ZRH-PHI-DFW

Regrettably, today is the day we bid farewell to the enchanting landscapes of Switzerland.

I awoke even before the alarm clock could sound its chime. In a whirlwind of last-minute preparations, we shifted belongings from one near-maxed suitcase to another, ensuring no prohibited items were in our carry-ons. Marli kindly brewed me a delightful cup of coffee. We meticulously combed through every nook and cranny of Wally's apartment, scanning under beds, inspecting the bathroom, and peeking into the shower to guarantee we didn't unintentionally leave anything behind. With warm farewells from our gracious hosts, Wally and Marli, we pulled out of their driveway at 7:50 a.m. and embarked on our journey to the airport with a full tank of gas.

We had allowed ourselves extra time to catch our 11:45 flight, providing a buffer for returning the rental car, enjoying a leisurely coffee and croissant, and picking up a few "must-haves" at the duty-free shop. Everything unfolded seamlessly as we settled into seats 12A and 12B aboard the 787 aircraft.

Around 17:15, we soared past St. John, Newfoundland, and by 18:16, we found ourselves exactly 40,000 feet above Jürg & Irene in Halifax. The two are on day #402 of a camper journey through Mexico and North America.

We landed in Philadelphia right on schedule, navigated through customs with our luggage in tow, and celebrated our return to familiar territory with a glass of wine. Then, we successfully completed the second leg of our journey to DFW, where our friend Mike was waiting to pick us up.

And so concludes our splendid Swiss vacation. Never before have the autumn months treated us to such splendid weather.Read more