Not that it matters really, because when I listen to this song, my thoughts drift to the beach and late summer evenings.

Having to switch between monophasic (end of year holidays, in-laws visit) and polyphasic (the rest of the time) every fortnight for the past two months didn’t help much either: I felt like a zombie... [Read more.]]]> I’ve got to say, I’m pretty proud of myself for getting this post in before the end of January. Getting a second update this month seemed a slight stretch, especially with so much going on due to the new business, my in-laws visit, and the MBA.

Having to switch between monophasic (end of year holidays, in-laws visit) and polyphasic (the rest of the time) every fortnight for the past two months didn’t help much either: I felt like a zombie on all the days I had to give up my naps.

In fact, while I believe I’ve previously mentioned (either here, or on twitter) that my husband had encouraged to go back to a steady polyphasic rhythm, right now he is really pushing for it. Incredible, ha? But apparently, apart from me being the one to wake up first and thus the one to make the coffee, I’m a much nicer person as a polyphasic than as a monophasic.

Well, don’t you worry. I definitely plan to be a much nicer person and, since my in-laws left, I’m back to my “normal” schedule. At least, kind of. Switching between mono- and polyphasic can take a couple of days, but I’m not too worried about this. Today I had a wonderful afternoon nap that refueled my work as well as a second workout for the day and this late evening post.

Speaking of workouts, I must say I felt miserable this morning. Both during my strength training and during my run – if you can even call my pitiful attempt a run. I will blame it on the secondhand smoke in Las Vegas since I know from previous experience how powerfully such smoke can damage my workouts, even when exposed for a shorter amount of time. I’m hoping that my double-training today will help me get rid of the effects by the end of tomorrow.

And now, speaking of Las Vegas: I will be soon posting plenty of pictures in the gallery. Not sure if I’m going to do a post about it yet, but the pictures themselves are pretty telling, so even if I don’t , you won’t need any explanations Still, depending on how many I upload (I shot over 800 photos in less than 3 days), I might choose some featured ones.

Aside from this, there’s a new trip coming up. In my last post, I had already mentioned my mileage run to NYC, my one-night visit to a best friend in Boston, and my long-awaited trip to Buenos Aires. But even I hadn’t expected to get this one in:

DUBAI!!!
(I finally get to go and check how good/bad my Arabic is, heh).

One of the greatest lessons mileage runs have taught me is that you should regularly check for opportunities to fly to the places you want to visit and be very flexible. Most people, even if their schedule allows otherwise, will plan their trip by choosing a destination and date first. Then they will try to get the cheapest option possible. But, when you work on becoming a hardcore frequent flyer, you start with your list of desired destinations and then you jump on the opportunity when it presents itself. That’s how I got Dubai. Best of all – the dates I’ll be there seem to be a pretty good time to visit.

It will, of course, be an extremely intensive trip. The longest I’ve ever had too. I will spend four days travelling (two each way) and only two enjoying the city. On top of that, one of my flights will take over 14 hours. (My record so far has been only over 10 hours…)

To be honest, I’m not sure how I will handle this flight. I just know I’ll have to prepare really carefully because 14 hours is a bit long.

Well, that’s pretty much it for this January. Let’s see what February brings us.

I hope the week has been treating you well so far…

Just when I considered myself recovered from the double jetlag that hit me a few days after coming back from France, the daylight savings hit me. My body apparently refuses to accept it’s an hour earlier than it should be. But I’m actually rejoicing at this as it gives me the impression that time passes more slowly and that I’m able to complete more tasks.

I spent so much time thinking about what to write, or rather what not to write, that much of what goes through my mind goes to the recycle bin. I guess that’s the curse of signing your blog posts with your own name.

I remember the time I had my very first blog. Although many friends knew of it and were... [Read more.]]]> Proceed with caution: this post hasn’t been edited nor proofread. It is an exercise in free writing.

I spent so much time thinking about what to write, or rather what not to write, that much of what goes through my mind goes to the recycle bin. I guess that’s the curse of signing your blog posts with your own name.

I remember the time I had my very first blog. Although many friends knew of it and were aware that the author behind it was myself, the fact that the rest of the world did not know of my real identity was much of a “soulagement”.

Then, I moved to the USA. Closed my old blog on which I had spent so many hours, deleting all the posts (something I am now sorry of – there was some really quality work there!), and then, not too long after, decided I couldn’t continue without blogging. That’s how I created BohemianTranscendence.

“A writer must write what he has to say, he cannot speak it.” Ernest Hemingway.

So true.

The decision to post using my name and – even posting a picture of myself on the front page – was a major one. It meant that I was ditching the right of remaining anonymous.
It meant I was officially declaring myself responsible of all my actions on this blog.

Of defending my words.

Of being objective about whatever I said…
Unless it involved friends or family that had to be named, of course. Then, the worst I could say about them would be their moderately good qualities. Nope, there’s no criticizing of your stupid big brother online. (Btw: I do not have a brother, just in case you wondered. But now you know that if I did, you definitely wouldn’t find me talking about how irritating he is on this blog.)

