The thing about Christmas....

.....is that you tend to catch up with friends who aren't in the country at this time of the year....

and that you realise that after talking to them that you do miss them - surprisingly so...

Case and point.

Thursday was our annual chrissy get together of Davenports, Penfolds and Listers for a chrissy drink , dinner and secret santa. And can't forget Ms Barclay... Good night to be had by all.

anyway I digress...

Anyway during these get togethers we make the annual toll call to those loved ones overseas - Kerryn (UK) and the Kershaws (Melbourne).

Even though these phonecalls are extremely brief and is content is no doubt repeated by the poor overseas soul 7 times while passed around the increasingly tiddly participants of so annual chrissy drink, I come away from these phonecalls with several conflicting emotions... (which may or may not be slightly enhanced by possible alcohol consumption)

a) really happy to yet again catch up (albiet briefly) with friends..

b) a pang of sadness that I do actually really miss having these people in my day to day life.

I mean you know you miss them, and that they are living their life, and you are living theirs and they are still your friends, but when you hear their voice you realise you want to have more than the odd phonecall, or email, or blog read. That you realise that you want to be part of their usual day to day activites.

The pang of sadness comes when you realise that actually you can't - that you are living your life in one country, and they are living their life in another and it aint likely to change any time soon.

ahh the trials of growing older.

and this only after talking to two of my overseas friends! Enough of that alcohol!

So for all those overseas mates who are reading this - love to you all for Christmas in 2007!!!

Peace out.