With only a few sleeps until Christmas, this year The Smart Way Round is trying something a little different for our Christmas celebrations. We are staying at home. In fact this will actually be the first Christmas we have spent at home together since we have been a couple.

Over the last five years Christmas has been spent in some far flung land and more often than not we have been separated.  Our first Christmas ‘together’ was spent on different continents! After meeting in Egypt, I had to return to Europe to work over the Christmas and New Year period. Natalie on the other hand lived it up on Zanzibar for Christmas and Malawi for New Years.

Natalie doing what she does best, preparing for a dive in Zanzibar on Christmas Eve

Our second Christmas together was also spent apart, with Natalie working out in Egypt and Jordan and myself flying back to Australia and landing on Christmas Day.

Natalie was visiting the Pyramids while I was stuck on a plane

Christmas number three was even more eventful. Having returned to Australia in October (again), this time to submit my visa application to allow us to get married we anxiously awaited news of our approval. With both of is getting more and more frustrated Natalie announced over Skype one day she was booking flights and would land on Christmas Eve, returning home to the UK on New Year’s Day. Little did we know that the same day our visa was approved, so when she landed early Christmas Eve, looking a little worse for wear, we had two things to celebrate that Christmas. That week down the Great Ocean Road in Victoria was one of our favourite trips, and was the perfect break leading up to our wedding.

Surfs up at the famous Bells Beach on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia

Last Christmas we were already nearly two months into our overland adventure from London to Melbourne and was spent in China. Cruising down the Yangtze was a much needed touch of luxury as we had not seen a comfortable bed or running hot water for the best part of about three to four weeks. While Christmas Day was spent waiting around a train station for most of the day it will live on as one of our best ever.

So this year we are home. No backpacks to lug around (sadly), no exotic destinations to explore, just the two of us at home and together, something we are definitely not used to but extremely looking forward to.

Christmas in Torquay Australia two years ago

With this being our last blog of 2014 we want to wish all our followers, supporters and fellow adventure seekers a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year whatever you are doing and wherever you are. Safe travels, enjoy the festive season and we will see you next year for a bigger and better 2015 on The Smart Way Round…

– Dean & Natalie

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Safe Travels for 2015