Best Christmas Ever!

I love Christmas, okay? I really do, the clocks go back this weekend, Halloween is next weekend and I can finally actually start to talk about it.

I must admit, I was a bit reluctant to enter this competition because hey, it does seem that Christmas comes earlier every year, but there's a trip to Lapland at stake and I think I can do this.


This is what you could call a bit of a late entry, despite knowing about it for a little while but better late than never... So, the wonderful (Oxford-based!), Transun are offering an exciting trip to Lapland for Christmas in return for talking about 'your best Christmas'.

A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to spend Christmas in Florida, we've been a few times before but I think this was the best and the first time I've really been able to appreciate it. With everything being so American and exaggerated given that you don't quite get the Winter Wonderland feel in that part of the world, there were still lots of times that I felt both lucky and super-Christmassy.


My absolute top Christmas moment was visiting the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at MGM/Disney Hollywood Studios, I hadn't seen the light show before and it was just perfect and despite the fact that it probably happens 200 times an evening, it felt really special.




Our Christmas meals when visiting Florida have been far from traditional, from eating at a pirate dinner show to sampling Asian fusion at Emeril's Tchoup Tchoup, I think that's the perk of having a Christmas away from home, making the most of what's around you and really giving your holiday the best you can.

Best Of.

2012 has been the weirdest year and truly full of ups and downs, I know that that's something people often say but I've never really seen my life to be as much of a rollercoaster as it has been this year. I've been unemployed, on jobseekers, got a job, got a better job, got a cat, moved out and feel like I've changed a lot.

Now I'm in Florida writing this and I know it's only for a holiday and that I've been here many times before, but that itself is quite strange too. I'll be seeing in 2013 as the first new year in over six years that I haven't seen it in with Mr Moon, hopefully I won't be quite as cold as I've been in the last couple of days.

Anyway, here are some of my personal highs from 2012, here's hoping that 2013 will bring even more welcome change and surprises.



1. Meeting Little Doll

There's no argument that having this cutie tumble into my life has certainly made a huge impact. She's come with me on my journey and seeing her grow is amazing. It's not always easy but she definitely makes things interesting, she can be such a nuisance and she's really odd but I don't think I'd love her as much without her quirks. I hope 2013 sees less of her bringing in worms and more of her learning how to behave better.

2. Moving Out

Obviously I've been away from home before, but this feels proper, I love our little flat, it's strange that it doesn't even look like that anymore. There are a few improvements that we're making one step at a time but I'm looking forward to getting it how I like it and having more visitors next year.

3. A first 'proper' grown up holiday

After being students, then jobless and 'only just' having enough money for such a long time, for Moon and I to treat ourselves to a real life holiday abroad, even if just for a week, was something super special. Turkey was the perfect place to visit and somewhere we've been meaning to go to for a long time, I'd definitely go again. Hardly as 'jet set' as 2011 felt to be, but hopefully next year will be just as exciting. I see Reykjavik in late 2013, but we haven't decided on our summer holiday yet, 2012 has made me really look forward to seeing the world with this guy (*vom).

4. Getting a job

(Twice). I definitely count working at the cinema along with nabbing my current job together for this one. Without the cinema I never would have been able to move out and live in my little flat, or go on holiday, and I did meet some great people along the way. Equally, I feel so lucky that I got the job I have now at the same time that Moon lost his job, I don't know what we would have done otherwise. More than anything I'm happy that I'm happy in my current job and even more than that, I'm overjoyed to not be sat applying for jobs - and moaning about it - day in and day out.

5. Taking more pictures.

This will always be something that is important to me. Keeping records and taking note is something I think I strive to be good at without realising, even if I don't always succeed. With this being something that I've progressed so well with this year, as well as taking more, I actually feel like I'm taking better photos as well. There's definitely a marked improvement between my photos from the last time I was in Florida to those I'm taking now, but I'm actually really enjoying it, taking photos of different things, different ways and learning is really fun and I definitely want to keep it up!

I think gaining more personal confidence definitely deserves a special mention too. 2012 was the year that I began to realise that people don't really care - they do but not actually - about anything that you do or say so you may as well do and say what you like, enjoy yourself and get on with it and I think it's definitely a mantra I want to bring forward for the future.