Sunday, November 18, 2012
A Memory of Mine
Everyone has a
memory that teaches them a lesson somehow and that memory could either be good
or bad. The memory I have from my eighth grade summer is both good and bad.
This memory of mine has taught me a lesson. During my eighth grade summer, my
grandparents told my parent that they would like to take my sister and I to
Palm Springs for five days along with four of my cousins. My sister and three
of my cousins decided to ditch me and my cousin Hasmik, but we were still very
excited. We had no idea what was ahead of us. My cousin and I were going to
have a separate room which we were very excited for but little did we know that
we were going to join a bus full of Armenian grandmas and grandpas, in order to
go to “Hot Springs”, yes it was not Palm Springs. Hot springs is a place for
old people to relax, not teenagers. The minute we got off the bus, I was ready
to run away. It looked like little huts stuck together with warm pools filled
with sixty-ninety year olds. As I stepped into our room, I wanted to cry. Due
to my luck, the A/C was not working properly. The bed looked dirty, the
bathroom was old with mold, and the television had three working channels. I
knew it was going to be a long five days. I was dreaming of my clean towels,
bed and shower. At night, I would wake up feeling as if there were bugs
crawling on me. I would cry myself to sleep the first three nights, but after a
while I began to ignore everything around me. My cousin and I made the best out
of the trip by distracting ourselves with junk food and having conversations
with grandmas. I realized that there will e times when one has to live with
what is given. I learned to deal with situations t do not please me, because I did
not want to disappoint my grandparents who also had no idea what they were
getting themselves into.
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Anna, it is mind boggling how YOU are the one who always ends up in situations like this. I can clearly recall the day you came back and the phone conversation we had. You had just taken three showers in a matter of two hours, and your loud sobs and constant sniffs made it difficult to hear what you were saying. It was as if you had just returned home from a village in Africa. However, this memory is one you will be able to tell your own grandchildren, and made you realize how we must cherish the moments we have with our grandparents. Your optimism is evident, because of the fact that you were able to make the most of it, which most people would not be able to. This tour must have been another Armenian travel agency, for Maro Travelteck does not venture into the unknown, also known as 'Hot Springs.' Although, she always dies of laughter when you tell her this story.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson you learned is a hard one to conquer. It took you five days, but it may take longer for others. With all the harsh conditions you were able to withstand, it truly made it a challenge for both you and your cousin. On the bright side, you spent valuable time with your grandparents. I hope you do not experience another vacation like that one. I know I am not going to Hot Springs!
ReplyDeleteAnnie, I am not surprised one bit how this actually happened to you. You, who hates all substances that deal with germs and dirt, were the lucky winner to visit a relaxing and "sanitary" day at Hot Springs. I remember how frustrated you were when you found out your sister and cousin were dismissed from this once in a life time opportunity. However, at least you had Hasmik to accompany you. This story never fails to make me cry from laughter. I truly wish I was there with you along the way, to actually witness you being tortured by all the elderly people. Nevertheless, this calls for hilarious memories that will never be forgotten. Also, it was an opportunity for both you and Hasmik to bond with your grandmother.
ReplyDeleteThis is extremely hilarious, I can not help wonder how you would have managed those five days at hot springs. For one does not simply go to hot springs instead of palm springs for fun. The three first day must have been extremely terrible, but there are always ways to make it worth the while, like messing around with your cousin doing stupid things that one will not forget.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very funny story and it is a memory that can be learned from which you did. Being stuck in a hot humid environment like hot springs with grandmas and grandpas is hilarious and I feel sorry for you. However you did learn a very valuable lesson that you are not always going to be in situations which you love and you have to learn how to cope and adjust. You handled it very well for the most part by not showing your grandparents that you were miserable. I commend you for that.
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ReplyDeleteIt is actually very sad that you had to cope with surroundings like the ones given for five days. The way I pictured the hotel described in your post was a giant pit with fire coming out of the cracks in the floor. If I were you, being impatient, as stated in my comment on Arsen's blog, I would have payed the bus driver one hundred dollars to take me back and I said bye my grandparents. Unfortunately, some people, like me, are not as mentally strong as you are to deal with this kind of situation without a noose and a ceiling fan. Maybe you could have adopted a few old ladies and brought them with you; that would have been fun. Anyways, I am glad you learned something out of this series of unfortunate events.
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ReplyDeleteIt was exceptionally kind of you and your cousin to cope with those uncomfortable surroundings. You also showed that you were strong enough to live with it for five days. I actually laughed a little while reading this, but i realized that the conditions you were facing were not ones we are normally used to. However, you learned an extremely important lesson that we will not always be in comfortable situations. Even though we hate the situation, we have to be strong and deal with it. Instead of becoming miserable, you and your cousin ate junk food and communicated with elders, which was the right thing to do, since you had no other choice.
ReplyDeleteIf something like this had happened to me I would probably be pretty angry as well. In fact something like this has happened to me. Years ago Talar and I went to Lake Tahoe with our families and a travel agency and when we entered our hotel room we started crying. We eventually learned to enjoy what was provided for us and had a great time. I guess that is what we should always do. We have to not dwell on the negative things and always be optimistic and find fun things to do.
ReplyDeleteI admire at how, no matter how gross the situation, you were able to make the most of it. Anyone else would have nagged the whole time and probably have ended up spoiling it for every one else. Your quality of making the best of the worst situation is truly amazing. This is something that is difficult for most people. Although I must admit, this story did make me laugh.
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