what's next?

TGCP officially ended at 4:15 p.m. PST today (in exactly 8 minutes). If I'm still standing, I'd like to raise a margarita (it's National Margarita Day) to celebrate the last 90 days (and Lisa McElroy's birthday), the next year of the project and all the people hwo helped get me here -- and then I'll probably collapse.

Tomorrow I will start the process of packing up backer rewards for the 200+ people who pledged. The thank yous that need to go out are too copious to count right now. I also have the task of applying for non-profit status. I've already alerted the organizations I committed to that we're good-to-go and I have two projects that need to be determined by the generous folks who each sponsored one month of TGCP. I want to have dates/definite projects confirmed ASAP, so I can post a schedule of where I will be, what I will be doing exactly and when, and flesh out the actual budget. The funding should go through in two weeks(ish).

The tour de force will start in June, so I have ample time to brush up on my Spanish, research the communities I'll be serving and make smart planning/travel decisions. I want to gather as much info about the places I'm going and the people I'll help before I go and make that information available on my blog, etc. (I'm a visual gal.)

In the meantime, I have many patient editors who've allowed me to put pitching/writing on the back burner for the past three months and I owe them some work/ideas. Also, I think my boyfriend probably would like to have a real "date night." And I need a few hours outdoor/physical activity/sunshine. This is all very do-able : )

That's the plan right now. Of course, I will keep everyone updated as things move along. May pull back on the tech for a day or two to recover/regroup/recharge, but I will never be too far and will always update any new developments.

As always, if anyone has any input or suggestions to help make TGCP a success, please holler. I'm all ears.

With love and gratitude,
Charyn