a minor setback

so this little joy came in the mail for me last week. i sent in my missionary acceptance letter and then got this in return! the instructions and information for getting my extended visa. getting all these big envelopes from salt lake makes this whole thing seem so real. in less then 4 months i'll be in the mtc like a real missionary! it's stupid how excited i am about this.

so because of all the technical things i have to get done this summer regarding my 18 months in spain, i decided that this week would be a productive one. i was going to fill out my passport renewal form, take it to walgreens and have them take my picture, and start working on my visa paperwork. i had made an appointment for my visiting teachers to come over. i had even agreed to come teach my brother and sister's seminary class one day. all on top of the 40 hours i was going to be working.

and then i got sick.

so, in lieu of the productivity i foresaw, i instead went to the walmart clinic (no waiting rooms and much faster service), got prescribed amoxicillin, and have been in bed ever since. in the last three days i have watched: 

footloose

the glee concert movie

7 episodes of revenge

the bachelorette premier

some embarrassing abc family shows

and a healthy dose of ryan gosling and chris evans

people, i am ready to be well. i have a lot to do as a future missionary and a lot of hours to work in order to make some very necessary money. so if you have a spare second or two, send your good thoughts, karma, mojo, and all that nonsense my way. my one day converts in madrid, and my family would appreciate it. 

just so we're being clear, i wouldn't mind being able to breathe and taste again either :)

outer loop and laryngitis

my car arrived earlier this week, meaning i could finally start work! yesterday was my first day at my new roadhouse at outer loop in louisville. things were different than i'm used to, but it was just like riding a bike. i got right back into the swing of things and quickly everything became pretty familiar. all the servers i met last night were so sweet and welcoming and were very helpful and willing to answer my questions about how their restaurant functioned as opposed to mine. i'm starting to make friends! they even think i have an accent, which is ironic because they're the ones with the thick accents. i'm from the midwest. silly people. 

i also lost my voice last night. so that made quite a good impression i'm sure. i went to the doctor today to get a strep test. the good news is i don't have strep. the bad news is that i have laryngitis. which is a swelling of the voicebox and vocal chords. awesome. my voice is entirely gone. but my family is excited because that means their loud, chatty paige is limited to a whisper. happy day everyone. happy happy day. 

thai thursday, tumblr thursday, thirsty thursday

i woke up and really liked today. first, because i immediately looked at my phone and realized it was 11:30. i really enjoy sleeping late. second, because i woke up to a text message from chelsie that said, "i am so excited for thai food today" and then i realized that today was thai thursday... imagine my sheer joy. if you haven't experienced the magic that happens at original thai on main street in rexburg idaho, repent and then go! only $7.25 for any lunch dish plus a crab rangoon. i should be paying them. seriously. please feast your eyes upon the deliciousness that entered my belly today.

i hope only positive words entered your brain. because trust me, it tasted as mind-blowingly phenomenal as it looks. today is also the day that i decided to finally order my new hard drive for my poor computer that died about a month ago (moment of silence please...okay, moment's over). 

and, drumroll please... tumblr thursday. sometimes i contemplate the discontinuation of tumblr thursday on this blog, but then chelsie confessed today that she loves it, so i'll keep it. for her, and the rest of you that enjoy it.

(this little cutie was the guy from "up" for halloween, presh)

idk why i threw thirsty thursday in there... it just felt right. maybe because i'm going to be drinking plenty of vitamin C today in an effort to get feeling better. sickness once a semester should be enough! i thought i was done with this. woe is me. t-minus 1.5 hours til i leave for work. in that time i plan on cleaning my room and unloading the dishwasher, and maybe watching desperate housewives. here i go...

the mess inside my head

my room is finally beautiful and clean and feels like home. i like it a lot. over my window is the "welcome peepee" thing that amy made me when i stayed with her last month. in the windowsill are all my books, along with the picture frame of hank and hannah the phillips gave me. on the wall by my desk is the graffiti painting brant made me. on the opposite wall is the craft i made with amy. above my bed is the classy black and white picture i have of the sacred grove, and on the wall to the left of my dresser is the shrine i made to ecuador. it includes billions of pictures, along with notes all my girls wrote me and caitlin and danny's wedding announcement. there will probably be pictures in the future. i'm just happy my room is finally done.

i'm not so stressed about money anymore. my mom mailed me a $300 check and my grandma sent me a $200 one. how lovely. i also have an interview with the managing partner of the texas roadhouse in idaho falls. thank you mother. it pays (excuse the pun) to have a big shot mommy. 

