Down 14th Street in DC there are still Washington Nationals “Welcome to October” banners hanging from lampposts. They remind me of heartbreak each morning and afternoon when I see them. Each one has a different player on it. This afternoon a woman looking for Bryce Harper stopped me. Her 11-year-old son, Big G, is writing a paper on him for school. He is apparently a superstar little leaguer in Fredericksburg, VA. If somehow by the grace of the internet gods Big G ever sees this post I want him to know that he has a good mom. She saw the banners and wanted to get a picture of Bryce for his assignment. We walked nearly two blocks passing Ian Desmond, Denard Span (my personal favorite), Jason Werth, Wilson Ramos, Adam LaRoche and finally Bryce Harper. She thanked me and I continued my walk to the bus. This whole time I kept thinking of my long forgotten Beer Missions and my upcoming trip to Japan.
I leave for Japan in what feels like no time. Between going to a baseball game (which it so happens Bryce Harper was supposed to play in), Mt. Fuji, eating as much sushi as I am able to and a ton of other activities I plan on hitting up some local craft breweries and bottle shops. Here’s a premature shout out to Diana who sent me some recommendations.
I have never been out of the country. I’ve spent 27+ wonderful years within the borders of the US of A. I’ve never had a beer outside of America. I’ve never had an American beer in another country. I’ve never had a beer brewed in another country other than the USA in that country. I feel like I should get some sort of Life Achievement Badge once I touchdown in Japan (I guess that’s what my passport is for). I have no clue what to expect. But I hope I take some lessons learned from Beer Missions and explore.
Beer, among its endless list of qualities, creates bonds between people. It extends beyond the bounds of language, borders and culture. I have no idea what to expect, but it should amount to a good time and new memories.
I’ll be back in a couple weeks with a new post about my Japan journeys. Until then, I hope you break out of your comfort zone and make some new memories along with me. Cheers, y’all!
P.S. If I’m somehow able to get to WiFi and check in a beer from Japan, I expect you to toast me or we’re no longer friends. Got it?
Short On Beer 