The Great Minnesota Get Together

My little sister and I at A Fabulous Fair Alphabet on Machinery Hill

It's that time of year again!!! The State Fair is here and though that means (for me anyways) that school is almost here, I still look forward to it every year. My sister, Mom and I go the first day of The Fair and then we usually go again with my Dad. Every year the fair lasts 12 days. this year it goes from August 27th to September 7th.

Things to do at the fair:

1. Eat some food.

One of the top reasons why The Fair is so awesome!

   

 Twist Ice Cream cones with my
 sister from the Dairy Building

Pronto Pup! (I may
have had 3 over 2 days)

Cheese Curds!

Sweet Martha's Cookies

Fresh French Fries

Apple Cider Freeze (so good
for hot days spent outside)

Deep Fried Resse's
Peanut Butter Cups 

 2. Learn.

We meet the President,
First lady and their dog Bo

With my mom. We think
math is cool

Visit the education building.

Visit Math on a stick (new this year). Located on Machinery Hill visit here for fun for your whole fair day. 

Get educated about the upcoming elections.

Walking History Tour (also a good way to make sure you cover the whole fair).
Visit A Fabulous Fair Alphabet.
Go to one of the many themed days at The Fair. (For example STEM day which is typically the first day)

3. Support a good cause.

There is a booth for practically every local organization so you can go learn about one you have already heard of
 or find something new but it is a wonderful opportunity to get
 inspired by local organizations.

4. Giant Slide 

At The Fair there are many rides and different attractions. I have grown up going to The Fair but we never did the midway or any of that stuff but for some reason we always went on the Giant Slide. It is definitely one of my must-dos every year. 

5. Sing a song

The Giant Sing Along located on top of Machinery hill and plays a rotation of 50 songs. These songs have a wide range in genre and vary in age making it a great activity for the entire family!

There is still plenty of time to go to The Minnesota Sate Fair to eat some deep fried food on a stick and get inspired!
~Abby

Saving The Day: The Portrayal of Women in Our World

Jambo readers!
            Quick; name as many superheroes as you can in ten seconds. Go! Which ones did you think of? Superman? Batman? The Flash? Now, name as many female superheroes as you can. How many do you know? When I first tried this, I realized I only know one; Wonderwoman! The thing is, men were always looked at as the ones that saved the world, not women. Women were always portrayed as the villains, or the damsels in distress. Now, I know that comic books are pretty much a thing of the past, and these views of women are somewhat outdated. But the influence that these stereotypes brought upon the global community still remains. And it's not just superheroes. Men star in movies more, are more involved in politics, and are the heads of more companies than women. I know it sounds cheesy, but you can help stop this stereotype by being a hero in your community. Get involved! Be active in the things going around you. Before you know it, all women will break that glass ceiling and become strong, independent leaders. I challenge you to be a role model to young girls around you. Save the day!

Facing Your Fears

Ferris wheel at Valleyfair

Everyone is afraid of something, big or small. I would say that I have more fears than the average person. Facing your fears can be a very scary task. I try to face my fears occasionally, but facing your fears might not be a walk in the park. Earlier this summer I went to Valleyfair with some of my friends. For those of you that don’t know, Valleyfair is an outdoor amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota. One of my many fears is ferris wheels. According to my parents, I loved them when I was younger, but now I hate them. I think it’s because of the height combined with the swinging. I really don’t know! So when we were at Valleyfair, I went on the ferris wheel. I was with friends who were trying to make me feel better because I was really nervous. I did it! Although I wouldn’t say that I was calm the entire time, but I did it. Just because you face a fear it doesn’t mean that you are instantly going to overcome your fear. But, at least you know you can handle it. I wouldn’t say that I’m over my fear, but I’m getting there. I know that I can handle it. I’ve learned that a tip for facing your fear is to take baby steps. If you are afraid of the ocean, don’t go swimming in it.  Spend a couple minutes dipping your toes in it, then take a break.  Eventually, you will build up the confidence you need to take on your fear.  So if you want to face a fear of yours, do it. Even if you don’t fully overcome it you make progress towards overcoming your fear by doing this. You might even realize that it’s stupid and nothing you have to worry about anymore. Even just giving it a try makes you feel really good. Good luck!

Express Yourself

Ciao readers!

Let’s face it- we all need a way to blow off steam. All the ups and downs in our lives can make it  feel like there’s no way off the stressful roller coaster of life. But the good thing is everyone has a way to express themselves. For some its painting. Others might prefer running or exercising. But for me it's dance.

