CHRISTMAS:Christmas in the sun was definitely different, but that almost made being away from home easier--because the whole atmosphere and feel of everything is so different than what I am used to. It was wonderful to have a place to be and a family to have Christmas with and I cannot stress enough how beautiful Kristin and her family have been to both myself and Noah. We had a big "North American" Christmas Eve 
dinner that I was in charge of cooking (my first turkey!) and it turned out wonderfully. We had a turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie and pecan pie and green beans and bread--the works basically. It was good fun and all turned out quite deliciously. The next morning we were all up by 7 or 7:30 and opened some gifts (the OZ Santa even managed to find us, leaving a handy Aussie cookbook/slang guide, some vegemite, some Sydney playing cards and a few other appropriately Australian goodies :)). After presents we went to the beach for a bit, ate brunch, took a nap, and had Christmas dinner with Kristin's extended family. Pretty rough day all in all. Christmas Eve was the 
day that a bit of homesickness caught up with me, but it was short lived overall. Noah bought me a puzzle (my family has a holiday season tradition of doing puzzles all the time) that we built, which was super sweet of him. He even managed to find one that was a picture of the Tetons, go figure. All in all though, it was a pretty good Christmas and I can't think of a better place to have been than here given the circumstances.
dinner that I was in charge of cooking (my first turkey!) and it turned out wonderfully. We had a turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie and pecan pie and green beans and bread--the works basically. It was good fun and all turned out quite deliciously. The next morning we were all up by 7 or 7:30 and opened some gifts (the OZ Santa even managed to find us, leaving a handy Aussie cookbook/slang guide, some vegemite, some Sydney playing cards and a few other appropriately Australian goodies :)). After presents we went to the beach for a bit, ate brunch, took a nap, and had Christmas dinner with Kristin's extended family. Pretty rough day all in all. Christmas Eve was the 
day that a bit of homesickness caught up with me, but it was short lived overall. Noah bought me a puzzle (my family has a holiday season tradition of doing puzzles all the time) that we built, which was super sweet of him. He even managed to find one that was a picture of the Tetons, go figure. All in all though, it was a pretty good Christmas and I can't think of a better place to have been than here given the circumstances.
NEWCASTLE:After Christmas, Noah and I took a short trip up the coast to Newcastle (about a three hour train ride from the city) to visit his friend Sarah, who he knows from the Yoga Teacher Training course he took in Mexico last spring. Sarah is here to do a Masters program that starts the end of February and has been living in Newcastle (where she studied abroad during her BA) and working for the last little bit. We had a wonderful few days with her and quite liked Newcastle. We stayed in a hostel but spent most of our time outside split between restaurants, beaches, parks, and walking between all three. I had met Sarah a week or two ago but it was fun to get to know her better and spend time on what felt like a mini "holiday" (I guess, in a way, a holiday away from our Sydney holiday...). She will be moving into the city in the next couple of weeks since her Masters program is located at the university here and it is fun to have another friend around.
NEW YEARS, ETC:For New Years, Noah and I decided to brave the crazy crowds and headed into the city to see the Harbour Bridge Fireworks (because hey, how many times will I be in Sydney for New Years?) We didn't go too wild and crazy about it though and headed into the city sometime around 4. When we arrived, we walked over to the Botanical Gardens to see what the deal was and turns out there was a line to get into the viewing areas
winding it's way at least a good half a mile back if not more. We shrugged, decided to not wait in the line (since it was almost guaranteed they were going to stop letting people in quite soon, once the vantage points fill up, they are closed off), and went to hang out in Hyde Park, people watch, and eat a little picnic dinner before wandering down to Darling Harbour for the 9 pm firework show. Darling Harbor was equally packed and teaming with kids and families, which was kind of fun. Here we met up with a couple from Ireland we had met the day before (Patraic and Lorraine, friends of my friend James who I know from my travels in Belize. They have been living in Brisbane the last year and came down to see the fireworks, we had dinner with the three of them (James, Patraic and Lorraine) the night before on our return trip from Newcastle. Whew.) We had a great time with the two of them and after the 9pm show started to wander down toward the bridge to try and find a spot for the midnight display. We stopped along the way at a pub and had a beer (since none of the four of us were too keen on going to find a spot and than standing in that spot for an hour to see the show). The laziness didn't set us back though and we managed to elbow our way into a viewing section just behind an official vantage point where we had a pretty straight on view of the Harbor Bridge. The crowds were a bit overwhelming and it didn't help that at about 20 minutes to midnight, two ambulances attempted to drive out through the crowd where we were standing (which was quite tightly packed to begin with). You can imagine how that went. I'm impressed no one was hurt and no fights broke out. The ambulances did make it out, but their exit also resulted in the creation of a standing crowd where no airspace existed between yourself and the next person. Thank goodness I'm not claustrophobic!Just as the tension of being packed in like sardines (coupled with the indignant anger many were feeling towards the ambulances) was starting to rise to an uncomfortable level, the fireworks started (thank goodness) and all focus was shifted to the show. They were incredible. The show lasted about 15 minutes and the bit we got to see well were the fireworks coming from the bridge, although we could see other bits off to the side through the trees and buildings (there are several locations along the water where fireworks are sent off from, so that's how you get the incredible view that you see online of the Sydney fireworks where the whole harbor behind the Opera House looks lit up). All in all, it was a memorable New Years Eve. Oh, and the best part of it all? I was wearing chacos and a summer dress...
Beyond all that, we are still here at Kristin's but are thinking about trying to rent a car/camper van for a month or so and heading out of town and exploring for a little while. I'm still getting to go to the beach nearly daily, which is wonderful, and we are sort of just hanging out. Tomorrow I am headed back into the city to meet up with Matt Parsons, a friend I went to High School with, and simply continue to be amazed at how small the world truly ca be. Kristin and I are getting geared up for our show at the Opera House on Thursday, and summer is generally just floating by. How wonderful.
Well, here's to the New Year! Hope it finds everyone well!
P.S. Pictures to go with this post to be forthcoming in the next 24 hours...
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