October Update

Happy to finally be in Los Angeles!  

Taking LA by Storm!   (or Air... this time we're north of Huntington Beach and about five feet off the ground.) 

Christie and I have finally relocated (temporarily for now, but possibly permanently) to the Los Angeles area!  It has now been two months since arriving home from Italy, but that time has taken us to Edmonton and Seattle (twice each), Hawaii (for three weeks), and to San Francisco, Fresno, and many more places in between.

The following pictures highlight a few of our adventures, although to be honest the last month or so has been less about having fun and more about deciding our future.  Christie is pursuing her career aspirations on television in Los Angeles, and me, well... let's just say I'm working on that!  I hope to know in the next few weeks about my football future and a return to Europe.

We have been lucky to have spent time with a number of our family and friends in the last month.  Thank you to all of you who have helped us along our journey!

DISNEYLAND

Jason and Christie - the modern day Walt & Mickey.

What visit to Los Angeles is complete without a trip to the Magic Kingdom?  Even though we are potentially going to live here, it was a great way to kick-off our time in LA, and to get the last bit of 'tourist' out of our system.

Tea Cups = Dizzy for All Ages!

California Adventure is an awesome addition to Disneyland - great rides more focused on adults.  It is, however, tough to see while hurtling along upside down!

Outside of California adventure -- yes we love Candy Corn!

USC FOOTBALL

LA Coliseum, site of the 1984 Olympic Games, holds over 90,000!

To keep an eye on my rival, Arizona State, we took in their game against USC at the LA Coliseum.  It was a perfect afternoon - warm weather, good friends, and a blowout victory by USC!

And you thought I was just good at taking sunset pictures...

In front of the Coliseum...

... and at field level!

TUCSON - ARIZONA FOOTBALL

Arizona Stadium holds 55,000 - and is the place of some amazing memories!

One weekend we drove 6 hours across the dessert to Tucson to take in a football game of my alma mater, the University of Arizona Wildcats.  The Cats were taking on the University of Washington Huskies, where George went to school.  We had been talking about this game since our time in Italy, and it was an incredible weekend of fun, football, and our friends George and Laurie Contreras.  For the record, the final score was 48-14 Wildcats!

The Student Section, aka ZONA ZOO, is 10,000 strong, all decked out in Red.  GO CATS!

Arizona's current quarterback - Willie Tuitama - drops back to pass.  Willie has led the Wildcats to a 4-2 record this season, and their pass-happy offense is eclipsing my records.  I made sure to tell the coaches after the game to RUN THE BALL MORE!

Pre-game meal at Frog n Firkin, Tucson's best place for BARBEQUE CHICKEN PIZZA (not pictured.)  George and Laurie took a little bit of razzing from the Wildcat fans, but most were more than friendly to our visitors in Purple and Gold.

Oh the memories...

SAN FRANCISCO

Panoramic View of the Golden Gate Bridge, guardian to San Francisco Bay.  The Pacific Ocean to the right.

On our way down I5 to Los Angeles, Christie's mom happened to be in San Francisco.  We stopped by for two nights to say hi, and to do a little sight seeing as well.

The Chorley women enjoy the view of the Bay.

Sunset Masts

Please keep in touch with us - we love to hear from you and will be sure to keep you all posted as to our future plans!  God Bless!

~ J. Twice

MUST READ: The Ridiculous Race

In the spring of 2007, television writers Steve Hely & Vali Chandrasekaran challenged each other to a race around the world.  The only catch: no airplanes.  As they ripped through twenty-four countries on five continents in their pursuit of victory (and Los Angeles’ best bottle of Scotch, the grand prize), they had countless crazy experiences, ranging from attempting to purchase a custom-built jetpack in Mexico to a blind date in Sweden.  Their adventures are chronicled in The Ridiculous Race, a book that must be highlighted and underlined… it’s that funny.  People Magazine (no underline) describes it as ‘Riotous fun” and Wired says it, “Reads like a 300-page Simpsons episode.” 

