Back to the Zoo

Last year around this same time we bought our family a yearly zoo membership as we were anxiously waiting to find out if he would be accepted into JFK school or if he would attend another local school.  It was a stressful time but also a really nice time.  It was just him and I for nearly two weeks as we waited for him to be accepted and then be able to start school.  We have so many fun memories there together.   We lost count but we probably went there no less than 7 times over the course of two weeks.

  I've said it many times before that I am not a Zoo person or a Zoo fan.  After having spent quite a bit of time in Kenya and Uganda I have never really enjoyed going to zoos and have always felt sorry for the animals being cooped up in these relatively small cages.  I guess one could argue that a life in a zoo is pretty sweet for wild animals as living out in nature is much more challenging and dangerous but you could also argue that it is much more fulfilling, exciting and satisfying.   However, I have come to really love the Berlin Zoo.  Partly due to the fact that the

way it is set up allows you to feel much more in touch with the animals.  Their enclosures border on being maybe a bit too little or too unobstructive.  But the other really important reason that I love this zoo is because of all the time Benjamin and I spent there together last year.
Because our yearly membership was expiring soon we decided a trip to the zoo should be our last day of summer activity.  This time we invited our friends and old neighbors, Nils and Aurora to join.  What a difference a year makes.  Last year at this time we hadn't even met them yet even though they lived right behind us.