Day 1 - April 23, 2012 (Episode 1)

Here we are with the first day of my Norwegian adventure!  It's hard to think that I could be gone for up to two months, but it will be well worth it and I'm very hopeful my family will understand!  I've tried to do everything I can to prep them for my days away and have written them 60 letters, in case I'm gone 60 days.  Along with that, I've prepped my business for my days away and have divied up my clients between my three team members.  I have complete faith that they will take care of everyone just the same as if I were here.  I guess we'll find out!

To officially start this adventure, we started the day by heading to the airport.  A little after 11:00 we said our last goodbyes in the Indianapolis airport terminal.  Both girls were a little preoccupied with the vast amount of space to run around in, but Megan and I were fighting to keep the tears back (okay, Megan may have let a few through).  We had our last hugs and kisses and then headed for security.  It was at that point that I could see Logan change expressions and started to cry.  That was really hard on me to see!  Sweet Zoe wasn’t too fazed, but that’s what I love about her!

The plane rides were pretty standard with a tight flight to Charlotte, then, lunch, hour delay and a more spacious flight to Newark.  When landing in Newark, I was told to look for a lady holding a Norwegian flag.  I don't know why, but I was expecting to see a large crowd with a lady in the middle waving a giant Norwegian flag, all while singing the Norwegian national anthem.  Unfortunately, not only did that not happen, but there was actually a mix-up and no one was there to greet me.  After a quick phone call and a 15 minute wait, a lady greeted me with a small Norwegian flag and an escort to the hotel shuttle.  She had to stay to pick up another cast member, so I was off to the hotel by myself.   The good side is that the shuttle ride presented me with my first view of the New York skyline!

Marianne - "The Aussie"





After arriving at the hotel, I couldn’t find my greeter there either!  Apparently, they didn’t pass word that I had arrived.  Fortunately, after walking around for a bit and looking lost, Marianne, the Production Manager noticed me.  (A very nice lady with an Australian accent that threw me off at first.)  She gave me a quick rundown and said that dinner was by myself and then we would have our first meeting at 9:30 P.M..

 

Henriette - The Hostess
with the Mostess
 

At dinner, I was greeted by our host, Henriette.  She was incredibly nice and appeared to be more excited about the show than anyone else!  We had a good talk and she made me feel really welcome.  It will be fun to hang out with her throughout the show!

Finally, we met at 9:30 with what was supposed to be the rest of the cast.  Unfortunately, due to weather issues, only half the cast was there.  However, after a short wait, three more showed up.  We did quick intros with the production team and then we were left to our own.  For the next two hours, we hung out over drinks and food down in the hotel lobby.  It was good times had by all and I was able to get my first glimpse into what the rest of the cast is going to be like.  Here’s a quick breakdown of the eight members we met tonight, in order of when I met them:

                                                                      Austin Muller:  I met Austin as I was getting to my room for the first time.  He was just returning from a workout, so I know he's an athlete.  Looks to be in his young-20's and a very good-looking dude.  Found out later that he's a male model, living in L.A., but originally from Wisconsin.  I'm guessing he may be my biggest threat physically!

 

 

 

                                                                 Stephanie Reese:  I met Stephanie in the hallway as well.  She heard Austin and I talking and came out to meet us.  She looks to be in her mid-20's and is a burlesque dancer from L.A..  She seems to be very outgoing and really nice, but her burlesque name is “Evil Twin”, so who knows!  We'll have to wait to find out.

 

 

                                                                       Dana Dinsmore:  Dana looks to be in his mid-30’s and is living in Hawaii (I think he's originally from the Pacific Northwest).  He's completely uncensored and seems to always be looking for a good time.  I'm guessing it would be a lot of fun to hang out with him, but could get me in trouble.

 

 

Mary Caryl Giltner:  She's 57 and an entrepreneur.  Has been practicing pole dancing for the last couple of years and seems to be a true fanatic of it, based on the amount of conversation devoted to it!  Seems to be very intelligent and knows a little Norwegian.

 

 

Alf Herigstad:  He's 49 and a man’s man with two braided goatee strands and a huge appetite!  (He actually ate two of the largest bacon-cheeseburgers I've ever seen, plus two plates full of fries, at our first dinner together.  WOW!)  Very large guy and definitely the most Norwegian looking, as well as educated in Norway.  Practices a special religion, which I can't remember the name, but has Thor and some others as Gods.  Really like this guy and hope he’s around for a while.  He’s more my type of guy.

 

C.J. Foss:  CJ is in his mid-20’s, I think, and is a Chinese food delivery guy as well as a new standup comedian.  Comes off as incredibly book smart and a really nice guy, but definitely a character!  It will be interesting getting to know him.

 

 

Jessica Brustad:  Jessica is in her late 20’s and a yoga instructor (or, as I found out, a "Yogi") from San Diego.  Very nice lady and seems very “spiritually” strong.  Not sure what to think about her at this point.  Yoga and spirituality aren't my typical conversational pieces, so we'll see how things play out.

 

 

 

Barbara Liles:  Barabara is one of the elders of our group, so far.  She seems to be in her 50’s and comes off as the "hippy" lady from Oregon.  Seems very grounded and nice, but definitely has some hippy qualities.  Should be an interesting person to get to know.

 

That's it for now.  A very interesting cast, as I would imagine you would want on a reality show.  We hung out for two hours, then up to bed to call Megan and write my first journal entry.  Seems like this should be a fun group to hang out with.  Typically, I’d be all about driving the group to have as much fun as possible (example: staying up and drinking to the late hours of the morning), but I'm really focused right now and I want to win this show!

Good night!

Day 1 over!

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