A Kiwi Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Well, not just yet, it is actually Christmas Eve, but since that has always been a very important day for me, Merry Christmas anyway. I hope all is well back home. This is going to be the warmest Christmas I have ever seen in my life. The sun is out, the birds are chirping...it's a bit strange I must admit.

So far my Christmas Eve day has consisted of sleeping until 11:30, doing some laundry, making more chocolate covered pretzels (i would have made cookies but living with two men, well, we really don't have many of the cooking tools necessary for successful kolachkis or buches, pluus i'm cheap and i don't want to buy the ingredients.) Regardless, it has been relaxing. Craig is at work until four...we will probably go for a nice, easy ride when he gets home...then we'll head out to a bbq with the guys he works with. I'm a bit nervous...you know, the whole 'meeting the friends" thing is always a big deal, even though I've met most of them before. I'm sure good times will abound. Funny though, Christmas just doesn't feel like such a bit deal right now. I miss my family but without all of our traditions right in front of me, it's just kind of another day: a day to do laundry, make lunch, go for a bike ride, etc. I think I'm ok with that though. I'm sure if I were alone on Christmas it would be another story, but as I've got a good thing going for me right now, well, let's just say that curling up with someone I care about is enough of a celebration for me.

I decided to post today with the intention of writing some insightful revelation about being away from home during one of the most special times of year for my family, about how my entire outlook on life has changed in the past few weeks, about how amazing it is that I am creating a life for myself in another country and not in my own, but for some reason my head is a bit cloudy right now. I'm not sure if it's because I am just being tired-lazy or if something else is sub-consciously on my mind. Regardless, I am defintely in a positive place in life. There is much I'd like to share with you all, but for fear of jinxing a good thing I will refrain from doing so for a little longer.

So until I can liberate my mind from whatever is keeping it docile (I think it's that sort of contented high-on-life feeling) I will wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, etc.

-Cole

ps I now have a new address and new home phone number:

219 Milton Street
Sydenham Christchurch 8002
New Zealand
phone # from the states:
011-64-3-942-0894