The days leading up to 04/23/2012

It all started back in January of this year; I was sitting in my office goofing around on different sites, I went to craigslist to look at what was for sale and what kind of jobs were being offered, stuff like that.

 In the job posting section I clicked on “TV/Video”, I did this sometimes just to see what sorts of dysfunctional people different shows across the nation were trying to find so they could exploit the absolute worst of humanity for the pleasure of the viewing audience.  I always found that fascinating.

Anyway, there was a headline in this section that read:  “THE GREAT NORWAY ADVENTURE III”.  Huh, I thought to myself, I have to see what that’s about.  As I read the ad my jaw began to drop.  By the time I was done reading it my chin was in my lap.  I couldn’t believe it, it didn’t seem real, it was as though it was written personally for me.  For a minute I actually thought maybe someone who knows me put it on Craigslist for a joke.

I read it several more times.  They wanted 12 Norwegian Americans to come to Norway and compete with each other in challenges that had to do with the culture and traditions of Norway….wow!  Not only that but the winner gets $50,000 and best of all; a reunion with his living Norwegian relatives!  There was a link to another website at the bottom, I clicked on it and was taken to O’Connor Casting.  This is when I started thinking this whole thing might be legitimate after all.  There was an application to download, they wanted a little video of me…”holy crap!”  I thought to myself…”I’m going to do this.”

First, I needed a second opinion.  I printed off the ad and brought it to Brenda, my girlfriend, to let her read it.  She read it over and then looked at me sort of funny and asked if I was going to do it.  I said “I think so”.

Keep in mind, being Norwegian was much more to me than a biological fact.  For me being Norwegian was a state of mind, a way of life, it was bordering on being a religion unto itself.  When I was a kid growing up being Norwegian was my super power; it allowed me to be stronger and faster, to be able to withstand extreme temperatures, and it set me apart, at least in my mind, from all the kids who were not Norwegian.  When I found this ad I was 49 years old, and it had been a lifelong goal, a mission, a duty to eventually return to the land of my ancestors.  Was I holding the means to do that in my hands?

As I began the task of filling out the very extensive application and questionnaire I never really expected that I would be chosen, after all…I was nobody special when you get right down to it.  I’m kind of funny looking and goofy, not real photogenic, there is no way they would actually pick me.  Just the same it was fun to fantasize about it in the moment and fill out the application as though there were a chance.

Then there was a video to make; four minutes worth.  Brenda filmed it for me in the living room with her daughters help.  I had written sort of a script to remind myself of all the things I wanted to say.  I was kind of uncomfortable because I don’t like getting my picture taken, much less being on a video.  I got through it though somehow.  When I watched it back Brenda and Blair said it was good…I hated it.  I seemed ridiculous to myself, but realized I would probably not be able to do any better.  I imagined myself being one of the people reviewing the video submissions, my heart sunk then because I knew that I would never choose this one.

I submitted my application and video to O’Connor casting in Chicago Illinois, and waited.  The deadline for submissions was February 8^th, I made that.  After a few days I saw on their website that they had extended the deadline to the 15^th.  I immediately assumed this meant they didn’t pick me for some reason, it made me pretty nervous.  I was resigned to the thought that it didn’t really matter, it was just a fantasy I was playing out.  I had to apply, because otherwise I would have spent the rest of my life wondering what would have happened.  So it was good, any day now I would get my rejection letter and go on with my life knowing I had tried.

Around the 18^th of February I was checking my email and I spotted an email from O’Connor casting.  In the subject line was the word ‘CONGRATULATIONS”.  My heart stopped, literally I think I missed about 4 whole beats.  I was afraid to open it, I just starred at it for awhile.  Eventually though, I clicked on it.

The letter said I had been chosen as a semi-finalist.  I was to travel to Chicago and meet with the Norwegian producers on the 23^rd of February…WOW!  Really?  It still didn’t seem real.  I was just a slightly unusual guy from Washington that built fences…now I was going to be flying across the country to meet some Norwegian producers.  It was hard to wrap my brain around it.

The flight to Chicago was uneventful.  I arrived and took the subway downtown, found my hotel and settled in.  My interview was not until the following day at 10:00.

In preparing my packet for the application I had gotten all the known pictures of my ancestors sent to me by my cousin Jerine in Spokane.  I had them with me now.  I spread them all over the bed in the hotel room and just looked at them for a long time.  I starred at their eyes, their hands, the wrinkles on their foreheads.  I just kept looking and looking.  in reality they were just two-dimensional images on paper, but as I looked at them that night they became people, real people with personalities, and laughter.  Not just any people; they were my people, I came from them, and I loved them.  I needed them near me now.  I needed them to know me just as much as I wanted to know them, because if everything went well the next day I would soon be standing on the ground where their bones were buried.

