Long Way From Home

Field Notes From A Stem Cell Transplant

Norway

It was as I neared the main viewpoint of the Torkestunga hike in the Arctic Circle, on Norway’s Lofoten Islands, that I got the news I had spent over a year and a half hoping and praying for.

Looking out over the island’s mountain ranges, which rose out of the most aqua-colored water I had ever seen, I read that, for the first time since we started looking, my marrow had no detectable GATA2 mutation.

For the time being, I was okay. In the clear. Healthy even.

Bergen Norway street scene
Bergen, Norway (September 2026)

After a quick cry, I called my family one by one, making sure to show them the view first before sharing the news I knew they had been hoping to hear right alongside me all this time.

Nearly a month and a half after returning home, that is the moment that has stuck with me most when I think about my time in Norway, and I honestly expect that will be the case for the rest of my life.

I’ve talked a bit before about my beliefs, and have fully admitted that I don’t think we get to know why we are here or what our larger purpose is. Why things happen the way they do. I’ve also talked about the little moments, though, that have made me stop in my tracks and think, even if only for a moment, that there might be someone or something looking out for me.

Getting that test result where I did was one of those moments.

Nærøyfjord boat cruise
Nærøyfjord, Norway (August 2026)

I recently heard the term “divine wink” for the first time, and I have held it closely ever since. It perfectly describes those little moments when it feels like the universe is lending a hand. Giving you a wink, letting you know that it’s there and that, while it may not offer clarity in that moment, it offers me the hope that one day it may.

That one day, it will all make sense. Why things happen. Why, within the same scenario, I can be so unbelievably unlucky and lucky at the same time. Why I can be given time and health when others in similar positions got neither.

I wrestle with that a lot. Especially lately. How “fairness” seems to have so little to do with how things actually work out for some. If I spend too long thinking about it, I get pretty down. Really down, actually.

Bergen Norway sunset at viewpoint
Bergen, Norway (August 2026)

The only thing that really pulls me out of that is moving forward. It’s continuing, despite not knowing how or why things happen, to work toward the life that I want for myself. To use the second chance I have to make whatever “luck” has fallen my way mean something. To make it count.

In thinking about what I wanted to say for this post, that is the point I kept coming back to. I could take you through each day of my trip: how I spent a few days exploring Bergen, taking in everything that beautiful coastal city had to offer; how I took a day trip inland and ferried through a UNESCO World Heritage site and some of the most stunning fjords I had ever seen; and how I flew north to the Arctic Circle and spent four days exploring the Lofoten Islands, hiking more than I had any right to believe a one-year post-transplant patient should be able to. But that is not really what this trip was all about.

In planning this trip, I wanted to go somewhere that would make my problems seem small. Somewhere that would remind me of how beautiful this world is and how lucky I truly am to be here.

I succeeded in that.

A stunning sunset over a tranquil sea, with dramatic purple and pink clouds illuminating the sky and silhouette of mountains in the background.
Henningsvær, Norway (September 2026)

I have big travel plans for the next few years. Trips that I am already planning and deeply excited about. But even so, I know that this trip will always hold a special place for me.

I will never be 25, one-year post-transplant, and exploring Arctic Norway ever again. It was the exact trip that I needed at this moment in time, and I can’t overstate how grateful I am that my body allowed me to be able to enjoy this trip to the fullest.

How grateful I am for the life I have. 

While I’ve included a few of my favorite photos already, below is a gallery of some of my other favorites. I hope you enjoy them.

Passengers disembarking from a train at a modern railway station with a large glass roof and clock.
A group of people wearing colorful jackets observing water from the deck of a boat, some taking photos with cameras and phones.
A person standing on a rocky outcrop overlooking a stunning fjord with islands and mountains in the background, illuminated by sunlight under a partly cloudy sky.
Surfers in wetsuits walking along a beach with waves, a mountain covered in clouds in the background.
A bright yellow cabin situated by a body of water, with towering rocky mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.
Aerial view of a secluded beach surrounded by rocky cliffs and green hills, with turquoise water and a cloudy sky above.
A scenic view of a hilly landscape with a pathway leading through lush green grass, overlooking a tranquil sea and distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
Two people standing near a small red cabin with a mountain backdrop and a body of water in the distance, under a clear blue sky.
A picturesque beach scene featuring a small red wooden cabin near a sandy shore, with turquoise waters and distant mountains under a blue sky.
A panoramic view of a calm ocean with multiple small islands and a rocky shore, framed by lush greenery and a clear sky.
Colorful wooden houses along a pathway with a mountain backdrop and a person walking a dog.
A street scene featuring colorful, historical houses with red rooftops, including white and blue buildings, set against a backdrop of green hills and a blue sky. A person walks down the cobblestone path near the houses.
A McDonald's restaurant located in a white historic building, with people walking by, including a man carrying a child.
Colorful waterfront buildings along a harbor with boats, surrounded by lush green hills under a partly cloudy sky.
A scenic cobblestone street lined with colorful buildings, including pink, teal, and yellow houses, under a partly cloudy sky. Two people in the foreground are admiring the view.

As always…

Talk Soon,

Ethan

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