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or 150 years Lake Tahoe has attracted
generations of adventurers, artists, and
pioneers to its shores—folks drawn to
the magnificent rugged landscape of the
Sierras and the intense beauty of the
crystal-blue alpine lake. It was a mutual
admiration of this place that helped
lay the groundwork for my friendship
with Kevin Systrom, the cofounder of
Instagram, and his wife, Nicole.
We first met in 2013 as neighbors in San Francisco. Kevin
and his then-girlfriend, Nicole, came over for supper after a
mutual friend introduced us. Instagram was already somewhat
of a sensation but certainly nowhere near what it has become.
Over the course of the evening we discovered many shared
interests—in food, music, and travel, specifically Lake Tahoe.
For years my husband, Kurt, and I had rented an old
camp on the north shore for two weeks in the summer and
had developed a deep fondness for the place. Kevin sharedf