1. I wasn’t raised near mountains, but there’s something about being near them that I love. When I was younger, we would often go to Vermont to visit my aunt, and I remember feeling, before I could really articulate it, that there was something cleaner and fresher about the air, there.
Of course, you can magnify that feeling by about a thousand, when it comes to the Alps.
2. Leaving New York is always hard for me, but it was especially tough when I was there this past September. I had been looking forward to the trip because it was the first time in I don’t know how many years that I had been there in the fall, and fall may be my favorite time to be in New York. Unlike Paris, which just kind of gets gray, New York bursts into color, and you’re only a short drive away from hills that are positively aflame with changing leaves.
Unfortunately, this year happened to be one with an Indian summer that continued well into late September, so I didn’t get to see any bursts of color (though as I was leaving, apparently fall began, because my Instagram feed was filled with photos of friends heading upstate or out to Long Island for apple picking.)
I was pretty disappointed; I’ve never seen landscapes quite like that in France, before. Or I hadn’t, that is, until a friend of mine offered to let me tag along on her trip to Megève.
3. This little Alpine town fulfilled all of my leaf-peeping dreams and more. The concierge at the hotel where we were staying recommended a hike that brought us past a series of small chapels hidden amongst the trees.
4. We also got to meet some real Alpine sheep. Hey, sheep!
5. And the grand finale of our trek: a beautiful hidden waterfall. This part of the hike required us to hang onto some ropes and use footholds that were conveniently added for our use, but it was worth the extra effort (and the perfect way to get my fill of fall).