What I’ll Miss When I’m Abroad (My Favorite Fall Term Memories)

Looking back on my fall term, there have been so many great moments. Whether it was something planned, like my partner’s surprise party (that I managed NOT to mess up) or something spontaneous like randomly deciding to see the northern lights at midnight, there were so many times that I was doing what I loved surrounded by who I love. So, in honor of me going abroad next term, here are my top moments from this term and what I will definitely miss when I’m away until the spring:

Music Sessions

Music is the way that I connect with the world. When I need to decompress, I go to the practice room and sing or play an instrument and reconnect with myself. Even though it seems like something really small, going to the practice rooms after a long day has become one of my favorite things to do at Carleton. It’s also a place where I can connect with my friends over our shared love of music (and maybe force them to teach me music theory and piano) 

Trains Class!!

Like I said in one of my last blogs, I love my trains class. It’s a community of really different people that are all passionate about transportation and rail. I’ve learned so much but I’ve also been able to do really cool things like surveying students and other kinds of field work. I am also definitely going to miss telling people that I am in a class all about trains.

Nighttime walks/Stargazing in the arb

Although this might have impacted my sleep schedule just a little bit, there were so many nights that I decided to drop everything and go stargazing in the arb. It’s easy at times to get lost in the stress of being a college student, but when I’m outside and staring up at the sky, it reminds me how beautiful our world is. Plus, the Cowling Arboretum is the best place to see shooting stars. 

Doing Nothing with People I Love

I’ve really internalized this term that my friends are never more than a 15 minute walk away. Whether we really want to watch Haunting of Bly Manor but are too scared to do it alone or just want to talk to someone because we’re bored, my friends and I always find things to do together. Even if we are in a study room grinding for our finals, there’s something about having an amazing community of people who are never more than half a mile away.

Creating my Space

I am a big fan of decorating my space so that it always feels welcoming and cozy. As you can see, I sometimes tape random things on my wall. Throughout this term, I’ve taken name tags, cards and pictures to put up on my walls. By the end, I have this constellation of memories from the last ten weeks that make me really happy to look at.

As I look back at the memories I’ve made this term and the people I’ve connected with, I think this has been my best term at Carleton. Yes being a first-year is great and there are so many opportunities, but I feel much more settled into my place here and I’ve started to grow more into myself. I’m really excited about traveling to London for my next term, but there will definitely be a few things that I miss from Carleton’s campus when I’m gone. 

Kate (she/her) is a sophomore from the Bay Area, California. She loves Carleton’s artsy community, and is involved in both the Theater and Dance department and Vocal Studies Program. Kate’s favorite places on campus are the practice rooms, either in Myers or the Weitz, where she is often making music with her friends. When not in class, you can find Kate either walking in the arb or forcing her friends to watch bad movies in a study room.