Exploring Carleton and Northfield

Hi everyone! This week was really fun.

First, it was Valentine’s Day, which was especially fun because it fell on a Friday this year. At Carleton, we have a tradition called Friday Flowers of buying flowers in Sayles every Friday and delivering them in friends’ mailboxes. This past Friday, lots of mailboxes had flowers leaning out of them as Valentine’s Day gifts.

Also, my dad flew in from Richmond last Thursday to spend the weekend with me, which was so special! On Friday, he took me to the Twin Cities to visit family, run a few errands, and eat at a nice restaurant, all of which I really enjoyed. I feel really lucky to have been able to visit with him, as I haven’t seen my parents since I came back to Carleton from winter break.

While my dad was in town this weekend, we had some friends visiting in Northfield as well. Since I had visitors, the group of us spent Saturday walking around Northfield and the Carleton campus, which was really nice. First, we had lunch at the Smoqehouse; I had not eaten there before, but the restaurant had really good sandwiches (and the fries were killer).

Northfield has some really good cafes and restaurants. For coffee and bagels, Tandem Bagels and Goodbye Blue Monday are great options. When I go out to dinner with friends, we usually eat at Chapati, a popular Indian restaurant in town. This past weekend, we all went to the Ole Store Restaurant for Sunday brunch, located near St. Olaf.

After lunch, I ended up taking the group to the Weitz Center for Creativity, a campus building which is located closer to town in a more residential area. The building, among other things, has arts facilities, such as practice rooms and performance spaces. In my opinion, it is one of the neatest buildings on campus.

Afterward, we looked at some of the shops in town, including a knitting store called Northfield Yarn (my mom’s favorite) and a book store called Content (my favorite). Besides those two, there are lots of really neat shops right down the street from the Carleton campus.

Once we had explored downtown Northfield, we went back to the Carleton campus and walked to some of my favorite spots on campus. First, we went into Sayles which is my new favorite place to study. Sayles has a cafe with good sandwiches and coffee, and lots of tables for students to eat at and work. Upstairs, there are pool tables and foosball, as well as couches and comfy armchairs.

Next, I took everyone to the Gould Library, called the Libe by Carleton students. When you walk into the Libe, you actually enter the fourth floor. Each floor of the Libe is designated as accepting a certain level of noise, so that students can have the peace they need to study. The fourth floor is “Blue Monday Quiet,” meaning that it’s okay for students to talk and have conversations as they would at Goodbye Blue Monday. As you go downstairs to each floor, the levels get quieter and quieter, until the first floor which is completely silent. I prefer to study on the fourth floor because I like a bit of background noise while I work.

After walking around the Bald Spot and walking through Anderson, the new science building on campus, we ended our tour at the Chapel. It was mid-afternoon and empty, so we were able to walk through the Chapel and sit for a bit. It was a really pretty spot at which to finish our tour, and a peaceful place to sit for a few minutes and recollect ourselves.

I really enjoyed this weekend, and gained a new appreciation for the beauty of the Carleton campus and Northfield. This is truly a wonderful place to go to school, and this weekend I remembered just how lucky I am to be here.

Andriana

Andriana is a native of Richmond, VA, and is looking forward to starting her freshman year at Carleton. She is especially excited to experience the Minnesotan Tundra first-hand and learn what the phrase “polar vortex” really means. When Andriana isn’t busy staying warm, you can find her binge-reading, playing music, or watching a favorite movie or show for the umpteenth time. She is hoping to double major in International Relations and English, while also reminding herself to keep an open mind as she begins her college career. Meet the other bloggers!