First Flights in the Pandemic and Impressions

We returned from the West Coast at 1AM this morning from Seattle/Tacoma. I had not flown since the INFORMS Security Conference in beautiful Monterey, California in February 2020. I had also not taken a "vacation" since way before then and, frankly, it felt good to put up the "I am away message."

In 2019 alone, I had given invited talks in Chile, Ireland, France, Greece, Colombia, and Mexico as well as in many parts of the US and had also been to Ukraine for an academic business meeting. I was, pre-pandemic, a frequent flier, and have missed travel tremendously. My travels, almost exclusively, involve professional travel but, this past Wednesday, it was time to visit family before we all begin another busy academic year of teaching.

My husband and I flew out of Bradley airport (in Hartford/Springfield) early last Wednesday morning on United and we had a connection in Denver. The flights we took yesterday, also through Denver, were actually rebooked from today and, thank goodness, that we did get rebooked since the last flight into Bradley that we were originally scheduled for got cancelled because of Hurricane Henri, the first hurricane to hit New England in 30 years. We always "dress up" when we fly and, believe me, one gets better service then. We got whisked through fast lanes on TSA check ins!

I am one of those travelers that enjoys the journey and I also love flying.

All the flights were jam-packed and I had a middle seat on all 4 flights. United was very efficient in boarding us, which certainly pleased me and there was only one kerfuffle with our online checkin yesterday and then the changing of our seat assignments so I was passing notes to my husband with the help of multiple passengers in our row (he got a window seat) to get messages to him.

I had many impressions on the flying and airport experiences in the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite announcements that everyone was to have their masks  covering both the nose and mouth, I saw quite a few masks below the nose in the airports and some folks seemed to dilly dally with their drinks and food to have their masks below their chins as long as possible.

I had packed extra masks in my briefcase (this was not professional travel but I still can't fly without my briefcase) and these came in handy since the gentleman yesterday next to me on the flight from Denver had his mask consistently slipping below his nose. His was very grateful for my mask and thanked me. I had a marvelous conversation with him (yes, I am one of those "talkers" on planes but I am genuinely interested in people and have made some amazing connections on flights - even a teaching gig at Harvard in Executive Education). He was a trucker he told me for UPS. As someone who will soon be teaching her Transportation and Logistics class, who could be a better seat-mate? He has been doing long distance journeys for UPS in the pandemic so the conversation was so interesting and informative (I could write a post just about it but my students will get to hear a lot). And, on the flight on Wednesday from Bradley to Denver, I had a top lawyer next to me, who had driven his daughter all the way to the University of Hartford, where she is a student! My husband teaches there, so the conversation was also amazing - plus, the lawyer has 4 children and was involved in the Amazon IPO! And, on the flight yesterday from Seattle to Denver, I was seated next to a student from Washington University who had been an intern at Amazon all summer and was flying from Denver to Newark to get home to Jersey City. He is a CS major focusing on hardware. So we chatted about his experiences at Amazon and also learning in the pandemic.

The lady on the other side of me on the last flight yesterday was cold, so I lent her one of my travel scarves to warm her up.

Outside of the student who sat next to me, everyone was flying for family reasons - they had not seen children or grandchildren for about 2 years - were now fully vaccinated, and could not put off living any more.

We wore N-95 masks throughout our travel on planes, taxis, and being in airports, and, when the lady behind us was coughing on the first leg, I offered her Ricola cough drops, which she declined, and said that she had "an allergy." I could go on about this but will stop here. It was time for us to double mask, which we did.

Tacoma was gorgeous - I could easily live there. I will share some photos at another time. 

And,  as I write this, we have torrential rains and high winds in Amherst due to Henri. There already are over 100,000 people without power in the northeast. While we were on the West Coast, I heard from many colleagues and friends as far as Hong Kong who were very  concerned about us making it back east because of Henri. Thank you for the thoughtfulness, which is so appreciated.

We managed to get some fresh produce at local farm stands but were shocked and disappointed that at the Cumberland Farms in northern Amherst very few were wearing masks, even people with children and we have a mask mandate now in public interior places in Amherst.

Celebrating 6 Years of Blogging

Today marks the completion of 6 years of writing on this blog, which I started back on January 19, 2009, with a new administration and the New Year.

