On Christmas Eve we all meet up at the dive club that the canadian guys are part of, as it was throwing a huge free BBQ on the beach then a bar crawl into the town later. With festive Santa hats, that I tried to co-ordinate with a red vest and denim shorts,the atmosphere was fun and very friendly.

We ate well then went to get buckets at the fish bowl bar, watch the fire show and dance the night away with a group of Thai teenagers who had some very interesting dance moves! At midnight everyone hugged each other and said merry Christmas to whoever was around them then back to the bar for more hugs and drinks.

The next morning me and Adam exchanged christmas stockings. The day before we had got each other little presents so we had something to open and popped them inside his socks hanging underneath the tv. He got me a lovely bracelet, lilo and a beautiful dream catcher as I had been having some very vivid dreams ( I blame the buckets). I got him a snorkel set, multi box of plasters for our mangled feet and a baseball cap with an A on it.

We dragged our hungover bodies to the beach and met the other guys to sunbathe and swim. I hadn’t given much thought to Christmas Day and how I would feel without being around loved ones back home. I figured that after following the same pattern for Christmas day for the past 27 years it would do me good to have a change. When I heard of friends driving round the country like maniacs trying to fit in seeing everyone and buying last minute gifts I knew I had made the right decision. Out here the only decision was what to eat and when. We decided not to go for the traditional turkey dinner as they wouldn’t make it as good as our families could so instead of all the trimmings I had a calzone pizza and a cold beer, which tasted so good. Shame I missed out on crackers and rubbish jokes though.

I knew when I quit my job, sold everything and left the uk that I wanted to be somewhere far away on a beautiful beach for Xmas day. I felt really proud that I had stuck to my guns and made that happen and I was having such a great time. Merry Christmas everyone!! Xx

Woo hoo Santa found us

Definitely not a white Christmas

The saddest looking stockings ever

Christmas Chang-over

Bar crawl on Christmas Eve

Back on the buckets but with more of a festive feel