Boston Day

Since Tuesday evening, I've been in Boston, mostly in Cambridge, MA, for a math conference (my first ever!). I have had gluten-free pizza, lovely breakfasts at my cute B&B, and nice walks to and from campus. I find myself smiling pretty much wherever I'm walking, which is a nice thing ;). I think a big part of it, beyond the fact that the buildings are pretty and roses are in bloom, is that I feel I actually belong here. The first (and only other) time I was here in Boston was when I was searching for grad schools, and my time in Boston was rather terrible overall, including crying in a Harvard Science Center bathroom due to feeling completely out of place and unworthy. But now! I know stuff, I'm a grad student, and I'm here to learn even more! Plus they're funding me to be here! Take that, Harvard math department ;). Now, of course, I realize I would've been completely in over my head and out of place as a grad student here, but I think they could've been nicer about it.

But - I began the day by going to 2 talks, meeting some famous and less famous people (go me!), including convincing one that I'm an idiot, though I'm told he makes everyone feel this way. Then, I played hooky for a while to go to the Boston Common. I had a lovely walk in the sunshine, at lunch near the Civil War veteran memorial, watched a bicycle cop stare at some guy sitting on a bench with his back to the cop... apparently he looked like he was doing something not-so-much-on-the-up-and-up... then wandered down to the Swan Pond, saw a nesting swan and the daddy finding more twigs. Swans are really quite awkward on land, but graceful in the water. After a rest in the sunshine on a bench near the pond, my totally awesome sister found me a place only 2 blocks away with gluten-free dessert! So, after admiring the awesome smelling roses a second time, I got myself a Dark Chocolate Decadence at Finale. I wandered back to the park to eat my cake - this cake included dark chocolate mocha flourless cake covered in chocolate ganache, topped with gold flakes and a triangular chocolate that had "Finale" written on it! After eating for a little while, some of the squirrels got very curious. In fact, one came up to about 2 inches away from my lap on one side, and then another came up to a couple inches from my purse next to me on the other side. Trying to shoo them away (and seeing that they had suspicious red bumps/blisters on the tops of their feet) and having them come back a few times, I decided to run away from the squirrels. While still surprised by their behavior, I made a face in the direction of one of the Bostonian passers-by, and he got a chuckle out of me being attacked by squirrels wanting my awesome cake.

I wandered back towards the Capital Building (seeing a store called Finagle a Bagel and an office Gentle Dental) to hop on the T to my Inn. I needed to get the other half of delicious cake back in the fridge!

Later, after a talk by an 84 year old French mathematician (J.P. Serre), I wandered down to Harvard Square to meander. I stopped by the Harvard Co-op (a humongous book store, plus cafe, plus apparel store), found a homemade ice cream place but had to walk in the opposite direction due to large amounts of cake earlier :), and then I found the most awesome store ever! Bob Slate: Stationer! Beeya and I would be in heaven... I just wandered around for a long time looking at all the pretty things.

I headed back to the Science Center when thunder started rolling, as I didn't want to get caught in a downpour, and I didn't! I just got to sit inside and watch it! :)

In the evening session, one of the big-named math guys mentioned something very close to (and including) what I'm working on for my thesis as an interesting problem. Cool that he thinks it's interesting, bad if other people start working on it!

All in all, a good day in Boston, though all the walking and sitting in auditorium chairs and sleeping on hard beds is making my body hurt... I'm ready to be back home.