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Parents out of town, so I walk the dogs at least twice a day--long walks on the frozen creek that runs through our backyard in the morning or early afternoon, short walks down the driveway and up the road at night, in the cold dark. Tonight when I was running down the drive in my slippers and sweatshirt (I don't recommend this attire for nights in winter in Wisconsin) I was able to see the stars for the first time in a long time. It reminded me how stars are always brighter in the winter, when no one wants to go out and see them. And it also reminded me that in about a week, I'm going to under a whole new set of stars--in the southern hemisphere. 

This blog's real intention is to keep in touch with friends and family and record my experiences after I fly away to study in New Zealand (I started early because I wanted to get the hang of things. Also, I'm bored.). It's a little exciting and a little overwhelming: I'm going to a place that I really only know exists by hearsay, in books and on maps. I trust them alright, but soon I'm going to know this with my hands and my feet and my eyes. It's pretty amazing. 

Anyway, that's all: what this blog is, where I'm going with it. It'll probably look pretty similar when I get to the other side of the planet, except it won't be winter there, and maybe I'll be busier and have less time to write, but I'll probably have more to share. 

p.s. This morning, on the creek, we (the dogs and I) saw a flock of bluebirds. That's something else I recommend--wild bluebirds. To quote a Buffalo Springfield song: they got soul.