Christmas done and dusted

That’s Christmas done for another year. This year’s festivities took place at Nicole and Jason’s in Rouse Hill. As we did last year, Garry and I slept over on Christmas Eve. We also took time out to see Mitch’s new apartment. It’s an impressive investment. I’d be happy to live there.

Thankfully the weather played its part. It was stinking hot out West on Wednesday, but dawned cooler on Christmas Day. Once mandatory present unwrapping was completed, the rest of the day was spent relaxing outdoors, including a late lunch on the patio. We even squeezed in a traditional game of cricket with some quirky backyard rules.

In the lead-up to the big day, Garry and I have been busy preparing for our extended overseas trip. On Tuesday, we went shopping at the DFO Outlet Mall in Homebush. What was meant to be an hour-long excursion turned into a four-hour shopping frenzy. We’re now well stocked with clothes, underwear and shoes for our cruise. Jon and Colm then came over for dinner on Tuesday. It was another one of our memorable late night catch-up sessions.

As always, Christmas Eve was a last-minute flurry of activity, preparing for Christmas Day and our forthcoming flight to New Zealand. We did some final grocery shopping, wrapped gifts, ironed clothes did the laundry, and got a haircut, before driving to Rouse Hill for the night.

Last night, after returning from Rouse Hill, four friends came over for Christmas drinks and leftovers on our balcony. The last guest finally departed around 11pm. Today we’ll be packing our bags and completing final preparations for our overseas adventures. We flew around the world once a year while living in London, so these lengthy trips aren’t anything new. However, this year's round-the-world trip has required more planning and preparation than normal. It’s been a little stressful to say the least. I guess we’re out of practice.