November 2016

This month has been chaotic.  Prepping and planning for a three week tour in a foreign land is never easy but this trip was especially hard.  While gone I lost a major gig, had some personal issues and I lost my grandfather.  It was the first family funeral I have ever missed.  His name was Bill and he was a loving and giving man. Because of the stress I’ve not slept well and lost lots of weight.  I’m being brutally honest.  Normally I sugarcoat things here in my blog and only share my ups.  I think some will find it redeeming to know that I also have my downs.  I am learning to cope with all of my recent heartaches.

I flew out of DFW on Halloween day and arrived in Frankfurt, Germany on Nov. 1st.  I rented a car and drove to Antwerp, Belgium.  I lectured there the next night and had a great turnout. From there I moved on to The Netherlands where I lectured for Dynamite Magic.  It was a great shop and turnout and I was excited since it was my first time visiting this country.  I then journeyed onto Hamburg to lecture at the wonderful venue that the Magic Circle has there.  I then stopped and lectured in the towns of Wuppertal, Oldenberg, Berlin, Hannover, Haldensblen, Nurnberg and Frankfurt.  Each stop was fun seeing old friends and making new ones.  However, my mind was mostly on my problems back at home which made it hard to enjoy my downtime when not working.

The highlight of the trip was Prague in the Czech Republic.  I had always heard it was a beautiful city but it surpassed my expectations.  I hope to return there one day.  Google pics of the city to see what I mean.  I’ve included a cool video of the Franz Kafka statue below.  I had one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten there. Also, one of the best true Italian pizzas I’ve ever had.  My host there Damian made my stay really fun.  The lecture had a huge turnout.  When a lecturer comes to Prague it is a big event and they make you feel like a celebrity.

On this trip I flew 5000 miles there and 5000 back.  I drove about 2000 miles across Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany.  My train ride from Germany to Prague and back had many breathtaking moments.  I made good money along the way.  After this trip I can proudly say that I have performed in 30 countries.  I don’t plan to do any big tours like this again in the near future.  I’d like to focus on shows and projects at home.

Once home I had two nice Thanksgiving meals with both sides of my family.  I was reminded that I do have much to be thankful for and not to dwell on my losses but rather my blessings in life.

This has been a year of self-discovery for me.  I’m 46 years old and alone for the first time in my life. I’m starting to learn who I am at my core and what I really want.  It’s been a tough adjustment but I know I’ll be a better and stronger version of Diamond Jim very soon.  Wish me luck.