It has been a terrific journey and I thank all of my readers who have extended their appreciation for my posts.

I continue to believe that there is still much to be said, celebrated, and commented on so I look forward to continuing to write on this blog.

I have tried to provide tips for academic job seekers, for researchers, as well as for students, and to acknowledge achievements of both students and faculty and those who make a difference in people's lives.  I have also tried my best to recognize those who have been great mentors, educators, and leaders.

Research has also been a consistent, very important topic on this blog, RENeW (Research, Education, Networks and the World) as well as travel experiences and observations on academic lifestyles in different countries, Sweden included.

I have tried to include photos in may posts as well as useful links.

And today, as we celebrate Martin Luther King's Day, I recognize the importance of having different voices and perspectives heard and acknowledged.

Looking forward to a great new semester, which begins at UMass tomorrow!

What Kind of Traveler Are You?

The World Culture Museum has a fabulous exhibition on travelers (spelled "travellers" sometimes).

I was there last Sunday and enjoyed the exhibit very much.

Yesterday, I did a lot of traveling, flying first from Gothenburg, Sweden to Amsterdam Schiphol and then to Boston Logan and, finally, making it back to Amherst, Massachusetts. I was in Sweden for a month -- my third multiweek stay there this year.

The photos below were taken at the special exhibit at the World Culture Museum, which opened in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2004.

The Beauty of Stockholm and a Thanks to the Royal Institute of Technology

I returned recently to Amherst, Massachusetts from Sweden and have become a bicontinental citizen since I now also have a visiting faculty appointment at the University of Gothenburg, which is in Sweden's second largest city.

During my recent month-long stay in Sweden, I had an opportunity to visit Stockholm, and to speak at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). My wonderful host was Professor Lars-Goran Mattsson, who is the head of the Deoartment of Transport Science. Sweden is supporting research in transportation and logistics and it is wonderful to see the research community flourishing. The transportation infrastructure in Sweden is also fabulous and I never tire of seeing the trams, ferries, and trains plus the wonderful pedestrian walkways and bicycle lanes.

Despite my seminar taking place on June 18, 2012, which was only a few days before what the Swedes call midsommar and which they take very seriously because it marks the beginning of their summer, the attendance at my talk was great. I even got to see Dr. Dr. PO Lindberg (this is not a typo -- Lindberg did successfully defend his second doctoral dissertation at KTH on June 1, 2012). The photo above is of the three of us after my seminar on perishable product supply chains in health care.

Prior to my seminar, I was treated to a sumptious lunch at KTH. The Swedes are known for their delicious fish, chicken, and even pancake dishes (I'll feature desserts later in this post.)

Having lived in Stockholm, on three different occasions, when my daughter was 2, 4, and 7, it was great to have my husband and daughter with me in Stockholm.

Beauty never fails to inspire. The photos below are of the breathtaking architecture and natural beauty of Stockholm.

And, as promised, below I have posted photos of desserts in Stockholm, the second one below in the form of a dessert, which was made of shrimp and lettuce and I found at one of the train station cafes.

Back now in Amherst, with all the wonderful experiences in Sweden as part of me, I have actually been enjoying revising papers, fortified with images and memories of Sweden.

Thank you, KTH, and, of course, thanks to the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg!

Packing as an Optimization Problem -- Off to Europe

I will soon be on a two week trip to Europe to speak at conferences and have begun to pack.

Packing a suitcase is an optimization problem to which we can apply the tools of operations research.

First, consider the constraints:

I am assuming one carryon suitcase which must fit into the overhead compartment in the airplane(s) so I have to deal with a limited volume.

I am also limited as to the weight of the fully packed suitcase since I insist on carrying my suitcase on the plane and having it with me in my travels. (I recall not so fondly having to dump some of my favorite shoes at the Auckland airport since I was over the weight limit and refuse, if at all possible, to check my luggage, since my suitcase from Japan, lost two decades ago, compliments of United, has yet to arrive.) Also, every academic has his share of horror stories of suitcases that arrived at the destination after the talks were given.

One should pack for the weather (so I have been checking the weather forecasts for my two destinations) and for the occasion. I have to give two plenary talks so I have to look professional for the duration of the two conferences (besides my European mother instilled this in me and even as a child she dressed me in suits). In Vienna, the temps are forecasted to be rainy and cooler next week whereas Yalta is a summer tourist destination on the Black Sea and can be quite warm (but probably cooler than in the steamy Northeast of the US now).

