"I'm leavin' on a jet plane..."

Friday:
Joel and I woke up early enough that we could spend some time together before leaving at 11:00, which was really nice, and then we ate some leftovers from Thursday night at Milagros (aka, the best restaurant in the world!) for lunch and he gave me a blessing that he'd record and type up to send to me.   I was SO NERVOUS!  that I would forget something, that I would have too much, that no one would like me, that I wouldn't be able to speak Spanish... all the normal stuff.  But I was really happy I had packed everything the day before because I would've been so incredibly nervous that I probably wouldn't have been very nice, but as it was, the morning was almost relaxing and I left on a really high note.

At 11:10ish, Joel and I left to pick up my new roommate, Jill.  It was exciting! but mostly nervous - I actually had a pretty difficult time getting excited for some reason.  I think it was because of everything that happened with my passport - I spent so much time focusing on getting to the end result that I didn't really focus on the end result very much to get excited for it.  That was one of the reasons I wanted to be roommates with her - I knew she was a really excited person that would help me get out :)

When we got to the airport, my suitcase only weighed 45 pounds (probably - the airport guy only picked it up and guessed!), which was nice because I didn't have to unpack or switch around anything!  And then I said goodbye to Joel (he's so nice to be so excited for me coming!), got through security without any hitches, and got to the terminal.  We had about an hour and a half to wait to get on the plane, but when we did, we had to wait awhile and left about an hour and some late.  The captain said on the intercom that there was a plane in Houston that needed a spare part that we just happened to have, so we had to wait to get it before we could leave.  Everybody was kind of freaking out about not making our connection, but I kind of figured that with so many people, we'd surely make it, and if we didn't, we'd stay in a hotel or something and get to leave tomorrow.  It wasn't a really big deal, but a bunch of people thought it was.

On the flight, no snack!  I thought all planes gave snacks!  Instead we got to have the whole can of whatever we got.  I got Sprite so the fizz would fill me up.  Jill was super thirsty and asked for juice and water, and when the flight attendant heard how thirsty she was, she let her keep the entire liter bottle of water that she was filling cups with! and then took a picture for us of how much beverage we had :D  It was a pretty long flight and at the end I got this really weird pressure in my face - probably due to my cold - which was uncomfortable, but it all ended okay :)

We ran to our connection (the layover was 58 minutes and we were at least an hour late) but it was already closed.  When Jill told them how many people were coming, though, (and after some Mom-like finagling by a lady on our flight), they let us on... where we proceeded to wait for an hour before leaving.  Wonder why?  The airplane we were on was the one we'd brought the part for!  And they had to fix the plane before we could leave.  What are the chances?

The second flight was interesting - also no snack (must be the company) and we didn't get to keep the can, either.  But we did have a really nice lady sitting next to us who helped us fill out our customs forms (I had no idea that you did that while still on the plane!) and at the end of flight, gave us her business card so we could call if we ever needed anything while in Mexico!  Her name was Barbara.  She was born in California but had moved to Mérida later.  When this flight landed was probably the first time I began to really feel excited.

We arrived only about an hour late.  When we landed, we stood in a line for a while to show one of our customs forms.  The guy asked if I spoke Spanish and when I said, "....sí," (yes) he answered, "¿un poquito?" (a little bit) and I said, "Pues, más o menos, sí," (well, more or less yes) and he said, "Más o menos - hablas bien." (You speak well) and then proceeded to tell me about my forms in Spanish. It was kind of cool :)  After getting those, we went through a door (where we took a picture! on Jill's camera - I'll have to get it later) and then got our luggage (maletas - a new vocab for me) and stood in another line.  At the end was customs - you put your luggage and backpack and everything through one of those x-ray scanners and then go up to a person.  They look at your form and then tell you to push a button that turns on a light.  If the light turns green you get to go through.  If it turns red they ask you questions about coming to Mexico and then you get to go through.  Mine turned green.  And when I walked through, there was my director to check me in, and then there was Carmita!  Holding a sign for us with our names on it!  It was super exciting - we had talked on the plane about how exciting it would be if she had a sign :)

