Friends From Foreign Places

Sascha & Emily

A few years back Meg and I traveled to Guatemala to meet up with my old buddy Rob Goldfarb, who was managing a resort on the Rio Dulce. We spent a couple of weeks going Indiana Jones, getting into adventures, exploring ruins deep in the jungle. Rob had taken to playing guide to guests staying at the lodge, and we would join him on expeditons. We’d pile into an old blue Range Rover, hang onto the roll bars because there were no seatbelts, and fire off down the dirt roads like a gringo torpedo.

Rob & Rover

On one such trip into the mountains to explore some caves Rob had heard about, we were joined by an enthusiastic German couple, Sascha & Emily. They had been staying at the resort for a few days and seemed like interesting folks, so we invited them along.

The expedition went off flawlessly and we all survived. We found a waterfalls deep in the cave, which we swam and scrambled to, lit only by our headlamps. Nobody got bit by a viper. The rushing waterfall didn’t suck anyone into its vortex. The air of the cave didn’t prove fatal. No one fell out of the truck. We drank rum and cokes on the dock of the resort afterwards to celebrate our success. Just breathing fresh air in the afternoon sunlight seemed like a miracle.

Mw & Jw, Guatemala

In a few days time everyone went their separate ways. We have not seen our friends from Germany since, but we have kept in touch. Sascha and Emily were married. Sascha has been training to become a pilot. Like good Germans, they have traveled a fair amount. Every once in awhile we get an email saying hello and catching up.

A few days back we got a package in the mail from Germany. In it, a beautiful letter welcoming Maeva to the world and a sleeping cap for her, which says “Zucker Puppe” (“sugar doll”) on the wide brim. Maeva has a new term of endearment.

Having friends from foreign places is one of the most rewarding types of friendships. There is something about reaching across an ocean, across political borders, across languages and cultures, that draws people closer together more quickly. Perhaps by virtue of language difficulties, people are more sincere and less superficial. If you only have a limited capacity in another language, you don’t waste your words. You speak more directly, honestly. It takes a lot more energy to make a joke and so they are that much funnier.

So this is a toast to our foreign buddies. Prost to you, Sascha and Emily! Thank you for the kind gift, and for keeping in touch. We hope to visit you guys someday. To our buddy Thierry, somewhere in France, salut mec! Quoi de neuf? To special Kylie from New Zealand, now touring Eastern Europe with her fiancé, here’s to your health and safe travels! To Megan’s buddies in Argentina and in jolly olde England – all of whom I have yet to meet and yet feel that I already know – saludos and cheers! To all of our foreign buddies – our lives are enriched incomparably by knowing you. Hope to see you down the road somewhere.

Now go get yourself some foreign friends if you don’t have any. They will make your life better. And for those of you that have them, now would be a good time to reach out again and say hello. Keep that connection. It makes the world a better place.

*PS: Last week we also got a great gift from our buddies Matt & Tera in Alaska, which may as well be a foreign country. Hand caught and home smoked silver salmon and homemade berry jam. We feasted on it for lunch one day with crackers, cheese and chilled white wine. It was delightful! Good luck to you guys in your final approach into parenthood. Update that blog!