I’ve decided that I’m going to turn my excerpt of my trip to Lake Tahoe, into three separate intervals. Representing each day we were there. Then it’ll be easier for me to release content. And for you guys to take a breather between posts so it doesn’t feel like you’re being hit in the face by all the alpine glory of Lake Tahoe.
So.
Lake Tahoe anyone?
Yeah I know, me neither.
(Just so we’re clear. This post is not sponsored by Safeway.
Or the sun.
Or every sand particle in existence.)
Fair warning, this post has a lot going on in one place, so you’ll have to be reading really carefully if ya wanna catch all the details before you go on to the next paragraph. I suggest you read with a timid pace. Also, you’ll seriously get confused if you just skim the whole thing(and probably question why I have access to a computer) . With this post, even I’ll start stumbling on a lot of details, because honestly, I think I’ve had too much human interaction for the past month.
Last month, my uncle and his family decided to visit the United States for a couple weeks. My uncle seemed to have some business that he needed to take care of for his company, mostly meetings and stuff. And it had been four years since the four of them had decided to come to the U.S. again, which really hyped up the whole thing for everyone. And I was pretty excited myself, because spending time with my uncle with all of us together as a big group, also meant that a lot of unexpected adventures were going to happen, and he did not disappoint.
Course that also meant a lot of preparation on our line of there trip, since they would be alternating between our house and my other uncle’s house. My mom and I got more blanket and pillows from the garage, took out the crib in the master bedroom so there would be more space. And since my brother was getting a bunk bed anyway(#notfair#why#Idontevenusehashtangs#what)the sleep situation wasn’t an issue in his room.
But, when they finally arrived at our house, I was kinda having an internal language crisis.
My brain got so wired to all the Tamil, mild Japanese, English, and Spanish, that it all started messing with my train of thought.
Two years worth of Spanish. English and Tamil for as long as I’ve been existing I guess. And the really light Japanese vocab that I’ve been trying to teach myself.
And it doesn’t make it any better than my Tamil isn’t all that great. A lot of my relatives know that. I mean I really wish I could just be able to say something lightning fast in Tamil and understand it at the same time. And if someone’s talking to me in Tamil, I wish I could just break it all down in my brain and then translate it myself “Oh here brain, what they just said all translates in English to (fill in the blank).”
Anyway, when my uncle and his family came, I was morally terrified and knew I was kinda screwed. But I tried my best to make sure I didn’t say gracias or arigatou gozaimasu. Anyone reading this would think I’m just trying to make a show of what I’m learning, but seriously, all the different vocabulary and such have totally messed up my brain. And it didn’t make it any better that I kept mixing my English with my Tamil, which just made me sound flat out stupid.
Usually, I don’t stutter, but when it comes to speaking Tamil, I have the same vocal coherency as a two year old spelling out the letters of the alphabet. And I didn’t want to give off the vibe that I’m an antisocial meal worm, but the language crisis didn’t help.
See, in India, it would’ve been different. Since I would in a setting that only has that language circulating with other people I can pick up new words and vocabulary that are used frequently by everyone else. And then incorporate it into my set of Magical Tamil Knowledge, and BAM I have attained the ability to communicate with other people in India with the very little and basic expertise I have. I can hold a steady conversation without as much stuttering as I would’ve if I was talking one on one with someone back here in California. But I’m still not to the oh-my-gosh-i’m-a-bilingual-god, level.
And don’t worry, I won’t reach that level of cockiness even if I do “master the art” of knowing another language on command.
Maybe.
Now besides the obvious stuff, I didn’t know where we would take road-trips to, I just knew that whatever peryiappa says, goes. That also meant that we would be taken meticulously to places we probably haven’t been to before. Therefore resulting in a circumstance that we would call “fun” but what professionals would call, “peril.” But you know, he’s my uncle, and ya gotta love the guy.
So, to my extent of knowledge(and eavesdropping on conversations conducted between my parents and my uncle on the phone.) We were going to Yosemite, along with my other uncle and his family who live in San Jose. We had everything planned, a hotel, what we would see, my mother was even getting everything packed and my bought stuff for the trip. It seemed like nothing was going to get in our wa-oh, oh wait.
Oh that’s right! I totally forgot!
We didn’t go.
YOU DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING DID YOU.
WELL ME NEITHER. NOW WE’RE BOTH ON THE SAME PAGE.
CONFUSED?
YEAH ME TOO.
So, since peryiappa didn’t tell us that he was coming to the United States until the very last minutes, my parents didn’t book three hotel rooms. You see, since we go to Yosemite almost every year, my parent just assumed that we were obviously gonna go this year without fail, at that time. But that was before we were informed that Babu peryiappa was gonna decide to mosey on over to the United States.
So the only thing my dad could really do was call the hotel that we were supposed to stay at, and ask if they had an extra room or two. The result?
They said no.
Multiple times.
