Some Sojourns

There’s this thing that Peace Corps does to you. You have to get our of your space/city every now and then, or you will lose your mind. Not even kidding. So I love San Francisco and all, but if I don’t get out of here every now and then, the wall starts caving in.

We chose Lake Tahoe as my first out of the city destination. This is mostly because I lived there for a summer in college. I thought sunbathing on the lake and working at the K-Mart Garden Department held the potential for a good vacation, at the time. That summer was a real mixed bag of nuts, but I digress.

I wanted to see South Lake Tahoe before the snow held it hostage. It had been 7 years since my last appearance and I was finally over the PTS enought to miss the lake, plus I would be so tan afterward.

First step, rent a car, like a big girl. Done did. I talked my way into a better price and everything. We even got a free upgrade! That kind of thing only happens in the movies.

I drove us to the finest dive-y brunch nearby. I was more giddy about our weird dive brunch than some of the fancy SF stuff. They asked us if we wanted fried rice on the side! How priceless is that? When I started taking pictures, Cullen was all like “This is a foodie moment?” and I was like “Oh yes it is.” I really should have ordered fried rice on this side of my waffle. When my waffle did come, the lady at the table next to me started carrying on as if I had just ordered a plate of sweet salvation. I would not have put it past her to walk right over and stick a finger in the whipped cream.

It wasn’t really that much further to Lake Tahoe, but if you ask Cullen, he’d say it was a step from death, a left at hell and blaze past go at every steep cliff. Some things really are subjective. I didn’t really mind driving through the mountains to a few Joy the Baker podcasts, but my company was a little shell shocked. Joy the Baker was not to blame.

Upon reaching our destination we realized what we had suspected all along. The good places were booked. I’d done my job. I’d researched everything, dug real deep in some weird forums to find the best places to stay, but no one made any reservations. I didn’t really care so much. We were in Lake Tahoe, I would sleep in the car if I had to. We bought a tent at K-Mart and pitched ‘er up. Planning is overrated.

Of course we were slightly distracted by the more ridiculous items available for purchase. Sure, our K-Mart tent might rip to shreds come wind or rain, but my majestic horse blanked will keep me warm and the chipmunk chair though little, will serve a purpose. No, it probably wont. That should never have happened. Though when everyone opens their chairs and the last person opens a chipmunk made for a tiny woodland creature, it’s a little funny. I don’t think we returned it.

We bought a box of wine, made s’mores, and bickered about Thailand while hovering over the campfire. I tried to sleep on the tarp floor of a tent, before giving up and sleeping in the car, which for some reason is so much scarier than sleeping in the tent. There was the dream of bear attacks, the time Cullen rolled over the keys and unlocked the car in the middle of the night and the other time that I dreamed about a goldfish ghost that showed me the meaning of life.

Before leaving the 7×7 of San Francisco, I made my intentions very clear to Bekah. I want beach. I will lay on the beach for as long as I want. Do not make me climb up some dreadful hill!

After a couple hours on the crystal blue waters, breathing dust into my already campfire filled lungs, I was ready to explore.

We asked some advice for a day trek and were led to some sort of Disneyland for senior citizens pavement circle. So we asked a forrest ranger where to go and she pointed us in the right direction. We stopped at Emerald Bay and climbed our way up a trail that led to a rock formations fit for exploring. It was awesome.

Then it was back to SF.

Oh yeah, I ate a peanut butter hamburger this weekend. So bad. But I had to do it! It was on the menu to challenge me! I think I won…no, the garlic fries won.