We went out to the car with Carmita and paid to leave.  While she was paying, Jill and I took a picture in the car of being excited.  When she got back we drove to the house! It was pretty close - probably 20ish minutes - but I felt so shy.  I had no idea what to say.  It was okay because I was in the backseat and since she had the radio on, I pretty much had no idea what people were saying.  When we got to the house, her daughters were up and one of the daughters' husbands.  We talked for a while, which was good, because that helped me feel a lot more comfortable.  In the car I felt super nervous, but talking later was good.  I was hungry but too nervous to ask for food.... I didn't want tons and tons or anything :)  She showed us our bedroom, which is really cute, bigger than I thought, and has a door to the backyard.  There's a little pool back there!  And, I think I figured out why we're always supposed to make the bed.  There are bugs.  When I washed my hands after going to the bathroom, a spider came out of the sink.

I got to skype Joel!  I miss him, but not too much - I've been commanded not to :)

The bed was comfy :) My cold is absolutely driving me crazy.  I'm probably driving Jill crazy talking about it, so I'm trying not to, but it seriously is practically all I can think about because I can't breathe through my nose and am coughing all the time.  Oh well - at least it's only a cold.  We woke up at 7:00 this morning after six-ish hours of sleep.  No alarm!  It's humid here, but about like home.  Last night the weather felt like home at summer at nighttime - not too bad.  They said that at noon it'll be about 100 degrees, which doesn't sound too fun, but hopefully it'll be okay.  The house isn't really air conditioned, but our room has a unit.  There's a huge difference between our room and the rest of the house :)  We haven't left the room yet except Jill went to the bathroom... and the water was off so the toilet wouldn't flush and she couldn't wash her hands.  Not sure what's up with that yet.  I'm nervous about breakfast (and otherwise about the diet) but I am trying sooo hard to be positive about everything.  Last night was really hard but I am very very thankful for the peace that comes with reading the scriptures.  When I woke up I felt better and now I am working hard to keep that feeling.  I'm looking forward to what happens during the rest of today!

MÉRIDA, MEXICO

I'm here!  I'll post more later.  It's 1:20am and it's just now time for bed.  Have a fun day! :)

What's Cookin'?

My sister-in-law decided to start a blog that I will be helping write on and I wanted to let you all know about it!  It's called What's Cookin'? and it'll have recipes that I and my sisters-in-law make - family recipes or otherwise.  She just barely started it so there's not a ton on it yet, and I haven't posted anything, but in case you're interested, there it is!  I'm super excited to share my family's recipes since they're different from my in-laws' recipes and also some of the ones I've found or created since being married.  Also, you'll get to see some of the awesome food I eat while I'm in Mexico!  It's going to be awesome. :)

FREE AT LAST!

What time is it?

SUMMERTIME!

a letter

Dear Homework, studying, finals, application complications, etc.,

I know we've had some stressful times together, but I have felt us growing closer the last couple of weeks and I'm really not ready for that.  To be frank, I think we should stop seeing each other altogether - don't worry, it's not me, it's you.  And I don't want to be just friends.  In fact, I would be happy enough never seeing you again.  I know it's heart-breaking, but I'm sure you'll be fine.  I, for one, have already moved on.

Ready to say "See you never,"
alisonmj


I'm so ready for this week (especially through Tuesday and maybe Wednesday) to be done done done.

Malaysia

I found this shirt on Amazon I was searching for "Malaysia is awesome" paraphernalia on Google.

In the entire life of my blog, I have had 12 views from Malaysia.  Four in the last week.  It is not an astronomically high number in a short amount of time (like my 31 views from Italy that one day).  There are no "search terms" listed leading people to my blog (as has happened with some Spanish stuff I have posted).  It is not a single view, which could be interpreted as someone who mistakenly found my blog.  These reasons lead me to believe that there is not, in fact, some kind of hacker or bot, but perhaps a real person viewing my blog.  If so, Welcome, Malaysian person.  It's fun to have you here. :)

passport

"Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away; now it looks as though they're here to stay.  Oh, I believe in yesterday." - The Beatles

I heard that song this morning and it made me think of everything ridiculous that has to do with my passport application.  How little I thought about it before a couple days ago, besides being excited because I was supposed to get it this week, and how much it is on my mind now.  This whole thing is so silly and not really all that fun.

