*Please comment about your own holiday season and anything exciting you did over the break!
During the winter break, my vacation was very relaxing. After stressing over finals for the first time, I was more than ready to just sleep in, read my books, and hangout with my friends. I was able to catch up on watching my favorite YouTubers and TV series. I even finished several of my new books that have been waiting on my bookshelf because I didn't have any time to spare. Since there was nothing in my schedule, my family decided to take a short trip into San Francisco just to get dumplings. At Shanghai Dumpling King, they serve the best dumplings accompanied with a steamy broth. They are so yummy and we even brought home frozen ones that are able to cook in a metal steamer; this way we could eat them even when there was not enough time to travel into the city. This break has given me plenty of time to talk with my friends from middle school and separate when we all switched schools. It has been wonderful to relax and take a nice breather in between the semesters.
*Please comment about your own holiday season and anything exciting you did over the break!
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1. Learn how to juggle 2. Make a dream catcher 3. Ride a unicycle 4. Make an igloo 5. Travel around the world(especially Europe and to Tokyo) 6. Complete an Ironman 7. Hike up a hill and watch a sunrise 8. Jump out of a plane 9. Take underwater pictures 10. Learn how to play the piano 11. Graduate from college 12. Ride a motorcycle 13. Write a song 14. Go para-sailing 15. Spray paint an entire wall 16. Kiss underwater 17. Reach the end of a rainbow 18. Donate blood 19. Backpack outside of California 20. Get a tattoo 21. Choreograph a dance 22. Write in a journal everyday for one full year *These are not in any particular order. Comment the items on your bucket list! Or adventures you have had completing anything that was on your list!
As part of the STEM program at San Marin, our class took a field trip to a set of hiking trails. We brought tools, such as pick axes, rakes, and things to tamp with. Our job was to make the water runoff flow in the right course but still make sure hikers and horse riders are able to climb up the mountain easily. First, we had to learn about the different people who used the trail and would be affected by any changes we decided to make. After that, the park rangers explained the purpose of water bars and why they actually work. Water bars are meant to divert water and provide a course for the water off the trail; this way, it doesn't create rivets in the middle of the path. I learned that although people and horse press down the trails from their force, water is ultimately the most damaging source. This is because the gravity allows the water to have a certain velocity and the water runs through the depressions in the soil and will erode the trail. To help with this problem, we cleared out the leaves in front of the water bars, evened out the path to create a wider walkway, and tamped down the extra soil behind the water bars to create an even ramp instead of a step. I also realized that the dirt around the water bar has to reach a certain height or else the running water will just under the bar and that defeats the purpose. An interesting fact about the trails that I discovered was that they used to be wider and closer towards the mountain side; now most paths are very narrow because of the way the water affects the soil. I thought this was a creative and new way of helping the community while incorporating physics concepts. Even though it was freezing temperatures, I really enjoyed assisting the maintence of the trails.
At the start of the break, my family traveled down to Santa Cruz. Usually, I don't talk much with my brother because we rarely see each other; it was a pleasant change to spend time playing frisbee, hiking, and walking down beaches to explore tide pools. Even though we got lost in the forest on our hike, threw the frisbee into the water by accident, and almost fell into the water when trying to climb up a rock at the beach, I had a fun time. A bonus of the trip was on the drive back home, we stopped to get Ramen noodles and dumplings! The next two days were spent prepping the thanksgiving meal, a giant brisket. In the kitchen, it was slightly stressful because my parents were attempting to coordinate oven time, make sure nothing burned, and tried to set everything before the guest arrived. When the chaos of family left, I had a mellow and very relaxed weekend leading up to the start of school and the beginning of December.
Please comment about your holiday break and what you're thankful for this year! |