Our Houseguests Arrived

As we waited for our guests to arrive, the sky darkened ominously and I tried to figure out if it was a wiser decision to ask three total strangers to sleep in our house, or allow them to possibly drown if our backyard flooded. Ultimately, I reminded myself that ax murderers hardly ever ride bicycles to the scene of the crime, and besides, I was asking them.

So that is how I met Kane, Ross, and Dan (AKA ‘Not-Joe’ to the absent-minded), three incredibly healthy, happy, and yes, even if it abashes them, wholesome young men.

By the time they arrived in Ashland, they had ridden over mountains, into deserts and canyons, across 10 states and 4,300 miles. They had already seen more of Kentucky than I have and seemed quite taken with Louisville. I hoped they would fall in love with my adopted town, the quaint architecture, and the beauty of Central Park, so they would visit again.

This odyssey has been an education for them in the cultural climates of America, oftentimes a challenge with the actual climate of America, and an incredible adventure I was thrilled to share vicariously. Which, by the way, is the name of Ross’s very interesting continuing blog about this trip. thisisvicariousness.blogspot.com

I also received an education about the inherent intelligence, determination, and goodness of these young people that makes me optimistic for the future of this country.

They were perfect house guests, appreciative, neat, and generous with their stories. After breakfast, we reluctantly let them leave, and I imagine the quiet hum of bike tires on pavement was the only sound they wanted to hear after all that chatter, but the silence for us was deafening.

After they left, I noticed that one of them had folded my red plaid blanket into a neat little triangle over the back of the couch. It looks cute, and I’m leaving it that way. I smile every time I see it and think of them and say “come back someday, come back.”

Ross told us about a wonderful organization called warmshowers.org where you can register to offer hospitality to bikers.  You can set the parameters of the maximum number of guests you will accept, what sleeping, meals, laundry, and, of course, shower facilities you will or will not offer.  Some flexibility in scheduling is desirable because things do not always go as planned, of course, but potential guests and hosts arrangements are made ahead of time, and information/email is exchanged so everyone feels comfortable.

We were lucky enough to host another group later that summer, and at the end of the season, we were looking forward to a single guest, but unfortunately, he had to cancel.

As members of this organization, we would be able to stay at another hosts home—should we ever be that athletically inclined again, which is doubtful, but this brings me to a related topic…

To be Continued …

–TW