The Desk by Sara SoueidanUncategorized thoughts about everything from travel, to work, productivity, and life.2021-04-21T00:00:00Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/Sara Soueidanhello@sarasoueidan.comHow It Started vs. How It's Going: Home Office Edition2021-04-21T00:00:00Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/desk/past-vs-present/<style>
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<p><strong>How it started (2011):</strong></p>
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<p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2011-600w.webp 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2011-900w.webp 900w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2011-600w.jpeg 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2011-900w.jpeg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><img alt="My desk in 2011: a very small table sitting at the bottom edge of my old bed, an old laptop with a broken speaker, and an external speaker sitting next to it. The chair was a foldable beach chair." class="undefined" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2011-600w.jpeg" width="900" height="1199" /></picture></p>
<p></p><figcaption>Late 2011, taking my first steps into the world of Web development using the laptop my brother gave me for university.</figcaption>
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<p><strong>How it’s going (2021):</strong></p>
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<p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2021-600w.webp 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2021-900w.webp 900w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2021-600w.jpeg 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2021-900w.jpeg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><img alt="My desk in 2021: a minimalist easthestic including a Macbook, a Pro Display, a sit-to-stand desk, an ergonomic chair, and a professional camera and microphone setup." class="undefined" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/desk-2021-600w.jpeg" width="900" height="1199" /></picture>
</p><figcaption>Spring 2021, an award-winning independent design engineer and speaker, and my hard-earned dream desk setup.</figcaption>
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<p class="deck">I’ve been avoiding sharing a full photo of my desk setup for months now. I was wary of giving the wrong impression about the setup and, quite frankly, about me and about being a developer in general. I quit Instagram for many reasons, one of which is being fed up with all the ”perfect” photos of a “perfect” and expensive lifestyle that people constantly shared and that made so many other people feel bad about their own lives, instead of serving as the inspiration they were _supposed_ to serve as.</p>
<p>I was going through some old photos on my laptop over the weekend when I saw a photo of my first ever “home office“ — a very small and partially broken table placed at the lower end of my old bed, the laptop I had with me when I finished university: an old (but very cool, at the time) laptop that my brother had given me. Sitting next to the laptop was a speaker that I used when the speakers on the laptop itself stopped working. The chair was a foldable beach chair (!) which gave me the worst sciatica pain of my life back then.</p>
<p>That was it. That was my home office. And that was my setup when I started dabbling with code in 2012.</p>
<p>I thought to myself: nothing is more real than this. If I am ever going to share a photo of my current home office, I might as well do a reality check along the way and share a photo of what the home office started like 10 years ago, when I took my first steps into the world of Web development.</p>
<p>I was going to write up how I transitioned from the first setup to the current one, but I thought that would be a lengthy article that probably nobody is interested in reading anyway. So, I’m keeping this one short. I’ll do a writeup on my current setup and the choices I’ve made for it in the coming weeks. <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/desk/index.xml">Subscribe to the Desk’s RSS feed</a> if you’d like to be notified when it comes out.</p>
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<p>I love taking snapshots in time for almost everything in my life because I like to keep reminding myself of how far I’ve come. I always find it good to remind myself of where I was for many reasons, not the least of which is maintaining a constant feeling of gratefulness for what I have, and a reminder that things don’t come easy, nor do they come fast. <q>Remember the days you prayed for the things you have now</q>. It’s a reminder to not take anything for granted, and always be thankful for what I got.</p>
<p>The best part about our jobs as developers of software and the Web is that all the hardware we need to start walking this path is a computer and an internet connection. What remains is patience, discipline, hard work, and willingness to be in a continuous state of learning and sharing with the community. <strong>Good work doesn’t go unnoticed.</strong></p>
My Typical Day2021-01-16T00:00:00Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/desk/typical-day/<p><a href="http://cdevroe.com/2021/01/07/my-typical-day/">Colin Devroe</a> started a series of “My Typical Day” posts. He tagged <a href="http://danmall.me/">Dan Mall</a> (and others) and Dan tagged me (and others). So here’s mine.</p>
<p>A couple of years ago I shared what my typical day looks like in the 20th issue of <a href="https://www.offscreenmag.com/">Offscreen mag</a>. Looking back, I realize that some of it has changed, and much of it hasn’t. Before I share <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/desk/typical-day/#schedule">what a typical day looks like</a>, I think it’s first worth mentioning how I approach time management in general.</p>
<h2 id="a-couple-of-things-worth-noting-about-how-i-approach-managing-my-time" tabindex="-1">A couple of things worth noting about how I approach managing my time</h2>
<p>I think of day and time management in terms of <em>blocks</em>. Or, chunks of time, so to speak. <strong>I divide my day into <em>“activity blocks”</em> that are then distributed to occupy different time slots across the day.</strong> Instead of organizing my activities according to the hours of the day, I organize the hours of the day in accordance with my activities… if that makes sense.</p>
<p>For example, I have a “Exercise/Wellbeing” block which is normally around 90-minutes long. How these blocks are distribued and allocated on any given day is subject to different factors. On most days, the Exercise block occupies an early morning time slot. On occasions, it shifts to the afternoon.</p>
<p>I have two kinds of blocks: <strong>Professional and Personal/Life</strong>. A professional block is a block of time during which I do work-related activities. This includes development work, meetings, workshop and talk preparation, etc. I shift these blocks around depending on what takes priority on any given day. For example, if, on any given day, there is an important family event happening, that event is what I arrange and shift the rest of the blocks around. If I have a few conferences lined up back-to-back, I tend to make so that I don’t have a lot of client work around those dates, so I have more time during the day for talk creation.</p>
<p>My blocks are arranged around prayer times (which change as the Earth’s movement around the sun changes around the year. 😆)</p>
<hr />
<p>Generally, I divide my day into three 5 main parts as follows. Each part spans about 3 hours of the day:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Very early mornings</strong>,</li>
<li><strong>late mornings</strong>, which is basically everybody else’s morning and that spans all the way till around noon,</li>
<li><strong>early afternoons</strong> (that’s normally from noon till around 3 or 4 pm),</li>
<li><strong>late afternoons</strong>, which typically span till sundown, and finally,</li>
<li><strong>night time.</strong></li>
</ol>
<p>I fill up the slots with activity blocks such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Spiritual block</strong> (prayer and related activities) (~30 minutes)</li>
<li><strong>Health/Wellbeing block</strong> (Yoga/Exercise + Post-Workout meal) (~60–90 minutes)</li>
<li><strong>Personal block</strong> (~3 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Focused work block #1</strong> (~3 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Work block #2</strong> (~3–4 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Creative block</strong> (~2 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Recreation block</strong> (~2 hours)</li>
</ul>
<p>Every single one of these blocks is flexible, and is really just a way for me to say “I will focus on this one main thing for the next X amount of time”. A block may move around the schedule on any given day. It may also be longer on any given day than the other.</p>
<p>So, while the following schedule represents what <em>a</em> day could like, it more accurately represents just one variation of a day.</p>
<p>Also, the precise times change on any given day during the year as the prayer times change, as well as during <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan">Ramadan</a>, when the entire day’s schedule changes, for example.</p>
<p>Needless to say, the schedule also changes during holidays and weekends.</p>
<h2 id="schedule" tabindex="-1">Schedule</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>5:00am</strong>: <em>[Spiritual block]</em> Up and out of bed. Fajr prayer. Do not Disturb mode.</li>
<li><strong>5:30am–7:30am</strong>: <em>[Creative block]</em> This can be anything I am inclined to do, as long as it’s <a href="http://danmall.me/articles/new-calendar-approach-2017/#mission-mornings"><em>meaningful</em> work</a> — “work that contributes to your legacy, helps you advance your career, expands your skill set, etc.… When you finish such work, you have the satisfying feeling of time well spent and a job well done.” <em>(Jocelyn K. Glei, Unsubscribe)</em> <br />
My brain’s information retention powers are at their highest at this time of day. With my brain firing on all cylinders, if I have a lot of work I need to finish, I’m ready to make a bit of headway with the day’s tasks for a good couple of hours. No emails. No client communication. No interruptions.</li>
<li><strong>7:30am–9:00am</strong>: <em>[Wellbeing block]</em> Yoga. Breakfast. Getting ready for the day.</li>
<li><strong>9:00am–12:00pm</strong> <em>[Focused work block]</em> or <em>[Personal block]</em>. Getting things done on either front.</li>
<li><strong>12:00pm–12:30pm</strong> <em>[Spiritual block]</em> (sometimes this shifts back or forward 30 minutes, depending on what time of year it is)</li>
<li><strong>12:30pm–1:30pm</strong> Break between work sessions. Then lunch.</li>
<li><strong>1:30pm–5:30pm</strong> [Work block]_ Development, sometimes followed by team and client meetings. <br /> I typically work with teams located across the world and time zones. As a result, most of my meetings tend to happen in the afternoons — somewhere between 3pm and 6pm.</li>
<li><strong>5:30pm–6:00pm</strong> <em>[Spiritual block]</em></li>
<li><strong>6:00pm–8:30pm</strong> <em>[Recreation block]</em> This can be anything: reading, watching videos/a movie, social media, writing, joining snack’n’learns with SuperFriends, or even doing a bit of work if I’m feeling like it.</li>
<li><strong>9:00pm</strong> Bedtime.</li>
</ul>
<p>As I mentioned earlier, the blocks shift around a lot. Sometimes if I get into the flow of work in the early morning, the creative/meaningful work session extends well beyond 7:30am, pushing the Exercise block into the late morning. In that case, I might end up Exercising, having late breakfast, and then doing a Personal block in the early afternoon, followed by a lighter work block in the late afternoon before I call it a (productive) day. And if I get into a really deep flow in the morning, I might end up working from 5:50am till noon, in which case I take the rest of the day off, and only do the meetings in the late afternoon if I have any. It’s very flexible, as you see.</p>
<p>I think of my schedule as being <strong>fluid</strong> — adapting to my needs on any given day.</p>
<p>This is a bird’s eye’s view of my schedule. But there’s a little more happening in each block as I work to maintain a healthy work-life balance…</p>
<h2 id="work-life-balance" tabindex="-1">Work-Life balance</h2>
<p>I know this post isn’t about work-life balance, but I think it’s worth adding a note about it given how I went about this post so far.</p>
<p>Shifting blocks of work around the day and alternating between work and life sessions has worked pretty well and has helped me manage my time better and achieve better work-life balance.</p>
