Australia Day 2017

The annual public holiday where we celebrate this country arrived and it was amazing. We went out on a friend's boat to a little island called Little Island just off Whitfords beach. 
It was very small as the name entitles, but surrounded by reef where we all took turns snorkeling and swimming through caves and admiring the pretty fish. 

It was a last minute plan but I can gladly say that I thoroughly enjoyed my day. 

Lately however that has been a lot, like a lot, of controversy over celebrating Australia on the 26th of January. 
The day means different things to different people. In particular, the day reminds the original people of this land about the horrors and sad history that eventually followed after the first fleet arrived. 

I just want to say that Australia Day is not seen by the majority as a day of being thankful for the first fleet that had arrived on the same day 200 and something years ago. But instead, is a day where we show our appreciation, enjoy the public holiday with friends and family (some a little more than others) and reflect on the amazing country that is ours.

I celebrate Australia Day with a large feeling of patriotism due to my pride for this country. I am grateful for the education systems that we have; for the health systems available for everyone; for being clean and having a truck that picks up rubbish from homes weekly which is a luxury for so many other countries; for being a nation that encourage individualism, multiculturalism and accepting different lifestyles. 

We can't change the past, but we can learn from it. And every year that this day comes around, I am thankful that it seems we learn a little more each time.