SUMMER! and Vacation Planning

Here in Switzerland, it's summer vacation. Schools are out, colleagues are away and the city is oddly calm. I realized it was summer when crossing the boarder to Germany last weekend. Where there is typically a line of traffic returning to Switzerland after some tax free shopping in the EU, there were hardly any cars. Moreover, the line of people waiting for their duty free forms to be stamped was non-existent. On Saturdays, I typically laugh at a line of 12+ people sprawled across the boarder office. All of this to say, I am here, in the city, in the office, dreaming of my next vacation.

Which brings me to the point of celebration, we're going to Africa in November!! I can't wait. I have slowly been expanding my travel outside my immediate comfort zone (Europe and US) and have only had great experiences e.g. Little Corn Island. We booked through Emirates and took advantage of the layover in Dubai to spend a day in the UAE before heading to South Africa where we will drive along the Garden route for a week. There should be whales,  penguins, and vineyards. Theoretically, we end in Port Elisabeth and fly to JNB to pick up our tour through Botswana and Zambia including 2 nights of tent camping in the Okavango Delta, and stops at Chobe National Park, Victoria Falls and a rhino sanctuary.  This trip is not yet fully booked but the planning gives me something to look forward to all summer.

Now to enjoy summer in Switzerland and book some hotels.