For the audio version of this article, read by the author, go here.
It’s the holidays, and Brent and I are here in the Blue Mountains above Sydney, Australia. But Christmas is celebrated rather differently in this country than in Europe or my home-country of America.
How different are things here? Take a look at our neighbor’s decorations.
I’d like to say this lackluster effort is an exception to the holiday rule here, but it’s not. For the most part, Aussie’s don’t spend a great deal of effort decking their halls, inside or out.
Compare that to two years ago, when Brent and I visited the Christmas markets in Vienna, Austria:
For the record, I love Christmas. But this year, Australia is making it very hard for me to feel much holiday spirit. I’m not feeling Grinch-y — I’m just not feeling very festive.
As a boy growing up in Colorado, I was as excited about my Christmas art projects and decorating trees as I was about getting presents. Sparkly lights! Glitter! And colored construction paper!
Yeah, I don’t know how no one knew I was gay either.
As for Colorado’s white Christmases? Hark, the herald angels sing!
Back when Brent and I had a house in America, we hauled out the holly the second Thanksgiving was over.
Then in 2018, we became nomads.