<p>I’ve come to this way of managing my time after burning out 3 times in the last few years. Having the flexibility to shift around activities on any day in accordance to how I’m doing (physically and mentally) on that day, while also keeping my personal life in check is of utmost importance to me.</p>
<p>Typically, my intense work sessions are divided into smaller blocks of time, separated by even smaller chunks of time where I walk away from the screen, go grab a snack, make tea, chat with friends and family, help out around the house, make a smoothie, <em>make</em> food (I don’t just eat it, lol)… Instead of one long block of work interrupted by lunch mid-day, it’s multiple blocks of work interrupted by even smaller blocks of “life”.</p>
<p>Also, quite often if I’m feeling like a change in scenery but also have a lot of work to get done, I’ll grab my laptop and head out to get work done in my car in a nice place with a nice view. I might pass by some shops and buy things on the way. I might visit a friend for a super short visit during an outside work break…</p>
<p>As <a href="https://csswizardry.com/">Harry Roberts</a> says in his <a href="https://www.webstock.org.nz/talks/a-peculiar-journey/">Webstock talk</a>: <strong>it’s “life <em>and</em> work” not “life vs. work”.</strong></p>
<p>Thinking in terms of blocks, I am able to say “this week’s work needs X hours to be finished” and I am able to distribute those hours across the week and schedule them across each day in a way that is disciplined enough to get work done, all the while being flexible enough to maintain a healthy balance and avoid burnout.</p>
<h2 id="closing-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>I know routines are important. Setting one up is probably the most frequent piece of advice I come across everywhere. I haven’t been able to successfully implement a routine for all the reasons mentioned above. So the schedule on any given day is not as rigid as it could be. But I like that. It works for me.</p>
<p>Check out <a href="http://danmall.me/articles/my-typical-day/">Dan Mall’s Typical Day</a>.</p>
<p>I’m tagging <a href="http://cassie.codes/">Cassie Evans</a>, <a href="https://www.taylordunhamdesign.com/">Taylor Dunham</a>, <a href="https://www.antonsten.com/">Anton Sten</a>, <a href="https://matthiasott.com/">Matthias Ott</a>, and <a href="https://ethanmarcotte.com/">Ethan Marcotte</a>.</p>
Into Interior Design2020-12-17T02:32:03Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/desk/into-interior-design/<p class="deck">I’m a <em>big</em> interior design enthusiast. I always have been. Interior design has always been one of those things I always go back to whenever I feel like I need a dose of pick-me-up inspiration. You know how almost all successful designers in different fields recommend looking for inspiration in adjacent design fields? Interior design is where I find that inspiration, for work and for other aspects of my life.</p>
<p>My mom used to take me with her on many doctor’s appointments when I was a child, and we’d often have to sit and wait for our turn for hours. I don’t remember getting bored much. I’d always grab and start browsing all the tabletop magazines, getting lost in the world of design — particularly that of interiors.</p>
<p>This home decor magazine browsing habit grew with me as I grew. I still love browsing interior design magazines, reading articles about interior design, following Pinterest boards for inspiration, watching home makeover shows (my favorite!) and tours, etc. There’s just <em>something</em> about designing spaces for living that captures my soul and feeds my senses in a most satisfying way. It’s like a breath of fresh air; something I never seem to get bored of.</p>
<p>So, this year, with all that’s been happening in the world that’s out of my control, I decided to focus on the things I <em>can</em> control, and put the time I have at hand into good use: growing and learning new skills — some related to my work, and many that are not. Among the things I decided to focus on and learn more about is interior design.</p>
<h2 id="instagram-ads-suck!-except-when-they-don%E2%80%99t%E2%80%A6" tabindex="-1">Instagram ads suck! except when they don’t…</h2>
<p>I <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/desk/goodbye-instagram/">quit Instagram</a> not long ago. It’s lately become a platform encouraging mindless consumption and encouraging consumerism in the most evil way. Many of us started getting sick of the app way before the major changes that recently happened. One of the most annoying “features” were the ridiculous amount of ads that showed up both in the timeline as well as in between stories. They <em>sucked</em> and they are one of the main reasons I started feeling like I wanted out of that space.</p>
<p>That said, I do have to admit that those ads introduced me to my favorite online yoga platform as well as to a couple of interior design courses that I ended up taking (reviews for each in the next section). So, while I absolutely despise Facebook ads and tracking, I must say that it is those ads that exposed me to these platforms.</p>
<p>This year, I took two courses: a beginner’s course by a small design studio, and a “masterclass” by a “celebrity” interior designer.</p>
<h2 id="the-interior-design-masterclass-by-kelly-wearstler" tabindex="-1">The Interior Design Masterclass by Kelly Wearstler</h2>
<p>“<a href="https://www.masterclass.com/classes/kelly-wearstler-teaches-interior-design">Kelly Wearstler teaches interior design</a>” is the name of the first class I took. The class can be found on <a href="https://www.masterclass.com/">MasterClass.com</a>, which is a platform featuring a bunch of people famously known in their respective fields giving masterclasses in their areas of expertise. For example, there are a couple of classes by Chef Gordon Ramsay teaching cooking, Steve Martin teching comedy, Samuel L. Jackson teaching acting, Marc Jacobs teaching fashion design, and more.</p>
<p><a href="http://masterclass.com/">Masterclass.com</a> is beautifully designed and the prospect is very appealing: it sounded like a great way to get a shortcut into interior design best practices and secrets of the trade from someone who’s built a successful career in it.</p>
<p>When I bought access, it was <strong>$90</strong> (lifetime access) and there was a subscription model that I wasn’t interested in because I was only interested in this one interior design class.</p>
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<picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/interior-design-masterclass-600w.webp 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/interior-design-masterclass-900w.webp 900w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/interior-design-masterclass-1500w.webp 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/interior-design-masterclass-600w.jpeg 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/interior-design-masterclass-900w.jpeg 900w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/interior-design-masterclass-1500w.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><img alt="Screenshot of the Interior Design Masterclass page" class="undefined" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/interior-design-masterclass-600w.jpeg" width="1500" height="1592" /></picture>
<figcaption>The Masterclass Web site looks great, and that kind of plays a big role in conveying “status” that the “celebrity” instructors bring into each course. This celebrity status is emphasized in the way the class title is styled — with a very big emphasis on the instructor’s name. But having a celebrity teach it does not guarantee the course will certainly meet your expectations.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Following is my brutally honest opinion</strong> on this class. Note that this opinion is 100% subjective (so yours may differ if you take the class), and it is not meant as a review of the entire Masterclass platform.</p>
<p>I think this class was <em>not</em> worth my $90. After taking the class I came to the conclusion that the price tag is so high because of Kelly’s celebrity status. I felt like I had paid that money <strong>to watch a celebrity talk about interior design, not to <em>learn</em> interior design</strong>. (Looking back, I think that I should should have expected that, given that the title of the course is “Kelly Wearstler” in bold capitals and then ”Teaches Interior Design” in a smaller text.)</p>
<p>Kelly Wearstler seems like a good interior designer. But as I watched the classes, I felt more like I was watching a biography than taking a class. Yes, there are bits and pieces of general advice, but it’s the kind of tips and advice you would get from reading or watching a biography about someone. The content was very much focused on showing off Kelly’s work and giving you some tips based on that work, rather than being focused on <em>you</em> and how <em>you</em> can approach designing interiors.</p>
<p>Not to mention that Kelly’s overall style and taste doesn’t match my modern minimalist style, so I didn’t get the satisfaction of seeing inspiration-sparking designs. But then again, taste and style are very subjective, so others might disagree with me and admire the designs she shared.</p>
<p>I’m not saying I didn’t learn anything from this masterclass — that would neither be fair nor true. I did learn a few high-level things, and I’m even quoting Kelly in one of my work-in-progress articles. I just don’t think the takeaways are worth $90 of my money. I was expecting or hoping for a more practical class that I would leave with more than just a few quotes and high-level concepts that I could have learned from reading any average article or magazine online.</p>
<p>After taking this masterclass, I came across a more “smaller” course which turned out to be <em>exactly</em> what I was looking for in a beginner’s interior design course — much more practical and overall more valuable.</p>
<h2 id="%E2%80%9Cinterior-design-for-beginners%E2%80%9D-by-studiolav" tabindex="-1">“Interior Design for Beginners” by STUDIOLAV</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.domestika.org/en">Domestika</a> is another platform that is home to a collection of courses about various kinds of creative topics.</p>
<p>There are more than a couple of courses I am interested in taking on this platform, but I started with <a href="https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/1475-interior-design-for-beginners">an interior design course for beginners</a> by a small two-person design studio called STUDIOLAV. The course is called “Interior Design for Beginners”. (The studio’s name is no where to be mentioned in the title, so that was a good sign. Heh.)</p>
<p>The course is originally <strong>priced at ~$45</strong> but it has been <strong>on discount</strong> for weeks and selling for <strong>only ~$13</strong>.</p>
<figure role="figure">
<!-- <img src="../../assets/images/domestika-1.png" alt="Screenshot of the Domestika Interior Design Course page">
<img src="../../assets/images/domestika-2.png" alt="Screenshot of the Domestika Interior Design Course page highlighting the course table of contents"> -->
<picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-1-600w.webp 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-1-900w.webp 900w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-1-1500w.webp 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-1-600w.jpeg 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-1-900w.jpeg 900w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-1-1500w.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><img alt="Screenshot of the Domestika Interior Design Course page" class="undefined" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-1-600w.jpeg" width="1500" height="1592" /></picture>
<picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-2-600w.webp 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-2-900w.webp 900w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-2-1500w.webp 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-2-600w.jpeg 600w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-2-900w.jpeg 900w, https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-2-1500w.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 50vw" /><img alt="Screenshot of the Domestika Interior Design Course page highlighting the course table of contents" class="undefined" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://sarasoueidan.com/assets/images/domestika-2-600w.jpeg" width="1500" height="1592" /></picture>
<figcaption>
The Interior Design for Beginners course by STUDIOLAV available on the Domestika platform doesn’t look as “posch” as a celebrity masterclass, but you can tell that the course is less about the instructors and more about what you’ll learn from it. You can tell exactly what they’re going to cover in the course. That said, the titles don't do the course material justice — you’ll need to watch it because the videos contain more!
