The signs that fall has arrived are everywhere: kids are back in school, Starbucks is promoting its pumpkin spice latte, and third quarter estimated taxes have been paid. Even though this weekend marks the official start of fall, some of us are still scrolling through pictures from our summer adventures. 

Associate Todd Betor and his wife, Michelle, spent part of the summer honeymooning in France. Before finding their inner Francophile, Todd and Michelle kicked off their trip with their friends’ wedding in London and idyllic Surrey. One of their trip highlights was biking throughout Ile de Ré, a small island off France’s western coast, where they stopped at coastal oyster shacks on their way to the beach. From there, Todd and Michelle rounded out their European honeymoon with stays in Bordeaux, Saint-Tropez, and Paris. Maybe Todd still has some French wine he could share with his colleagues.

Partner Todd Lard spent his summer vacation on a photo safari in Rwanda. After going on an African safari a few years ago, Todd and his partner, Brian, were inspired to visit another part of the continent. Rwanda is one of the few places in the world to see mountain gorillas in the wild and is devoting a lot of resources to protecting the wildlife. Todd remarked that the Rwandans were also some of the friendliest people he’s met on his travels. The highlight of the trip? Spending time with the gorillas in the wild, where Todd and Brian saw the oldest silverback in the park and a one-day-old baby gorilla. Todd was so inspired by his experience that he donated to Gorilla Doctors, an organization that provides medical care to the mountain gorillas. A true traveler, Todd is already looking ahead to a spring trip to Japan and a Canadian adventure to see the polar bears.

We hope the tale of two Todds inspires you to think about more than taxes.