Kia ora, friends, family, visitors. By the time you read this, I will be roughing it along the Kepler Track, located in the Southern Alps of the South Island, and not too far from the world-famous Fiordland region. This is one of New Zealand’s Five Great Walks, and having done the Routeburn, I am excited to get back to nature. Believe it or not, I haven’t left Dunedin in two months, and the beginnings of cabin fever are showing. I’ve been worried that I would run out of interesting stories to tell, as the daily routine might prove one worthy post, but surely not for two or three weeks.

Christa, 10c Moat’s Most Travelled Flatmate, will be accompanying me, and I’ve been getting the little-brother treatment; she’s actually taking me shopping in a few minutes to make sure I stay bundled up and warm over the next few days. That’s right, go ahead and “aww.” It’s incredibly nice of her, although I’ve never been little brother to anyone, so it’s a little weird to accept her help. I’m certain, though, that I will be just fine under her care.

Obviously, I won’t be on MindSay for the next few days, but leave me comments, and I will definitely reply when I return on Monday (Sunday for most of you). Ah, and that reminds me; don’t forget to set your clocks back this Sunday! That is, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere. For those of us down south, we will spring forward an hour, meaning that where I was 17 hours ahead of Central Standard Time in the US, I will now be 19 hours ahead. Or so I believe, at any rate.

Until I return from the next adventure, take care of yourselves, and thanks for stopping by.