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I watched the first couple of videos for free just to get an overview of what I’d be signing up for. I instantly fell in love with the designers teaching the course as well as their SoHo Loft design project they would be using as a case study throughout the course. A quick look at the table of contents, I knew I would at least be getting enough value out of it for the small price I was paying.</p>
<p>I was <em>not</em> wrong. This class was fantastic! The course is amazing value for money. I think it’s ridiculous that a course with this much value is sold for so little. It’s almost unfair!</p>
<p>Loukas and Vasso are not native English speakers, and you can almost tell that Vasso wasn’t extremely comfortable speaking in English, but it was also so obvious how much effort went into making the course more accessible to people. I had video captions on all the time, which aided my understanding. (Their captions are great, by the way!)</p>
<p>You can clearly tell that Vasso and Loukas made this course <em>for you</em> and about <em>you</em>, not about them, despite having an admirable portfolio.</p>
<p>Unlike Kelly’s masterclass which felt like going through her portfolio, this class is about one specific project that they walk you through step by step, explaining the steps in the process with care and teaching you how you can do what they did.</p>
<p>In the course, they cover pretty much every step of the design process. And throughout each step, it’s about <em>you</em> and about teaching <em>you</em> how to do what they did, with a strong emphasis on being <em>you</em>, using the tools that <em>you</em> prefer, cultivating <em>your own</em> style, and pouring <em>your own personality</em> into it. This class teaches you the What and gives you an example from their experience of the How, and suggests the tools for you to then do it either by following their lead or doing it your way.</p>
<p>Instead of covering just high-level concepts, they show you design artifacts like sketches — the different kinds that are created; they talk about the tools they use and you can use too; they recommend books, magazines, Web sites, and apps to help you get your homework done and inspire your creative designer’s mind. They even take you through steps like buying and installing the furniture, choosing colors and fabrics and materials, and more. It’s a real insider look into everything they did to take that beautiful space from vision to life, concept to execution.</p>
<p><strong>This course is <em>great</em>.</strong> 💯% awesome value for money, that’s for sure. I watched the whole course material just to get an overview of everything covered, but I’ll be watching it one more time and taking the time to go over the exercises, worksheets, and resources and books that they listed and recommended (I’d like to buy a couple of those too).</p>
<h2 id="baby-steps-forward" tabindex="-1">Baby steps forward</h2>
<p>The Internet is amazing. It still blows my mind every day that you can learn almost anything in the comfort of your home now. You can cultivate skills, learn new ones, and just <em>grow</em>.</p>
<p>These won’t be the last courses I’ll be taking on interior design. One thing I’ve decided to do this year is to start pursuing my passions in different areas (many of which are in the area of design). Where this will take me in each one, I still don’t know. I already have a couple of spaces I want to design and look forward to doing it with a true interior designer’s mindset and approach.</p>
<p>For now, interior design is a hobby. A kind of serious one. Will it turn into something more? I don’t know. Will it turn into a side career? I don’t know. Might I start a blog all about interior design to follow this interest and share my passion with others who share it with me? 👀 I don’t know that either. What I do know is that I’ve taken a step forward into something that I love, and that alone is something to be excited about. What the future holds, I don’t need to know now.</p>
<p><strong>Baby steps forward.</strong> Into interior design. And more.</p>
Things That Help Me Get Work Done2020-11-30T00:00:00Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/desk/productivity/<p>Yesterday, <a href="https://twitter.com/smashingmag/status/1333007543195623430?s=20">Vitaly asked</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In moving to remote work this year, what techniques helped you boost your productivity, and what didn’t work at all?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I shared my favorite productivity tips in <a href="https://twitter.com/SaraSoueidan/status/1333030343318904832?s=20">an answer to that tweet</a> and got some followup questions on it. This post is the long version of that tweet.</p>
<p class="size-2x">I've always been remote. And over the years, I got to try different ways of doing things. Some have stuck, and some didn't. In this post, I'll share the stuff that did stick and that helps me stay in Focus Mode throughout my working sessions.</p>
<h2 id="a-clean%2C-uncluttered-desk." tabindex="-1">A clean, uncluttered desk.</h2>
<p>I clean and unclutter my space and my desk <em>religiously</em>. <small><span style="color: #666">(Both figuratively and literally. It’s been said that prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that <q>cleanliness is next to godliness</q>. So I’ve been raised with strong emphasis on personal hygiene and cleanliness in general.)</span></small></p>
<p>I also <em>hate</em> clutter. I don’t collect things I don’t need or use. Being a minimalist, I only buy and own things I need and use, in addition to a few things that I keep because they have a sentimental value.</p>
<p>I’m also very organized. Everything I own has its own place. And every day, before I got to bed, I make sure everything is stowed away where it belongs. This includes anything and everthing on my desk.</p>
<p>One of the best advice I once read in magazine was: <strong>“clean your surfaces”.</strong> This includes your tables, kitchen counters, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. Pretty much anywhere there’s a surface to clean. I’ve been following this advice daily ever since. Now my surfaces are always uncluttered and clean.</p>
<p>I clean my desk, my laptop keyboard and screen, and my monitor almost every day. I have an all-black-and-white setup, and I live in a fairly dusty area, so things tend to collect dust easily. So unless I clean everything up every day, the dust shows and I can’t tolerate that. I also can’t stand seeing fingerprints all over my displays and laptop. Making a habit of cleaning the desk every night makes waking up in the morning and getting straight to work much easier because you’ll have less things to distract you and keep you from getting things done.</p>
<p>The only items on my desk are the items that I’m using during a particular day. Most of the time, these are: my monitor, laptop, phone, camera (used as a Webcam) and mic (both mounted on their respective arms attached to the desk), iPad + Pencil, headphones, light remote, and a bottle of water. The only exception to this is a vase containing one of my favorite succulents.</p>
<p><strong>Fewer distractions = more focus.</strong></p>
<h2 id="ergonomics%3A-a-standing-desk-and-a-comfortable-chair" tabindex="-1">Ergonomics: A standing desk and a comfortable chair</h2>
<h3 id="a-good-chair" tabindex="-1">A good chair</h3>
<p>I used to have a terrible office chair. It hurt my back every time I sat on it for 30 minutes or more. This took a heavy toll on my physical health and my ability to get work done.</p>
<p>As I worked on a project for <a href="https://www.hermanmiller.com/en_mde/">Herman Miller</a> last spring, I got to learn more about Herman Miller products and was fortunate enough to visit the Herman Miller showroom in Atlanta, where I had the opportunity to sit on all the chairs they make. I found <a href="https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/office-chairs/aeron-chairs/">the Aeron chair</a> to be the most comfortable chair for me. A few weeks after I got back to Lebanon, I reached out to the Herman Miller dealer in Beirut and ordered one. <span style="color: #666">The chair is expensive here, but I got a <em>big</em> discount. <small>(Thanks Ryan, Lama, and Johnny!)</small></span></p>
<p>The Aeron is a legendary chair. <strong>But it’s not for everyone.</strong> Some people don’t find it as comfortable as others do. Many folks I know prefer <a href="https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/office-chairs/embody-chairs/">the Embody chair</a>, be it for the looks of it or for comfort. Some choose other Herman Miller chairs. Some choose chairs from other brands. <strong>The choice of ergonomics is very personal.</strong> So while I think the Aeron is one of the best investments I’ve personally made, it may or may not be for you. If you’re in the market for a new chair and can afford paying extra for a good one, I can recommend trying the Aeron out. But whatever you choose, make sure you do it after you try it. Find a seller and go sit on the chair. See how it feels. Keep in mind that it may take a while for a chair to break in. It took me a couple of weeks to customize the Aeron to fit and feel comfortable. But once I did… wow! Such a difference. I now <em>enjoy</em> sitting on my desk and getting work done, and I can do so for longer hours without feeling any back pain.</p>
<h3 id="a-standing-(or-sit-to-stand)-desk" tabindex="-1">A Standing (or Sit-to-Stand) desk</h3>
<p>I’ve recently got a standing desk, and I can confidently say that my productivity during working sessions has more than doubled.</p>
<p>Before I got the desk, I thought it would be great for when I get tired from sitting. Standing up and moving my legs would be a good way to get the blood flowing again. But since I got it, I’ve found myself doing the opposite: I work standing most of the time, and tend to sit down when I get tired from standing.</p>
<p>Now I either sit or stand depending on the kind of work I’m doing: I’ve found that <strong>I like to create standing, and consume sitting</strong>. In other words, if I’m writing code or writing articles (<em>creating</em> content), I do it standing. Then I prefer to sit when I’m learning or doing online meetings.</p>
<p>Back when I was in school, I used to get up and walk during my studying sessions because I always felt the need to move my legs. It’s almost as if moving my legs somehow stimulates my brain. I’m guessing there’s a science to it. But I don’t really know.</p>
<p>When I tweeted about how my productivity more than doubled since I got the standing desk, I got a few questions about it. Some I could answer; some I couldn’t because the answer is “it depends”.</p>
<p>Is a standing desk for everyone? I don’t know. Just like with the chair, what works for one may not work for another. It’s yet another personal choice. I know many people who’ve tried it but felt that it made their backs worse. Others like it. Given my history with back pain, I too thought I may have issues with it, but I don’t. It’s all about moderation. And it’s simple: if I get tired standing, I sit down.</p>
<p>If you’re considering getting a standing desk and are not sure if you’ll find it comfortable, you may start by elevating your current setup and working standing to start. If you find that standing helps you work better, you can then spend money on a new desk knowing that it’s the right choice. I personally got a Herman Miller standing desk (also discounted), but have seen many friends get good (and cheaper) desks from <a href="https://www.fully.com/standing-desks.html">Fully</a>. Given how popular the Fully desks are, I can only assume they’re also quite good.</p>
<h2 id="a-todo-list" tabindex="-1">A todo list</h2>
<p>I‘ve not been much of a lists person. But pretty much every book I ever read about work and productivity always emphasizes the importance of having lists. Lists for everything. There must be some merit to that advice, I thought. So I decided to start using lists, mostly for my work projects.</p>
<p>I use <a href="https://culturedcode.com/things/">Things</a> app for most of my lists. I create projects and spaces to organize my lists.</p>
<p>I usually have it open on my iPad which sits next to my monitor when I’m working, and I tick items off the list as I go. Something I like to do is to show the logged items in the app. Seeing all the items that are done is great visual motivation as it is always there to remind me of the progress I’ve made, which motivates me to do even more. There is science that backs this up: <strong>seeing progress is one of the best sources of motivation to keep making progress.</strong> It works like magic.</p>
<h2 id="noise-cancelling-headphones-%2B-brain.fm-music" tabindex="-1">Noise-cancelling headphones + <a href="http://brain.fm/">brain.fm</a> music</h2>
<p>I have a pair of Bose QuietComfort over-ear headphones that I bought for travel a few years ago. I live in a not-very-quiet area, so I use my headphones to cancel out the surrounding noise.</p>
<p>I like to listen to white noise when I’m traveling. I use the <a href="https://noiz.io/">Noizio app</a> for that. But for work, I need something more uplifting.</p>
<p>I avoid songs and music with lyrics because my brain finds them distracting. (Especially if I start singing along with them, lol.)</p>
<p>Someone on Twitter tipped me about <a href="https://www.brain.fm/">brain.fm</a> a few months ago. I tried it out for a couple of sessions and got hooked. It’s a great app, with music supposedly backed by science and made to stimulate your brain and help you focus. They have music for focus, sleep, and relaxation. My favorite is the Cinematic Music Focus.</p>
