Tonight I went for my first walk of the winter season. It was snowy and silent and a bit too long -- my ears were numb when I got back inside! Usually when I go for walks, I put in my headphones and tune out the world. But tonight, one song into my stroll, I unplugged and just listened. Listened to the frozen leaves and grass crunch under the still-fluffy snow, listened to the occasional exclamations of students returning to their rooms from a late night of studying, listened to my own breath -- and saw it, too. I found tracks of rabbits and squirrels and dogs and deer -- and I joined them with my human tracks. There really is nothing quite like making your mark on untouched snow. And, there's nothing like a snowy stroll.