After living in Geneva for four years, we decided to spend a few months traveling in Europe before moving back to the U.S. We called it a sabbatical even though it was really an extended vacation before Stefan started his new job in Seattle.

You have to brace yourself to swim in a Swiss lake most months of the year. In June, when the summer air entices people outdoors to the beaches around Geneva, the lake is still frigid with snowmelt from nearby mountains. Yet, in July and August, the water can be warm enough to bask in it for hours at a stretch.