But I am thankful for feeling, when I turned it in, that things were working out and would be okay.  "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward."  (Heb. 10:35)

Tangled

I love this movie. I'm totally buying it someday.

But on the topic of the soundtrack,
Amazon has it on sale right now (just mp3 download, not a physical CD) for only $5!  If you were to buy each song individually it would cost $19.80 and the physical CD is $11.99.  So it's a pretty good deal if you were thinking of buying it anyway.

"Folding Chair," Regina Spektor

There's a song called "Folding Chair" by Regina Spektor that I have been listening to lately.  It's a fun song.  Anyway, every time I listen to it I notice a particular line and want to write about it - today is finally the day! :)

"I have a perfect body, though sometimes I forget.  I've got a perfect body because my eyelashes catch my sweat."

Every time I hear that line, I think about how profound it is.  I, too, have a perfect body, though sometimes I forget.  Sometimes people (including me) get caught up in thinking that having a perfect body means having the skinniest or the healthiest or the most in-shape or the prettiest body.  But how often am I thankful for the functions it performs perfectly every single day?

I have a perfect body because I have two arms, two legs, ten fingers, and ten toes that all work.  So what if my toes are a different shape than most people's? 

I have a perfect body because my brain works.  What does it matter if I'm not the smartest person in the world?

I have a perfect body because I can do just about anything I want to do without having problems.  I may not be able to run from Kelli's house to the Smith Fieldhouse (0.3 miles) without taking a break to walk, but I could if I trained myself to.

I can eat food, take nutrients from it, and get rid of the non-beneficial stuff.  So what if I weigh more than I sometimes wish? 

I have hair, and I like it.  Who cares if it's not always styled perfectly?   

I have a perfect body because I can paint my fingernails.  I can read.  I can drive.  I have ears to hold my glasses up and let me hear.  I can think.  I can sew.  I can walk.  I can run.  I can ride my bike.  I can talk.  I can breathe.  I can smell.  I can care.  I can do a lot of things because my body lets me.




I have a perfect body because my eyelashes catch my sweat.

Tiana sounds like a princess name.

Well, this is going to be a kind of random post, 

but I have been so so busy lately that I haven't been caught up on reading my blogs. 

Today I read a couple, for a break,

and was treated to 19 posts by this girl 

(her name's Tiana, in case you were wondering about my title).

Reading her blog makes me happy.

I like to save it for when I have a little extra time to think about what I'm reading.

If you have a little extra time and are in the mood for something positive,

try reading her last 19 posts.

She is so good at being positive about life, herself, everything.

Reading her blog makes me want to be more like her.

Sometimes she posts about pretty things or fun things

or things she would like to have.

And I think that every time I read her blog, I think,

"She deserves everything good."

Her blog is called Dare To Be Remarkable.

Well, Tiana, even though I don't really know you,

here's one person who thinks you are!

Also, unless it was on purpose, you should turn the ability to comment back on on your blog. :)

Btw.  I hope it wasn't weird to anyone involved
that I just wrote a whole post about someone I don't know. 
To Tiana - I hope you don't feel weird.
I could see myself feeling weird if it were me.
Anyway, I think He likes it when His children recognize the good in each other.
And no one's opinion should be important than His, right? :)

children

I love my cute Primary kids :)  They're so fun.

I saw two of them at school today and one of them ran up and jumped up to give me a hug and then wouldn't let me put her down.  It was so cute and also so fun.  I wish I hadn't had stuff in my hands so I could've picked her up more easily, and also that I wasn't late to meet someone so I could've talked to them for a few more minutes.  Also, I'm about to watch a video of one of them telling a story called "The Grumpy Old Troll."  I love those kids :)

Also, since this post is called "children," let me offer a shout-out to Nathan and Natalie Salt, who have just about the cutest baby in the entire world.  Especially when she smiles or cuddles up like a burrito.