At Sea In the World

Daylight is fading as I gaze from the window of my hotel room. The wind drives small flakes of snow across the city streets. Here I stand, alone in a city filled with people whose language I can't understand. I'm in Hachinohe, an industrial city in northern Japan, awaiting a ship which has been delayed because of weather. I'm destined to spend the next few days awaiting its arrival. The mini bar in my room is filled to capacity with an assortment of beer, wine, and whiskey. It is placed there to comfort the weary traveler. As I stand here watching the beginning of winter unfold, I know that I'm alone without a trace of loneliness and I think about how my life has changed.