Is anybody out there?

Hello my wonderful TJ friends...according to the constant increase to my 'profile view', I can only guess that there are people out there with journals in their lucky little hands. My question is, who are you?!?!?!? The suspense, the anticipation....who will be the first stranger to message us on this blog? Where is journal #1, 2, 3, etc... ??? Where on earth?? Where? Somebody, please share....please....................that's right folks, I am an EXCELLENT beggar!!!!! Ta daaaaaaaaaaa....

So much love,
Claudia :)

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still Journeying!

Hello World!
Just wanted to let you know that I am still alive, well and excited to hear from my fellow 'journalers'! Please do not hesitate to post your message here if you have received one of the journals that has gone out so far. We are all keen to know what the journal dealio is!!!!
In the meantime, I have been writing in about three different journals that are not meant
for sending out...so much exciting stuff going on...you'll have to wait to receive a journal to
find out!!! ha ha... ok, I will give you this: I often work as a casting person for film & tv - if
anyone, located in Ottawa, ON CANADA and surrounding is interested in making some cash
as a background performer, please feel free to email your photo and contact info to ottawacasting@rogers.com (no experience necessary - just a professional attitude)
We are looking for people of all ages, backgrounds, shapes & sizes!!!

All the very best!!!!!

Claudia :)

PS: The current project I'm working on is a tv series called 'Dad's in the Attic'.

PPS: If you haven't already, I highly recommend that you read 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle

Inspiration at 6:30am -- thank you!

I've been waking up supremely early for the past couple of weeks - fyi - and right before I sat down at the computer, I thought, 'hmmm...perhaps I should write in a journal'...and then I got a lovely message from my dear friend LC who lives across the country.

"Claudia I'm SOOOOO proud of you! I just read your blog and WOW! You GO girl! Amazing. I think you are truly amazing. SO creative! I think this is the neatest thing anyone's done in a very long time, congratulations my love! I'm going to sleep now (wonder what *I'll* dream about!)

Dear Journal, I wish I could have taken you to Thailand!

I have the perfect person to write in your journal. His name is Thor and he lives on Koh Chang in Thailand, I didn't talk with him much, but he is a very special person and I know where to find him. Just a thought!"

Now, I'm not just thinking about writing in a journal, I'm WRITING in a journal or two or three... :) Thanks to the lovely message above and the many other messages that I've received from wonderful people all over the place. I am grateful to all of you for reading this blog and for your constant encouragement.

So much love.

c :)

PS: I will gladly send a journal to anyone who asks, but please keep in mind that I have accumulated a long list...so patience...patience I ask of you. :)

The Twelfth One Goes to Florida!

Last Monday, I scrambled to complete Journal #12 (my b-day is 12/12, so this is cool) for my dear, talented friend Kelly Banks. Her and her bf were off to a festival (can't remember the name) in Florida. She will keep us posted on the journals travels and send us pics. Looking forward to it KB - have a fantastic time!

As for the fourth journal...it's still in my hands, almost a month after starting to write in it. Dear Oprah...I promise myself to send it out almost every day, but it hasn't happened yet. Today. Today. Today I will send it out. I did however, appear on the show 'Daytime' on Rogers Cable 22 a couple of days ago to talk about the 'travelling journals' and the got the two lovely hosts, Derick and TL to write a message to Oprah! It's cool 'cause, appearing on Daytime' is just the prelude to appearing on Oprah with the journal story! Stay tuned.... :)

Love,
c :)

PS: If you're out there and you have your hands on one of the journals, please post a message here or email me at cjurt@rogers.com - you are also welcome to send pics of you and the journal!

This is how it works...

A lot of people have been asking for clarification and how they can get a journal - yay!

Here's da scoop:

1. I purchase a beautiful journal (am getting a journal sponsor, am getting a journal sponsor...)
2. I write an intro and first entry into said journal
3. I pass it on to another person (friend, co-worker, stranger, family member, anyone!), OR mail it to someone OR leave it in a public place for someone to find.

