Riverside is 4 days away, so why am I waiting for a red-eye in SFO?!

Here is a glimpse into one player's world of pro beach volleyball...

As many of you know, my day job is as the owner of STARR International, a sales consultancy firm specializing in the logistics and service industries. Having left corporate America after 6 years, I decided to break out on my own back in 2006. And while I wouldn't trade it for the world, it does require me to keep an eye on the travel budget a little bit!

As I watched the tired passengers stumble off the plane here in the Continental terminal in SFO, I can't help but wonder if the coughing and sneezing is contagious. If the answer is yes, which let's face it, I'm in an airport, it could make for an interesting day come Friday when the main draw starts of the AVP Riverside open...what the heck am I doing in SFO four days from the tournament you ask? Good question. I have a meeting in Waco, TX to discuss inbound ocean containers from Asia with a large corporation. In order to get work, life, and volleyball to-do's off the list today, the only time I could fly out was tonight.

Funny thing is, I love this stuff. The sweet is not as sweet without the bitter; so while the timing might not be ideal (I have a feeling nobody else in the top 50 on the AVP tour is flying out tonight for business meetings), playing on the AVP Tour is my reward for a hard day's work. Balancing marriage, business, volleyball, workouts, other obligations is what makes me feel fulfilled. It is the old cliche: you only get one trip on this merry-go-round called life, so don't miss a thing! I won't, as long as I don't fall asleep and miss this flight!

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion; you must set yourself on fire."