In fact, I’m pretty sure that you, Reader, will not be complete without racing out to pick up a copy for you and five of your friends. 

As you all know, when I come across something I deem a PURPLE COW I must pass it on - and this book was more than that.  I was lucky enough to come across Steve via the Ridiculous Race Facebook page and he kind enough to answer a few not-so-Ridiculous questions.  Enjoy!

Really Playing for Pizza: On the cover of the book, the premise of The Ridiculous Race is described as, “26,000 miles. 2 guys. 1 globe. No airplanes.”  Seems pretty simple – but it quickly took on a life of its own.  How exactly did you guys think of this idea, and more importantly, how did you convince a book publishing company to pay for it?

STEVE: The hard part was the convincing.  A good deal of excited babble came out of our mouths but those listening didn’t quite understand exactly how this would take shape.  So Vali and I staged a small demonstration.  We decided to send each other off on the most intense weekend possible: we each planned a weekend for the other guy, packed a bag for him, revealing no details.  The only rule was you had to leave work at your regular time on Friday and be back for work on Monday.  On the appointed Friday we met, and exchanged manila envelopes containing destinations, itineraries, etc.  As it turned out I sent Vali to Alaska, and he sent me to Cuba.  We wrote up what happened, and that was our proposal.

RPP: In addition to the Ridiculous Race, you and Vali also had a number of other ‘contests’ along the way.  Can you describe some of your side wagers along with a full explanation of the Awesomeness contest (Including winners)? 

Both of us wanted to come back with the better stories.  That spirit of competition was a good motivator - when I was alone and tired in Finland or some place, and my body was desperately screaming at me to go to sleep, I’d think “Vali’s probably doing something great right now,” and I’d have to keep going.  In this way we nearly killed each other through mutual exhaustion.   

RPP: When I was living in Italy, I picked up a lot of great slang words with absolutely fascinating insight into the local culture.  Same is true when I was in Japan, where I learned that Bakku-Shan literally means ‘a girl who is pretty from behind but not from the front.’)  What is the coolest local word you learned along your travels?

The only word I tend to learn anywhere is “thank you.”  Throw that around enough in the local language and people tend to view you as at least harmless.

RPP: Readers of this blog have become especially familiar with Italy, a country that you visited for an unofficial ‘Volpe Family Reunion.’  What were your impressions (or most humorous moments) of this crazy country?

You really can’t go wrong in Italy.  When I just followed meandering roads and stopped whenever I was tired, somehow delicious food would end up in my mouth and stunning views would appear in front of me and charming old people would start talking to me.  I would not understand them.  

RPP: Please rank yourself and Vali (separately) in this (noncomprehensive) list of famous world travelers:

Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Mark Twain, Ewan McGregor, and Charles A. Veley (Currently first-place in the world according to the website             mosttraveledpeople.com, who at age 43 has visited 633 countries/autonomous regions, or 94% of the world).

Anyone traveling in the age of anti-diarrhea medicine, readily available cotton socks, paved roads and granola bars is a lightweight. 

RPP: After returning from your journey, what is the most underrated place you visited in terms of overall Awesomeness?

Mongolia.  For immersing yourself in someplace that feels absolutely different from life as you’re used to it, it can’t be beaten.  In the countryside of Mongolia you can easily feel as though you’ve been transported to the 8^th century.  In the capital city of Mongolia you can easily feel as though you’ve transported to a horrible apocalyptic version of the 1970s. 

RPP: In the Ridiculous Race Movie, who would play the main characters?  (From the illustrations in the book Nicolas Cage immediately springs to mind…)

It should be turned into a chick flick starring Reese Witherspoon as me and Anne Hathaway as Vali. 

RPP: Before you began your journey, you describe a world circumnavigation as “the kind of journey the grand nineteenth-century adventurers dreamed up at the gentlemen’s club.”  Do you still have the same sense of wonderment now that you’ve done it, or has that proverbial itch now been scratched?

