Yesterday I remembered I had mum’s Australian diary from Australia on my hard disk, so I read some. I’ve been thinking about Australia a lot recently; it was, I think, the holiday of a lifetime. Plus, the weather is decidedly better this time of year over there. Can’t help but miss it. I miss watching cricket at Melbourne and Sydney, even if we lost; I miss Rosie and the Winston’s, and peter our tour guide; I miss barramundi fish and Victoria bitter. I miss nice weather!

It has been a great year. The events of February still upset me – I remember the long, cold road back from Weston with bitterness – but the events of July, and the memory of the roar from the crowd, still fills me with joy. The year which began watching fireworks over darling harbour, Sydney, proved to me my best year. I suspect more great years will follow.

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