Two Weeks in the Arctic Circle and Going Strong

After 22 hours of flights and 10,000 miles of travel, Chasa and I finally arrived to Tromso, Norway, also known as "The Gateway to the North Pole". Tromso is located towards the northern tip of Norway on an island surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges and fjords carved by receding glaciers thousands of years ago. The people here are very friendly and the town is quaint and welcoming. We were greeted by a colleague at the airport and were then taken to the school to meet the rest of the teachers and principal. After a few days of getting settled in and acclimated to our new home, we started to get used to the cold weather and the 23 1/2 hours of dark skies....which at times I still struggle with, but THANK GOD for naps. Anyways, it is now New Years Eve day and the skies are starting to get a little brighter everyday...so hopefully that will help with my crazy sleep schedule. No northern lights yet, but we are constantly checking the Aurora Borealis forecasts in hopes to get some good pictures.

As of now, we are enjoying a few days off until my new International School starts on January 3rd. I have been working everyday in the hopes to get the school up and running as soon as possible. It looks to be a lot of work, but since I arrived I have worked with the other teachers and my principal on developing the curriculum, planning the first few weeks of instruction, and translating many documents and publications into English, as well as helping to create a working school and classrooms from scratch. So far, we have 10 students enrolled in the Primary and Middle School Programs, and I will be teaching all grades, ages 6-16, in English, Social Science, and Physical Education. I am working with some wonderful and knowledgeable educators from Norway, Russia, and Iceland, and so far, we have been very productive together. Come January 15th, we will be moving into our new flat, which is located a little outside of the city center, but closer to the school and the university. We will be living in a cute little one bedroom apartment, which overlooks the ocean and the mainland looking out east.

As for Chasa and I, we are doing phenomenally well. In the days of dark hours and cold weather, we help to keep each other bright, warm, and smiling. Chasa is definitely one of the best things to EVER happen to me, and I hope that I can only continue to provide her the same love and support that she gives me on a daily basis. We have started to venture out and conquer some touristy activities in and around Tromso lately, and everyday is an adventure together. We recently walked over to the mainland via the big bridge you might see in the pictures of Tromso, and then took the cable car/gondola up the neighboring mountain to overlook entire island of Tromso. It was absolutely stunning, and COOOOOLD!!! But what a view....then followed by a gorgeous sunset over the southern mountains. So needless to say, life is grand and continues to provide us with exciting adventures and anecdotes and until next time, be well, live life to the fullest, and continue to love. Cheers!

The Next Chapter: The Start of the WEston Family Adventures!

Dearest Family and Friends,

The world has evolved and it has been a year and half since my last blog. Instead of starting up where I left off, I decided to embark on not a new chapter, but a new trilogy. One of course filled with adventure, unknown, and yes, love. I am now accompanied by my best friend, lover, and life long partner for many more adventures to come.

For those of you who read my last blog entry in Switzerland, before I headed to Italy, but did not know what has happened since then, well…A LOT has happened. I met my now wife, Chasa, in Venice, where I surprised her with a trick ring and a pair of earrings as a few symbols of my love and commitment, which she was stoked to receive. A few days later we arrived in Cinque Terre together, where we found a private little beach, and as we were watching the sunset disappear over the horizon, with wine in hand and village lights flickering in the distance, Chasa said, “Wow…this is perfect, I wouldn’t want to be any where else right now.” I continued with, “Could this moment get any better?” She obviously said no, which is when I awkwardly got to one knee, pulled out a beautiful diamond ring I found in Prague, and asked her to marry me.

After a wonderful trip through Italy, we moved back to Carlsbad, where we have been residing up until this past week. During the past year, we have been developing our beautiful relationship and enjoying life to its fullest each and every day. Recently, got married on the beach in Carlsbad, and now….WE are moving to NORWAY!!!

OK…let me back up a bit. About 4 months ago, Chasa and I were returning from a wonderful trip from Ecuador, and in the San Jose airport in Costa Rica, I asked Chasa if she would mind if I started applying for jobs abroad sooner…and she was all for it. We then decided to bump up the wedding from the original date of August 2011 to April 2011, and then to November 20^th, 2010. Needless to say, we MADE IT HAPPEN. The wedding was beautiful. It was a bit hectic with the rain pissing down and the wind throwing the rain sideways, but I’m convinced, my brother, Chris showed up and parted the skies for the brief 30 minutes of the ceremony. After we said “I do” and kissed a passionate kiss, the rain started to return and the attendants scattered to their cars and then to the reception. Chasa and I waited a few minutes, and once again the skies parted with one of the most beautiful, God showing rays through the clouds, type sunset. We walked back to the reception, stopping to enjoy the entire moment for what it was and wouldn’t have done it any different. The night progressed with constant love and support from some of our dearest friends and family, and for all those who couldn’t make it, they were missed and felt in spirit.

So, NORWAY. Who would have thought we would be moving to Norway? For many of you, you probably thought…wow…that is amazing, for others…you might have thought, yup…that figures….no one can predict what those Weston’s will do. And yes, everyone is correct. We never thought this to be possible, but when life grants you opportunities such as these, you can either take them and live life to the fullest, or pass and watch the event pass you by. We chose the adventure. So anyways, after the wedding, we spent the next 3 weeks, taking a brief honeymoon up the coast to Santa Barbara and Big Sur, followed by a great Thanksgiving in LA with the Vollaros, Horoshaks, and the Merricks. After time with Chasa’s family, we headed back to Carlsbad, to complete the packing and storage runs, the numerous garage sales, moving back in with the parents (by the way….Thank You again Mom and Dad, you guys are AWESOME), and of course, trying to prepare ourselves for the move to Norway. As I sit on the plane ride to a new arctic world, filled with layers of snow and ice, beautiful Aurora Borealis events, and food I wouldn’t have imagined eating in a thousand years, I can only imagine what life might have been like 1000 years ago in this desolate land. These days, people have made a way of life in this arctic land, and we are hopefully prepared, as best as we could at least, to experience this part of the world at this point in our lives. We are so thankful for all our family and friends, and can’t wait to tell more stories from our travels around the globe.

Chasa and I share such a beautiful bond together, that no matter where the wind, the waves, or our love may take us, we know that life will bless us with wonders that we never imagined possible. I look at the picture of us running out the ocean on our wedding day, the clouds parting with rays of sunshine, and the wind blowing in our hair, and I see our lives opening up in the same manner. I feel honored to have found Chasa in my life, and so thankful to have finally seen the light and figured out that I better grab a hold of her before it was too late…and NEVER let her go. As for now, I raise my glass to all my friends and family, and especially to my wife and lover, best friend and world partner, and give thanks to a life full of unknown adventures and undying compassion and love. From this day, we look forward to the next sunrise to see what life has awaiting for us, and a remembrance of the last sunset we saw, and I say…

CHEERS!