Hello Oregon!

Dear all, I love you. 
 Well. I'm in Oregon. That's cool. some fun facts: It's illegal to pump your own gas, sure, but did you know gas stations keep hours like 6am to 9pm? No late night runs to QT...not that anyone does that...haha
State St. in Salem is the divide for the Portland mission. Anyone north is us, anyone South is the Eugene Oregon Mission.
Here they call Hazelnuts "Filberts," and the Native American word is "Tuckwilla," or something to that effect. Ha :)
oh, and an Elder by the name of Elder Taylor, says that Tyler McPhee was one of his favorite Zone leaders up here. He asked me and I said Tyler was going to school and dating up a storm...hopefully that's alright. Haaaha
Also, cane berries are raspberry or marionberries? and there are many many fields as we drive around, that consist of blueberry, hazelnut, corn, etc. fields.
         Guess what? A boy/man/guy/man walked up to Sister Johnson (my new companion) and Sister Peart (her old trainee), on Sunday, and he wants to be baptized by January 3rd, when he needs to report back to South Carolina to the Military base there. He's a really sweet guy. Doesn't think he's particularly verbose, but he loves the Church and thanked Heavenly Father for the huge opportunity it's presented him. Sweet sweet guy. So we, we may have a baptism on Sunday after church. And he'd be confirmed that night, and then boom, on his way, with no leave until forever after that. We're not positive it'll follow through, but he'd really love it, so I hope for his sake it'll all work out.
         Um, I'm excited for some mail, peeps. Who's gonna be the first one to write me in OREGON!!!?!?! Haha, no, but our apartment is so precious, and so much lovelier than I was expecting. I love it. We have a living room, foyer, roomy kitchen, study room, bedroom, bathroom, and "laundry closet." (Who knows why it's called that. . .)
Oh, and I bought some adorable postcards.
          My first day in the mission...: well, it was an early start, getting up at quarter past three am, and then getting into Portland at 10, their time, 11am ours. We didn't spend the night in the mission home; we got there, took a picture at the temple, which I hope you received, (nope sorry) and filled out some paper work.
We had some mis-adventures getting there, but it mostly involved a wrong turn, going to the wrong stake center, and then a HUGE bump in the road: roller coaster style. Haha :) it was brilliant/ I might've gotten car-ill. Having had nothing to eat for the entire day, apart from 7(+/-) Swedish fish.
       We met our trainers, immediately after lunch, and all were freeeeeaked to separate. (OH MY GOSH! I had a mild dispute with an Elder Egan, regarding usage of the word "majestic" and "vicarious." he says that you can call someone "vicarious" and say, "That person is spunky, feisty, and vicarious." I assured him that he meant vivacious, but he won't give it up. We even looked it up in the dictionary, and then the AP, Elder Blanchard, AGREED WITH HIM! He also says you can't call someone majestic: it's not a quality someone can have. He also didn't understand what it meant. Aaah, the things you use to amuse youselves on a not one, but twwwo??! Hour plane ride to Portland on the day you start your mission.)
My trainer's name is Sister Natalie Ruth Johnson, and she's been homeschooled all her life, out of Sacramento, California. She wants to be an accountant, and has three older brothers, two younger sisters. (She likes to say that at one point her mom was organized) (idk what that means.. haha)
       and then we were off.
The mission home is in Beaverton, about thirty? Forty minutes outside Portland, and then we're in Silverton, on the South East border of the mission, home of Silver falls, Mt. Angel, and Scott's Mills.
I was welcomed into the missionary apartment by our less-active neighbor-upstairs. She is such a sweetheart, but feisty. It's ridiculous. She made a HUGE poster thing with chocolate hugs all over it, and nutella to gos, and chips ahoy stuffs.
(*I'd like to mention: I am going on a real life kick where I pretend to actually care about being a dietitian when I grow up...CRAZY, I know. And have not eaten any sweets in the apartment, since I've been here: two days.. . whaterr. Try being in a candy store. . . they HAVE A CANDY DRAWER...it's fine. And excessively so... haha whaterr.)
I love Oregon already. Duh. And am sups happy there is so much light. We never see the sun, but it's seriously like a church movie wherever you look: all cloud, but sups bright.
I still have to take 2400 units of Vitamin D, ever day, but whaterr whaterr. Oh, yeah, turns out This part of Oregon hasn't gotten any rain in like a million years, or a week, and it's actually real dry. wtheck, yeah? Seriously. Haha BUT I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!
I've all of the sudden gotten this overwhelming happiness about being here and loving the people. . . Thanks for your prayers that I would, haha.
I typically will have P-day on Monday. But I will email on Tuesdays? In Woodburn.
We had district meeting today. I've been allotted to pick and play the hymns, as no one--not even the Elder who wants to be a screamo-rockband-music artist--knows how to play. It's precious. And really difficult to gauge the beat when there's a choisiter, a pianist, and a bunch of people...all following themselves...but it's fine ;) ahha
I'm so healthy here, it's weird. But turns out all people here are not necessarily, ahhhhh.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JORDAN!
And I'm so freaking very upset that I didn't talk to Natalie. You know, I won't be able to talk to you on the phone for six months, right? You knew that? Bummer, bummer, foul foul play.
Welp, we're late for an appointment, but just know I'm well loved and taken care of and liked, and send me mail.
much much love!
Sister Bothwell
love you so much, momma! I got your wonderful package ;)
the house smells like cats...go figure, so the smeller thing is WONDERFUL.
LOVE YOU SOSO SO SOS OS SOS OS OS SOSOSOSOSOS OSOSOSS MUCH,
<3