A busy travel day for some as they make their way home for Christmas

This time of year many people are spending it with family and friends.

The Union Train Station in Utica was quite busy Monday afternoon as people were coming home for the Christmas holiday.

Eyewitness News Reporter Jennifer Lee spoke with one family who traveled all the way from Arizona.

The Cummings family started their trip at 5:30 in the morning on Saturday, stopped in Chicago to pick up a family member. And today they finally made it to Central New York, where they plan on spending the next few days with their extended family.

"I've always wanted to do a cross-country trip and a family travel trip," said Jacquelyn Maglaya Cummings.

Cummings decided she wanted to spend this year's Christmas in Central New York.

An Arizona resident, she moved away from the Mohawk Valley in 1981. She says back again for the first time in seventeen years.

"I'm from a large Italian family and they are all still here. There are a whole bunch of cousins lined up here so we will be spending Christmas with them," explained Cummings.

Jacquelyn says it feels good to be back in her hometown.

"I love this train station. I'm running around taking videos of it. I remember this. I used to take the train down to NYC when I lived here," said Cummings.

She says this Christmas is going to be a little different from the sunny, warm weather her kids are used to.

But, she says they will be carrying out their family traditions here in Central New York.

"I'm going to show them where i grew up. My family had a cottage. And we are going to show them that. The school I went to, the church I went to," said Cummings.

Jacquelyn says she has been documenting the whole trip in her journal as well as taking photos.

Her and her three kids will also be making a quick stop to the big apple while they're here.