Music is a collaborative art and a solitary one -- solitary at times in creation and at practice and study, collaborative with listeners, other players and singers, and at times, with musicians who are also partners in life. From the landscapes and traditions of Cape Breton, Ontario, Texas, Ireland, and Boston, among other places, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, and Matt and Shannon Heaton draw their stories told in word and melody...

San Antonio is a city that never sleeps. Hordes of tourists, cameras at the ready, vie for space on noisy, downtown sidewalks near the busy River Walk. Visitors snap photos in front of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks, or along a string of souvenir shops. 

Across the street at the Alamo Plaza, another throng mills around the San Antonio de Valero mission entrance. More intent on proving they saw a historic site, these tourists shoot selfies in front of “The Alamo,” the best known Texas landmark.

Recently, articles have been popping up about whether you should vacation with your extended family, and the answer is a big, fat YES! Whether your family is close and already does it, or you barely know your cousins and think of them as strangers. You should vacation with your extended family, because something special happens when you do.

A Note from ChristaD, Education and the Rainforest Editor:  
This post was written by Kailini C., a high school student from the Gunston School in Maryland.  Kailani is a participant in the 2015 Amazon Workshops Student Field Reporter Project which enlisted the help of several students to share their 2015 Amazon experiences with us. Over the coming months, the Education and the Rainforest posts will feature Kailani's words, photos, and reflections – giving you a student's perspective on travel to the Amazon and its educational impact!