Admissions Blogging II: Lynn’s Back!

Ah! I’m back to blogging, folks, after a term off working as an Admissions Interviewer! Probably one of the best jobs I’ve had—and I’ve had a lot of campus jobs. But now instead of asking prospective students questions about their lives, I’m telling you all about my life. And I get to make up my own questions!

So classes are starting back up again after Carleton’s 6 week long winter break. You heard me right! With so much time between terms, students do a lot of different things—my past three years, I 1) returned home to work and make some $$$, 2) worked at a theatre externship (a shortened internship with Carleton alumni) in Chicago, and 3) did a Carleton fellowship about food, feminism, and friendship in Chicago and the Twin Cities.

This year, I wanted to give myself a bit of a break. I’m a senior, and I just spent my fall term working on my comps. I was tired! So I got a job at Tandem Bagels, a bagel hub on Northfield’s main street, and another one with Carleton’s Media Relations department, and I found an off campus house to sublet. A friend even lent me their car so I could drive up to the cities if I wanted.

Then I got mono! So it turned out really well that I didn’t have any Big Plans for break, because I was seriously bed-ridden for about 2 weeks. I am also lucky that the illness waited until after the term to attack my body! Overall, I give my mono a 5/10. I’m all better now, though, and consuming a lot of Vitamin C.

When I could finally stand up without falling back down, I made my way to Eden Prairie to spend some time with my girlfriend. She took me to “the bluffs,” which apparently means hills with prairie grass on them? I’m still kind of unclear on it. But we walked on the snowy path and it was really beautiful—plus, she fed me hot chocolate afterward, so it was all worth it. We also made a few choice meals (I love to cook) including this coconut lentil sweet potato soup/curry:

I was lucky enough to get a cheapo Spirit flight home to Arizona for a week, and as my mom told me a lot of times, I really needed the sun. I think she meant because of the mono, but I’m also just really pasty right now. My dad made some great dishes (notably Eggplant Rollatini and some white bean soup) and he and my mom and I spent a lot of time going to our fave restaurants in the area. My love for eating is definitely inspired.

On that thread, I got to spend some time with my childhood bestie, Emma, and we made a huge dish of baked mac & cheese (delicious; my dad helped) that we brought to a new year’s potluck. At the potluck? A bunch of people I hadn’t seen since middle school. Wild! I’m usually pretty wary of seeing people that I haven’t in a long time (terrifying questions of who I am now and what I’m doing!), but I actually had a really good time. Maybe I’m growing!

On the actual eve of New Year’s, I flew back to Minnesota to celebrate with Sam. We danced and ate and got brunch the next day in Minneapolis. But I have to say, the highlight of 2019 so far (and maybe my whole break) was our January 1st visit to the Como Park Conservatory—we saw so many plants, plus some turtles and a stingray and a giant snake that really freaked me out… but most importantly, we saw Chloe the sloth. I’ve never seen a sloth in my life, and I’m also not a person who freaks out over animals (sorry!), but I freaked out over Chloe. She was huddled up in a furry ball in her tree, and then she very slowly (sloth-like speed, if you will) lifted up her arms, at the end of which are not claws like I thought but instead are intense hooks that look like elephant tusks) and REALLY QUICKLY started scratching her tum. It was hilarious. I loved it.

Now I’m back in Northfield getting ready to move back into my townhouse and see all my housemates and friends. To show them pics of Chloe. To complain about my mono. Can’t wait! See you next week, everyone.

Lynn is a senior CAMS major and WGST minor from the desert. She’s super into podcasts, comedy, queerness, and food. You can catch her doing improv with Cujokra or stand up with the Queens of Comedy—or perhaps reading something by Roxane Gay, baking at Dacie Moses, looking at her résumé to remember what else she does, or in the Weitz trying to find her hard drive. Meet the other bloggers!