A distant friend comes for a visit. Ah, patience, grasshopper!

My friend Dely is coming from the other side of the world for an extended visit. But he is taking the slow route (cruise ship), so although I’m excited to meet him, I’ve got to be patient.

Yes, he is a friend I have never personally met. But I have known his family for several years, so I’m sure we will hit it off. They tell me he is a natural climber and can really put on the miles, so clearly, he will be compatible with GoatBoy! Being raised in Sapporo, up on the north Island of Hokkaido, he has spent many years on the ski slopes and is an avid hiker.

Dely was born and bred in Japan, but like most of us in our late 20s, he is looking for adventure. With so many national parks and monuments to visit, I’ll try to steer him in the right direction. If you add up the Japanese mainland and all of its islands, the total square miles are just a little under the state of Montana (with 25 million people compared to Montana’s 1 million).

Dely, I think, is on a budget. After driving the 750 miles to the port of Yokohama, he booked the slow boat to come over the Pacific. It’s a low-end cruise ship I’ve never heard of (Jupiter Spirit), with some less-than-interesting ports of call. After boarding in Yokohama, he’ll spend a day in Kawasaki, then a night in Hitachi, then back to Yokohama again, and finally the leg all the way over to New Westminster, BC. I could think of a better way to spend two weeks, but hey, to each their own.

The closest his ship will dock to me is the Port of Tacoma, so he won’t be able to enjoy any sightseeing in Seattle. I heard he had some conflicts with Customs and Border Security, but he got through it.

Unfortunately, with work and the timing of his arrival, I won’t be able to pick him up in person. Dely is a solid kid and said he’d find his own way to Spokane—maybe even hitchhike. I told him to be wary of tow truck drivers. They can be a pretty scary lot in the US. He is so much fun to joke with.

So, after many emails and texts and video calls, the big day came, and Dely finally showed up at my house in Greenacres, WA. I was upset that he didn’t take my advice about hitchhiking. And it was pretty clear he didn’t shower once during the two-and-a-half-month journey. But I felt like I had known Dely my entire life.

Now, I’ve got to be fair. Dely didn’t always look this sad. I think with a bit of cleanup, he will be back to his old self. Here are some selfies he sent me before leaving Japan.

He also sent me a video. I really look forward to making his experience in the State a good one. And maybe I can carve out some time to share the many wonderful journeys that will come his way.

GoatBoy out!