19 hours

My 25-year-old sister + her husband are moving to Palmerston North, New Zealand. TODAY. Zac is going to get his doctorate in physiology at Massey University, and has a scholarship to do so. Cassie is along for the once-in-a-lifetime ride.

We spent the past weekend in Louisville to get a little more time with them, but Cassie didn’t want her picture taken because she hadn’t fixed her hair. If you know her, this won’t surprise you. She told me to just use the one of us from Hilton Head … seven, almost eight, months ago. (So I did …) Yes, her hairstyle has changed since then, but you maybe have seen that in our family portrait.

Anyway, I’m going to get a Web cam so we can Skype. (Isn’t it interesting how these technology companies go from proper nouns to verbs?!) But I’m really going to be thankful for e-mail, digital photos + Facebook. Cassie + Zac also are planning to start a blog.

We have had trouble figuring out the time difference, but I found this clock converter and world clock that was helpful. It’s one the other side of the International Date Line, so this afternoon here is tomorrow there. New Zealand is 19 hours ahead of me, here in the central time zone.

I know Zac is going to take good care of my little sister. But I’m still going to miss them.