As I grab my bag from the overhead I hear, “we have arrived at JFK, welcome to New York.”
Words I never thought I would hear in my life. I come from a small town with a population of about 23K. I would’ve been lucky just to leave the city, let alone Texas. New York City was nothing but a dream.
What’s also mind blowing is the how and why I was able to go… Because of my camera. Photography was able to make my dreams a reality.
I’ll never forget getting off the train and getting out the tunnel to see all the buildings. I can still hear the sounds of the people, taxis honking and the shutter of my camera.
That was back in September 2019. But I still think about that moment. Standing in JFK, realizing I’d actually made it.
Growing up in Eagle Pass, New York felt unreachable, a dream. A place I’d see in movies or hear about in songs, but never somewhere I’d actually be. Eagle Pass has about 23,000 people. Everyone knows everyone here. You see the same faces, the same streets, the same shops. I don’t hate it, it’s my hometown, but I also felt stuck there. Like the world was happening somewhere else and I was watching it on my tv.
When I moved to San Antonio, things opened up a little. I started shooting portraits and headshots, building something that was mine. The camera became more than just a hobby. It helped me connected with people, then turned into how I made a living. And slowly, I started saving. It went into my piggy bank lol.
The flight itself was surreal. Not only was it my first time I was traveling by myself, but it was also the first time getting on a plane, and I was going to New York.
When the pilot said, “we have arrived at JFK, welcome to New York,” that’s when it got both real and surreal.
Getting off the train and coming up out of the tunnel, that’s the moment that’s burned into my memory. The buildings taller than anything I’d ever seen. The noise, the movement, the energy. I could hear taxis honking, people talking in a dozen different languages, and the click of my shutter as I tried to photograph it all.
I spent three days there, just walking and shooting. The Manhattan Bridge at golden hour. DUMBO is still my favorite place. I know everyone love Manhattan, but Brooklyn has a special place in my heart.
That trip feels like forever ago. I ended up stepping back from photography for a while to pursue my graphic design degree, and I’m slowly getting back to it. Balancing both in my freelance work, trying to make space for the things that first made me fall in love with creating.
But I’m grateful I took that trip when I did. Grateful that I saved every dollar, booked that flight, and went by myself even though I was nervous. Grateful that I have those three days, those photos, that moment coming out of the subway tunnel.
I thought I was going to be the guy that never leaves Eagle Pass, but I still made my dream a reality.
I don’t know what’s next, but I’ grateful and proud that I’ve been to New York. And I know nothing can stop me to get to my next destination.