Signing my posts with my real name meant that I was officially accepting that whatever was said here, would not necessarily stay here.

It is one thing to have people talk about you. Quite another to have yourself talk about yourself. You can’t really deny your own words, can you?

I saw how many individuals around me – talented individuals – planned, prepared, followed the path they had traced for themselves, just waiting for that perfect opportunity when they’d get what they’ve always wanted. Still, there was always that “something” missing.... [Read more.]]]> As a child and even in my young teen years, I was taught that you needed to wait for the right opportunity. That patience and preparation were the key to success. But life taught me a slightly different lesson.

I saw how many individuals around me – talented individuals – planned, prepared, followed the path they had traced for themselves, just waiting for that perfect opportunity when they’d get what they’ve always wanted. Still, there was always that “something” missing. And that something made them believe that their moment had not yet come. Not quite yet.

That’s also how I saw them waiting, weeks, months, and years, passing by.

At first, it really seemed as if their opportunity was getting closer. But then – at some point – it always started to get further away, until it disappeared. Then, they couldn’t understand what had happened. What had gone wrong.

Opportunities approach you, but don’t come all the way to you. They seduce you, making you think they’ll be within your reach in a minute. But in reality, they stay just a step beyond your reach. If you want to catch them, you’ve got to get out there, take that last jump, and get them.

The problem is, people don’t prepare for this last bit. They think that, as long as they work hard enough, they will eventually be rewarded for their dedication. While this sometimes happens – I must admit it, in my experience, what truly differentiates between those who constantly succeed at their goals are those who 1) either create the “something” missing, or 2) deal with its lack and just go for that opportunity anyway.

The question, of course is: are you ready and willing to do so?

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that this past August, the hubby and I made three trips (two to Chicago, one to Puerto Rico). Yet, one of those trips didn’t last... [Read more.]]]> If you are a frequent flyer – perhaps, a particularly frequent one – the concept of mileage runs (outside of the running sport) is nothing new to you. But if you’ve never heard of this and are interested in travel, you might want to pay special attention.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that this past August, the hubby and I made three trips (two to Chicago, one to Puerto Rico). Yet, one of those trips didn’t last even 24 hours. We took a flight to Chicago on a Saturday night, arrived late, spent a few hours of sleep on the seats at the gate with other “mileage runners”, and then, came back on Sunday morning.

Doesn’t make much sense, does it? A round-trip done in the matter of 17 hours, without even exiting the terminal. Well, keep on reading because you might be surprised.

Flying can be quite the pain. I learned that while I spent two years flying back and forth between New York and California every second/third weekend. There are the predictable annoyances: extra security measures (from my observations: not that bad in Europe, but definitely quite the hassle in the USA), the time, the rules (different from one airline to another), the fees (for meals, checked-in bags, etc.), … And there are the unpredictable ones too, such as being stuck due to bad weather in another city (with no hotel expenses paid, of course).
But, flying so much taught me something else too. All of this can be avoided, provided you have the right “status”. Usually, this translates to “buy business/first, purchase lounge passes, pay for priority access”. If you can and don’t mind doing so – then, undoubtedly, go for it. However, there’s another way to have the same privileges without the costs. Frequent flyer programs.

Most people sign up for frequent flyer programs, get their membership number, and quickly forget about them.  Doing that pretty much guarantees you’ll be stuck flying economy, waiting in line endlessly, and paying a variety of fees for the rest your traveler’s life. God forbid you are late and have a tight connection – the chances the plane waits for you, or that you get a seat on the next one if it’s nearly full, are minimal.

On the other hand, having a high status can make you travel experience not only carefree, but even extremely pleasant.

Since the type of frequent flyer programs available to you depend on your location and destinations, I won’t go into specifics, but, here is as an example, the benefits I get on my current program and with my status (in no particular order):

• Regular travel in business class (in the worst case – economy plus)
• Priority security line
• Top of waiting list if I miss a connection + the plane actually tries to wait a couple of extra minutes for its elite passengers to run from one gate to the other
• When booking online, flights and seats which are not visible to individuals with lower or no-status
• Ability to change the time of my flight, with no charge, on the same day
• No luggage fees
• Priority boarding
• Priority customer service line
• Gate agents actually try to place you on a partner flight if your flight is cancelled/missed
• …

It is also because of our frequent flyer status that my hubby and I will be travelling in the International First class from Houston to Frankfurt later this month.  And that means I’ll be able to sleep on a flat bed during the flight. This makes the 11-hour flight sound much more enticing, doesn’t it?

The question of course is: how do you get this status (without going broke)?

Well, the first part of my answer is pretty straightforward: by flying. A lot. There’s rarely a way around this. (If you are aware of one – let me know!)

The second part requires a bit more effort, but is really not that bad once you become accustomed to it. And yes, you’ve guessed it, it requires the mileage runs.