i've been sick since yesterday morning. it's the worst. i'm doped up on dayquil, vicks vaporub, nasal spray and cough drops with vitamin c. i just want to feel better. that's not too much to ask, right? the nice thing about being stuck at home though, is being able to catch up on all my shows, aaaand getting homework done so i can enjoy my sabbath tomorrow.

here's the real point of this post... i made a decision. just a couple weeks ago i was jumping with excitement because i finally got accepted to teach english in china this winter with chelsie. well, i've thought and prayed and talked to my mom a lot about it. and without getting into details, i've decided not to go. i'm really pretty bummed about it actually, but i think it's what's best for me right now. so this january i'm moving to orem, working full time until august, and then transferring to uvu. 

what i've learned this year is that sometimes, just when you think you have it all figured out, heavenly father has a funny way of dropping in and turning your world upside down. in a good way, of course. i'm just not used to not having a plan. but everything that's happened this year has helped me be better at going with the flow. so here's to that.

happy saturday, fraaaands

i spoke too soon

i lied, i'm not better

i got sick again early this morning

and have been feeling crummy all day

but since all there really is to do on days like this

is read, or watch movies, or facebook,

i'm falling in love with reading again

and thinking that my goal

(of reading one book a month this year)

won't be too terribly hard, at all

now i just need some new books, hmmm

photo credit: the busy bee

improvement

well, i feel a little better today

as in i'm not so sick that i want to die

so that's good i guess

i just ate for the first time in 2 days

peanut butter toast

and pineapple tang

so we'll see how it goes

also, i really love these two

in our free time...

we read, and cuddle, in cassie's bed

warning

see this girl?

this is my keeny baby

and keena was here in ecuador for a week

the night before she left (last thursday)

we took her out to dinner

at...

red hot chili peppers

now, this is a warning...

rhcp was really good and all

i mean, i gorged myself with a chimichonga

straight from heaven

and had the most devine strawberry daquiri

(virgin of course)

but the day after, things started going down hill

cass, abs and i have all been...struggling

and we just feel super nast

and our tummies are all jumbled up and stuff

it really stinks

so here you go...

do not eat at red hot chili peppers in quito, ecuador unless willing to accept that there are risks involved which include but are not limited to; feeling sick as a dog, not being able to leave your bed/bathroom, and wanting to die

cheers

days til ecuador: 0

today was my last day in kansas. so, yesterday i tried to see as many people as i could before i left. i failed majorly and only got to see brian and brent. however, i did see andrew, michael & sophie the day before, and shawn this morning. so that worked out, i guess. it's not like i wont be back in three months or anything.

and so this afternoon i began my journey to my new home for the next three months. i left my house at approximately 3:07 (seven minutes after my mom wished we had left) and we headed to kci. i checked my bags in at skycap (one bag was 3 pounds over the weight limit and the guy didnt even charge us extra like he was supposed to!), bought some reading material (us weekly, in style, and peoples magazines), and got through security (even with the new tsa machines).

i left kansas city at 5 and got to denver an hour and a half later. my flight was delayed like 45 minutes so i had time to get dinner (nasty mcdonalds) and sit for a little bit before i had to get on my next plane. while i was waiting a family of 6 (with 4 little girls) sat in the seats directly across from me. they had a baby, dressed in a pink onesie who happened to fall asleep on a ladybug pillow, with her thumb in her mouth. i wanted to steal her, if that's not creepy and weird, which it probably is.

i arrived in the land of utes, snow, and mormons at 930ish? and i've been here ever since. i'm bored out of mind. so far i've talked to ethan, talked to betsy, got a smartecarte thing for my absurd quantity of luggage, bought halls coughdrops, dayquil, and smart water, called tmobile to try to fix my phone, and am currently blogging and listening to friendly fire, which shawn burned me for christmas. its completely excellent.

however, i'm exhausted. totally and absolutely. i didn't get much sleep last night (which was a dumb decision) and have to be up until 4 when i meet my group to check-in. can i please tell you about my itinerary for tomorrow? here we go.

i leave slc at 605pm and go to dallas

from dallas i go to miami

i leave miami and arrive in quito at 1025pm

i'm sorry if i dont enjoy spending 16 hours traveling in one day. i also don't enjoy doing that on no sleep and being sick. i have a feeling that tomorrow will be a very verrrry unpleasant day. but i absolutely cannot wait. because the fact that this time tomorrow, i will be in ecuador, excites the hell out of me.