Two weeks, a lot to do and balance must be found...

Behind I Go - Door Pass @ Badlands National Park

So, for those who follow me on Twitter, I've been rather quiet over there for the past week+.  As time is moving forward and it is getting closer and closer to my leaving, I'm focusing more and more on getting myself prepared to leave and my posting is falling back.  It also doesn't help that I had enough pain to drive me to the ER due to gallstones so I'm working on getting some balance back into my body.  Can't have surgery right now, nor do I ever want it!  So working on some alternative treatment, but that takes time.  Even the rare drugs doctors prescribe take a long time to dissolve the stones.  So, here's a brief rundown of what I need to accomplish in the next two weeks:

1. Improve my nutrition and get my body into a better state.
2. I still need to raise around $2,500 to fund the trip without having to borrow the money, granted, this probably didn't help with the initial attack or getting the balance back that I need.
3. I need to setup my office computers so that I can log in via the internet in case I need to debug any problems and to work on the financials at work while I am gone.
4. I am needing to move my studio so I need to pack everything up, clean up the suite I've been in and move it to the new place.
5. Need to do some construction in the new place to put everything.
6. Still need to make sure someone can run all the payroll and other functions I can't do while gone.
7. Need to plan out the part of the trip with my son and when my residency is done, which is April 27th.  I need to be in Dallas before May 7th and we need to be home around May 15th so he can make it to a job that is already arranged.  None of that is planned out as I'm not sure if what funds I'll have for it.  That $2,500 needed is only covering me through April 27th. :/
8. I still need to mat around 2 dozen prints and deliver them to the Arts Council of White Lake.
9. Need to truly finish my 2 leather/photo combination prints and get them hung at the Arts Council of White Lake.
10. Taxes for 2 businesses and the FAFSA turned in for my son.
11. Dehydrating food and making jerky to eat on the trip.
12. Inspecting all of my equipment (camera and camping) to make sure I get no surprises.
13. I have several modifications to do to my website that MUST be done before I leave so those who have done a business sponsorship get what I have promised them.
14. Order some new equipment (if I can find the funds) so I can accomplish everything I am trying to do.
15. Make a new panoramic head instead of spending several hundred on one.

And the list goes on and I have 14 days...

Why do this? Why put myself through such stress? Because in the end, I know it will be worth it! I love being in nature and shooting, it is what I want to be able to do for a living.  I'll need to arrange to have a booth at some different art shows and to sell some more pieces to help fund everything, but even then I will want to sell sponsorships to help fund some of these trips.  I like this idea of letting people who sponsor me to help pick out the piece they receive as the limited edition print. How often does that happen? If you want to be a part of that, visit my Kickstarter campaign and make the $50 pledge.  It gives you a voice in the limited edition piece you will receive.