Growing up, I was very much the typical Christmas-loving kid. I would spend hours and hours decorating our Christmas tree, made sure every single room in our house was “Christmasfied,” and was all about traditions. We had this little Gingerbread plate for Santa’s cookies and these stockings that my Grandma made us and I associated those decorations with Christmas, no decorations, no Christmas. Then it all changed three years ago, we bought a condo in Arizona and decided to celebrate Christmas there. I was devastated.I would say goodbye to waking up to a real Christmas tree, there would definitely be no chance of a White Christmas, and even after hours and hours of persuading, we couldn’t bring the gingerbread plate on the plane. I was very disappointed, but everyone else seemed to be excited so I decided to have a new Christmas philosophy, which brings me to my first rule, go with the flow. I ended up having such an amazing holiday that year and for the last three Christmas’s. I tried things I would never have tried, like getting over my fear of heights and hiking Camelback Mountain or going horseback riding on an Indian Reserve.

As for Christmas morning, we decided that before presents we would walk around the golf course. Which brings me to my second rule, make new traditions. Sure, I miss being “home for the holidays,” but I realized something, my third rule. Home is whom you are with, not where you physically are. Although Arizona is not my home, I felt like it was because I was surrounded my family. We may not have a real Christmas tree in Arizona, but the White Winter Fir room spray does a pretty good job. The gingerbread plate may not be able to travel with us, but we found a great deal on a Christmas plate at Kohls (thanks to those after Christmas sales). And I might not get to experience a White Christmas, but while people in my hometown are freezing their hands off, I get to soak in the sun. This Christmas, we decided to break off the Arizona tradition for a year and travel to Florida, and I cannot wait. Each Christmas is another chance to make new traditions and memories, but one thing will always stay the same, the true meaning of Christmas and my last rule, Christmas isn’t about the presents, the decorations, or the snow, it is about family and the love you have for one another.