<p>If you’re ineterested in trying the app out, I got a <a href="https://brain.fm/invite/ejrm8nLXJn">referral code</a> you could use if you’d like. <small>(No pressure. I didn’t even know about the code until someone asked me about it on Twitter yesterday. I don’t even know what I’d get out of it if you used it.)</small></p>
<h2 id="a-large-bottle-of-water-and%2For-a-cup-of-tea" tabindex="-1">A large bottle of water and/or a cup of tea</h2>
<p>Much has been said and written about <a href="https://www.lifehack.org/639312/why-its-important-to-drink-more-water-at-work">the importance of drinking more water, especially at work</a>. Our brains are composed of 75% water. The more you work, the more water our brains consume and the more they need to be replenished in order to maintain their ability to function and concentrate well.</p>
<p>Drinking water regularly throughout the day is also particularly important for those of us who spend most of their daytime sitting because it helps lubricate our eyes and our joints which are at higher risks of stiffness and pain due to prolonged sitting. Water also optimizes the energy produced throughout our cells, improves our skin, eliminates toxins, and much more.</p>
<p>I got <a href="https://myequa.com/">a pretty Equa glass bottle</a> a few months ago that sits on my desk and that I refill a few times throughout the day. Going to refill my bottle is a great way to move my legs, too.</p>
<p>In addition to water, I also regularly drink tea. I used to drink a lot of green tea. I still do. But since it’s linked to increasd dehydration in the body, I started substituting it for herbal tea. My favorite is ginger and lemon with honey, which happens to be perfect for overall maintaining a good immunity, especially during these cold days.</p>
<h2 id="frequent-breaks" tabindex="-1">Frequent Breaks</h2>
<p>Taking frequent breaks is essential. These breaks can be of any kind and for anything. The important thing is to make sure that you walk away from your desk, rather than take a break at your desk.</p>
<p>I’ve finally broken a bad old habit of eating on my desk. I used to get so immersed in work that I’d forget to eat, and when I did eat, I ate on my desk and at the end of the meal I’d feel like I didn’t have any meal at all. This is a very bad habit. If you do that, do your best to break out of it as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Walk away and have your meal somewhere else. Could be in the kitchen, or on the balcony, or anywhere else.</p>
<p>Sometimes I like to take creative breaks, where I switch to creative project or browse creative content, such as interior design content, or any other design content that feeds my love for design in adjacent fields and inspires me.</p>
<p><strong>Frequent breaks are mainly about getting frequent energy sparks throughout the day.</strong> Sometimes I do break at my desk if I’m using my desk as a prop for some yoga stretches that fight off the effect of sitting for long hours infront of the screen. There are a lot of short 5 to 10-minute yoga classes online that are created for people like us to help us get some movement throughout the day while we’re at our desks. The main focus of these classes is stretching out the upper body and wrists, as well as lower back. I do these more now that I work standing than I did when I worked sitting.</p>
<p>Whatever the kind of break you take, it’s essential that you take breaks often. The least you could and should do is break every hour or less, stretch out your wrists, neck and shoulders, and let your gaze wonder a little.</p>
<h2 id="healthy-food-and-exercise" tabindex="-1">Healthy food and exercise</h2>
<p>We all know that exercise is important to stay healthy. Being healthy improves the quality of ours lives and, consequently, the quality of our work.</p>
<p>I try to stick to a daily exercise routine. I exercise somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour a day. I do skip some days. I do feel lazy. But I try my best to stay aware of when this happens and take control instead of surrendering to them feelings. Most of the time it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. And it’s ok.</p>
<p>One of my favorite yoga teachers once said: <q>Once you stop moving, you start dying.</q> I always remind myself of this when I feel like I’m falling off the bandwagon and cutting back on exercising. It usually works and motivates me enough to not want to start dying. xD</p>
<h2 id="going-out-often" tabindex="-1">Going out often</h2>
<p>I burnt out three times during the past 4 years. The worst one was in 2016–2017. It took at least a year to get back on track and for me to start feeling like I wanted to <em>do</em> things again.</p>
<p>One of the most effective things I did back then and that helped me get back on track again was going out in nature. I was in San Francisco for a SmashingConf and a friend of mine took me to Mount Tamalpais and to the hills where the Windows 7 wallpaper was shot. It’s a gorgeous place over there! I remember feeling like my battery was drained and it suddenly started recharging when I was there.</p>
<p>Now I go out almost every day or every other day. When I feel like I could use a change of scenery but still have a lot of work to do, I take my laptop out with me and get work done by the sea or among the trees in a forest. Over time, I set up a kind of “mobile office” in my car. I don’t get a lot of work done in it, but I still get some done. It’s quite nice.</p>
<h2 id="fewer-meetings" tabindex="-1">Fewer meetings</h2>
<p>My productivity plummets when I know I have a meeting coming up, even if it’s hours away. I’ve been working on forcing myself to get into full focus mode on such days, but there’s something in my brain that’s constantly thinking about this imminent interruption even before it comes.</p>
<p>Since most of my clients are based in the US, my meetings tend to happen at the end of my work day. But I still find myself struggling with focus in the few hours leading up to them. So I try to limit my meetings to only the ones we need. I should probably mention that I usually work with great people who share the same perspective on meetings, so it’s usually fairly easy for me to do so.</p>
<p>Fewer meetings = fewer interruptions = more focus = more work done.</p>
<h2 id="less-social-media" tabindex="-1">Less social media</h2>
<p>Do I even need to say more? =)</p>
<h2 id="do-what-works-for-you!" tabindex="-1">Do what works for you!</h2>
<p>There are many tried-and-true techniques that help us be <em>healthier</em> and feel more comfortable in our bodies, and these techniques eventually improve the quality of our work as well as our lives as a whole. But as with everything, it’s all up to you and what works for you.</p>
<p>If you read or have read any books on productivity and getting things done, you’ll find a lot of recommended tips, such as <strong>establishing a daily routine</strong>; <strong>blocking out hours on your calendar for work</strong> so that others don’t schedule meetings during those hours; <strong>waking up early</strong> and getting the most important tasks done early in the day; managing your email inbox so it doesn’t eat up your time; and many more. <strong>Some of these tips and techniques might work and some might not.</strong></p>
<p>We’re all different and what works for one may not work for another. For example, I could never sleep 4–6 hours a day only to have more hours during the day for work. I need to get the sleep my body needs every day in order to function normally. I couldn’t care less if “the most successful people in the world” sleep only 4 to 6 hours a day. I’m not trying to be like them. I’m trying to be like me and manage my life my own way to meet my own goals, not theirs.</p>
<p>As with everything, it’s useful to experiment and try a few different things and see which ones work for you and which ones don’t. At the end of the day, you want to make sure you’re healthy and you feel good enough to get work done. And, most importantly, remember that it’s not all about work. Try to get good work done well, but balance that with living a healthy, fulfilling life.</p>
<p>❤</p>
A Journey to a Waste-Free Lifestyle2019-02-23T16:04:49Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/desk/waste-free/<p class="deck">I’ve been thinking a lot about plastic lately. Since my last trip to New York City last October for SmashingConf, I’ve been haunted by the picture of a trash bin in my hotel room full of plastic bottles and packaging that were probably going to be polluting the environment forever. This has put me on a steady journey to a waste-free lifestyle.</p>
<h3 id="some-backstory" tabindex="-1">Some Backstory</h3>
<p>It was yet another great SmashingConf in NYC in November 2018. I gave a talk and ran a workshop, and stayed for a little less than a week in the city before I headed back home.</p>
<p>The speaker’s hotel we stayed at in NYC hadn’t changed from previous years. It’s a cool hotel with some nice modern features. But my favorite new thing about the hotel from my last trip was seeing how it introduced trash separation (or waste sorting) into the rooms. There was a trash bin for every major type of waste: plastic, paper, etc. much like what you see in other public spaces and facilities. I liked that. So, being the good gal that I am, I was more than happy to separate my waste like that.</p>
<hr />
<p>I usually don’t allow housekeeping into my room unless I need it. I don’t like the idea of a stranger coming into my room and moving things around. I keep the room as clean as possible during my stay anyway. Plus, I try to minimize water and energy consumption by not sending my towels to cleaning every day when they don’t need it. (I <em>love</em> hotels that have a special door sign that you can hang letting housekeeping know that you don’t want to clean your room because you’re a friend of the environment.)</p>
<p>I also avoid going out at night during my travels and would, therefore, need to have something to eat for dinner in the room. This means that I always buy and bring food back with me into the hotel room which, in turn, means that I have extra waste at the end of the day due to the food packaging.</p>
<p>So, naturally, by the end of my one-week stay in NYC, the trash bins in my hotel room were full. I was cleaning and tidying the room up while I was packing for my flight home when I looked at the trash and was shocked by the waste footprint I was leaving behind. I couldn’t believe that, in only one week, I had left behind so much trash, much of which was plastic (mostly bottles from the fresh juice I buy) that was likely going to stick around in the environment forever. And then my perspective widened and I thought “if every person has the same footprint as me in a week, then the planet is doomed within a few years to come”. My thought may not be entirely accurate as I have no data to support it, but it was enough for me to be aware of the impact each of us has on our planet—the only home we’ve got, on a daily basis.</p>
<h3 id="time-for-change" tabindex="-1">Time for Change</h3>
<p>The picture of the trash full of plastic haunted me for weeks after I returned home. I felt terrible. I started getting more conscious of my daily habits and noticing every piece of waste I put in the trash bin every day. Whenever I threw a piece of plastic I would think “Couldn’t I have avoided this?” I knew I had to do something about this. I knew I had to, somehow, limit the of waste I produced. And for that to happen, I knew that I had to make some changes to my lifestyle. So, I started Googling.</p>
<p>I came across quite a few articles and accounts on social media of people that are already living a waste-free lifestyle. Many people have articles and tips on little things and changes you can do to switch to a waste-free lifestyle. So I started reading and reading, feeling more inspired and empowered after each article.</p>
<p>I learned about many plastic-free alternatives to daily products that I didn’t even know existed. I read about other people’s lifestyles and started picking all the little habits that I knew I could apply to my own. A few weeks in, I was already making a lot of progress and producing less waste.</p>
<h3 id="small-steps-with-big-impact" tabindex="-1">Small Steps with Big Impact</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Use reusable stainless steel straws instead of plastic straws.</strong> I picked up a few straws during my trip to Melbourne last summer. I’ve been using them for my homemade smoothies since. I haven’t used a single plastic straw since. (Yay!)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Carry a reusable cotton bag when going shopping.</strong> Shops generally use either plastic bags or paper bags. The majority of shops and stores in Lebanon use plastic bags. I started carrying my own cotton bag and skipping the store bags completely, thus reducing the amount of single-use plastic I brought back home. I have a couple of bags that I bought during a trip to Europe, and, with this new habit, I’ve finally put all the conference goodie bags to good use, too!</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Use reusable water bottles.</strong> I purchased a few glass bottles to replace plastic water bottles in my car. I already ditched plastic for everything I use at home (for smoothies and the likes).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>As I mentioned above, most shops in Lebanon use plastic extensively. And there are too few plastic-free options in general. The majority of food packaging is plastic. So even though I try to go plastic-free as much as possible, I am still forced to buy many plastic-packaged products. Since I have no eco-friendly alternatives to most of them, I started reducing the <strong><em>amount</em></strong> of products that I could do without. For example, if I can make a good and delicious homemade yogurt drink, I do that instead of buying (the plastic) bottles of it from the supermarket.
