Happy new year!

Forgot that gray day in January. To me, the new year begins when school bells ring, buses roll and kids strap on their new backpacks.

In honor of the school year starting Wednesday, let's take a break from the politics and policies that divide us and offer a salute to fresh starts and high hopes.

What are your most vivid memories of the opening days of school? (Think of it as a challenge, like haiku: Write without mentioning Peter Gorman, student assignment or Teach for America.)

Mine would have to be starting sixth grade at Maple Crest Middle School in Kokomo, Ind. I was leaving a shoebox-size elementary school that had separate entrances for girls and boys. Not only did we walk to school, we walked home for lunch. (Yes, our moms were at home to make us sandwiches, and yes, I'm old as dirt.)

Now I was about to start riding a bus, eating in a cafeteria, changing classes and using a locker. Oh, and we'd moved across town that summer, so none of my old friends would be at my new school.

Standing at the bus stop that first morning, I was scared to the point of queasiness. But I was also as excited as I'd ever been in my 11 years. Even that young, I knew I was ready for something new.

Maybe it was a first step toward a career in journalism, because the pattern has lasted for decades: I still prefer a nerve-jangling challenge to comfortable boredom.

So, how about you? Teachers, I'd love to hear how that first day feels from the other side of the desk.

Footnote no. 1: I'll be sitting out the opening of school this year. No, I'm not taking on a new career challenge. Just taking a brief medical leave, and it turns out surgeons' schedules trump the school calendar.

In my absence, look for schools coverage from Mark Price, who does great work covering nonprofits and charities, and online reporter Steve Lyttle, who consistently writes more stories than three normal people. Please share tips and comments with them -- msprice@charlotteobserver.com and slyttle@charlotteobserver.com -- or with editor Mike Gordon, mgordon@charlotteobserver.com. I expect to be back to reporting and blogging before long.

Footnote no. 2: For those who followed the recent blog discussion of dress-code drama, look for Cristina Bolling's article in Thursday's Style section.