Unfortunately I am uncured.  Ships are a consistent problem.  You’d think after two weeks on a freighter I’d be over it.  But I can’t look at a ship without at least sorta wishing I was on it. 

RPP:  Perhaps the most important question: Have you begun thinking about the sequel?  And if so, are you and Vali open to accepting a gentleman’s challenge from worthy and honorable contenders?

I don’t think we want to spend our entire lives competing in frivolous wagers.  But that being said: we’re listening. 

You can pick up The Ridiculous Race online at amazon.com or pretty much any place that books are sold, as this is how I stumbled upon it!  As I said before, this book is RIDICULOUS FUN - Please support these great authors and pick it up!  I promise you will laugh so hard you can almost count it as an ab workout!

~ J. Twice

Italians Invade Seattle!

This weekend we were happy to welcome our good Sicilian friends Giuseppe and Valeria to the Pacific Northwest!  Giuseppe is the starting Tight End / Fullback on the Catania Elephants, and his girlfriend Valeria was one of Christie's best friends in Catania.  They have an incredible spirit - and were curious to experience America the way we tackled Italy.

The dynamic duo flew into San Diego, and have spent the last two weeks working their way up the West Coast.  The purpose of their vacation was two-fold:  1) FOOTBALL.  They caught a UCLA game in the Rose Bowl, and a Monday Night Raiders Game in Oakland.  While in Seattle, they did a college/pro double header, watching Oklahoma destroy the University of Washington Huskies 55-13 on Saturday then the Seattle Seahawks' overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.  2) FUN.  They spent time in the Los Angeles area with George, our defensive coordinator in Catania, and have visited many others along the way.  They have also made it a point to try American cuisine, mostly in the form of McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Denny's, and Pizza Hut.  (To name a few).  3) SHOPPING.  The recovery of the U.S. economy may directly be linked to the amount of time Giuseppe and Valeria stay in the country.  They have hit the outlets hard, and currently have filled the entire trunk and backseat of their rental car with shopping bags.  Stay tuned to see if they can bring them all home!

They arrived into the Seattle area on Friday night, and we took them out on Puget Sound using Johnny Time - our family's boat.  

Off we go...

The Girls enjoying the 'No Wake Zone.'

Mt. Ranier at 14,000 feet looms high above the Puget Sound - not unlike Mount Etna?

The Happy Couple

Surrounding our boat was what Giuseppe called "Foca!"  It means seals, and actually is the nickname for one of our Catania teammates due to his tackling style.  Pretty funny!

Valeria poses in front of the Chihuly Glass Museum.  Tacoma is the world's #2 place for blown glass, behind Murano outside of Venice.  Who knew?

Food here is just... BIGGER!  Giuseppe attempts to take down 3 pieces of Alaskan Cod as the local fish 'n chips.  When in England, I learned that 'fish' there means singular... in the US its plural!

And as for Pizza, it's exponentially bigger here!  This chicken parmesan pizza with pesto sauce made Valeria's eyes bulge out of her head!

Magic Hour for our guests!

Christie and Valeria enjoy dusk.

The moon rises over Mount Ranier.

There is a proverbial saying that the only way to unwind after a great day on a boat is with Nintendo Wii, so we felt obligated to play!  

In the first game of Tennis, Valeria smashed a forehand to beat 'Peppe 40-Love.

Payback was found in boxing, as Giuseppe's upper-cut sent Valeria to the ground!

I couldn't let this go unchallenged, so I stepped in with a quick TKO.

~ J. Twice

Elephants on TV

The following interview aired on Edmonton's CTV before I left for Italy, and captures all the excitement I had in heading to Italy to play football.  I wasn't able to post it until now, but still pretty funny!  Enjoy!

