgiving to visit family and just check out stuff like the Redwoods and Yosemite,” Susoeff said. “We always drive around one day and just explore. Usually we go to Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose.”

While some students journey to other states, others find traditions a little closer to home.

Senior Tyler Purtle and his family connect at his house for a day of family bonding.

“The whole family comes. None from out of state; some just live farther than others. My two nieces are 6 and 4, then my two cousins that are 17 and 13. Then everybody else is older. My sister, Ashley, and my Aunt Tina bring their dogs, too. We eat and play football or basketball, maybe even basketball,” Purtle said.

Thanksgiving tradition is not always consistent, especially for sophomore Katherine Roberts. Robert’s divorced parents switch off Thanksgiving each year. With a Chinese father and an American mother, the celebration is very different.

“When I’m with my dad, we go to my grandmother’s house and eat Asian food. There is a stew that she makes with rice, chicken and vegetables that is so good. But when I’m with my mom, we just stay at home and do the typical turkey and cranberry sauce. It’s cool to celebrate it two different cultures,” Roberts said.

No matter where the holiday takes you, Thanksgiving is for family.

“It’s not very traditional, but it’s good enough for me,” Roberts said.