Griffins in Shiroi, Japan (April 7, 2026)
I’ve been missing my friends as I travel the world. Back in Port Washington, NY, I’ve missed 9 poker games that happen on the first Friday of every month, 274 7am AA meetings, 69 Soo Bahk Do, Moo Duck Kwan training hours and 39 Sundays in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock. But who’s counting?
That doesn’t include all the Friday and Saturday evenings hanging out with friends, Sunday dinners with Connie and Richard Knies (my in-laws) and morning gym workouts. Sure, traveling the world for a year is an incredible opportunity — especially now that my whole family is traveling with me. But I miss my community of friends most.
A few days ago, my heart swelled as I met up with two families that happen to be traveling to Tokyo at the same time (see related post). While this was the last evening Michele and Scott Moul were here, I was able to sneak in one more visit with Anne-Marie, Sean and Leo.
Violet, Will, Elena, Leo, Sean, Anne-Marie and me in Shiroi, Japan
Leo must feel like he can fly as his feet never hit the ground during the time of the visit.
Elena, in particular, enjoyed all her time holding Leo
Different room, different top, same day
Violet enjoyed playing with Leo too. Like most people who’ve never held a baby before, she was nervous. I think we all have this ungrounded fear of dropping an infant. I know I did when I first help my God-daughter Jerilyn who was just home from the hospital about a week old. I shared my concerns and my Uncle Paul had me sit down to help remove my fear. It totally worked. I remembered that and invited Violet to do the same. I think it helped her too. Thanks, Uncle Paul!
Violet and Leo sharing a chair together
And, of course, Sean was having a wonderful time showing off his son. Proud papa.
Sean having a grand time showing off Leo who’s being a good sport
And, with this visit, I’m feeling more connected to my friends. Yes, I miss my New York community. And having friends from different parts of the world meeting up in this part of Japan is incredibly fun. The Griffins live in Greystones, Ireland, which was my first stop on this world tour back in June, 2025 (see related post).
I told Sean that because he and I went into the Irish Sea together, I was able to handle the temperature of all other water on my tour. Some were similarly cold, but most were much, much warmer in comparison. I still think the water in Fiji was too hot. It was the only water where I didn’t feel cooled down on a hot day as it was like stepping into a hot bath on a hot day. Not all that refreshing this time of year. But I bet in the cooler months, it feels glorious. But I digress.
Today the Griffins are leaving for Brisbane, Austrailia. They were able to come join us for lunch before heading to the airport. I’m deeply grateful they took a side quest (and a 1 hour train ride) to see us where we’re staying. While I would have happily met up again in Tokyo, it really was fun to have Leo checking out the house we’re staying in. This part of Japan is very different as it’s the suburbs of Tokyo. Lots of farm land and forrest which is what I plan on explore with Will tomorrow.
