i didn't think i was a fan of opera

but maybe i am after all. i went to verona this weekend. that is where romeo and juliet lived:

"Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,"

well, if they had been real, that's where they would have lived. our tour guide kept saying that maybe they had really existed, but i think that's because he didn't want us to realize the absurdity of visiting the house of someone who never lived. i didn't care, though, it's verona. i was trip leader, which basically just means that if we lose any kids, i get blamed. we had two other chaperones and 15 kids, just right. i knew it was going to be an interesting weekend when, after being in the bus less than half an hour we approached the border and girl chaperone said, "everyone, we are crossing the border soon so sit up straight in your chairs." at first i thought she was kidding. so i laughed. but then she shot me a dirty look and i cut it off. i'm not sure what her reasoning was, but i WAS sure that seeing a bunch of 12 year olds in matching t-shirts slouching in their seats was not going to arouse the suspicion of the border police. as if bad posture was the first sign of a future of lawlessness...and maybe loose women. really, though, it was fun. the kids got to shop, which is all they really cared about. we got to eat, which is all we really cared about. the opera was in an ancient roman theater, which i found very exciting: i had visions of myself as a patrician woman. the show started at 9 pm and ended at 1 am, so i had already resigned myself to falling asleep. i thought most of the kids would join me in my slumber, but nope, when one am rolled around, only one person needed to be nudged. although i only understood a few of the words (it never really occurred to me before that the singers were not just singing nonsense) i loved it. it was beautiful-the set, the costumes, the orchestra, and of course, the voices. the whole evening was another of those magical times when i realize how lucky i am to be here and have this job and do all these things i do...for free...while getting paid. i wouldn't trade it for anything. and of the 8000 euro i was given to pay for the trip, i only lost five and we made it back to lugano with 15 kids. if that's not a successful trip, i don't know what is.