Cheese Curds, Llamas, Pork Chops on a Stick, Oh My!

As my sister and I were making our way back to the park and ride to head home from a day jam packed with food, fun, and happiness, a twinge of sadness lurked underneath my smile.

Today was our last day at the fair, and with that summer sunshine and humidity will turn to crisp autumn nights as the sun lessens its time in the sky. Summer was over.

Many people have asked me over the years why I have such deep admiration for our state fair. Is it the foods on a stick? The opportunity to celebrate the art and culture of this beloved state? A chance to bask in the last few days of summer before it departs for nine months, only to return in what we hope to be next June?

It is all of those things.

When I moved to Milwaukee in 2008 and missed my first Minnesota State Fair in I am not sure how many years, my disappointment was palpable. Here I was, leaving behind something we as Minnesotan’s hold so dear. I was not only homesick for family and friends that I had left behind on my college journey, but homesick for the traditions I had come so accustomed to. I missed my foods on a stick, the chaos of the midway, and the sleepy walks through the agriculture and creative arts buildings. I missed the sweet treats, the smelly animals, and sweating profusely in the August heat. I missed the Minnesota State Fair.

For several years after that, I continued to miss the state fair. My college, that was several hundred miles away, just happened to always start around the same week as the state fair, so it was tough to navigate moving in, getting my classes figured out and making sure I was prepared for a new semester. In the end, I had to give up my treasured fair for a new experience, to which I do not regret.

When I finally moved back to home in 2015, I was ready to attack the largest state fair in the country with a vengeance. I had attended the Wisconsin State Fair while I was away and was bummed by how small it felt. As I passed through those gates in Milwaukee, I felt no sense of community, just an odd opportunity to munch on cheese curds and “enjoy” a country concert. It was not the Minnesota State Fair and would never live up to the fair I had come to love so dearly.

When passing through the heavenly gates in Minnesota for the first time in almost 7 years, I felt a sudden sense of joy and peace. Amongst hundreds of thousands of people laughing, crying, screaming, and dancing on those fairgrounds, I felt I was home. To taste cheese curds, pork chops on a stick, and Sweet Martha’s Cookies again felt like Christmas morning to a five year old. I was in heaven. The fairgrounds were my playground!

While I was away, my fondness for our state fair, and even our state, grew stronger and stronger with each passing year. I love Minnesota. The land of 10,000 lakes will forever be my home. Whether on the lake in the summer, skating at the local park in the winter, or apple picking in the fall, I am enthralled with all the amazing things this state has to offer and the fact that I get to enjoy it, live it and breathe it for 365 days out of the year.

So you ask me, why do you love the Minnesota State Fair so much? 

All I can say is, for 12 days out of the year, I get to celebrate everything that our state has to share with the world with 2 million of my closest friend. Together with eat foods on a stick, drink wacky craft beers, marvel in artwork, canoodle with cuddly animals, and have the largest party this state has to offer.

At the end of it all, my heart is so full of happiness it could burst, because our state fair is what community is; an opportunity to bring people together and share in what makes us all uniquely great. 

And for 12 days, Minnesota sure is good at that.

To you, Mr. Bourdain

As many of you know, a little over two and a half years ago I began a brief stint in the hospitality industry. I jumped into hotel culture in hopes of perfecting my customer relation skills and opening up opportunities for me to connect with different people from all across the globe. Though tucked away and often only heard as a voice, I had the chance to assist, converse, and guide people from many walks of life.

It is a hard industry, and I will not deny that it takes a toll on your psyche. Sold out nights are chaotic and exhilarating, nights where you’re short staffed, not so much, but the show always goes on and you do everything in your power to put a smile on your face and present yourself with grace.

It was during this time that my love for Anthony Bourdain became much more profound. After a long evening shift I would often settle onto my parents couch with a glass of wine and binge a couple episodes of “Parts Unknown,” often until 2:00 or 3:00am. It was my opportunity to continue learning about a world I knew so little about.