I also started following this approach with other types of food and drinks. This has not only reduced the amount of plastic waste, but has also gotten me into an <em>even healthier</em> lifestyle. <em>And</em>, making my own homemade alternatives has also saved me some money, which is always a good side effect.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>If a product comes in both plastic and non-plastic packaging options, I choose the latter.</strong> For example, instead of buying spaghetti that comes in in a plastic package, I buy the ones that come in a carton one.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>I’m reusing many of the glass jars that come with certain products. Even though I can’t take them to a store and fill them with package-free foods, I’m taking benefit of them for all the homemade stuff I am now making.</p>
<p>I’m still producing noticeable waste from my daily usage of facial products like cotton pads. My plan is to buy reusable ones on my next trip, as well as a few other waste-free products that I use on a daily basis.</p>
<h3 id="moving-forward" tabindex="-1">Moving Forward</h3>
<p>Since going minimal in the last year, I’ve already reduced the overall amount of products I buy, which is generally better for the environment (and for my bank account 😄).</p>
<p>I wish stores in Lebanon had more waste-free options and alternatives. But, unfortunately, it will probably be a very long way and time to go before this happens. Until then, I’ll keep trying to do the best I can to minimze my footprint on the planet. I’ll keep educating myself on ways I can do to help the environment, and eco-friendly products I could bring back home with me to help.</p>
<p>This planet is the only home we’ve got, so I hope everyone can do their own part—no matter how small—to help keep it clean for us and for the generations to come.</p>
<p>Thank you for reading.</p>
Just write.2018-08-14T00:00:00Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/desk/just-write/<p class="size-2x">I got used to writing lengthy <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/">technical articles</a> over the last few years that I’d been finding it increasingly harder to publish articles that are <em>not</em> lengthy and overly technical over the last few months. This had led me to abandon a lot of rough ideas and article drafts, eventually leading to my blog feeling abandoned for months in a row. </p>
<p>This isn’t just bad because, well, it <em>is</em> bad. What made it <em>worse</em> is the fact that one of my most recurring pieces of advice is telling people to <em>just write</em> — write down what you learned, no matter how big or small. Start a blog and publish your writings there. Don’t think about whether or not people will like or read your articles — just give them a home and put them out there.</p>
<p>Most popular blogs I know started out as a series of articles that were written <strong>for the authors themselves</strong>, as a way to document their process and progress for their future selves to reference when they needed to. Heck, my own <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/windows8-animations/">first</a> <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/css-shapes/">few</a> <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/horizontal-portfolio-layout/">articles</a> started out as rough drafts full of notes that I jotted down as I was learning new concepts (“CSS3” animations, anyone?), and then cleaned the notes up into an article so that it’d be easier for me to come back to those notes in the future.</p>
<p>With time, people got used to my writing style, and my lengthy, detailed deep dives that sort of became a distinguishing quality of my articles. So as the years went by, I started judging the quality of my articles by whether or not they match my previous style, and hence whether or not people would like them. And this is where I felt like I started losing my direction.</p>
<p>I completely ignored the fact that I was changing, and so were my interests. Instead of deep dives, I started enjoying writing shorter case studies that contain a lot of various useful tips and tricks, as opposed to deep dives on one very specific topic.</p>
<p>It took me time <strong>and practice</strong> to bring myself to start writing and publishing more again, without letting that voice in my head tell me my articles aren’t going to be good enough. I <em>forced myself</em> to ignore and silence that voice.</p>
<p>I remember publishing my first “rough” article after spending a couple of days trying to <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/accessible-tooltips/">create an accessible tooltip</a> for one of my clients. I found the process harder than I thought, and started writing notes and documenting my train of thoughts as I was learning how to do it. In the process, I was reminded of the “good old days” when I wrote <em>for me</em>, and it felt very nice. So, I decided to publish those thoughts in <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/desk/just-write/blog/accessible-tooltips/">an article</a> format that was completely new to me. But I did it anyway. I cringed when I hit that publish button and that voice inside my head tried to convince me that I was going to disappoint people. <strong>But I did it anyway.</strong> And it was <em>absolutely liberating</em>!</p>
<p>More articles started to follow. It felt like a sport: publishing more short, mini-case studies became an exercise in determination and carelessness for my brain. Today, I <em>constantly</em> remind myself before publishing any article that I am publishing this on <em>my</em> blog (which means that <strong>I can publish anything I want</strong>), and that it doesn’t matter if people read it or not. I’ll just keep doing my thing, because I enjoy doing it.</p>
<p>I even uninstalled Google Analytics because I didn’t care about checking any visitor numbers or bounce rates or whatever. My blog is there, and I will publish content, whether people read it or not. (Also, you know, performance.)</p>
<p>Once I got over my own obstacles, I stopped feeling like I was obligated to meet other people’s expectations. <strong>I started enjoying writing again.</strong> And so I recently simply started writing again.</p>
<p>What prompted me to write this particular article is <a href="https://twitter.com/timolaak/status/1028655747339563008">the</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/robneal28/status/1028683094105227264">amazing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/neoelemento/status/1028873690140659712">feedback</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/svillegastweets/status/1028991689262682112">I got</a> to <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/hex-rgb-to-hsl/">the HSL article</a> I published over the weekend and that I had <em>no idea</em> people would like. Since I want to write more often again, I’m more open to article ideas than ever. And after some people showed interest in learning more about my CSS color format workflow, I thought it would be a good topic to write about, so I did.</p>
<p>I didn’t spend days and weeks writing the article and polishing it like I used to do with my older articles. In fact, I was very deliberate in making it as short and succinct as possible, especially the part where I explain what HSL is and how it works in CSS. I thought most people would already be familiar with it, so I wrote a brief but concice section about it, just to cover the basics for anyone who hasn’t heard about it. And it was in this brevity and conciseness that most people found the article useful.</p>
<p>One particular comment to the article that stood out to me was <a href="https://twitter.com/slicknet/status/1029035054851190784">Nicholas C. Zakas’</a>. I was genuinely surprised to read that he thought this was the best explanation of HSL he had ever read. <a href="https://twitter.com/slicknet/status/1029037054254927872">He pointed out</a> that it was the brevity and conciseness that made it possible for him to not feel overwhelmed with information and therefore understand the concepts better.</p>
<p>In other words, my new, <strong>shorter articles have proven to be more inclusive.</strong> How great is that?! 😊</p>
<p>The point in saying all of this is to again encourage everyone to just write. What you write might help someone understand a concept that you may <em>think</em> has been covered enough before. <strong>We each have our own unique perspectives and writing styles.</strong> One writing style might be more approachable to some, and can therefore help and benefit a large (or even small) number of people in ways you might not expect.</p>
<p><strong>Just write.</strong></p>
<p>Even if only one person learns something from your article, you’ll feel great, and that you’ve contributed — even if just a little bit — to this amazing community that we’re all constantly learning from. And if no one reads your article, then that’s also okay. That voice telling you that people are just sitting somewhere watching our every step and judging us based on the popularity of our writing is a big fat pathetic attention-needing liar. (Saying this felt so good, haha.)</p>
<p>If you don’t have a blog already, make one. Write. Publish. Share. You’ll never know how many doors one small article might open up for you.</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
Build Bridges, Not Walls2017-09-06T00:00:00Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/desk/client-friction/<p class="size-2x">As a freelancer, I meet and have great work discussions with countless people. Some of these people turn into clients, many of whom eventually turn into friends.</p>
<p>Being a freelancer also means being your own assistant <small>(unless you hire one, of course)</small>, your own accountant <small>(unless you hire one or use one of the many online services dedicated for freelancers)</small>, and maybe even your own lawyer <small>(I highly recommend against this. Hire or consult a lawyer whenever / if you can)</small>. So part of the job entails spending hours and sometimes days in email — going back and forth discussing projects, specs, scopes, Skype or in-person meetings, and writing and signing contracts, before actually getting to the part where I get to do what I do best: code.</p>
<p>I know a lot of developers who find that non-dev aspects of their freelance career less than favorable. So some of them might jump into a chance to have someone else handle all this so-called “client friction phase” for them — and unerstandably so. As such, it’s not surprising that there are indeed services out there who offer exactly this.</p>
<p>The concept and premise of such services is simple and straightforward: freelancer-client match-making and then removing the friction between said freelancer and their client(s). This means that companies looking for developers (or designers, etc.) don’t have to go about finding one themselves — the services finds a great developer that fits their need from the community of top talented developers they have curated, and the developer doesn’t need to handle all the project spec and scope discussions, and can get straight to work as soon as they agree to work on the specified project.</p>
<p>These services usually have a fixed hourly rate pricing model <small>(usually within a specific range)</small> for their talents, which makes calculating project costs a more straightforward (and mathematical) process.</p>
<p>I’ve been recently contacted by a representative of such a service company, offering me to be a part of their top talented community of freelance developers, and promising me the ability to find great projects with companies big and small, all while being able to focus on the actual project work without having to handle client project negotiations, etc. which they would be handling for me. She gave me an overview of the company and how it works, what screening and filtering process members of their community go through before making it into their circles, and more. She offered me a chance to join the community—which is something I’m very flattered for, because they only choose people they consider top talent in their fields so they can match them with their great clients.</p>
<p>Aside from the pricing model which I don’t personally adopt in my work, the main reason I declined the offer is <em>because</em> of the promise of removing the friction between me and my potential clients.</p>
<p>You see, I don’t <em>want</em> to skip the client friction phase. I <em>like</em> this phase. I like it a lot, actually. Sure, more hours negotiating usually means less hours working,but I consider this an essential part of the freelance life — a path I chose three years ago and haven’t looked back since. And these hours spent talking with clients are one of many ways you can <em>grow</em> as a freelancer, and as a person.</p>
<p>I <em>like</em> talking to my clients. I <em>like</em> jumping on Skype calls with them, getting to know them — getting to know <em>them</em>, their company goals, their project goals… I like hearing them talk so passionately about their projects and why they chose to do what they’re doing and where they see themselves going with it. And most importantly, I like to hear why they chose <em>me</em> to join them and help them achieve these goals. Which is something that would be completely missing if I were to work with them via a service of the sort I mentioned.</p>
