About 4 years ago, I met two girls from Japan who were studying abroad in Florida. The three of us took my boat out, went fishing, and even had a sushi dinner on the day I speared a nice cobia. When they left, we said our goodbyes and I didn’t think I’d ever see either of them again. This was of course, before I ended up being a global airline pilot. A couple years later, I was fortunate enough to meet up with my old friends in their home country of Japan.
We met at a beautiful temple in Narita. They had planned to show me all around the town, imagining I would need a tour guide. In true Japanese hospitality, which is incredible, they came prepared with a map and notes from the internet on all the cool things to see. It became clear to me however, neither of the girls had been to this temple before as they began walking confidently in the wrong direction. As politely as I could (bring in Japan and all.), I asked where exactly they were trying to go and after some back and forth due to language troubles, (I don’t speak Japanese) they explained we were going to the temple. I smiled, and gently told them we would need to walk the other way to get to the temple. They incredulously asked how I knew this. And I simply told them, “I’ll be happy to show you all around Japan.” We laughed at the thought of me showing two locals around, and off we went, in the direction of the temple.
We had a wonderful day strolling the gardens around the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. The girls explained the context behind everything and even bought me a beautiful charm which is meant to keep me safe. I still have that charm with me all the time today.
As we cruised the street markets surrounding the temple, they took me to a hidden tea shop I never would have had the courage to visit on my own. We had delicious Japanese tea and ice cream. It was a wonderful way to see two people I never thought I’d see again.
When you travel, you see how fleeting moments can be. Sailors traversed the world, meeting people along the way, and those people they met, also knew many other sailors. Before facebook, before an easy way to write letters, all you had were moments and memories. I try to remember that, and make sure I recognize when I’m in a special moment. When I was seeing my friends again, I knew it was a special moment. I was happy to share some more time with them.
As you travel, remember you’ll never get the days again. Smile and be glad it happened.