I started dancing when I was three, and let me tell you something- I really hated it at first. All throughout elementary school, I dreaded Monday dance class. Why? Because, I later figured out, I didn’t have a reason to dance. I just did it. And after a while, I began to realize that dancing was a great way to express myself. It started to be fun. Every last worry, every little stressful event I was going through just...melted away, like candy on your tongue. So my advice to you is to go out and find your passion, your ticket off that roller coaster. I challenge you to try new things. To find something that really sticks, and stick with it. Trust me, it’s definitely worth it.

-Julia

Travel

Picture taken in Hawaii on another adventure I've been on.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all-Helen Keller

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines travel as going on a trip or journey. You can learn and see lots of new things while traveling. During the past year or so I’ve been on lots of lovely adventures and tried new things. This summer one of the new places I went was Park City, Utah. My family and I went on a road trip there. We went with my grandparents. We’ve gone on a road trip with them pretty much every summer since I was born. I got to see lots of new things and places. One of my favorite things I did in Utah was go to the Olympic Park. The Olympic Park is where some of the events at the 2002 Olympics were held. My dad, my sister, and I went on a zipline there. At first it was really scary, but I’m glad I did it because it was a lot of fun! Another place I went this summer was Ely, MN. We saw some wolves and bears there, though they weren’t in the wild (they were in the wolf and bear centers). They were cool animals to see. I got to try kayaking as well, which was super fun! We stayed in a fancy lodge with a lot of my family. Though not everyone has the time to travel a crazy amount away from home, you can still go on adventures. You can just look online for somewhere new in your own state or even your city. It could be a hiking trail, restaurant, or museum etc. You don’t need to travel halfway around the world to see something new. Adventure could be waiting in your own backyard!

The View From a Mountain

Hola Readers!
If I were a doctor, and you, or anyone, were my patient, I would prescribe the healing powers of climbing a mountain.
Just last week, my family and I drove thirteen hours to Pray, Montana, a small town with big mountains. We stayed at a cabin in between two mountain ranges.
 My family does a lot of geocaching, which is basically just plugging in coordinates into your handy GPS and following them to the hidden peanut butter jar full of plastic toys. Of course it's not about finding the toys; it's more about pride, and being able to say you've found 100 geocaches or something like that. Anyways, my dad was looking for geocaches in the area and happened to find one that was definitely worth bragging about. This one had been hidden on the very top of Emigrant Peak, the tallest mountain in Pray. So off we went, up a steep trail that would lead us to the treasure. At first, the trail was manageable; just a slight incline. The views were fantastic nonetheless. You could literally see every pine tree for miles (there were a lot of pine trees there)! But after about a half-hour of hiking, the path suddenly became almost vertical; this is where my mom and brother stopped. We left them with the food and the bear spray and continued up the steep trail to the elusive geocache.
If you have never climbed a mountain before, it's not all fun and games. First off, the air is very thin on top of a mountain. Hiking up a steep, winding trail and having to make do with a small amount of oxygen are not a great combination. We had to stop every few minutes to catch our breath. At last, we reached a flat clearing. And let me tell you that I have never seen something more amazing than the view I saw then. You could see absolutely everything, from the thick carpet of pine trees to the last detail of every other mountain around. The sunlight touches everything, adding a surreal effect to the panoramic view. Just one small problem: the geocache was still thousands of feet above our heads! We were 7,200 feet above sea level, but we still had more to go if we were to reach the treasure.
Unfortunately, the path that led from the clearing to the top was even steeper than the path we had already conquered! This was the end of the mountain climbing adventure for me, but the awesomeness of the whole experience is something I will never forget. Let me tell you, people, there is nothing more exciting, healing or rewarding than conquering a mighty mountain of your own. Even if you don't make it all the way to the top, the view is still amazing.
-Julia

5 inspiring female characters

1. Helene Aqullia from An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Helene inspires me by showing that girls can do anything that guys can do. She is the only girl who has been chosen to attend her country's military academy and is also one of the top of the class.

2. Beatrice Prior from Divergent by Veronica Roth

Beatrice inspires me to trust my gut. She also inspires me to be myself and do what I believe no matter what the cost.

3. Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Annabeth is inspiring because it shows that a girl can be clever, smart, and a strong leader who doesn’t have to sit back and go with the flow.

4. America singer from The selection by Keira Cass

America Singer inspires me by staying true to herself and her beliefs/morals even in a new situation that could change her life forever.

5. Hermione Granger from Harry potter by J.K. Rowling

Hermione Granger is inspiring because she proves that girls are just as smart as boys. She is the top of her class and won’t let anyone push her or anyone she cares about around.

5 Other Books You Might Enjoy

1. The 39 clues by Various Authors

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 

3. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson 

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

5. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

~ Abby