Having graduated high school in South Africa, our summer holiday was actually over Christmas. Still, I had a full two months off before starting university. My best friend from school and I spent a wonderful month in Switzerland living with her family in Chur. It was my first experience outside of the country and man did it open my eyes to the existence of a way bigger world than I could’ve imagined. We also spent a week in Vienna, Austria just before Christmas. Trawling the Christmas markets, attending a Mozart concert and visiting the wintry gardens of Schloss Schönbrunn are definitely some of my best memories.
Sadly not my photo (thanks Google) since I was still using film back then.
I graduated from my Bachelor’s degree in 2008. That time I had 9 months between graduating form one school in South Africa and starting my Masters degree at university in Finland. So with all that time to spare what’s a girl to do except hop continents. I spent 7 months in Perth, Australia teaching piano and bonding with parakeets. It was the first time I’d lived at the seaside and I took full advantage of that fact.
That's me watching a spectacular sunset over the Indian Ocean, photo taken on a camera phone.
Last summer having pretty much wrapped up my Master’s degree, I spent two lovely weeks in Romania meeting my fiancee’s extended family and hunting down Dracula in the Carpathians. I was less successful at the latter. Then I was back in Switzerland – the French side this time – for a long weekend before finalising my graduation papers.
Dracula's legendary hangout
This summer, which is technically the big bridge between being a student and being employed, I plan on doing as much writing as I can before the reality of being a dance teacher kicks in in August. So far I’ve been to Ireland to visit my extended family and will be spending mid summer away at a summer cottage in the middle of nowhere – as is Finnish tradition. Later this summer we’re heading to Berlin to kick back with a friend of mine who I studied with in South Africa. And that’s it. Then it’s time to be all grown up and actually earn a living for the first time in my life without the discount status of ‘student.’ Scary thought!
Rolling green hills of Ireland
I see a pattern here. Most summers since finishing high school have been spent in transit. But I love travelling so that’s just fine with me. Think we need to plan an epic road trip for next summer 🙂
So what are your post-graduation summer plans?
