It's been really difficult getting into the Christmas spirit here in Australia. Being from the Northeast, Christmastime is usually celebrated with hot chocolate next to the fire place with a blanket of white snow outside. Here, we're at the opposite side of the spectrum. It's so hot, I can't remember the last time I woke up in the morning not drenched in sweat. It's sunny and warm and we can lounge by the pool or go to the beach. We're in the middle of our summer, and Aussies even joke about Christmas being the hottest day of the year.

I always preferred summer to winter, and after spending the past four years in Boston - where winter lasts from about October until April - I had convinced myself that I wanted to live somewhere where it was warm and sunny every single day, where I would never have to worry about taking out my winter coat or getting frost bite. But being here with the endless summer has made me appreciate the cold. Christmas certainly isn't the same without it.

Merry Christmas one and all!

Today, we celebrated Christmas at the Hockridge house. Since my host family is traveling over the holidays, we wrote Santa a note to come early this year - so there were heaps of presents under the tree when we woke up this morning. It was a really strange day for me. I sat around the house in my jorts and singlet, listening to Christmas carols about white Christmases and chestnuts roasting on open fires. For dinner, we had cold seafood and Aussie pavlova. It was nice, but all I really wanted was to bundle up and go make snow angels until I couldn't feel my toes anymore, and then cozy up by a fire with some gingerbread cookies and cocoa. I know they say you always want what you don't have, but I want everyone at home to know how lucky they are to be snowed in right now. They may be wishing for some sun and warmth, but it just isn't the same Christmas feel without all that white.

Wishing I was singing this right now…