[Dien Rice]

Many years ago, I spent a lonely Christmas...

My girlfriend and I had broken up at the time.

My family - which back then were my parents and my two brothers - were living either overseas or interstate...

Of course, my friends had their own family Christmas gatherings to go to...

Which left little old me... By my lonesome self...

Christmas here in Australia is in the summer time... Our seasons in the southern half of the globe are the opposite of those in the northern half...

So in Australia, Christmas is often a time of backyard barbecues and going to the beach...

I decided to make the best of it!

While most stores and restaurants are closed on Christmas Day... There's an area near the beach where I live where I knew most of the cafes and restaurants would be open...

So that's where I went! I had some nice food, and hung out at the beach!

So - while it was a lonely Christmas - I still had a good time...

However, not everyone is so lucky. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas in a few days, and even if you can't see your family, know that there are others in the same boat, doing the best they can too...!

Best wishes,

Dien