A lot of you lovely people have been asking what I am doing for my first Christmas away from home. My first summer Christmas at that! I feel very lucky to have some amazing plans in store. When I was living in Amsterdam I had a wonderful Australian colleague called Adam who I enjoyed lunching with. He had moved out to Amsterdam about a year before I had with his Australian husband Justin. We stayed in touch and met in London when they were in town last year. They take food just as seriously as I do, they love travelling as much as I do and are truly kind people.

Earlier this year when it was confirmed I would be living in the Southern Hemisphere come the holiday season this year, the lovely Adam and Justin invited me to join them for Christmas! They are currently on a cruise of the Antarctica for Adam's 30th and will be making their way home after which is South Australia. I will be arriving late in the evening of the 23rd in Adelaide (Australia's third largest city/known as the city of churches) and staying through till New Years Day! South Australia has the most famous wine region in the country, Barossa which we will be touring on the 27th! The 28-30th I will be going solo to my namesake, Kangaroo Island! Here is what I will be getting up to: http://www.groovygrape.com.au/kangarooisland_10.html. We have not decided what we are doing for the most overrated night of the year. I feel so lucky to be doing so many lovely things this holiday season!

Speaking of festivities, as many of you know my birthday is on Monday! My first ever summer birthday! I go from having the shortest day of the year to the longest day of the year just like that. Brilliant! I will actually be celebrating on Sunday though. I figured I had to take FULL advantage of my summer birthday and be outside! I am hosting a birthday picnic in the Royal Botanical Gardens! It is going to be a potluck picnic so people are baking and cooking up storms this weekend. I also got a wonderful phone call this morning from my friend Alana up at the Gold Coast. She is going to fly in Sunday morning for the picnic!!! I know her from London but she is an Aussie who returned shortly after I moved out here. She was my tour guide when I was in Sydney in September. It will be grand to see her again!

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all you lovely people who have been sending me Christmas and birthday cards!! It has been such a pleasure coming home to so much mail everyday! I am being a good girl though and not opening the birthday cards till Monday.

Alright I am going to go make myself a peanut butter and banana bagel!

P/S My dear friend Michelle is getting married tomorrow in Birmingham, Alabama. My current geography prevents me from fulfilling bridesmaid duties and sharing her special day! I love you Michelle and wish you and the husband to be Collin a wonderful wedding day!!!


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