Of course (I wonder whether male academics care about this), I believe that the clothing that one takes should be color-coordinated and in good taste (and one should not wear the same outfit every day). Plus, with the right combination of skirts, tops, and accessories (shoes matter, too), one can maximize the number of outfits that one can generate. One has to factor in those evening banquets and conference excursions.

Going for this period of time, one needs to also plan for including some exercise, so I will make do with a good pair of sneakers and some colorful t-shirts and shorts.

Luckily, conferences in the summer only require lighter-weight clothing!

So, I need to identify which resources (pieces of clothing) I should take with me in the carryon suitcase so that they do not exceed the volume of the suitcase nor the weight limit and maximize some representation of the utility or satisfaction that I get from bringing and wearing them. Additional constraints include "matching" type of constraints -- I can't very well just show up in only tops or only bottoms but need each day a complete outfit when I venture out.

One of my most challenging extended business trips took place a few years ago when I had to speak in Cyprus (where it was very hot), then fly to Iceland for a conference (with temps in the mid40s), and then back to give a talk in Erice, Sicily, where it was also very warm. Luckily, my husband and daughter met me in Iceland and brought warm clothing so I did not have to deal with that part.

I emailed my presentations to the organizers of the two conferences so I don't have to lug a laptop but have backups on a pendrive.

I solved the above optimization problem and am delighted with the result. I could include a photo of my suitcase contents but, instead, I will surprise you with photos after this trip.

And, remember to always take an umbrella!

Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Bicycles

I returned yesterday from the NET2009 conference in Rome, Italy. Taking a taxi at 7:00AM on a Sunday to the Rome airport allowed me to experience free flow traffic in that usually very congested city. Rather than an hour trip between these two points as was my experience the previous Tuesday morning during rush hour traffic, the trip took only 20 minutes. There was congestion, however, in the Rome airport where the queues even at that time were sizable due to many departing international flights. Serendipitously, while standing in the line for security I started a conversation with a gentleman next to me who works for American Airlines and had received a PhD in industrial engineering from Purdue University several years back. So, of course, we talked about faculty and students that we both knew.

Our Air One flight (Alitalia and Air One have, in effect, merged) left an hour late but we still somehow managed to arrive on time at Logan in Boston. The food was terrific on the flight and the air crew and staff very gracious and friendly. The flight allowed me to reminisce about the experiences in Rome for the past several days, which included (over and above the conference experiences):

being asked by a nun in Italian for directions (for some reason, almost any place I have traveled to I have been asked for directions in the native tongue, including in Japan),

seeing the effects of a multi-hour transportation worker stoppage on a Saturday in Rome (busses, taxis, trains did not operate, with a consequence that some tourists were left to walk for miles since the tour busses that had deposited them would not move),

after consuming wonderful pastries, which, I suspect, had too much rum in them, ending up wandering "lost" in Rome, trying to find my hotel (luckily, the train and huge police stations are good central locations),

getting to know the staff at the Casa dell'Aviatore (the home for aviators) quite well since I had spent 5 nights there,

watching Italian news and television in the wee hours due to disco/rock bands playing "outside" my bedroom window and, hence, my inability to get to sleep (Italian TV can merit pages of blogging but it is incredibly entertaining from the news shows to the extravaganza song and dance shows with nuns usually getting front row seating),

finding a huge, simply magnificent cemetery next to La Sapienza where I walked in tranquility admiring the incredible mausoleums and memorials with mosaics and even photos of the deceased in ceramic and tile and decorated with flowers and plantings (another side benefit was that, while walking there, I came up with an interesting angle with which to tackle/unify two research problems on supply chains that I had been working on),

eating delicious meals at which people linger and enjoy the food, each other, and the conversations,

navigating the traffic as a pedestrian,

trying to decipher the graffiti (a huge problem and an eyesore in contrast to the glorious architecture),

and enjoying the elegance and charm of the people.

Thank you, Rome, for an experience unlike any other!

PS As for those of you who follow sports, yesterday, the Giro bicycle competition ended in Rome with Menchov the victor.