The state of Minnesota has the Twins Cities. It has the Minnesota Twins. And it has twins Carly and Crisa Peterson.

Carly and Crisa are servers at the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill in Albert Lea and live in Wells. They’re both vegetarians, and they’re both going to Riverland Community College.

“We’re rarely apart,” Carly said. “We have separate lives, but we spend a lot of time together because we work together. We have the same school schedule, the same work schedule, and we always ride together.”

However, Carly said there are some things they don’t do together to reinforce their individuality.

“We have different styles,” she said. “We don’t buy matching outfits. When we were little, we’d have to wear matching outfits, but that was our parents’ doing.”

When the sisters were in high school, both girls started out at United South Central in Wells. However, Crisa decided to go to Maple River for her junior and senior years.

“We led completely different lives in high school,” Carly said. “We lived in the same house, but we were doing totally different things. But now we’re really close.”

Crisa said it’s odd when people ask them what it’s like to be a twin. Carly agreed.

“This is the only thing I know,” Carly said. “My whole life, I just grew up feeling sorry for everybody else, because they didn’t have what we had.”

The twins deny that there is an unusual connection between them, other than being close friends and family.

“I can’t read her mind, but sometimes we say the exact same thing at the exact same time,” Crisa said.

“My views are more like her than anyone else on the planet,” Carly said.

However, that comes from growing up together and being raised by the same parents, she added. She said the best part of being a twin is brought to the forefront whenever something good happens to other.

“She (Crisa) just got engaged and bought a house, and I’m just as happy as she is,” Carly said.

After finishing classes at Riverland, Carly plans to enroll at Minnesota State University, Mankato, or the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, to study art education.

Crisa plans to transfer to MSU-Mankato in the fall for English education and creative writing.

 

Carly and Crisa Peterson

Ages: 21

Address: 762 Fourth Ave. SW, Wells

Livelihood: The sisters are students at Riverland Community College and servers at Applebee’s restaurant in Albert Lea.

Family: parents Cory and Tammy; sister, Celsey, 16; Crisa’s son, Braxton, 2

Interesting fact: Carly and Crisa are vegetarians who enjoy gardening.