Greetings everybody from Rome! Yup, I'm in Europe with my family and soon will be in Madrid. I haven’t been to Europe in over 15 years...I think....so its gonna be interesting....and certainly will be fun to blog about. Speaking of blogging, my brother Carlos has started his own, and it's really really amazing. He’s a wee bit (actually, I’m kidding, A LOT) better at uploading photos with every posting….so check it out web.mac.com/cabecerra

Brother Chuck (as I like to call him) has been gallivanting thru Europe (when its all said and done…for about 5 weeks!) as he contemplates his next move (i.e. finding a new job). He is thinking of combining a bit of my world (professional bohemian) with his (professional - professional)... so you never know where he will end up.

Speaking of blogging (again!) ….I just finished a story about my wonderful friends Aaron and Jerry at the Palm Lakefront Resort and Hostel. This is truly an amazing place…and yes another home on the road for me.

And now to the news of the day;

My sister has graduated. YAY! What a day that was. With her masters degree now finished in taxation and her batchelors in accounting, Leslie graduated prob for the last time Dec 19th at Florida International University. Here you can see her pictured with me and my parents outside of Panther Hall where the diplomas were being handed out. Also there were long time friend (practically a family member) Rebecca (Reba) Bonet – seen in white illustrating the power brother Chuck still has with scoring us VIP tickets with seating in the front rows and even our names were on the seats. Cousin Millie made it out too (pictured in black) who is also Leslie’s godmother. Congrats Leslie, I’m proud of ya!

There is a fine line between busy and overly ambitious...but whatever the two....I've stepped way over it!

Such is life. I'm back, I'm-a cookin with crisco so to speak and the projects are flyin, luckily I have hired on the wonderful team of kim, lynn and co. (no they are not lawyers) Kim Small, is an editor and book layout artist and will be organizing my many projects into a firm foundation so I can act on them and Lynn Cumiskey, my once all around assistant will be focusing on just the web design and web related archives. Retiring early from the Planet Cesar juggernaut but still very much involved in raising the wonderful ball of energy that is one year old "Little Nicky" is Jason Friedman, who was for a long time my "number two"; printing and designing the planet cesar logo, creating worldwalk gear, and scanning and zapping things all around the country to editors and interested parties alike.

I am currently involved into FINALLY bringing the Frankies Pizza book to reality thanks to the editing by Kim of the 12 year old manuscript I wrote when I shadowed the king of Miami Pizza (a site that Jason actually designed with my involvement from the sidelines for the family). Kim is laying the book out as we speak and we hope by March it will be out.

I am also, with Lynn's expertise, been feeding my website with tons of new photos some of which haven’t been seen in ages, others that are current shots of the last section of the walk plus my beloved and very much missed buddies at Nature's Classroom. We will also meet soon in Atlanta to discuss a revamp of the site to incorporate the bigger umbrella of projects I'd like to develop. On my site you'll see I rewrote the opening paragraph to reflect my "plate spinning" interests;

"Far more than an aimless wanderer (he also goes by "Modern Day Marco Polo"), Becerra teeters on the edge of two worlds; that as an observer of modern day life and a believer of turning back the clock to a simpler time. He is at the helm (or plays a key role consulting) a bevy of interesting projects that educate, entertain, and inform people about a new (feel free to call it radical) approach of living a balanced and purposeful life."

I think that should cover everything....well lets hope.

At Educational Field Trips - for those that don't know I am the lead tour manager, now also lead national sales director... I have been developing two massive 4 week long summer "camp on wheels" tours...one for the East Coast and one for Exploring the West. I am also organizing an army of EFT Representatives who will visit and promote our tours to schools across America. So far we have reps in Missouri (Kim and Julie), Arkansas (Roy) and Tennessee (Holly).

At Florida International University I have taken baby steps to begin to organize a 60th anniversary of Everglades National Park exhibit (for 2007) and 10th anniversary exhibit of my 50 state road trip (for 2009). My good friend and Green Library Special Collections Director Vickie Sylvera has graciously accepted even more of my collections of road trip memorabilia, Everglades documents etc...as I slowly go thru and organize the collections. Prof Brian Peterson has agreed to sponsor an independent study course that has attracted two students to help with that journey as well as early interest in 2009 by the Stauth Museum to welcome an exhibit that compares and contrasts the changes (post 9/11) in each of the areas we (my ex-wife Maud Dillingham and I travelled to all 50 states to take the pulse of America in 1999) drove thru America.

But before that and lest you thought I forgot about the walk....I have been a walkin, in fact just finished the 225 mile walk cross Missouri on the KATY Trail and have blogged the last 7 days of that adventure here - www.globenotes.com/worldwalker.

Speaking of that last section, if you don't catch it on the Nov. 3rd entry, just know here that I had a "moment of clarity" as I walked thru the community of Rocheport, Missouri and met a slough of new friends in a community that just seems to breathe creativity, calmness (yes it can be measured) and inspiration (to live a different life than that of the rat race). My new pals Kim, Julie, Navarre, Joe, Tawnee, Brett, Kim, Sean, the "world bicyclist-turned gallery owner" (ok I'm still learning everyone’s name) and Dean.....all have become a bit of an extended family....and really i've only met them! So dont miss atleast the Nov 3rd entry.

When I touch down on the 2nd back in the states from returning from Madrid (oh yes, we are also visiting Madrid) my sister Leslie will catch a plane (three hours after we arrive - at the same airport, talk about mad dash!) to begin life anew on a 3-day training session in Chicago that begins her new life as a full time accountant for Price Waterhouse Cooper. And three days after that she touches down and yet again, flies to Orlando to partake in a 13 mile Marathon at Disney World for cancer research. You can donate to the cause here - Sis has caught the bug - that of the addition to running!

love to all, Cesar