#24: See the Nutcracker ballet

As a little girl, I think I watched the movie The Nutcracker about a million times. It's the Love Actually of my childhood. Anyways, for some reason I'm really into a big, traditional Christmas. I like the dressing up, the food, going to midnight mass, making gingerbread houses... Everything Christmas-related feels like it should be done. So, of course, I always wished to have my grandmother take me to the ballet (and preferably I got to wear a beautiful poofy dress). Alas! I lived in the middle of nowhere, so clearly there was no ballet, and so I never went.

That is the story of how seeing The Nutcracker around Christmas time landed on my university bucket list. I rallied my bestest and closest friends, we dressed up, and to the ballet we went! It was even better than my inner young girl had hoped. The costumes, the choreography, the music... I left the theater filled with Christmas cheer and peace. And the promise to bring my own granddaughter to see it one day.

We had amazing seats on the first balcony.

My favorite dancers of the show, their dance definitely got my eyes a little teary.

The very talented little girl who played Clara.