For those of you who followed our journey, I appreciated all of your comments and support.  It was so fun hearing from all of you and sharing all of those crazy experiences.  To those who are finding this site for the first time, here are some of our most memorable moments from the 6 months in Italy:

Eating the BEST Pizza in the World

Stealing Gas in Sicily

Posing as Michaelangelo's David

Scoring Many Touchdowns for the Catania Elephants (Highlight Film)

Being Served by Giuseppe: Speed Waiter

Taking Breathtaking Pictures of Sicily, Italy, and Europe

I am continuing to seek out new experiences and adventures as we tie up our loose ends in Edmonton and begin our trip to Los Angeles.  Talk to you all soon!

~ J. Twice

Maui: Images

Path to Paradise

Here are some images from the past week in Maui... ENJOY!

Golden Sunset

Lava Beach

Tropical Checkers

Big Beach

Kapalua Bay

Surfboard Garden

Honolua Bay

First Light at Haleakala (over 100 gather every morning to watch)

Sunrise over Haleakala (10,000 foot Volcano in South Maui)

Bamboo

~ J. Twice

Maui Rockstars

After a breakfast of Banana/White Chocolate/Macadamia Nut pancakes at the Gazebo in Napili Bay, we were all smiles! 

The past week in Maui has been an amazing mix of fun, family, and relaxation - in what might be the most beautiful place on the planet.  The thing that makes Maui so special is that you can literally do as much (snorkeling, surfing, diving, entertainment, eating, etc) or as little (laying on the beach, reading a book, napping, etc) that you like.  I can honestly say that it has been the perfect way to reconnect with our lives back at home, while "easing" in to North American culture.  Here's a few pics from our adventures!

Christie holds a burning one-hundred dollar bill (worth 11 Euro) during the "Warren & Annabelle" magic show.  If you do one night time event in Maui, Warren is UNBELIEVABLE - with a blend of humor, magic, and personality that will leave you both bewildered and happy.  We sat in the front row and became his little "Guinea Pigs" that he picked on all show long... imagine that?!

My uncle Scott executing a perfect cliff dive from a height of over 50 feet!  The little dots in the water are me and my brother-in-law Chris... just to give you perspective!  (Try that other D3 Head Coaches!!!)

The food has been incredible... and much more hearty than in Europe.  Here my cousin Jessi digs into a plate of Ribs, hoping to carry on the family legacy of eating ridiculous amounts of food.

Group Shot at Napili Bay

Just our immediate family of 10 - from left to right Chris, Heather, Rees, Holly, Jim, Christie, Me, Michelle, Cole, and Chad.

Group shot at sunset in front of our condo.

One fun thing we did was return to the place where Christie and I got engaged two years ago - the Grand Wailea Hotel & Spa.  It is one of the most luxury hotels in the world, and it was so fun reliving that special moment!!!

Well, after such a tough week we're off to Oahu on Sunday to visit our close friends!  When will the "permanent vacation" ever stop?!!  (Positologist Translation: Who is going to email me now with an unbelievable job offer that I can't say no to?!)

~ J. Twice

Maui Update

The View from our Balcony... breathtaking!

I guess this would be Appendix A, as we've traveled to Maui with our family for three weeks of relaxation after our "stressful" European adventure.  Our family is extremely close, and this will be a special time together without the typical interruptions of daily life.

As soon as we got off the plane, I immediately felt at home as the familiar humidity and warm, fragrant air instantly brought back feelings of many fun times in Maui.  As always, I've brought my camera - and after two days couldn't help but post some pictures, as the landscape simply begs to be photographed!  Enjoy!

Airport Arrival!  On the right, my grandparents Frosty and Donna, the 'patriarchs' of the Westering side of our family.  They first started coming to Hawaii over 25 years ago, and have helped make all of this possible!

Dinner at Hula Grill, Ritz-Carlton Kapalua.

Group Photo!

Sunset over the water on the first night...

... and sunset over the Red Sand!

Exotic Flora

Napili Bay where we bodysurfed and snorkled.

Christie and I with my grandparents.

My dad with my nephew, Rees.  He was experiencing the waves for the first time and I was able to capture the special moment!

~ J. Twice