At that point I think we all kinda knew that it wasn’t gonna work out since we’re such a big group, and there was only one room, and the fact that we wanted to go when it was the Memorial Day weekend made us realize that it would be easier to just go somewhere else. So Lake Tahoe was basically the next best thing. Like president Yosemite was stepping down and Vice President Tahoe was takin’ the reigns of our summertime fun. (Advance apologies to every other national park in existence in California)
So, in total there was fourteen of us. My family which is five, peryiappa’s family which was four, and my other uncle in San Jose, was five. Peryiappa had rented a car recently after landing in California, so we had three cars in total. So transportation wouldn’t be a problem.
oR So We ThOuGhT.
THIS WHOLE THING IS JUST ONE BIG SHERLOCK HOLMES DEBACLE ISN’T IT?!
What I thought was going to end in a neat and organized fashion ended up with me wondering whether or not it would be easier if some of us older kids sat in the trunks of our respectable cars. Why?
Okay, let me back up a bit.
When we all decided Pip pip, cheerio, pack your bags everyone we’re going to circle an entire lake and you’re going to like it as it basks in it’s alpine glory. We all decided that we all should meet at my house, since it’s on the way to Lake Tahoe, it would be a quick breather for everyone before we got on the road. And everyone was there, except my uncle, aunt, and younger cousin from San Jose. My other two cousins were there, though. I asked my cousin why her parents weren’t with us, and she said that her mother had work so they had to stay behind, but she said they would meet us in the house we were all staying at in South Lake Tahoe.
So that left us deprived of three people and a car.
But it was all okay since my peryiappa’s family plus my two cousins managed to all fit in the car peryiappa rented. And my family would be in our own car. So, no problem right?
We all started driving for a while before deciding we should take a break somewhere for a little bit. Now, this is is a major factor for me, mostly because;
I hate long car trips, with a burning passion.
Before all of you hardcore travelers out there attack with your passion for sitting in a hot, stuffy, uncomfortable, car for a prolonged period of time. I have my reasons:
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I have motion sickness. Nuff’ said.
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It’s bores me out of my mind.
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I can never find a comfortable sleeping position.
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T R A F F I C
Looking over this list, I’m just thinking to myself, “Wow, I sound like such a brat! What has my existence come to?” But, these are all my reasons for hating travel that involves staying in a mobile vehicle for an extended amount of time. And traffic is something I hate with a capital everything. And I’m sure a lot of you can relate. I know you’re out there, and I feel you. And it’s not that I don’t like traveling. I adore seeing new places and experiencing new things, but when it comes down the form of travel and how long it takes to get to our location, well, I’d much rather stay home or just go to local places, like the library or a nearby store.
Anyway, we went and parked in the shade a parking lot in the center of a bunch of restaurants and stores. Babu peryiappa and the rest of our family came a couple minutes later, my dad pointing to a parking spot right next to our car. But peryiappa decided it would be funny to park in a spot that was one space away from where our car was, which resulted in my dad throwing his hands in the air like What the heck man? While everyone was getting out of the car, my cousin Surya said he would take the car and park it next to ours. After that statement was brought into the air, everyone in peryiappa’s car was rushing to get out. I had to hold back a snort because I mean, c’mon, the guy’s nineteen and has a license, it’s not like the car was going to blowup the minute he put his hands on the steering wheel spy-movie style.
At least I hope not.
Once everyone had safely assumed that we indeed weren’t going to be run over; everyone gathered together as my mom passed out food. I kid you not when I say that she basically hauled the entire kitchen with her. I’m talking Costco sized bags(with that unit of measurement you know that’s a massive quantity)At that point, I’m surprised she hasn’t received a special request from Costco asking her to join their team of super elite packing people of honour who save the world from the horrors of improperly packed goods and accessorizes. And if they do have an actual team like that in Costco, then I honestly don’t even know if I should be amazed or dumb founded.
Anyway, my mom pulled out a bowl of rice, some spinach stew that you eat with the rice, sliced, seasoned, and cooked potatoes, plates, spoons, and more. Everyone who wanted to eat, stood around both cars and ate. I didn’t eat because I wasn’t really up to downing some food at the moment. But I did get to have some purpose with my hands, which was to hold a large glass bowl that held the spinach stew. But I think that was a deplorable decision on my parent’s part, because glass+me=complete disaster. If someone hands me something that’s glass, in my head there are sirens blaring, and it’s screaming
redcardredcardredcardredcardredcardredcardredcardredcard
REDCARD
If you have something that you value, something that has high importance, but is equally fragile
Don’t give it to me.
So I was neck deep in anxiety and was just about ready to put that bowl of stew into someone else’s unsure custody. Finally I was able to do that, and I put it down safely inside the trunk where it hopefully wouldn’t descend into the consolidated void of concrete. Afterwards, it remained uneventful, and when we were all packing up to get back on the road Himani and I made a sound discovery. Our cousin Surya, and Himani’s brother Sanjay, were not there. We looked around everywhere, and by everywhere I mean in and around the perimeter of our two cars. Obviously, Himani did the rational thing and decided to call Sanjay to ask where the two of them went. And of all places they managed to go to, they went to Panda Express. Just the thought of eating food before driving for another hour or two, made my stomach lurch. But no judgement here, food is always a top priority.
