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Hello friends,
Good morning to you from the warm desert air of Arizona hoping you are well and had a great weekend. I’m still trying to find my footing now that I’m back home and still dealing with a rash I picked up somewhere in California or Hawaii the doctor thinks. My motivation to go forward with the next phase is there but my body still needs to catch up to myself. I’m sleeping well and eating better here at my sister's home who by the way is thrilled to have her little brother home!
I began a few jobs that I had waiting for me here in Tucson for some of my long-time clients who have been patiently waiting for me for a few months as you well know. It makes me feel great that they waited so long for me having other options available to them. Although the need to work obviously still exist for me, the desire to commit myself to the book writing portion of the tour must be my first priority. With that being said I decided to stick it out here with my big sis for the duration of the writing and publication process. He two older children have flown the nest and have left a bedroom available for me to settle in for a few months. Angie and I are both single at the moment and have always gotten along fine since we were kids so it will work out fine for both of us I believe.
I received plenty of attention from my television interview last week on the local NBC affiliate and my Spanish language article was printed City wide this past Friday, as well as the English version posted on line yesterday. The Arizona Daily Star printed a full centerfold with my story and many of my pictures today and that newspaper has the largest circulation in the southern part of the state! I also received word from Spanish media giant Telemundo for a possible interview this week. That would be amazing for me since it would be my first opportunity to tell my story to all of North and Central America, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that one!
With all that attention now focused on my accomplishment I decided after much thought to begin a fundraising campaign on the backside of the tour. As I wrote about in my last post I decided to move forward with my idea for a Photo Gallery here in the downtown area. With the intent of sharing some of my hundreds of pictures and stories with my local community. I realize the creation of something like that can seem overwhelming with cost and hard work but after surviving this past year on the road I feel like nothing is unattainable for me anymore! I’ve done lots of research and investigating lately and feel confident I could pull it off by doing most of the work myself and with a little help from some friends who share my vision of a Gigsacrossamerica gallery.
And so first of all I want to thank you again my followers for all your support and encouragement through out the year with your positive responses and comments that I no doubt feel helped me tremendously move forward to the end of my journey. You shared my high and lows, my joys and frustrations and my days off plenty and those in want. I am still thrilled when I receive messages from folks I met or worked for and those of you who faithfully stayed interested in my adventure from beginning to end. Now ask you once again if you are able or willing to support my dream of the gallery and of set some of the publishing cost with my fundraising campaign. I set up a GoFundMe account under the “ Gigsacrossamerica Project” name last night in an effort to raise the funds. I hope you find it a worthwhile investment of my time and your help as I will keep everyone updated as the project advances in the coming weeks! I can only reach so many people with my stories of the past year and can only print a few select pictures of the many I took on my book so the gallery idea I believe is a natural extension of my journey that I can share with many more people.
I also want to welcome many new followers from my recent interviews. Although the travel portion is complete you can browse the site by tapping the menu for all the gigs I worked and pictures I posted.
Well friends that’s all for today as I have to go visit the tax lady and do some yard work here before it gets too hot. Have a great day and thanks for checking in!

Juanjohn