As a practitioner of Asatru (indigenous religion of northern Europe), I often consult the runes.  The runes are a means of divining the probable outcome of a situation.  The norns that weave the tapestry of fate reside over what has happened, what is becoming, and what will likely happen in the future.  I asked them to show me simply what I needed to know.  I drew hagalaz, nauthiz, and raidho.   I thought that was very exciting.  The interpretation of this draw was that my life had not been an easy one, I had faced and overcame many obstacles along the way (hagalaz), and now I was in a situation where the need-fire was dominate; I had a fire in my belly like a salmon returning to the creek where it was born to spawn, I had to go…I NEEDED to go (nauthiz), and very soon, I would be traveling, taking a journey (raidho).  After this rune draw I was almost certain that I was going to Norway, but I still wasn’t fully admitting it to myself.

The next morning I took a cab to O’Connor casting.  I’m not the kind of guy to normally get nervous about things,  but I admit that I was nervous on this morning.  After all, I was about to have what I considered to be the most important conversation of my life.  There was a lot riding on this; what I said or didn’t say could permanently effect the outcome.  I had no idea what to expect so it was impossible to prepare for.  I decided, there in the cab on the way to the interview that all I could do, all I should do, was be exactly myself without anything added.  If that wasn’t enough, then it wasn’t meant to be.

I arrived early and decided to walk down the street to get a coffee at Starbucks.  While I was there I noticed another woman who seemed to be in the same boat as me somehow, it would turn out that she was Barbara, one of my future cast members waiting her turn to interview.

Once at O’Connor casting I was greeted by a woman who had me fill out some more forms.  Then a Norwegian guy named Øyestein, or something like that introduced himself, he was very nice.  Then Joan O’Connor herself came out and said hello.  She explained briefly what would happen; we would go into this room, there would be three Norwegians sitting on a couch, Joan would be behind the camera and she would ask me most of the questions, I was to answer as though I was talking to her.  Then she told me to be myself, and have fun…I said I would try.

We walked in.  I shook each producers hand in turn and looked them in the eye.  There were two men, who I would later get to know as Steinar and Sverre, and a woman, Brita, who would come to be known as mama Brita because she was the mother hen of the cast members.

I sat on a wood stool in the middle of the room and Joan started asking me questions.  I can’t remember now what she asked, it’s all a blur, but I remember getting choked up a little when I talked about my dad, and my ancestors.  I also talked about Asatru.  Then the producers asked me a couple questions and that was it.  I shook their hands again, thanked them, and walked out.

Joan said I did great…but I just didn’t know.  I just had the most important conversation of my life and I couldn’t remember anything about it!  But, I felt great.  I had made the producers laugh a couple times and I figured that couldn’t hurt.  My head was swimming and my heart was bursting!  It felt fantastic, and I didn’t even know why.  I called Brenda, because I had to relieve myself of some of this excitement.  I seem to remember crying just a bit as I spoke with her, I just felt so excited.  Then, I went back home.

The next few days were very painful.  I spent all my time thinking about all the things I didn’t say that I wished I would have, and some of the things I said that I wished I would not have.   I just didn’t know, and there was no way of knowing, all I could do was stew day after day in my own wonder.

Seven days after the interview I was sitting at home and Joan called me.  I told her to just tell me the bad news because I couldn’t take it anymore.  She told me what I should do is go to my closet, get a suitcase and pack it, because I was going to Norway…holy crap, it was really happening.  After hanging up the phone I just sat stunned in my chair for at least 30 minutes.  I giggled a little, cried some, laughed out loud; I went through every range of emotion that exists.  It was extremely hard to grasp what had just happened.

I don’t know how many people had originally applied, but it was amazing that I was selected to meet the producers, I estimated around 50 people got to do that.  Out of those people I was chosen as one of twelve, one of only six men.  Wow!  Me! It was very hard to believe.  We twelve would travel to the land of our ancestors to compete for the chance to meet our living Norwegian relatives, and win some money too.  I was never about the money for me, I would have done it just as eagerly if there were no cash prize.

There was much to do; I had a huge list of things to accomplish before I left and I had around 45 – 50 days to get it done.  We have a big place and lots of animals, I had to leave Brenda in a good position to be able to take care of things while I was gone. In the end I did most everything except three things on my list, so that wasn’t too bad.

On the 14^th and 15^th of April a four person film crew came to to my house to film the home town segment.  There was Eli the director, who I would also be in Norway with us, Viggo the cameraman, Taylor the sound man, and Sara the reporter/interviewer.

We had a great weekend. the 14^th was mostly about Asatru and me, the 15^th was more about family.  They were very nice people and Brenda made them lunch both days.  At the end we wound up on the front porch just hanging out with them, drinking whiskey and mead and laughing, it was a really nice time.  It was all pretty awesome, and I was proud of everyone.  My entire family came to show support, I had made some “Alf for Norge” T-shirts that everyone was wearing, it was good.  My journey was about to begin.