Anyways, we were back on the road, and I was obviously not enjoying staying in my seat for such a long time. But I managed not to projectile vomit the whole time, so that was definitely an accomplishment on my part. I don’t think I can say the same for my sister though.
Driving through the Lake Tahoe area and residency spaces is like driving into a completely different state. It felt more like a city with relatively more tree’s, rather than a national park at first. We passed by dozens of stores, shops, hotels, resorts, cinemas, massive houses, grocery stores, fast food restaurants and drive-ins, and basically every amenity you could possibly find in a modern-ish city setting like regular ol’ Sacramento. Except there’s comparatively more wooded area. Also did you guys know that they have an AIRPORT?!
Now that I think about it, it does make sure to have an airport in such a popular tourist destination, since many people come from all around the world to see the lake and to stay, or from out of the state. So that I practical to a certain extent.
Anyway, by the time we arrived at South Lake Tahoe it was around nine at night and pretty dark. We were driving a bit slowly on this dirt path that literally had no lights or anything except one or two street lights placed next to some houses. I couldn’t see much, with it being so late, but I did notice that each house that we passed had different and unique structures and designs. Like styles pillars and boards in the porches, or windows that take up an entire wall. I even saw a house that looked like something straight out of The Hobbit.
Thinking back, it was a little irking to see no one else roaming about, except us. And it didn’t make anyone feel any better that peryiappa’s car was no where to be seen. And didn’t help that he decided to rent a black car. So even if he was driving right beside us, or in front or behind, we wouldn’t have been able to see. The road look abandoned of any else except us, and in all honesty, I don’t think anyone of us knew where our location was.
It was dark(like I said fifty times before, thanks for noticing.)so looking at the numbers on the houses was just a tad bit difficult. But after some minor confusion, some of us almost tipping off into a road rage, and taking a u-turn or two; we finally managed to find where we’re staying, and peryiappa came just in time. Surya, Sanjay, and my dad all got out and looked for the key, and opened the door to the house before coming back out to unload both cars. I got out and looked at the massive house in front of me.
I was tired, I was a little hungry, my eyes were bleary, and I was sore from having my left side completely pressed against my little sister’s car seat. So I might’ve been a little delusional, and had the moral sanity of a plastic bag, but I clearly remember thinking;
“Wow.”
“This looks like Minecraft!”
From afar, someone would’ve thought the house was a solid wooden block just hanging out in a little neighborhood. But up close, it’s just a big two-story cabin. But still,
It looked like Minecraft.
Anyway, I lugged my backpack and a couple other things inside and just plopped them near a glass coffee table. I looked around, to the left of the entryway, there was a small room that had no lights on, which was home to a black metal bunk bed, and red and white duvets and pillows that classes miraculously with glass(or plastic)art piece, that hung on the wall above, that reminded me of explicitly of microorganisms, or empty cells. I tried turning on the lights by flipping the switch, but even the satisfying click didn’t carry out the expected result.
AKA, the lights didn’t turn on.
I tried clicking it again, and then thrice. But it still didn’t turn on, and this being the first room I walked into, my first impression was
“aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH”
My second thought-while internally screaming, was;
“Welllet’sskedaddleoutofherebeforethisroomdecidesit’snotaroomanymoreandinsteadbecomethegatewaytoTartarus.”
It wasn’t that the room had a hostile atmosphere to it, I mean it was small and looked welcoming, but the fact that it had no light and there was a sketchy looking door in the corner in the room didn’t help. But my curiosity got the better of me as I crept into the other side of the room, and twisted the knob and I opened the closet door-half expecting something to jump at me. Luckily nothing did, it seemed to just be another storage closet. Although I was still half convinced that I had just opened the toran to another inter dimensional galaxy,
The house itself had a peculiar floor plan, the living room, kitchen+bathroom, one bedroom, and one coat closet downstairs, along with a fireplace situated between the kitchen and living room. Upstairs there were three bedrooms, if I was to be a bit more accurate, one of the rooms was massive, and seemed to be an entertainment room that was doubly used as a bedroom. There were three smaller rooms, one with a bunk bed, and one with a queen bed. There were also two bathrooms upstairs which seemed to be convenient seeing as there was so many of us.
I went back downstairs to see what was going on in the kitchen, merely to find that some of my family members were huddled around island, which was overflowing with bags and bags of food, utensils, pans and pots, and snacks. I snuck behind them all to the side where there were open bags of chips, and grabbed one, munching away as everyone fussed over the food. About an hour later, we had all eaten dinner and some of us stayed up to wait for my uncle, aunt, and cousin.
By the time they arrived, it was around eleven, my mother and peryiamma were fussing over my aunt and uncle and gave them some food. I was so tired and tried my best to make good conversation for a bit before turning in to bed.
つ ◕_◕つ
Interesting Facts
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Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in the United States
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Lake Tahoe is 2/3 in California and 1/3 Nevada.
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Lake Tahoe is 2 million years old
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Because of it’s depth, Lake Tahoe never freezes
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The lake has a volume of 41 trillion gallons of water
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Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States, with a depth of 1,645 feet.