this little port: seasonal envy disorder

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Being a blogger, and an expat living in a country where the seasons are reversed, I seem to suffer from seasonal envy pretty much all year. But it gets so much worse in December! Every time December rolls around I feel like Dylan Moran talking about Ireland and the war: "What? What? There's a what on? Oh really? What I'm not dressed... Oh, oh, it's all over... oh well!"

I blame it on the weather. I find it nearly impossible to get in the spirit, and you know... buy gifts, put up a tree, decorate, bake gingerbread cookies etc, when it's 35 degrees outside and I'm heading to the beach. Christmas in Australia is, to me, as out of place as an elephant in Antarctica.

I also happen to be a Christmas baby, so this is the one time of year where all my celebrations are packed into a 12 hour period. Yet, I find myself wishing I was home listening to Sufjan Stevens Christmas carols, baking with my mom and watching the snow fall. And your blogs are not helping ;)

The funny thing is that based on your comments, I know that you have a bit of the same envy when you visit this space. I so often hear: "I wish I could go for a swim right now!" or "I want to see the sun!" So I don't really have a solution, I just felt like rambling. I suppose the solution would be to embrace Australian Christmas/my birthday for all of its quirkiness and stop wishing I was somewhere else. All I can do is try...

18 comments:

Ellen ArthurDecember 4, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Awww it must be hard and missing your family probably doesnt help the situation!! Well at least there is one upside of this ... You wont be heavily pregnant in the middle of summer! Thats the worst! :)
Ellen xx
AllieDecember 4, 2012 at 11:15 AM
Well you can rest easy because even though it's december, it was a nice 77 degrees F. today. :( Feels like summer to me!
AliBDecember 4, 2012 at 11:25 AM
Oh I feel your pain! I have the hardest time caring that's it's Christmas when it's so hot outside. And I don't think it gets better with time. My uncle, who grew up in the US, but has lived in Australia for the last 3 decades still despises Christmas in the summer and now that his kids are older, he's been spending Christmas with family in the US.
Catherine GraceDecember 4, 2012 at 1:16 PM
Gaby, I feel your pain, I live in Australia as well :) Hang in there
NikenDecember 4, 2012 at 1:25 PM
must be hard to be away from your family, especially in christmas. i hope you have a great time anyway
Ms GeorgeDecember 4, 2012 at 2:21 PM
One of my English cousins has always resented having a February birthday as it was always miserable and the middle of winter. Now when she visits us she goes to the beach on her birthday hoorah! I do the reverse when I have my August birthday in England (very very occasionally). She even "planned" her pregnancies so that her kids could have Northern Hemisphere summer birthdays. They will probably grow up loving snow. the grass is always greener!
KeltonDecember 4, 2012 at 2:28 PM
is is quite interesting to imagine living in a warm climate during christmas. here, it is cold but still no snow...it's still hard to get in the spirit when that is the case. also, i didn't know sufjan stevens has christmas music! as a matter of fact, he's visiting missoula this sunday but i am unable to go due to final exams. but anyway, it still sounds like you are having a lovely holiday season.
AnonymousDecember 4, 2012 at 2:54 PM
I totally gather the seasonal envy! It's so true of the human condition: we always happen to desire the exact opposite of what we currently have. Grass is always greener syndrome. Ah, well. I'll drink some peppermint mocha for you!
KateDecember 4, 2012 at 4:06 PM
Well put- I am definitely one of the ones with seasonal envy! This certainly puts it in perspective for me though, grateful for our chilly nights and (hopefully) some snow here soon! :)
Gillian RoeDecember 5, 2012 at 12:52 AM
You are so right, when I visit your blog I just sigh and think - wow, the beaches, the weather... Especially when, in England, our summers are often cool and wet and a total let down!

But like you I am a northern hemisphere girl and am always intrigued by how those down under get into the festive feeling. x
Lindsay @ Trial By SapphireDecember 5, 2012 at 2:49 AM
I love autumn and winter, so I really feel for you right now. Especially because you're a Christmas baby! It must feel so weird to be seasonally reversed!
sDecember 5, 2012 at 2:49 AM
I can't imagine being seasonally reversed like that. But I think I would love it in February when bunches of people are sick of the snow and cold, and it's still beautiful in Australia.
UnknownDecember 5, 2012 at 11:41 AM
I know what you mean!

I have season envy, if it is summer I want winter and vice versa! Although, I couldn't help but be happy walking into a fruit shop on the weekend and smiling at the mangoes, peaches, lychees, raspberries which are all in season.
kristynDecember 6, 2012 at 3:29 AM
perhaps the grass is always greener on the other side? :) i feel the same way, it's been so warm down here in Florida, and while i love it--i'm definitely missing Christmas cookies and music and chilly evenings by the fireplace.

three more weeks and i'll have that! for a small period of time. weather is so weird :)

xo,
kristyn
LerossoDecember 7, 2012 at 5:29 AM
Here I'm 'enjoying' the cold winter!
x
double crochetsDecember 7, 2012 at 7:34 AM
Well i'm sure it would be fun to do it reverse also, maybe you can make christmas gingerbread cookies in australian july!

Always look at the bright side sweetie!!

love,
Panagiota of Double Crochets
UnknownDecember 9, 2012 at 9:49 PM
Yes!!! Just go for it, now!
Right now it's something you can't change, and Christmas and birthdays are both wonderful.
I am really getting into it now.
Let's meet up and I will give you some of my Summer-Christmas-Excitement! x
LeahDecember 11, 2012 at 4:53 PM
I feel the exact same way! I'm saying to hell with it and going on a baking tear anyway. Although we've been lucky(?) enough to have some cooler weather in Syd these past few days!
Happy holidays! :)