Track Pete

Here is a quick sampling of droid photos from some of the places I've been over the past few days - Idaho, Montana, Utah, etc. Tonight I plan to shack up in a motel again and hopefully sort some of my real photos - then tomorrow I am doing some snowmobiling then meeting up with the crew at the ski house!

A couple Droid shots at sunrise just outside the South Dakotas Badlands.

There is an almost post apocalyptic feel to the snowy desolation of the entire Midwest. Everything is nearly silent, blanketed in snow and fog.

I'm always fascinated by the process of selecting gear for various expeditions - the trade-offs of proven technology vs new technology, weight vs usability, battery life vs bulk, etc.  I enjoy reading people's gear lists and their justifications for various bits, so here is my electronics gear list for my upcoming road trip and ski trip (I may post a followup with my non-electronic gear later in the week): The Premise: Ten days driving across the northern states of the US avoiding motels and massive highways (after initial stop to hang with the family).  Then five days in Salt Lake City skiing with friends, followed by a quick blitz back to DC in hopefully less than four days. Support Electronics: #1, Motorola Droid - Of course I need a phone for emergencies, but the Droid will also act as my tether to the technology of civilization.  E-mail, facebook updates, blog posts, etc. all at the touch of a finger, as well as navigation and research (the most importan...

As I get closer to the end I have been slowly clarifying and fleshing out my plans. With some great advice from a friend ("less countries, more smiles" - thanks Rob) I have simplified a bit.  For now this is what it looks like: Jan 13 - Feb 5: Road trip around the US including a ski trips with friends in Utah from Jan 26-31. Feb 14 - 21: Cambodia, Siem Reap area to explore the Angkor Wat Feb 22 - Mar 22: Phuket Thailand training Muay Thai Mar 23 - Apr 15: Rickshaw Run through India. Whether I fly back to the States from there or visit Nepal etc. is still to be decided. Amsterdam for Queen's Day is also still on the list. Buying tickets shortly!

As some of my friends know, shortly before leaving to South America for the 2009 Mototaxi Junket I gave notice at Blackboard where I have worked for the last 4+ years .  On negotiation with my management we decided on a final day of December 31, 2009, which is now rapidly approaching. The first question people ask on hearing this is inevitably " Where are you going? " implying that I'm leaving because I have a better position lined up - in fact, I do not.  I decided to quit my corporate job in the middle of a recession to focus on improving myself outside the workplace as well as to position myself towards new opportunities that simply aren't available within a company like Blackboard (I've been carefully planning for this financially for years). I'm approaching my upcoming freedom with great joy and figured I would share some of plans, since so many of my friends keep asking what I will be up to.  The nutshell is simple - six months of personal improvemen...