<p>Getting to talk to my clients also goes beyond personal preference into practical project needs. In all of my work, I’ve always been in constant and almost daily contact with my client’s team — from designers to fellow developers and CEOs alike. We communicate via a Slack channel usually, for example, that’s dedicated to discussing everything about the project. And my involvement in the project usually goes beyond just translating a design into code. There is constant discussion about the UX of the design, and other user experience aspects related to accessibility and such.</p>
<p>I love to see my client projects grow, and even see myself and my skills grow with them. One of the reasons the service only accepts hourly based pricing is that they want to spare the freelancers (and clients, too) the “trouble” that can result from project scope and spec changes. Personally, this was never an issue for me to begin with, and the reason for that is that I <em>communicate</em> with my client, and talk to them directly. It is <em>because</em> of the friction with my client that I am able to discuss the project freely, including the future of the project, and my possible involvement in the different phases of it. It is because of this that I have worked repeatedly over a couple of years with clients such as <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/case-studies/provata">Provata</a>. And it’s always been straightforward for both me and my clients: if the spec or scope of work changes, the contract is amended to reflect that. The amendment usually happens smoothly <strong>because we’ve already discussed possibility of this happening in the early communication phase</strong>, or, the “friction phase”, if you like. ☺️</p>
<p>You can’t expect a relationship to grow if you build a wall between you and the person you’re in a relationship with, and this applies to work relationships too. Working with clients I don’t get to communicate and discuss project details with would never allow me to become friends with the people working on the other side of the project. But working <em>with</em> people — so many different people on different projects — is one of my favorite aspects of being a freelancer, and one of the reasons I chose to freelance a few years go, over being full-employed by some big company.</p>
<p>Working from home there’s already this feeling of loneliness involved — sitting behind a screen talking to people sitting behind other screens somewhere else on the planet. Attending conferences and speaking to and with people who share your interests helps a great deal with this, but that only happens a few times a year. So to put myself behind yet another wall and avoid talking to my clients directly is something I couldn’t bear to do. That would make me feel like some sort of code robot who only gets input (project details) and produces output (code) on a daily basis, without the human side of this work.</p>
<p>So all what that service promised to “solve” for me has never really been an issue for me, and that’s why I declined the offer to join the community.</p>
<p>All this said, I don’t mean to undermine what such a services company does. On the contrary, I can see where such a service can be <em>extremely</em> beneficial. If you do bill hourly, services like this can be great for working on multiple projects at the same time — maybe a few hours per week dedicated for each project. When you’re working on multiple projects <em>and</em> maybe even have a full-time job, getting extra hours of work and revenue in like that without all the non-dev process of the freelance life can be extremely helpful. So I can definitely see where and how this service can help freelancers work more and maybe even work better. Maybe you even <em>like</em> the idea of no client friction and just want to get to work without all the “admin” stuff. It is definitely a matter of personal preference. And I’m in no way undermining what these services do — far from it.</p>
<h3 id="is-client-friction-really-that-bad%3F" tabindex="-1">Is client friction really that bad?</h3>
<p>No. Absolutely not. At least not to me, personally. Without this friction, I wouldn’t have made friends with as many great people I know today. So if you’re a freelancer, <em>try</em> to enjoy it (if you don’t already) and make the most out of it, too.</p>
<p><strong>Build bridges, not walls.</strong></p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
Traveling for Work: Packing & Tips2017-07-25T17:35:44Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/desk/travel-tips/<p class="size-2x">I love traveling. But it can sometimes be a pain. I’ve been traveling for work for a little over three years now. This doesn’t make me the most seasoned traveler out there, of course. But having experienced some extremely uncomfortable flying conditions, I’ve learned a few tricks and tips for making my current and future trips more comfortable.</p>
<p>This post contains (and will continuously be updated with) my favorite and most relevant air travel tips that I learned and personally practice during my travels. These tips I mention here have all worked for me and made my travels a lot, lot easier and more comfortable. They may or may not work for you. You may or may not find one or two that do. But, if I’m lucky, you may be inspired to find similar solutions that work for you, and help you make your future travels ever less painful.</p>
<div class="note">
This blog post is part of a “Travel Challenge” <a href="https://twitter.com/SaraSoueidan/status/888068955792912385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Fmedia%2Ffe6bbfa145a168c4cf93eba2e28bb072%3FpostId%3D7063561c757e">I suggested</a> to a fellow speakers on Twitter last week. <a href="https://twitter.com/scottjenson">Scott</a> has posted <a href="https://medium.com/@scottjenson/saras-travel-challenge-7063561c757e">the first post in this challenge</a>. I love his tips, especially the travel spices rack. I will probably be carrying something similar, along with travel utensils such as <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-muncher-titanium-multi-utensil-camping#/">this multi-utensil</a> I recently pre-ordered on Indiegogo.
</div>
<h3 id="pack-light%2C-and-smart%3A-the-last-you%E2%80%99ll-want-while-traveling-is-to-drag-yourself-down-(literally)-by-carrying-too-much." tabindex="-1">Pack Light, and smart: The last you’ll want while traveling is to drag yourself down (literally) by carrying too much.</h3>
<p>I always check a bag in. This means that I can carry as much clothing and amenities as I need. Sometimes I check the amenities provided by the hotel I’m staying at and find that they don’t provide all the amenities I need such as an iron or kitchen utensils, so I bring my own travel-friendly versions with me. And I’m only able to do so because I check a bag in.</p>
<p>But when it comes to carry-on luggage, I try to stay as light as possible.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>I try to stick to a carry-on backpack only.</strong> Carrying only a backpack has many benefits: not only does it provide me with a lot of mobility moving around, but <strong>it also helps me <em>not</em> stress about cabin space</strong>. A lot of people rush into the plane and stand first in line so they can get on board sooner and find space for their carry-on bags before the cabins fill up. When I’m only carrying a backpack, I place it under the seat in front of me and don’t need to stress about cabin space.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>I <strong>keep a small foldable bag in my backpack</strong> in case I decide to buy something at the airport that doesn’t fit in the backpack. (Sometimes I don’t carry one if I’m trying to cut down on spending money at the airports, where everything tends to be waaaaay overpriced.) I also sometimes keep a foldable bag in my checked bag if I know I’m going to come back home with more stuff after going on a shopping spree abroad. (This doesn’t happen as often now since I adopted more of a minimalist lifestyle, though.)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>I <strong>create and pack a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_wardrobe">capsule wardrobe</a> for the trip</strong>. The concept of the capsule wardrobe is simple: carry few items that you absolutely love wearing and that you can mix and match to create multiple outfits from—Perfect for travel! Packing just enough takes time and practice. For me, it started with overpacking, then underpacking, before I finally reached a point of balance.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Carry a spare change of clothes in your hand luggage</strong>, just in case of emergency. This hasn’t happened a lot to me before but on my first ever flight to the US I had a flight delayed so much that the airline has us spend the night in a hotel close to the airport. Luckily, I was able to get my checked bag which made it possible for me to get my change of cloths from there, but had that not been the case, I would have been miserable. Having a spare change of cloths in your carry-on bag is one of those tips you’ll find almost every single frequent flyer recommend.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>I <strong>save space in my bag (carry-on or checked) by carrying travel-friendly clothing</strong> such as foldable flats, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reebok-Womens-Skyscape-Runaround-Walking/dp/B00EM7II9M">extremely light walking shoes</a> (which happen to be the most comfortable ones I’ve ever worn), and less wrinkle-prone fabric.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>I’ve started <strong>using packing cubes</strong> recently and the only thing I could think of after using them for the first time was why on earth I never used them before. I’m an organization freak. I usually have a place for everything at home and in my office, so being just as organized during my travels was something that should have been a no-brainer from the start, but somehow I only managed to do it recently. I’m never going back to the packing mess I used to be.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I own a <strong>carry-on bag that helps me stay organized by having a dedicated place for almost everything</strong>: laptop, iPad, small electronics, spill-proof water pocket, phone pocket, etc. in addition to the main large compartment. This is very important to me as it helps me stay organized and therefore stress less about where my things are at on the road.</li>
</ul>
<p class="note">I went through a few bags before I finally settled for a couple of favorites. I switch between my bags depending on the length of the trip and the amount of stuff I’m carrying or packing. I’ll share which ones those are along with more details about my tech travel pack in a separate post. </p>
<h3 id="get-through-airport-security-as-fast-as-possible." tabindex="-1">Get through airport security as fast as possible.</h3>
<p><strong>Not having a lot of carry-on</strong> luggage is step one to moving quickly through security. In addition to the amount of lugagge, you can also move quicker by planning <strong>the kind of content you carry</strong> in your luggage.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Buy solid versions of your liquid products</strong> if you can. I like to go through security as fast as possible, and having one less thing to take out of the bag (in this case that would be my liquids bag) helps with that. Most of my solid products (shampoo, deodorant, lotion) are from <a href="https://lush.com/">Lush</a>—I love this brand because it’s strongly focused on making animal cruelty-free and vegetarian products. Also, the smell of these products (and their shop) is just sublime.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Prepare yourself to pass through security while you wait in line</strong>. I take my watch off as well as jacket or belt or any other item I’m required to take off a couple of minutes before it’s my turn to pass through security. I’ll grab a tray and put some of these in sooner, too, if I can. The only thing I sometimes have left to take out is my laptop, unless I already have that out too. Everyone around you will thank you.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The closer to the departure time, the more busy airport security lines usually are. I learned to <strong>arrive early to the airoprt</strong> simply from living in Lebanon. Arriving three hours before the flight is ideal, especially in busy airports. Arriving early also means less waiting in line at check-in and bag drop.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Check in online whenever you can</strong>. And even when you do, it doesn’t hurt to still <strong>get your boarding pass printed at the airport too</strong>. Checking in online helps you get to the check in and bag drop counter faster. There are sometimes lines for people who have checked in online and that are faster and less crowded than the regular lines for people who haven’t checked in yet.
