It’s interesting when you’re in a personal and professional partnership spanning two hemispheres, especially at Christmas. While Paul’s family celebrated the festive season in hot temperatures, with barbecues and escapes to the Western Australian coastline, mine made the most of snowy New England, keeping warm by the fire after bracing walks gathering holly berries and pine cones or skiing through the woods.
Now that Paul and I have blended our hemispheres and life experiences, so to speak, I’ve been thinking about what we’ve carried forward from our childhood Christmases into our present-day festivities with our two boys. Despite all the seasonal differences Paul and I may have experienced in the past, there’s an obvious common denominator to our Christmases: spending as much time as possible outdoors in nature, whatever the weather.
For our family in Australia now, that generally means surfing and lots of time by the ocean. However, I can still recreate some of the things that made my New England Christmases so special and combine two things I love most: being out in nature and being around flowers and plants.
So this Christmas, I plan to go on early morning walks in bushland nearby. It’s partly so I can breathe in that amazing alchemy of heat and tree bark, a scent that always reminds me of churches I’ve visited in Mediterranean countries. And it’s also so I can gather some resinous gum leaves, eucalyptus, and some wattle and bottlebrush and take them home to make arrangements and table decorations. Wherever you are, why not tune into your wild side this Christmas and bring as much nature as possible into your home?
As the holiday season approaches, we express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support. This year has been a journey, and we're grateful to have had you by our side. May your holidays be filled with the simple joys of nature and the warmth of family and friends. We hope you find moments of serenity amid the festive rush. From our Koala Eco family to yours, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year.
Jessica Bragdon and Paul Davidson, Co-Founders
