Balabanova All Over

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[Ogden, UT, Oct 2-3, 2019] A work trip for the professional organization I am on the board of brought me to the small town of Ogden, UT – population 85,000. It was the first permanent settlement by people of European descent in Utah and was established in 1846. Up until the 1980s, Ogden was the second-largest city in Utah after Salt Lake City and as such has many historic buildings. Right next… Read More

[Detroit, MI, Apr 17, 2019] My conference ended on Wednesday, but I was staying through Thursday. This year, I finally got on the board of HEDW, the all-volunteer board that organizes the conference. The first of their two board meetings of the year is held on the day after the conference. This left me with a free half-day on Wednesday. I planned on exploring Detroit, and I was super happy that my… Read More

[Ann Arbor, MI, Apr 15/16, 2019] Luckily, the evenings provided opportunities to get out of our hotel and explore of Ann Arbor. Spending a few days at a conference hotel can bring on cabin fever pretty quickly for me, so I relish these opportunities! Monday nights of this conference are typically reserved for the networking dinners. The conference organizers make reservations at a half-dozen or so restaurants in the area and provide… Read More

[Ann Arbor, MI, Apr 14, 2019] My first opportunity to explore Ann Arbor came on Sunday night, after a full day of pre-conference training. The conference is hosted by a different university every year, and this year’s host was the University of Michigan. The conference itself was taking place off campus at a Sheraton hotel. However, the Sunday night welcome reception, which kicked off the conference, was located at the famous University… Read More

[Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Apr 13, 2019] I woke up just before sunrise and just before my alarm. The faint light of the rising sun was making its way through my window. I was ready to explore Cuyahoga National Park, which preserves the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga river between Cleveland and Akron. Being adjacent to two large urban areas makes Cuyahoga somewhat unique, which explained why I was seeing homes right… Read More