Yosemite National Park, California

Half Dome
Originally uploaded by adrianhind

Three days in Yosemite National Park. Awesome.

Full set of photos here.

Bodie State Historic Park, California

Bodie State Historic Park
Originally uploaded by adrianhind

On the drive from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite National Park, I took a side trip to Bodie State Historic Park. Bodie is "a genuine California gold mining ghost town" that thrived in the late 1800s, declined in the early 1900s, was eventually abandoned, and was designated a state historic park in 1962.

Full set of photos here.

Hiking to Eagle Lake and beyond

Hiking to Eagle Lake and beyond
Originally uploaded by adrianhind

This morning I went hiking to the fantastic Eagle Lake (seen here) just off Lake Tahoe in California, and then attempted to get up to Velma Lake and Dicks Lake, but was beaten by nature as the trail was covered in snow beyond 7600 feet.

"Summer" Holiday plans

After working almost non-stop since March 2008, I'm planning to take up to four months off from May to September this year, traveling around the USA, UK, and some parts of Europe.

It's a long enough holiday that I'm packing up and moving out of my Sydney apartment. I have a Tier 1 (General) visa that allows me to work in the UK for the next three years without an employer sponsor, so if I can line up some project or permanent work while I'm traveling, then I'll stay on. If I can't line anything up, or if I decide I don't want to work in the UK, then I'll return to Oz in time for the AFL Grand Final in September.

My final day at work in Sydney will be Friday May 22nd.

I fly out to San Francisco on Sunday May 24th, from where I'll be doing a road-trip around California and Nevada for a couple of weeks.

I then fly to London (arriving on Wednesday 10th June), which will be my base for the summer. Events that have been lined up for the first few weeks in the UK include walking in Scotland, Glastonbury Music Festival, and Latitude Festival in Suffolk.

Barack Obama's Victory Speech

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our Founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

Amazing speech writing, and a very impressive campaign. Welcome to the new world.