The inaugural Texas Youth Orchestra tour took place July 8-21, 2006. After many emails, meetings, and telephone conversations over the course of over a year, we set out with forty-five travelers (string players, teachers, and family members) to perform in and tour Italy and Austria. We arrived in Rome on the day that Italy won the World Cup and the trip continued to be a magical adventure. Following Rome, we visited Florence, Cremona, Venice, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and ended in Vienna.