I can now say for sure that a shift has occurred on this trip. Yes, I'm still interviewing people. But the pace has slowed and that's because I chose to shift the lever in that direction. I've had some friends (and you know who you are out there) who have been telling me, "You have so many interviews, when are you going to get down to organizing them?" Well, the answer is ...
now. I feel it's the right time and, as strange as it may seem, I think this may be the right place. Kansas City is great from what I've seen so far. And as funny as it may sound to some, I know having a Bikram yoga studio (a real Bikram studio, not one of those knock-offs out here) has made a real difference. There's a comfort knowing I have a place to go and unwind. But, better than that, whenever I find a Bikram studio, it's like plugging into an instant community. But not just any community. It's a group of folks who, how can I say this? They care about their bodies, spirits and minds. And they care about others. It's not easy to find people like this in one place. And, of course, you get to sweat with 'em. Isn't that wonderful? Well, to some maybe not. But, to me, it's heaven. Even though I'm sometimes not thinking that way around the the class half-way point. (Note: I you're interested, I wrote a piece about my introduction to yoga years ago. Feel free to click on this link - "You're Gonna Love It!")Here's some good news for my foodie fans out here. I had a scrumptious burger last night. And I have to back up a bit to give the complete lowdown here. When I first mentioned to my brother that I was going to make this trip, he asked if I was heading to Kansas and that, if I was, he had a good friend living there named Aliya.
Well, I'm in Kansas City. And I've met Aliya, who happens to be one of the yoga instructors at the Bikram studio. Suffice it to say, that Aliya is one of the factors which has led me to setting up shop here in KC. She's a yoga teacher, tour guide, information center and, hopefully, new friend all rolled into one. And when she becomes a full-fledged chiropractor in about three years (she's is in school here studying chiropractic), who knows? Perhaps there's some adjusting in my future.
So, yesterday Aliya asked if I wanted to join her and her friend for a bite at this place called "Grinders" downtown. Mmmm. Mmmm. Good. And fun, too. Who knew we'd have a waitress who would hit me with a solid high-five when I mentioned the Mets beat the Yankees, 3-2. Add that to ice-cold local beer on tap and a terrific burger (maybe an 8 out of 10? "Fatburger" level) and I've now started my "favorite KC places" list, with the help of Aliya. Come to think of it, she's going to be filling that list for me, since I have no idea what's going on around here.
So, a good burger connection now in place, it's time to make the move out of "hotel-world" and get myself a place to set up my book-making plant. Things are already in the works, as is a job possibility which I hope I get this week.
More on these things as they unfold.