He opened doors and broke down barriers. He ate delicious and exotic food and had conversations with people that I can only dream of meeting! He was honest. He was raw. He was authentic. And he often encouraged people to be as true to themselves as possible. I think it was his ability to be so unapologetically himself that put so many people he met at ease. Hell, I was at ease talking to him through my television, and he couldn’t even hear me.

It has taken me a couple days to process what has happened to this visionary individual. He not only inspired my passion as a closeted chef, but also continued to drive me to be a better writer. I realized after a couple months that hospitality unfortunately wasn’t my true calling in life, but I do use my ability to treat all those I meet with warmth and gratitude in everything I do. 

While at work this weekend, someone had said, “everyone should work a job in customer service,” and I could not agree more. It is an incredibly humbling experience to be at the service of others. I believe Anthony Bourdain was a true embodiment of this industry. His ability to build relationships and communicate effectively in a honest and endearing manner are skills that can often only be developed in the service industry. Those skills only continued to ripen through his television shows and unparalleled storytelling.

In the end, it was his love for food and writing that inspired me most. I don’t have what it takes to make it in the restaurant industry, but I do take pleasure in cooking for myself and my friends, and have him to thank for encouraging me to explore the kitchen a little more often.

To you Mr. Bourdain, I hope you have peace. I hope there is delicious food and drink wherever you are. And I hope you know how much the world loves you and misses you. 

Rest easy.

What the Olympics Mean To Me...

As many of you know, I haven’t exactly hid my excitement for this year’s Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. Ever since Rio ended, I have been eagerly awaiting the return of the world’s greatest athletes to my television screen. The Summer Games in 2016 were thrilling to say the least—but there is very little that stands in the way of my love for the winter games. There is an extra sense of adventure and danger that comes with the Winter Olympics. Whether that is hurling your body down an icy track at insane speeds or tossing your partner through the air while on skates, it doesn’t get much more enjoyable than watching these athletes make their dreams come true.

For these games, I have my heart set on Figure Skating. I cannot wait to watch Nathan Chen dominate in men’s figure skating, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Adam Rippon. Chen is a technical genius, nailing quad after quad with perfection. Rippon skates with such fervent emotion that he exposes his heart to world and lays it all on the ice in that moment. I would love to see both men medal for their gracefulness and tenacity on the ice. I am also eager to see how Bradie Tennell will fair in her first Olympic games after she burst onto the figure skating scene only within the last two months. She is certainly a power player and I think has potential to surpass Russia’s Evegenia Medvedeva if she can remain consistent. Medvedeva suffered a broken ankle throughout the season, but has skated flawlessly over the couple months of competition leading up to the Olympics, so only time will tell.

I am heartbroken that I will not get to see Charlie White and Meryl Davis grace us with their presence one last time, as they retired after the Sochi games, but I am happy that the Shibutani siblings will have their chance in the spotlight. They are a joy to watch and they know PyeongChang is their time to shine.

But to me the Olympics are so much more than the figure skating. For a little over two weeks in the summer or winter, in even numbered years, the whole world comes together. Though were are often glued to the television with family and friends cheering for our home country, I can sense that across the globe their are friends and family who are doing the same. For two weeks, the Olympics bring a different culture into my home. It makes the world a little smaller and welcomes me with open arms. It brings people together in a way that not many things do anymore. In a world that is no longer graced with family dinner, game nights, and wholesome family vacations—I get two weeks to sit with my loved ones and talk about the world’s greatest athletes as they embark on this amazing journey.

So yes, I am beyond excited. I am beyond thrilled. I am beyond happy. 

I am feverish with joy because I cannot wait to partake in the festivities! Two weeks from now I will have been a part of the world’s greatest party. In the process, I will have made millions of new friends and learned a bit more about a country I have never been to, because that’s what the Olympics do. It opens doors and creates connections. 

I am truly grateful I am invited, because I cannot wait to celebrate!