Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Venice c. 1975

September 24, 2015

I’m NOT calling it Throwback Thursday – I’m calling it stories and photos of some great things that happened to me once upon a time. And I am going to start with this class trip to Venice I took when I was about 12/13 years old. Yeah, yeah, eons ago.

My family lived in London, England, from 1972 to 1977. My brothers and I went to two different schools there for the American transplants and both schools had trips abroad every fall and spring. I was able to go to Rome and Paris on these trips and then to Venice which was my most favorite of them all. And when I mean school trip it was a trip the school kids went on (you signed up for it) without parents but with the teachers as chaperones. It was a wonderful experience to see places I might never have seen, but it was also a growing up experience too. Like the time the jr. high kids were haggling with vendors in Rome. It wasn’t all fun – the trip to Paris was terrible – but today I’m remembering Venice.

Right from the start I loved the city – it was incredibly beautiful. We stayed in this hotel that felt like it was about 500 years old. There was a bridge close by and on the other side were shops. In one of the shops they (I believe they were brothers) made little glass trinkets (after all Venice is known for its glass works). Well, we loved it! These guys would make anything you asked them to and someone asked them to make a turtle. Well, that was all they made for the rest of that week – we couldn’t get enough! My green glass turtle is the only physical item I have from that trip and I treasure it.

I don’t remember doing many touristy things there, but we did go on a gondola ride that I almost wimped out on. I’m glad I didn’t – it was so much fun! And I believe we went to St. Mark’s Square as well. We also did a lot of walking through the streets and seeing shops and such.

At the end of every day we had the evening meal all together in the dining room. We were expected to dress up and I mean dresses for the girls and nice shirts and pants for the boys. I loved it – I have always loved wearing dresses and getting dolled up. (I have lost that over the years and maybe, hopefully, some day will feel confident enough to do it again). It was just wonderful.

Well, the last night we were there, a group of kids were in someone’s room and they were all playing Truth or Dare. I remember slipping into the room because it looked like so much fun. I sat down on a bed to see what would happen. It was a boy’s turn and he took the dare. I strained to listen to the older kid giving the dare. And there it was “I dare you to kiss HER”! Wait what – ME? They wanted him to kiss ME? What the heck?? I thought there was no way he was going to do that. I wasn’t pretty (acne and crooked teeth) and I wondered how he was going to get out of it. But…he went through with it – he kissed me! And it wasn’t just a quick peck on the cheek (not even on the cheek) – it was tender and so sweet. And it was my first kiss. Suddenly – dun dun DUN – who should be walking by but one of the chaperones – right at that moment! HOLY CRAP! I can still remember the look on his face and words like “what is going on here” may have been yelled! Kids scattered and that was the end of that. The next day we left to go back to London but that trip stayed with me for a long time.

You know, when I try to think back on the specifics I think I liked the boy and he may have liked me. Maybe they didn’t think he’d kiss a homely girl like me. I really don’t care. The way I remember it is how I’ll always remember it without any regrets or reservation or overthinking. Simple and sweet. Like my turtle.

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» Venice c. 1975 » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Venice c. 1975

September 24, 2015

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