As a Lebanese, I don’t get to download my boarding pass on mobile most of the times and have to print my boarding pass at the airport in Beirut anyway, so this also kinda got me in the habit of having both versions of the boarding pass all the time. I also find I use the physical boarding pass more even if I do have the digital version downloaded.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="staying-productive%3A-getting-more-work-done-on-the-road." tabindex="-1">Staying productive: getting more work done on the road.</h3>
<p>Since I’m a freelancer who also happens to travel a lot, I try to make the most out of my time by getting more work done during my travels, so that my traveling doesn‘t disrupt my client development projects too much. So, being able to get work done on the road is very important to me.</p>
<p>I find that the most important things I need to get work done on the road are: my laptop (always charged and ready), a bottle of water, a snack, wifi (though not always required), and some quiet.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Always carry an international adapter and portable chargers</strong> so you never run out of power. You won’t get much or any work done with a dead battery—be it a laptop battery, iPad or phone—whichever you need.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Make sure you always have a bottle of water on you</strong> and some snacks. Dehydration means you’re going to be physically incapable of focusing. If you need coffee, get you some. Food and drinks are possibly the only thing you’re guaranteed to find at any airport—though the options may be limited in some.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Noise-cancelling headphones</strong> are a must-have for any frequent business traveler, in my opinion. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to focus enough to get <em>any</em> work done on the road. They help you turn your small corner into a quiet oasis. Airport noise, chatty neighbors, crying babies, the sound of utensils… they can drive you mad if you’re tyring to focus. Noise-cancelling headphones are a blessing. You’ll only know how much you need them after you try them.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Airport lounge access</strong> is a luxury that a lot of us don’t get to enjoy but if you do, you’ll find it helps you get a lot more work done too. Lounges usually offer <strong style="background: none">quiet work spaces, free food and drinks, comfy seating, and uninterupted free Wifi</strong>. After a year of traveling without signing up for any airline memberships, I finally decided to stop letting my frequent flyer numbers go to waste and signed up for one. Today, I have a membership with a few airlines which got me to a frequent flyer status that I automatically get access to airport lounges everywhere. So, I can tell from experience that this level of comfort gets really addictive, and you start appreciating it more and more, especially when you start getting more work done more comfortably. So, if you can, make sure you don’t let those frequent flyer points go to waste.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you don’t have lounge access and happen to be at one of those stingy airports that offer limited free wifi, you can <strong><a href="https://remysharp.com/2017/05/29/getting-free-wifi">hack your way around it</a> by spoofing your MAC address to get more free wifi</strong>.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="healthy-habits-result-in-peak-physical-performance." tabindex="-1">Healthy habits result in peak physical performance.</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Eat well. Eat Healthy.</strong> Make sure you choose and eat healthy food only. Finding good food can be hard, especially if you have special dietary requirements. But you can provide your body with the bare minimum nutrition by carrying <strong>travel-friendly super food packs</strong>—be that in an edible or drinkable form. For example, I carry my super foods in powder format that I can dissolve into a cup or small bottle of water and drink. I get mine from <a href="https://organicburst.com/">organicburst.com</a>. They’re great. A lot of my friends always carry protein bars with them. Try to avoid sugary snacks and focus on getting a good amount of protein and fiber instead.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>I stopped eating airplane food a few months ago. I <em>always</em> <strong>bring my own snacks and food</strong> on to the plane now. I usually purchase these at airports so I don’t have to carry much with me from the moment I leave home. I look for healthy options like green salads, fruit salads, and bean salads (my favorite one I usually purchase from Beirut airport).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Stay hydrated inside and out.</strong> Make sure you avoid getting dehydrated, by continuously drinking water and moisturizing your skin (especially face and lips). <strong>Always bring your own water on to the plane.</strong> Always. The amount and frequency of water offered on the plane is nothing compared to the amount I find my body needs during the flight, and waiting for flight attendants to make the round and serve water to drink is something I’ve learned to avoid long ago. I need to drink when I need to drink, not when they choose to offer a drink. I’ll usually buy one large or two smaller bottles of water right before I get on the plane.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Protect your body against germs and bacteria.</strong> I never go out of my house without <strong>anti-bacterial skin wipes</strong>, whether I’m flying out of the country or just going to the city doing errands. I use them everywhere. They’re also particularly important when you’re going to be using public rest rooms. I usually wipe the toilet seat with one and then cover it with the <strong>toilet seat covers</strong> which I’ve also recently started carrying with me. Anti-bacterial wipes are also a good ice-breaker. I’ve gotten some weird looks from people sitting next to me on the plane when I used them to wipe everything my hands will touch, up until I offered them one and they happily took it and started doing the same. This always made me grin. :D</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Exercise (if you can).</strong> Let’s be honest: I don‘t exercise during my travels. It’s hard to find time for it. I mean, sure, I could do it if I can get myself to stress less about speaking and my workshops, but that’s still something I’m learning how to do. But I make up for lack of exercise by <strong>walking as much and as often as I can</strong>. Sometimes I tour the entire city on foot. I’ve walked for 6+ hours in some cities before. If I can choose between an elevator and stairs, I sometimes choose the stairs. Any chance I get to move, I do.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="getting-sleep-%26-staying-comfortable-on-the-plane." tabindex="-1">Getting sleep & staying comfortable on the plane.</h3>
<p>It is extremely hard for me to get sleep in public places—unless I’m utterly exhausted and physically incapable of staying awake. But it got easier with time and practice. Now, I am able to get myself to sleep on planes as long as I:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Wear an eye mask</strong> to shut the light out. I’ve recently backed <a href="https://mantasleep.com/">this project</a> on Indiegogo. This sleeping mask looks very promising and I’m optimistic that it’ll be much better than the mask I own now.</li>
<li><strong>Wear noise-cancelling headphones.</strong> I own an over-ear pair and an in-ear pair. When it comes to performance, the in-ear pair wins hands down. I invested in <a href="https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/headphones/earphones/quietcomfort-20i-acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones.html#v=qc20_apple_black">a Bose QC20</a> a couple of years ago, and after using them all this time, I can whole-heartedly say that they’re worth every penny.</li>
<li><strong>Listen to white noise.</strong> I use the <a href="https://www.noisli.com/apps">Noisli app</a> to listen to the sound of rain and thunder, for example, so I get the feeling of sleeping in a cozy house during winter with a warm fire sitting next to me. 😀</li>
<li><strong>Keep warm.</strong> It gets really cold on airplanes sometimes, so having something like a jacket or a blanket or a scarf to keep warm is important. I always <strong>carry and use my own scarf</strong> because I don’t trust the hygiene of the blankets provided on the plane. I even use the provided pillow as a back rest, not a head rest. Plus, the fabric they provide is really not my favorite.</li>
<li><strong>Carry a good travel pillow.</strong> I’ve yet to find my perfect match. None of the ones I tried have met my needs, but the one I use most frequently now (until I find a better one) is this <a href="https://www.ahalife.com/product/149000010017/infinity-travel-pillow">Infinity pillow</a> that I ordered from China last year. The fabric is really, really nice. It’s only the function I’m not 100% happy with. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars though.</li>
<li><strong>Raise those legs and improve circulation in them.</strong> I carry <strong>an inflatable foot rest</strong> that I found and bought at an airport. This is one of the best things I’ve done for myself. The foot rest, once inflated, is not high enough for my personal preference so I usually place it on top of my backpack which usually sits under the seat in front of me to get the height I desire. This makes sleeping <em>so</em> much easier and <em>so</em> much more comfortable. You can find one on Amazon. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inflatable-Travel-Footrest-Therapeutic-Your/dp/B003FFHO2Y">This one</a> is almost identical to the one I own.</li>
<li><strong>Wear compression socks</strong> if you need to. This is not completely sleep-related, but it belongs in the airplane comfort section nonetheless. Sitting for a long time can exert a lot of hamrlful pressure on your legs, which is why <strong>getting up and walking on the plane</strong> every now and then is extremely important. But if you’re sitting on a window seat and this is not easy to do, wearing compression socks helps regulating the blood flow in your legs and feet and prevents them from swelling. (Since you’re going to be sleeping while you’re sitting, then it makes sense to wear them during your sleep as well.)</li>
<li>When I plan to sleep, I <strong>pick a window seat.</strong> This is definitely a personal preference—you may prefer otherwise. I personally like having something to lean on. I pick an isle seat for shorter flights when I know I won’t be sleeping. An isle seat is also great when I do use cabin space and know I’ll want to get things out of my bag frequently, so I can do it without bothering the people sitting next to me.</li>
<li><small><em>(Update: September 13<sup>th</sup>, 2017)</em></small> I’ve recently also added the <strong>shoe-like socks</strong> “<a href="https://www.skinners.cc/">Skinners</a>” to my carry-on pack. They’re extremely comfortable socks (or shoes? maybe neither?) that have an asphalt-like bottom that’s <strong>strong enough to protect even against broken glass</strong>. These socks are perfect for long-haul flights and airports. They even make for better shoe replacements for when I want to speak without shoes on, which is something that’s supposed to help with stage nerves and make you feel more “grounded” (pun intended) on stage. Every pair comes with its own pouch to pack them when you’re not using them. I can imagine they can make for a great alternative to foldable flats in <em>some</em> scenarios as well.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="jet-lag-is-hard-to-beat%2C-but-easier-to-combat." tabindex="-1">Jet Lag is hard to beat, but easier to combat.</h3>
<p>I read somewhere that it takes one day for every hour of time difference to get over jet lag. In other words: if you’re flying to a destination with 10 hours time difference, you’d need 10 days to get over jetlag and for your body to adjust to the new local time. This is not very efficient and will certainly be a problem if you’re traveling to a 10-hour-different time zone and are staying for 3 or 4 days only.</p>
