Boston blues

I spent yesterday in Boston to present a seminar at Harvard Medical School. I know many virologists there and it was enjoyable to speak with them and the graduate students. However, I have vowed never to travel in the winter again.

I left home at 5:30 AM to catch a 7 AM flight to Boston. The weather was mild and I was warm in scarf, coat, and gloves. It was raining. The flight was one and one-half hours late. Fortunately I had not had coffee! When I arrived at HMS, instead of going to my first appointment, I stopped to pick up a tank of coffee at the local Starbuck's. During the day, the temperature dropped slowly, and the rain turned to freezing rain. In the late afternoon I was told I should probably take the train back to New York. By 4 PM my flight had been delayed two hours, to 9:30 PM. I ended up taking the Acela to New York, 3 1/2 hours. Then NJ Transit from Penn Station to the Liberty Airport station (20 minutes), then the airtrain to the parking lot to get my car. I was home just after 11 - and who knows if my flight ever made it.

A miserable traveling day. So what is worse - miserable traveling, or miserable commute? Not a great choice. But that's it for traveling in the winter on the east coast.