Kindness in Kansas

Is that their state motto? Well it ought to be. I forgot to tell you a nice little story from yesterday. So as you know I flew home yesterday but I stupidly left my darn beloved French press at the car rental counter which is not IN the airport. It is an off campus deal. So I realized this after I checked in at Southwest and I decided to see if the niceness trend of Kansas would be cont'd if I called the car place (Fox) and asked them to put it on one of the many different buses that run from the car rental depot to the KS airport. “Not a problem mam” . They did it without any questions or qualms! Can you believe that?

Here is this stupid French press interrupting lives of many just so I don’t have to go back to World Market in SLC and get another one. Not only did they deliver it directly to me, they were so organized about it by giving both my cell # and the press to the lucky bus driver (turned delivery boy) and then calling me to tell me the # of the bus the press was on and the name of the guy driving.

On that note, I have to say that I have had such a wonderful experience in Kansas. Great people. Great state. Beautiful and pleasant area with weather extremes ranging from sunny blue bird skies to heavy snow covering all the interstates over the 3 day period I was there.

I tell you what too. I stayed with another host family for this trip (I stayed with a family in Portland, OR too) and for someone to open up their doors and beautiful home to a complete and total stranger is just simply over the top. I realize that this is the norm for road cycling but in mtb this doesn’t happen too often and this whole concept is still quite new to me. Since cross is a mix of the two sports it has brought in the wonderful idea of host housing which is AWESOME.

Cycling is such a tight and wonderful community. There is a lot of trust going on in this sport from leaving your bike outside a port o jon at every race to staying with complete strangers who decided to open their home up to you.

And, this last weekend I got to introduce Cyclocross to a family of four that already enjoys riding in the local club group rides. The Hickman’s were SO helpful in every way too. They loaned me their car, gave me directions, help me set up my trainer in the basement, helped load up the car for the race, they bought dinner for me!!, they transported me to the venue on race day, they de –iced my car, transported me to and from our team dinner, they gave me garbage bags and tarps that I had forgotten to pack and lastly but not least, they sent me home with a jug of Arthur Bryant’s Rich and Spicy BBQ Sauce!!! Oh yeah! I am so grateful to any family that let’s me be a part of their daily life like that! Thanks again to the Hickman’s! I will miss you guys! :(

For those of you wondering….anyone can host an athlete. Generally the information to do so is on the race website and is coordinated that way. You don’t have to be a racer or even like racing. It is a great way to introduce your family to a fun and active healthy lifestyle.