Each journal encourages the recipient to add their own personal entry and pass it on!

Usually I choose to whom or where the next journal will go, but lately a number of people have offered to take journals on their travels - this is cool! If you wish to have your own travelling journal, please email your name, email, mailing address and phone # to cjurt@rogers.com (I will do my best, though I cannot make any guarantees...)

Love,
c :)

www.sixtravellingjournals.com

PS: I am grateful for all of you and all the positive and inspiring messages that I've been receiving.

The Secret Seventh - no longer a secret...

Well, that's not entirely true. The truth is, I gave the 7th journal to dear Katie Lee who brought it from O-town to Barcelona. What makes this journal secret is that it is the only one in which I did not write my last name, phone number, email address or blog address. Only at the very end do I put a mailing address and Claudia J. No last name. So, it's top secret to those who receive it - aside from Katie of course...Anyhow, before passing it on, she wrote her own message and so did her adorable 18month old daughter Mary! Following is Katie's amazing journal story:

"So we thought and thought about who and how to pass it on...Then in Heathrow we saw a group of people wearing shirts that said Charity Challenge on them. We finally stopped one of the men and asked what it was. Basically, Charity Challenge is a company that puts together events to help people raise money for charities. This group of people are all heading to spend 10 days biking across Cuba to raise money for their charity of choice.
Since Ryan was heading here to run a race to raise money for Team D, we thought it would be fitting to send it with others who are raising money for their charities. They were all SUPER excited about it and numerous of them will probably put in an entry. So the book is on it;s way to Cuba (or by now probably there)."

That's awesome!!! Thanks so much Katie & Fam - I'm inspired!

Lots of love,
Claudia :)

Where are Journals #1 to 11? Which one does Hawksley Workman have?!

Journal #1. Handed by me to Kate D. & Ben W. -- handed to a woman & her daughter on the NYC Subway by Ben W. -- wonder what the journal is doing now...

Journal #2. Mailed to my mentor in Vancouver, BC -- it arrived at her school

Journal #3. Mailed to a writing genius in Toronto, ON -- it arrived in his hands

(I only know the above thanks to the Purolator tracking system)

Journal #4. Still dawdling on this one...'tis almost complete -- sending this to Oprah!!! www.oprah.com -- gosh it'll be fun when she reads this, it's a 'Dear Oprah' letter, but in a journal - oh the excitement!

Journal #5. Left at CBC Radio in the studio after my interview on the morning of Feb. 4

Journal #6. Secretly left it on the kitchen counter at my friend Meghanne's home - she passed it on to her mother who brought it to Mexico!

Journal #7. The Secret Seventh - can't disclose anything more than that, but it's out of my hands

Journal #8. I gave this one to my brother, Peter!

Journal #9. I gave this to my acting students at St. Lawrence College on the last day of class.

Journal #10. I gave this to an old co-worker, Katie - she happily took it with her to Barcelona -
yahoo!

Journal #11. This was given to one of Hawksley Workman's band members, Dave, after an
absolutely fantastic show! This was their first show ever, with the new band
members - there were over 20 instruments on that stage - wow - Meghanne (my
dear friend who gave me a ticket for my b-day) and I both wrote messages in the
journal to Hawksley - I wrote the following (oooh...a look inside the journal):

Hawksley, "your beauty's rubbing off, your beauty's rubbing off on me - your beauty's rubbing off, your beauty's rubbing off on me...." Thank you. Claudia :)

So, I basically quoted one of his songs. Ha. What else could I do at his show? It was amazing. They're playing in Kingston next Tuesday - if I wasn't teaching, I would totally be there!

Hopefully Hawksley will send me a photo of himself w/ the journal - I didn't have my camera with me to take a photo. Thus, Hawksley will definitely send a pic for all of us to enjoy! :)