Caitlin does Yale!!

So, this past weekend I decided to up and leave Utah, and decided to travel to Connecticut and visit my high school best friend David at Yale. It was probably one of the best defining weekends of my life. I really came to appreciate everything I had at BYU, although Yale was amazing in so many ways. The single's ward was incredible, everyone was so welcoming and intelligent and just amazing. We had the most amazing sushi at this place called Miya's and I really want to go back sometime in the future. Yale also has a post-bac nursing program with a nursing midwifery master's degree, so I've been really thinking about that as of late. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to change my major to Anthropology, that is if I like the classes I'm taking the in fall. I'm just really unhappy where I am with my education right now, and I really do need a change.

We had such a good time and I was really upset to leave after such a brief visit, but I'm thinking I'll go back in a few months when I'll be in NYC anyways since it's only an hour and a half away. We'll see anyways.

Last night I went to the Hunger Banquet up at the Wilk, hosted by the Students for International Development... it's a really neat idea: they divide you into social classes when you arrive, and depending on where you are from (I was from Bangladesh) and what your income is, you either get a meal of rice and beans (or a fourth of a bagel in my case because they ran out), a moderate meal like pizza, or a five-course meal at a really fancy table. The majority of people (60%) got the low income meal, and we sat on cardboard and rough blankets, attempting to represent the billions of people in the world that go without. When I walked out to go to the bathroom, I ran into my friend Yoga John and we ended up chatting for a while. When a guy was getting up to throw away his plate, I noticed a little food left on it and totally stole it from him and ate it. I mean, come on; a, I was hungry and b, I was totally just trying to play the part! Then we listened to an amazing keynote speaker and danced some Indian folk dance. It was really an amazing presentation, and I was impressed with Amalia and Eric for getting it all together.

Later that night, a huge group of people drove up to Yoga John's cabin for delicious curry made by Thelma and riveting conversation provided by all. I ended up crashing with John in his bed, and we talked the night away about our crazy past lives and the ones we lead now. One of the most amazing parts of the night, however, was lying with my friend Chris Gong underneath the piano while Yoga John played (he's so talented) and talking about how incredible our lives are. It was a really refreshing experience, and I feel a lot better about life this morning after that great night.