<p>But I’ve learned that you can lessen—and sometimes maybe even neutralize—the effects of jetlag by following these few tips:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Practicing healthy habits on my way to the destination</strong>, especially <strong>drinking lots of water and eating healthy!</strong> I can’t emphasize the importance of these two enough. Exhausting your body by allowing it to dehydrate and not giving it enough nutrients and healthy food is one of the worst things you can do to worsen the effects of jetlag.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Adjust your watch to the time zone you’re flying to as soon as the plane takes off</strong>, and try adjusting your body to the new time zone as early as possible. Try to eat and sleep according to your destinations’s time, not your local time.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you can, <strong>get some exercise during the day</strong> at your destination. Exercising gives you that energy spark to get you through the day without feeling too tired and needing to sleep early. I have a friend who swears by exercising and says that it’s literally the only thing he does to get over jetlag, and that it just works.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Make sure you <strong>expose yourself to as much sunlight as possible during the day</strong> at your destination. Sunlight and water literally give us life, and they are great to help you energize during the day to make it through it.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>I’ve personally tried some of these tips and noticed that they did help me a lot. I’m still not completely able to handle jetlag <em>all</em> the time, but I’m getting better at it the more I travel.</p>
<h3 id="other-things-i-always-carry%2Fdo" tabindex="-1">Other things I always carry/do</h3>
<p>In addition to the no-brainers such as passport, money and boarding pass, I:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Always bring comfortable walking shoes along</strong>. I never travel without them, even if the trip is a pure business one without any recreational activities planned. You just never know when you need them.</li>
<li><strong>Keep a digital photo of important documents</strong> on your phone (passport, ID, and itinerary, addresses, phone numbers, etc.) I also take photos of my bags sometimes, just in case it got lost in transport I can provide the airline with the exact description of how it looks. <strong>I also take screenshots of everything</strong> such as addresses, maps, telephone numbers. I usually use screenshots as a note-taking process in my daily life, so doing so during my travels comes naturally.</li>
<li><strong>Keep a printed copy of your digital documents</strong> such as invitation letters, itineraries, etc. Sometimes passing through customs they request seeing them. I know it’s happened twice with me so far so I learned to always save an offline copy of everything with me.</li>
<li><strong>Bring a pen</strong>. You’ll need it to fill out any required landing customs forms on the plane before arrival.</li>
<li><strong>Bring my own entertainment</strong>. If you travel a lot, then chances are that you’ll have watched most—if not all—intersting movies the airline has to offer at some point. I survived some flights in situations like these by carrying an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-iXpand-iPhone-Silver-SDIX30C-128G-GN6NE/dp/B01CIEBXZG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1500965032&sr=8-3&keywords=sandisk+iphone+usb">On-The-Go USB flash drive</a> that contains a bunch of movies. I use my iPad to watch on, read, and sometimes draw.</li>
<li>Always <strong>carry a small emergency kit</strong> with me. I almost never fly without one. (Contains: band-aids, allergy pills, Ibuprofen, eye drops, and other small things that belong in an emergency kit.)</li>
<li><strong>Tag that luggage</strong> to make it easier to find. Also, I’ve read a tip once about keeping a copy of your ID inside the bag so that it’s easier to track you, the owner, when it’s found. I’m not sure how safe that is to do, but it may be worth considering.</li>
<li>Always make sure to <strong>carry some local currency cash on you as well</strong>. I find that I need to pay in cash sometimes, and having to find an ATM in urgent situations is stressful. Try to have some (even if just a little) cash on you at all times.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="the-tech-pack" tabindex="-1">The Tech Pack</h3>
<p>I will do a separate post on this including photos of my tech travel gear, but here is a quick list of the most important things I carry when I travel for work (dev and speaking):</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Laptop</strong> (& charger)</li>
<li><strong>iPad</strong> (for reading, watching movies, writing/drawing)</li>
<li><strong>Mobile phone</strong></li>
<li><strong>Portable battery</strong> (enough to charge my phone twice and iPad once)</li>
<li><strong>International adapter</strong> (includes USB cable for charging battery pack and other stuff)</li>
<li><strong>Slider remote</strong></li>
<li><strong>Screen cleaner</strong> and cloth</li>
<li><strong>On-The-Go USB</strong> (I usually have movies on it)</li>
<li><strong>Charging iPhone case</strong> (with built-in battery)</li>
<li><strong>Noise-cancelling headphones</strong></li>
<li><strong>Camera</strong> (& lenses, extra batteries, etc.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="footnotes">
The background image used in this post is designed by <a href="https://freepik.com/">Freepik</a>.
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Introducing: The Desk2017-06-29T00:00:00Zhttps://sarasoueidan.com/desk/about/<p class="size-2x">Over the last four years, I’ve published one technical article after the other—<a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/">on this site</a> and on several publications — digital and print. With the exception of one or two posts, my articles have been purely technical.</p>
<p>But I also have — and love sharing — non-technical content as well. I like sharing and talking about tools and apps I love using, and share tips on different topics like traveling and health and productivity, for example. I can’t count the number of times I’d tweet about some non-technical idea or thought I’d have and a few of my friends or followers would respond with “this would make a great article idea” or “maybe you should write about how you do that”.</p>
<p>I’ve been avoiding publishing non-technical articles in my <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/">Articles section</a> because I understand and keep in mind that many people may not be interested in them and are only subscribed to my RSS for the technical content. So, after <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/jekyll-ghpages-to-hugo-netlify">my recent migration to Hugo</a>, I decided to give non-technical content its own little corner on this site, with its own RSS feed. So you can <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/desk/index.xml">subscribe to the RSS for this section</a> if you want to receive these articles in your RSS reader.</p>
<p class="note">
<strong>Heads up:</strong> if you’ve been subscribed to my Articles section for the technical content, you may need to update the RSS link if you haven’t already. The migration to Hugo included some URL changes, including that of the RSS. I haven’t posted any new articles in the Articles section since the migration, so you haven’t missed anything yet. Please <a href="https://sarasoueidan.com/blog/index.xml">re-subscribe to the feed</a> to get the new upcoming content. Apologies for the inconvenience.
</p>
<p>I’ve <em>always</em> wanted to have a corner where I can post non-technical content. Using Medium to do so crossed my mind once but I don’t like the idea of someone else owning or having rights over <em>my</em> content, so publishing on Medium was out of question for me. Not to mention that I like the idea of having an online home (or office or studio) that people can visit to find any and all content written or created by me. And this is it. All this said, I decided to dedicate a small corner of my site for such articles. And I’m happy that it’s finally out!</p>
<h3 id="the-desk" tabindex="-1">The Desk</h3>
<p>I’ve been meaning to roll this section out for a few months. But part of the plan for this section was to extend it with a newsletter which would launch at the same time, with this post being an announcement for both the new section and the newsletters. But finally I realized that the newsletter was standing in the way of this because I just didn’t feel ready to commit to it just yet.</p>
<p>The plan for the newsletter was to send out infrequent letters in which I share what I’m up to, what I’m reading (recommended articles), useful tips and tricks that I would share only with my subscribers, previews of new content, and a little more. But after giving this quite a lot of thought, I decided to post such content on this site instead—so now everyone would have access to it.</p>
<p>The name— <em>Desk</em> —is inspired by <a href="https://studio.zeldman.com/">Jeffrey Zeldman’s letter</a> on his Studio’s Web site. <em>“From the Desk of Jeffrey Zeldman”</em> is a letter from Jeffrey in which he personally introduces himself and addresses his visitors in a beautiful letter which sounds exactly like what a real letter would sound if and when sent out from his real desk. The moment I saw the title I thought to myself: “I love this!". I’ve always thought of my Web site as my online home <em>and studio</em>, being an independent freelancer, so naming this section The Desk made a lot of sense given the type of content I’ll be posting in it.</p>
<p>I’ve also put a little extra thought into the URLs for the posts in this section. For example, the URL for this one is <code>desk/about/</code> and an upcoming post will be about my physical desk setup, so the URL for that one would be <code>/desk/setup/</code>. (It’s similar to the <code>/uses/</code> page that <a href="https://wesbos.com/">Wes Bos</a> started, but I customized the URL to fit into the structure of the content on my site and hence the URL is different from the one Wes and other devs use.) It made a lot of sense for that post to be part of the Desk section because it is literally about my real desk. And the best URL for that IMO is <code>/desk/setup/</code>, because it’s <em>about</em> my desk <em>setup</em>.</p>
<h3 id="about-the-posts-in-this-section" tabindex="-1">About the posts in this section</h3>
<p>Posts published under the Desk section are going to be date-less. Unlike technical articles, posts in this section do not need a publication date because the content in these posts would not “expire” or be invalid after some period of time. I like this because it gives me more flexibility and freedom in posting new content here. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since a post has been published—you’ll find the content in that post still useful at any time you decide to read (or re-read) it. I aim to publish posts that would be continuously “refreshed”. For example, a Desk post about my favourite tools and apps would periodically be updated with new tools and apps as I add those to my personal list.</p>
<p>One of my goals for this section is to get creative with the layout and design for each post. This won’t be evident in the first few weeks because my current aim is to get this section and the content in it out and not be hindered by my design decisions (or lack thereof) anymore. Some posts are going to be kinda deserving of their own little corner on my site, so instead of creating them as their own little sub-sections, I’ll be designing them in a way that would make them look like they’re their own section. I’m hoping that once these designs are rolled out, this will make a little more sense.</p>
<h3 id="work-in-progress" tabindex="-1">Work in progress</h3>
<p>I’ve already got a list of topics for future posts in this section that I plan to publish. (I’m super excited about them!!) But if you would like me to write about a specific topic or have a question that would be worth writing an article about, please let me know in the comments below or <a href="https://twitter.com/SaraSoueidan">on Twitter</a>.</p>
<p>Thank you for visiting and reading. See you soon!</p>