My Favorite “Secret” Spots to Read

The weather has been great these past few days (even reaching the 70s!) and I’ve taken advantage of it by spending most of my days studying outside.

These are some of my favorite (absolutely and totally top-secret) places to lay down a blanket and read, study, or relax.

1. Under this pear tree, next to Nourse Hall (my home!), Anderson, and the Arena Theater. It is currently blooming so it doesn’t smell great (if you’ve grown up next to pear trees, you know what I mean!) but I sit under it anyway. It’s a nice area, and is also a good place to people-watch students walking around campus or sitting on Anderson’s steps.

2. This bench looking out over Lyman Lake. It’s such a pretty view to stare at when I get distracted from studying (which is often).

3. Another spot on Lyman Lake! I’ll often sit on this bridge and dangle my feet off the side. It’s just barely tall enough to not get your toes wet, but the breeze from the water is so nice on warm days. However, beware of geese!! I have had to quite suddenly jerk my legs back up on the bridge because I was scared a passer-by goose was going to bite my ankles…

4. And… the little island the bridge leads to! It’s a super cute place to chill, and in my opinion, it’s shaped kind of like a heart, which I think is adorable.

5. Can you tell I like our lake? This is one of my favorite places to sit and read—it’s right across from Goodhue and the Rec Center, and has a good view of these buildings, the lake, and bits of the arb. Here’s me (absolutely not getting distracted by the pretty water) while I read Tocqueville for my political science class.

There is, of course, also lots of room to lay out a picnic on the bald or mini-bald spots, or even sit out on the porches that adjoin many residence halls. Many students have hammocks, so in warmed weather, campus is dotted with their bright colors strung between trees.

Though the spots I’ve showed you aren’t technically secret, they feel like it because they’ve very quiet and peaceful which I really love!

Once I know how not to get lost in the arb (honestly, though, that is probably never) I’m excited to find other niche spots like these.

Erin grew up catching salamanders, recklessly climbing trees, and running around barefoot in the Appalachian Mountains in a small town in North Carolina. This is her first year at Carleton, and she’s looking forward to meeting new people, exploring campus (especially the arb!), and experiencing her first Minnesota winter. She is currently interested in studying psychology and gender, women’s, and sexuality studies. Meet the other bloggers!