Scarlet Honeyeater (Credit: Jason Grubba)

There are very few constants in one’s life when traveling for an extended period of time. Ironically, one of them is change. Change is ever present as you move from place to place: new cities, new countries, new languages, new food… Another is your reliance on the kindness of strangers. Whether asking directions, figuring out where to get off the bus or where to get a decent vegetarian meal, we have relied on the help of countless strangers over the last several months. But never more so than during our time in Australia.

Growing up in Portland, the color of Christmas is grey. It sounds depressing but it’s not. The grey is in the background, while the green and silver and white of the holiday are like a special blanket that you wrap yourself in once a year.