Merry Christmas from the other side of the world

So I've been at my new for a couple weeks now, and it's been awesome. Really really fun job, really great people that I'm working with. AND on top of all that, I get to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef.

My job has so far been everything that I initially thought it would be, with a few added responsibilities like running the barbecue for breakfast... aka cooking eggs and bacon for 80+ people. The first day I was on BBQ duty wasn't very pretty, but its getting better! My eggs are looking more and more edible by day! Lucky they get put into a bacon and egg sandwich so no one can really see them anyway! 

A few days ago, we had a family on the boat and the dad was in a wheelchair. He had been in a motorcycle accident 14 years ago and had broken his spine and become paralyzed from the waist down. Apparently he had asked a bunch of other boats in Cairns if they would take him and he was turned down because dive boats aren't really handicap accessible. Well, we got him on the boat, despite lack of ramps and all that other stuff and everyone was determined to make his day awesome. When we got to our first site, a reef called Hastings, a couple of our divemasters helped carry him down the stairs and got him in the water. I got him set up with a life ring so he could stay floating in the water and still look down and snorkel and led him around in the water. He was SO thrilled to be in the water, he told me he hadn't been in the water in 14 years... no other dive boats would take him so when he went out with his family, they would be able to go snorkeling and he would just hang out on the boat. It was such a great feeling knowing that we were able to give him that experience.

Well, getting ready to spend Christmas down in the southern hemisphere... gotta say, it doesn't really feel festive when its 90 degrees and humid! At least Florida cools down a little bit! I'll be spending my Christmas Eve and Christmas day working on the boat, but its really not so bad! There are far worse places to spend Christmas than the Great Barrier Reef! And after work on Christmas, my parents will be coming to town! Excellent Christmas gift! Can't wait to show them around this ridiculous/wonderful city that is Cairns.

Sending a big Happy Holidays to all my friends and family following this. I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas with lots of love and laughter. Thanks so much for all the love and support on my Australian adventure. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you! I'm sending along as much holiday cheer as I can possibly muster! 

Love and fishes!