A Luv Story Born at CarMax

By Roger Curley
June 25, 2025

Chase and Marcela first met nearly 11 years ago, in 2008.
We both worked at a CarMax in Tucson where we quickly became friends.
Chase always wanted Marcela; however
the circumstances were never such that anything happened.
They both lived their lives and kept in touch over the years.
Chase moves to Portland in 2009 and Marcela moved to San Diego a few years later.

A few years later,
Chase had been living in Bend, Or and Marcela in San Diego, Ca.
And after years of minimal communication,
a text came on New Year’s Eve 2014….
Marcela sent Chase a text message that simply said “happy New Year’s”
accompanied by a kissing emoji.
They started talking again and soon made a plan for chase
to come visit Marcela in San Diego.
That trip to San Diego changed both of their lives.
They fell, deeply, in love.
They had finally found the right moment and nothing, geographical
or situational, could stop them from seeing where that love could take them.

They had a long-distance relationship for a few months
until they grew tired of the travel.
They hatched a plan for chase to fly to San Diego and move Marcela to Portland,
and where they began the next stage of their relationship….
living together.

After countless adventures, road trips, hikes, swimming,
making friends and getting different jobs…
they took a trip to Kauai in 2015.
That’s where Chase proposed to Marcela,
on a beautiful beach near Kapaa, Kauai.
The island of Kauai captivated them, so much so that they decided
to have their wedding back on the islands, this time Maui.

Since then,
they rescued two wonderful dogs and spent a lot of time
exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
They have camped on the coast of Oregon, climbed some amazing mountains,
and gone on spontaneous road trips.
Through it all,
they have continued to fall deeper in love with each other,
and continued to grow an amazing, one of a kind friendship.

Our two dogs, Lola and Duncan, have been part of our family
from the very first day they come into our lives.
Lola came first back in 2016.
She was 9 months old when we got her.
Lola is a loving dog who had some major skeletons in her closet.
Through persistent training and lots of loving’s,
she is now truly they best dog we’ve ever known.
Now, she loves to snuggle just as much as she loves
hiking, jumping (really high) and swimming.

Duncan, merely 10 weeks old when we took him home September of 2018,
has been an absolute handful.
Both good and bad.
He has a stubborn, hilarious personality but
really brings nothing but positive vibes and joy.
We are definitely missing them both
since they couldn’t come to Maui with us!

Chase finally got a job with his favorite brand, Nike, in 2017.
Since then he’s loved learning and growing his career
and developed some great new friendships.
He plans to continue his career in project management
and hopes the next vacation he and Marcela take involve the Alps!

Marcela is growing her career in procurement
and plans to go back to school.
She is excited about buying a house with Chase
where they can continue to rescue dogs and adventure.
Many road trips are in the future where their family of four can
hike, swim and climb mountains.
She is excited to be Marcela Daniels and
start this new chapter in life with Chase.

———————————————————-

A Luv Story Blessing Born at CarMax

Chase Name Meaning. English:
metonymic occupational name for a huntsman, or rather
a nickname for an exceptionally skilled huntsman,
from Middle English chase ‘hunt’
(Old French chasse, from chasser ‘to hunt’, Latin captare).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I knew from a recent text Chase sent that I’d be ‘preaching to choir’.
Well, not really preaching, but it’s inspiring to be among those
connected to ‘the church of Nature’, being hikers and adventurers,
the ‘fear’ of a wee bit of rain does not exist… it merely encourages them.

In the Truest form of Spirituality, the most important aspect is,
To be in Love with whatever happens.
And that’s what Chase expressed with his positive attitude of,
Looking forward to whatever happens.

Unconditional Love is Boundless – It knows no bounds.
It is not dependent on trivial things, or even profound things…
Nor is it effected by… the weather.

The original meaning of the name ‘Chase’,
Was basically for the exceptional hunter that lived in the hunting grounds.
The hunt… the chase…

But for Chase, his ‘hunt’ for his True Love started waaay back in 2008,
When his love radar locked onto very solid target… He knew.

1st Corinthians states – “Love is kind… Love is Patient”
Chase had to be Patient for six more years…
Until the Divine intervention of Marcela reaching out with a text:
Happy New Year… with the sacred symbol of … a kissing emoji

There is something to be said about… ‘the right moment’.
It feels like one has to move Heaven & Earth
to finally get to that ‘right moment’
But when it comes… & I quote their ‘Luv Story’
“Nothing, geographical or situational,
could stop them from seeing where that love could take them.”

And …
Their adventurous love
Took them to countless wonderous places in nature.
Then while in Kauai,
the abundant Romantic energy is the islands
must have inspired yet another Profound ‘Right Moment’
and Marcela had the ‘Right’ answer then…
and that’s why we are all here – ‘Right’ now for this Righteous occasion
😉

Ya know…
Unconditional Love is a phrase most folks can pronounce & understand…
Yet, so few can actually express it.
doGs on the other hand,
seem to have this intrinsic nature of Unconditioned Love.
~ doGs are Love incarnate. ~
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that doG spelled backwards is… well…
doG on Divine 😉