Aussie Christmas.

{I learned how to dive for the first time in my life. I also forgot my swimsuit (to a pool party, I know!) and had to borrow some boys clothes to swim in, until I found my swimsuit hanging up in the bathroom from a previous pool party I thought I had lost.}

{a true aussie Christmas tree}

{my amazing photography skills worked wonders on M}

{the boys trying to do handstands and mostly failing}

{the most amazing chocolate ever, I got a bunch as a Christmas present from the "room 14 elves" aka my roommates :) so sweet Xx}

I woke up, threw off the covers, and looked out my window. It didn’t look a thing like Christmas. Bright blue skies and even bluer water!  It didn’t feel like Christmas either, it was about 90 degrees already and it was only 8am!  I went snorkeling, swimming, and had a few hours of tanning and reading on the beach, but I still missed my family more than ever.  On my way to the pool party, the beautiful florals and warm sunshine heated me up.  I have never been more home sick in my life, and all I could think about was a white Christmas back home with my family and friends. Finally, after trying to catch a train, my friend S picked me up, champagne in hand and started singing Christmas carols in the taxi to cheer me up. It was a Christmas I will never forget, spent with amazing friends that I will never forget.  Why do all the Christmas songs talk about a white Christmas? To half the world this is normal for Christmas day.  Where are the songs about a sandy, hot Christmas? It took a few Christmas songs blasting and Aussie Christmas decorations to get us in the Christmas spirit, but we had an amazing day.  My friend from Ireland’s parents were here in Australia visiting her, and her mum made the most amazing dinner ever!  My favorites were the cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire pudding!  We had prawn salad to begin with, traditional turkey dinner, and grapes & cheese for dessert.  It was fabulous. I spent the day with friends from all over the UK, and they introduced me to the amazing Christmas Crackers! Which are amazing and I wish we had them.  You pull on both sides of the Christmas cracker, and whoever gets the larger end gets a prize, a joke, and a crown!  Sometimes you have to give up the comforts of what's normal to you, and open your mind to a new and different way of doing things. It turned out to be the perfect Australia Christmas, but I am excited to celebrate the usual way when I get home for a re-do.