I am now back on terra firma in the good old US of A, although it took me just about 24 hours to get to St. Louis. But that's ok...there were no hysterical Amys this time; just a cool, collected, on-the-ball world traveller, if I do so say myself. And since there is no one else to say it for me, well, I do.

Some hi-lights of my last few days in Italy include:

• Getting heatstroke thanks to my FAVORITE conductor deciding it was clever to have all the singers rehearse for the gala for an hour and a half in the full, midday Tuscan sun with no breaks for water or shade--on the night of said gala. BRILLIANT.
• Attending a big ol' party at a swanky club (San Colombano) on the wall (with free food and free wine), at which the aforementioned conductor got called out on his affair with the lead in the opera (PS, his wife was on the program as violin faculty), in a most public manner. He deserved it. I've never wanted to throw a shoe at someone's head more than I wanted to throw one at his, all the time.
• Noticing the next day that said conductor was no longer wearing his wedding ring.
• Busing the ENTIRE program (full orchestra, all the singers, the whole shebang) to Torre del Lago in order to repeat the final gala concert at the Puccini festival.
• Getting the most RIDICULOUS applause at said festival.
• Drinking wine on the bus back to Lucca after the concert.
• Falling off of the back of Bevin's bici on our way to our final party for ourselves on the wall. WE WEREN'T DRUNK. We were mildly tipsy.
• Spending Saturday night at the Hilton at the Fiumicino Airport in Rome, so as to negate the need for getting to the airport in time for my 7:45am flight Sunday morning. ROOM TO MYSELF, AMAZING.
• Walking into the Rome airport at 6am (ok, I was a little later than I intended to be) and seeing 5OO PEOPLE IN "LINE" (line is a relative term--since the line is an imposition of foreign culture in Italy, Italians don't respond well to them) in front of the Alitalia desk.
• Walking to the end of the line, and realizing I would never get through it in time for my flight. And I HAD to get that flight.
• Deciding that, instead of getting hysterical, I would attempt to cut the line, in a very non-German disregard for the line.
• Successfully cutting the line, and then getting upgraded to business class. HOT.
• Getting home from after 24 hours of travelling and 26 and a half hours of wakefulness.

Good trip. I'm broke, and this sucks, but now I have a job and am working 8 hours a day. I miss Italy.

The end?

*ciao*