Sedalia, MS

“We’re not in Kansas any more Toto!” –Wizard of Oz

Today we crossed into Missouri and after a day off in Olathe we were all jazzed to be on the bikes again. The morning started off as a terrible day to be on the bike with gray overcast skies and a morning chill that made us all wonder if sending home our cold gear was a good idea. The ride out of town was horrible with rush hour traffic, terrible city streets, and frustrated motorists all combining for bad conditions to be on a bike. Add to that the fact that it started pouring buckets about 15 miles into our ride and you had quite possibly the worst possible day to be on the bike, and WE LOVED IT. Today was FUN, and with spirits high everything and anything that went wrong we couldn’t help but laugh at. 5 flats, bike failures, poor weather and we all just kept smiling and enjoying our day on the bike together.

Missouri!!!

The team keeping high spirits during another flat, raging on the side of the road!

This trip has made us all truly appreciate being fortunate enough to get up and dress ourselves in the morning, let alone being able to ride a bike 100 miles as if it were work. My fellow schoolmate Matt said “that when the miles start to feel like work, you’re doing something wrong!” and he was definitely right about that. Once we arrived in Sedalia we walked to the community pool and showered up for our friendship visit in a few hours. A quick bike shop run for tubes and CO2 and we returned just in time for dinner provided by the Sedalia cycling club, who was kind enough to prepare a pig roast for us. We all gorged our selves with pork sandwiches, baked beans, and some great slaw that energized us for tomorrows ride. After dinner clients began arriving at lodging for our evening friendship visit. We enjoyed ice cream together and had a hula-hooping contests. I met an amazing gentleman named Robert. Robert has an acquired disability of blindness from a firearm accident that actually discharged a bullet into his skull, leaving him blind for the past 29 years. Today was a very special day for Robert seeing that he had proposed to his girlfriend and is now engaged. He was full of life and energy and really brought this whole trip home for me and why were riding. Tonight was a truly special night for me on the Journey of Hope and I’m looking forward to the very precious 23 days I have remaining with these amazing men I’ve been privileged to spend my summer with.