don't forget to smile

“Why not seize the pleasure at once? 

-- How often is happiness destroyed 

by preparation, foolish preparation!”
― Jane Austen, Emma  

We found ourselves in Basel last week with a few hours to spare, and, being the adventurous people that we are, pulled out the bag of swimsuits we keep in the trunk of the car for occasions just like this, our eyes fixed on the schwimmbad that hugged the river shore. For the next hour, we jumped from the hot summer day into the cool Rhine waters, drifted downstream, and then jumped back out to lay on the sun-warmed wooden deck, toasting ourselves in preparation for the next dip. And with that, we crossed out the line on our bucket list that read: swim in the Rhine, before we even knew that it was there.