After a busy week doing schoolwork at Grinnell, weekends are a good time to relax and recuperate. That's easier said than done, however, since there are always so many amazing activities to do on the weekends. On campus there are concerts nearly every week (check out this semester's lineup -- I'm really looking forward to Arca and Mykki Blanco!), film showings and theme parties at the Harris Center, as well as other study breaks lead by student organizations. One of my favorites this past semester was the International Student Organization's Food Bazaar, a Sunday night dinner where students cooked and served dozens of dishes from their own cultural backgrounds (the Malaysian noodles were amazing!). During the weekend before finals, we even had 2am pancakes!
There's plenty to do off-campus too. I enjoy going down to one of the thrift shops in town with my friends, and there's also the Strand Movie Theater showing the latest blockbusters. Saint's Rest is the coffeeshop in town, and I find that it's a great place to study or relax on the weekend. There are also several bus trips a semester to Iowa City and Des Moines, in case one feels the need to get out of town (although why would you?!).
I'm from New York City, where I was used to very busy weekends, so I was worried that weekends at Grinnell wouldn't compare. Thankfully, though, with all these great options in Grinnell, I rarely feel bored or isolated here since I'm always busy doing something on campus!
