Disclaimer: I am not professional of any sort, I do not give “professional” or “medical” advice, my blogs are simply my religious beliefs, biblical devotions, and personal opinions.

On a whim, I decided that one of my bucket list trips... The one I've dreamed about since I was a little girl-has waited long enough.

So, I booked a trip to New York City at Christmas!!!!!

Everyone who knows me personally knows that Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. There's just something magical about it. Maybe that's cheesy. Maybe it's corny. But I don't care. It's how I've always felt.

What I love about Christmas isn't the shopping or trying to outdo the year before with bigger and better gifts. I don't spend much time thinking about what was under the tree.

What I remember are the moments.

The anticipation of Christmas morning.

The excitement of counting down the days.

The family nights piled on the couch watching The Grinch for the 400th time.

Crying during It's a Wonderful Life.

Driving around looking at Christmas lights.

The traditions.

The laughter.

The feeling.

Those are the things that stayed with me.

And if we're being honest, that's probably why I became a photographer in the first place. Not because of the pictures themselves, but because of the memories they represent.

So when I think about New York at Christmas, I don't think about a city.

I think about standing in front of the Rockefeller Tree for the first time.

Walking through Central Park with a cup of hot chocolate.

Seeing the decorated storefront windows.

Watching the city lights come alive after dark.

Ice skating... or more realistically, trying not to embarrass myself while ice skating.

Seeing Times Square.

Watching my child experience all of it through the eyes of a little boy who loves Christmas just as much as his mama does.

And honestly, that might be what I'm most excited about.

Because if you know my kid, you know Christmas is serious business around our house. He loves the lights. He loves Santa. He loves the excitement and wonder of it all. Every year he reminds me a little bit of myself as a child.

I can already picture him seeing the giant tree for the first time, taking in all the lights, and experiencing a Christmas that feels larger than life.

Those are the moments I'm chasing.

Now, some people may think, "It's just New York."

But for me, it's always felt like a dream because there's one tiny detail standing in the way...

I'm absolutely terrified of flying.

Not "a little nervous."

Not "I don't love it."

Terrified.

The kind of terrified where I'll spend the next several months convincing myself that every little bump, noise, ding, and movement of the airplane is completely normal.

The kind where I'll probably have my hand glued to the armrest while silently negotiating with the Lord at 30,000 feet.

The kind where I may need Will to remind me every five minutes that airplanes do, in fact, fly every single day.

But I've finally decided that some dreams are worth being scared for.

And maybe that's part of the lesson.

Sometimes the things we want most in life are sitting on the other side of the things that scare us.

So this Christmas, you'll find me boarding a plane with a nervous smile, a camera around my neck, and a little boy beside me who cannot wait to experience the magic.

And if you know me at all, you already know one thing for certain...

There will be an unreasonable amount of photos involved.

As Kevin McCallister once said...

"This is it. Don't get scared now."

Christmas in New York

On a whim, I decided that one of my bucket list trips... The one I've dreamed about since I was a little girl-has waited long enough.

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