What time is it?

Ok, I will warn you, it is super-confusing trying to keep track of what time it is back home. The number of missed meetings and calls I have had because I got it wrong is not small. Several things make it complicated:

• We are a day ahead of the US
• The dates that daylight savings happen are different

So, for example, we will be either +19, +20 or +21 hours relative to California depending on the date. That is hard to visualize, so we think about it as 3,4, or 5 hours earlier than California plus a day. So if we have a call with our family in California at 5 pm on Friday on Dec 25th their time, it would 2 pm Saturday our time. Whew. I know, it’s enough to give you a headache. Here’s a break down:

Date	Los Angeles	Denver	New York
Sept 29 to Nov 2	+20 (4 hrs)	+21 (5 hrs)	+23 (7 hrs)
Nov 2 to Mar 9	+21 (3 hrs)	+22 (4 hrs)	+24 (6 hrs)
Mar 9 to Apr 6	+20 (4 hrs)	+21 (5 hrs)	+23 (7 hrs)
Apr 6 to Sept 29	+19 (5 hrs)	+21 (6 hrs)	+22 (8 hrs)

Clear as mud, right? Yes, the dates overlap. If you have a call with someone or are traveling on any fall back or spring forward dates, use one of those online meeting planner websites to be sure you’re getting it right.

Time warp:

Probably the most import thing to remember is that when you fly here you will lose a day. If you leave on a Saturday night you will land on a Monday morning.

But the real mind bender happens when you fly back. If you are going to San Francisco, you will land a few hours before you take off.

Pro Warning: If you decide to stop off in Tahiti on your way back, just remember you will need to make the hotel reservation in Tahiti the day before you leave. If you leave on Jan 13th, then your hotel reservation in Tahiti needs to be for Jan 12th.