Unlikely Friendship

The flight from San Francisco to Narita was about 11 hours, I got on the plane, got out of my books and sat down next to Jeff, a cookbook writer flying to Thailand. Little did I know, I didn't need the books. Jeff and I talked, listened, and drank for 11 hours straight and we went from strangers to life committees who shared our lives.

The united flight charged $6 for a drink on our international flight. To save money, Jeff and I bought a bottle of Johnny Walker black label from the duty free cart from the flight attendants and we secretly poured our drinks while the beverage carts went up and down the aisles. Mixed with our conversations, the black label was surprisingly sobering and the life stories that we shared were touching, moving, and inspiring. Jeff showed me the pictures of where he would be living in Thailand, I felt like he carried a part of my concerns for him and part of my desire to explore the world to this remote village close to the border of Cambodia.

This flight was the most amazing flight that I have ever had. I got to know and almost live Jeff's life just sitting next to him on this plane. How many people with great life stories have sat next to me and I have passed up the opportunity to meet, to know, to love, to understand? How many of these opportunities do I get to have in a life time? What are the chances that a passenger on the flight or even a close friend inspire and touch your heart?

We arrived Narita airport buzzed and the last bit of Johnny Walker black was confiscated by Japanese immigration officers (I offered to the officer and told her that she should take it home and she thanked me. How polite!) We sat by my gate to continue my trip to Taipei and then I saw tears in his eyes... Jeff just got out of a long marriage the morning that we met on the plane. I saw in Jeff's eyes - humanity, uncertainty, love, and his unwillingness to hurt anyone. I gave him a hug and told him that things will be ok and one of those mornings, he'll wake up and everything will be fine. Then, I saw the doubt in his eyes but he promised that he'd let me know if that morning arrives for him.

The goodbye was bitter and sweet because I know, for some reason, the passenger that I sat next to on this flight to Narita will forever keep part of my heart and thoughts with him in his remote village in Thailand. My life will be forever changed because of meeting Jeff in that he inspired me to be courageous, to pursue my dreams, to never believe that it's too late to change and do something that you love. And, yes, this unlikely friendship began on united flight 853.