The idea is simple: look at plane tickets at it in terms of “cents per mile” and purchase ones that cost no more than about 4 cents per mile. (If you are really talented at this, you’ll be able to find ones for 2 cents per mile.) Those flights will be an addition to your regular (business or personal) travel and will be used to accumulate the number of miles required for your desired status. (Obviously, if you are one of those people who can achieve that status without mileage runs, but just with your “normal” trips, there’s no point in them! But, “regular” people will usually need at least a few.)

In the Chicago example I gave you earlier, I had found tickets for 8 cents/mile. However, I was also aware that my airline had a deal for that month between San Fran and Chicago: double miles, including elite miles. This meant that the miles I would actually receive would be at the price of 4 cents. Not bad at all.

And so I booked. And because I actually also wanted to visit Chicago I booked twice. Once, simply for the mileage run, and once, as you know, to enjoy the city. The result: I flew business (while paying for economy) and gained a bunch of miles to guarantee my status for next year too at a ridiculously low price.

Again, I won’t go into specifics, but here’s some general advice if you are interested in taking advantage of frequent flyer programs:
Carefully choose the airline with which you’ll fly. Don’t just go with the cheapest company.  Instead, check which airline flies from your location to most of your desired destinations and make sure it offers good rewards. Then, stick with this company, even if there’s a small price difference between it and another. The ultimate goal is to accumulate the miles and get the rewards which are worth way more – so don’t get distracted!

Now, if you actually want to learn about this strategy in more details, I recommend you follow The Points Guy blog .  Also, here’s a good article to give you an additional perspective on the topic: New Generation of Global Jet-Setters .

Rain & fog: that’s how winter works in this city. And I can’t complain, really. Because I love rain. I love wind. And I love the air they bring together with them. As for the fog… if you could look... [Read more.]]]> Today’s Monday did not only mark the start of a new week, but also of a new season in San Fran. The Indian summer waved us goodbye yesterday, leaving his spot to be filled out by the rain and fog.

Rain & fog: that’s how winter works in this city. And I can’t complain, really. Because I love rain. I love wind. And I love the air they bring together with them. As for the fog… if you could look out of my window right now and see what I see, you would feel as if you lived in the air, surrounded by what looks like a blanket of clouds around the skyscrapers.

It’s magical.

And if I didn’t fear for my laptop’s safety, you can bet I’d be out, writing this past in the rain. Unfortunately, the technology I own doesn’t appreciate this weather as much as I do, so I must content myself with an open window.

Enough about the weather. Let’s talk news. I know I’ve been really, really bad and haven’t kept you up to date. But this time, instead of trying to catch up with everything I need to talk about (a strategy which only seems to make me post less), I’ll just give you the latest news.

These past weeks, I’ve been busy with my Arabic classes (Egyptian Dialect, Conversation, Callygraphy), a photography workshop, building websites, and also reading about corporate and tax laws – I’ve been working on launching a new business idea.  On top of that, my second MBA semester started, (I’m taking six classes), and I can’t say I’m very excited by some of the assignments I’ve got (particularly a 25-page research paper on risk management).

Everything was seemed to be under my control until last week when the universe decided to challenge me with a bit of a chaotic turn. I wasn’t pleased by that. At all. A severe neck-shoulder-pain which pretty much blocked my upper movements for an entire week didn’t help either, and I didn’t have time to go see my masseuse and fix the problem.

Still, by Friday, I was determined to take on the challenge. Anyone can rule order. It takes real skills to rule over chaos. And, I decided that rather than A) throw my hands in the air from despair and drop a bunch of tasks, or B) drive myself crazy, I would choose option C). I hit the gym.

Forget about the fact I couldn’t turn my head left or right. September, I had been way too irregular in my workouts: I would drop by the gym randomly, do random things. My little neat August schedule was gone, and my mind was apparently not set on creating a new one. That, I realized, hurt me way more than I had thought.

Often, when you have a rather unreasonable schedule, the first thing that disappears from it is the gym. (Then is sleep.) That’s how my 5x workouts a week became 2-3x. But, of course, I had forgotten that, while this would initially free up a few extra hours for weeks, it would in the end cause a decrease in energy, resistance, and productivity.

After last week, I decided to fix this in a very simple way. I promised myself that – whatever happens, no matter how much work I have in a given day – I would find an hour to spend in the gym, daily. Whether it is before or after sunrise, whether I’ll be lifting or running – it doesn’t matter, as long as I get my one hour “relaxation.” And there’s no better way of relaxing than being alone with your thoughts and letting out all of the negative energy.

And yes, that means I’m increasing back my workouts to a minimum of seven times per week. I’ve been following this promise since I made it on Friday and already, the change I feel in my concentration and mood is significant.

Of course, this also means I’ll have to deal with the alternative:  decreased sleep. Fortunately, with the biphasic schedule I’m still following, I’m not fearful of that. So far, I’m feeling great.

And with that, Happy Monday!