Indelible Adventures: Christmas on the road

Oh there are days when I wish I lived closer to my family in Australia! Other days not so much, and it generally has little to do with them. I really think it’s the combination of being a single dad combined with the sometimes loneliness of having no immediate family living here in Canada.

This is especially true over the holidays and with Christmas looming, even though I never really celebrated Christmas (my ex is Jewish and we had agreed when Zach and Sami were born that we would raise them in a Jewish household) it’s a time when families get together and spend time together. So I'm a little envious to say the least.

Its strange that I don't even remember the last time I was home in Australia with my family at Christmas - could it be 1987?

It’s been three years since I was home last, yes I still call Australia home…(hey, isn't that the name of a song?) and so its been on my mind quite a bit lately with me trying to figure out when the best time is to visit, without disrupting Zach and Sami's school year. Especially cos’ you know that I'm not going to get away with going to Australia without Zach and Sami. I can go lots of places in the world, but clearly Australia is not one of them!

The sheer cost is staggering when you add up three airfares, car rental, hotel (for at least a part of the visit), plus spending money etc. A conservative number I have in my head is between $15,000 and $20,000 for the three of us to go for two weeks. I realize cost shouldn’t be the only factor in my decision-making, but it certainly is a large hurdle. ☺

For them its been six years since we made it back collectively and in that time so much has changed, and not only them growing up but with also losing my dad. With his death and subsequent selling of my childhood home its left a void, which for some reason makes it, less appealing to go home, after all where is home now? I guess that’s really at the heart of the matter isn't it, the feeling of being an orphan with nowhere really to hang my hat except here in Canada.

It’s realize that it may seem a little crazy that I still associate myself with my Australian heritage and upbringing and to be honest stubbornly hold onto it, while at the same time know deep in my heart that the kids are Canadian and that realistically this will be my home for the remainder of my life…unless I retire to Italy full time that is. ☺

Don't get me wrong I love Canada and it’s been very good for me personally but to be completely transparent I hate the winters! Not only are they too cold, damp and miserable but also the greyness of it all gets to me, especially when they are five to six months long.

This year I was already dreading the winter as far back as August, likely cos we had such a cold and mild summer with no real hot weather to speak of and I could just sense the slide toward another cold and nasty winter with every passing day, and once we move beyond Labour Day forget about it we were done as far as I was concerned and that’s when the yearly depression begins to seep in. Oi vey mate is all I can say to that!

I know – after all these years you'd think I would have come to terms with the winters, but no such luck. Give me a beach and hot sunny weather any day of the week my friends and you'll have one very happy camper on your hands. Even if close my eyes right now and imagine being able to go outside dressed in shorts, t-shirt and thongs (flip-flops to my American neighbours) and feel the sun on my skin it just makes me smile.

Strangely both Zach and Sami aren't big fans of hot weather, sure they like going to Florida at Christmas but not really into hot summery weather. Goodness, how would they fare in Australia where I grew up when a summers day would often reach into the mid 40C range, and stay that way for a few day…yep, no air conditioning either.

I suppose that is definitely another consideration in terms of when we could plan to visit Australia, as I'd rather not have two cranky teens on my hands. Clearly the best time to visit my family downunder would be in the April – May or Oct – November timeframes where it’s neither too hot nor too cold. Hhhmmm, it sounds a little too much like Goldilocks and the three bears, except in this case it’s the two bears.

That being said, if I asked them, they'd jump at the opportunity and want to be on a plane first thing tomorrow. (I suppose I’ve had a strong influence on them and their willingness to travel and explore the world), yes they've been on lots and lots of trips with me.

As many of you know this Christmas the three of us are taking the ultimate road trip, and driving from Toronto (Canada) to Longboat Key (Florida), which is some 2400 km distant. Our planned route is going to take us via New York City, Washington DC, Raleigh (North Carolina), Savannah (Georgia) and Daytona Beach (Florida) before we skip across Florida to Sarasota, then Longboat Key on the West Coast. The plan is to spend seven days meandering our way down the Eastern seaboard; hopefully the weather will play along and don’t get any major storms on the drive down.

After that we begin planning our March break getaway – could 2015 be the year for Australia?

Stay tuned!

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This weeks photos are a small selection of the photos I took over the remainder of the weekend last week in Lisbon, Portugal. Enjoy!