Merry Christmas!

As 2011 comes to an end, Ryan and I are crazy busy and getting very excited for 2012.  This week we have been catching up with the few people we know in Adelaide, we went to a work Christmas party, and we have been packing like mad for our trip.  I can't believe we leave for New Zealand tomorrow!!! 

Christmas for us will be spent in various airports, concluding with a late arrival in Christchurch.  Yes, Christchurch is where all of the recent earthquakes have been, so wish us luck!  Is it bad that I want there to be an earthquake while we're there so we can have an experience money can't buy?  Just a small one of course! 

Australians have a few different holiday traditions here, but for the most part Christmas is the same.  Their Santa still wears his fuzzy hat and coat (and probably puts ice packs under his shirt to survive the heat), they listen to the same Christmas carols (even the ones about snow), and they even put up plastic pine Christmas trees despite the fact that I'm pretty sure real ones don't exist here.  Of course they can't have the giant roast dinners that we're used to because it's so hot, so they have barbequed seafood as a traditional meal. 

So with that I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.  Thanks for following my blog, despite the long silences these days, and I promise many great posts about New Zealand upon our return!

Happy Holidays!

Love Steph and Ryan