Weird (in a Good Way) Christmas

Christmas this year was weird. Not in a bad way....just weird. Strange, maybe....but only because it was SO different. But, for as weird as it was, it was also fun, relaxing and new.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I have never ben away from home and my family for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I knew I would miss home desperately during the holiday season, but had no idea how very much. BUT, as with many experiences this year, I not only survived the new experience but enjoyed it thoroughly due to my new "family of friends" in Sydney.


The holiday season coincides with my firm's 4th quarter, which is at the same time the most stressful and exciting time of the year. It's when we transact a fair amount of our annual business and where my team members see all their hard work across a calendar year culminate in all kinds of success. I just love it. This was my 14th fourth quarter with my firm, but this one felt different. The energy of my team was the same, but I am used to the days getting shorter and colder as we progress towards the end of the year. This year, we were coming into summer here in Sydney, so the days were exactly the opposite of what I have been used to. I realized how conditioned my body and mind are to associating this time of year with winter. I was all out of sorts. Luckily, I have found a terrific Pilates studio a block from my crib, so that really has saved me and helped keep my body in whack. :) 


This year, my team never gave up, worked their asses off, believed that hard work pays off and saw the fruits of their efforts. I couldn't be happier to have seen their personal pride with the accomplishments they had during our busiest time. It's why I do what I do, and made all the late nights and long days spent in the office while in Sydney pay off for me. My catchphrase for whenever a piece of business comes in is "Boom". Here's a pic of me and some of my "Boom-makers"!

Kate, Carly, Ben, me and Adrien

We've had rain essentially every day for the past 5 weeks. It's the wettest summer in Sydney in 15 years. Where are my weekend days at the beach? Where is my golden tan? Where did I put my sunglasses? These are all important questions I have been asking myself.  For Christmas, I listened non-stop to carols on my iPod and had small decorations in my crib. But otherwise, I actually wanted Christmas to be different than it is at home. My thinking was that if it was totally different, I would feel less sad - to be completely honest - about not being home with my family and Fletcher. The easiest way to make Christmas less familiar is to go the beach (especially given that we had 18 inches of snow last Christmas!). Well, with all the rain, my friends and I watched the weather carefully, day in and day out, for the Christmas Day forecast. We were pretty convinced we'd need a plan B in case it rained Christmas Day. But we didn't! Hooray!


Christmas Eve was spent at the home of my friends' Devin and Dawn. We grilled, had loads of prosecco and (I think) everyone enjoyed my stuffed mushrooms and twice-baked potatoes. We also watched "Elf", which I'd never seen! Christmas Day found us taxi'ing to the Bondi Orphanage (i.e., Muzza's house) for a Christmas Orphan's brunch. I made a pancetta and spinach strata that went quite well with the mimosas we had! Then our group of orphans (Bonner, Dawn, Devin, Tyler, Chris, Carly, Muzza, McKenna, Nips, Nick, Robbie and me) all went to the beach for a glorious day. The evening was spent back at Dawn and Devin's, where we drank wine, watched "Miracle on 34th Street" AND "It's a Wonderful Life" and played a mean game of Sorry.


Reflecting on Christmas and spending it away from home and with my "family of friends" in Sydney, I realized evermore that Christmas is about being with people you love and not at all about gifts and material things. I am very lucky that between the 5 Skype sessions I had with my family across a 36-hour period, I was able to spend the holiday with such wonderful (now lifelong) friends. Thanks Orphans - I adore you all!


Here are a few pictures from Christmas in Sydney:

Muzza, head of the Bondi Orphanage, making mulled wine

Amanda, Tyler and Dawn

We (me, Tyler, Dawn and Carly) had these paper crowns in our Christmas poppers.

Bondi Beach on Christmas Day - the sun was out!!

Until next time....
xoxo


p.s. My heart is with my friend Mary in Chicago.
p.s.s. Here is the requisite Skype picture of Fletcher and my parents from Christmas Eve!