From frigid water temperatures, hazardous surf, and large marine life, to pollution, man-made structures, and sheer isolation, coastlines are places that demand respect.NorwayI was awakened by the flurry of wind and snow blowing against the side of our Norwegian cabin. The wind through the valley often reaches 40 mph and it was hard to think in a few hours we would have to leave the warmth of our sleeping bags for the frigid waters out front.

Since 1995, the US government has paid an average of $10 billion per year in subsidies to farmers. The concept is nothing new, nor particularly mind-boggling: farmers receive tax dollars as payment for growing particular crops, because if all farmers grew whatever they wanted then the ‘agricultural equilibrium’ would be vulnerable, and we might run out of corn for our soft drinks and McNugget breading.

Andy Gee is sixteen years old and a senior at San Leandro School in San Leandro, CA. He was one of 3 students who received the Matador Travel Scholarship and traveled to Nicaragua this summer with a non-profit organization called Global Glimpse.THIS SUMMER I WAS GIVEN a wonderful opportunity to travel to Nicaragua with a group of diverse and talented high school students from the Bay Area.

Don’t worry, that exclamation mark actually belongs there.MONTREAL WAS MY first big city love. My first and only. A place with a subway system and skyscrapers and things that normally make me uncomfortable. But Montreal felt familiar, like I had been there before. The beer helped.I talked to a few Montreal enthusiasts before my trip, and one beer expert told me that I had to swing by the Dieu du Ciel!

Jules Torti is on a blind date in Cuba. With 6 people. For 10 days.IT’S A GROUP TOUR. The sentence glowed in the email like a neon sign.I was flattered to be selected for the Adventure Center travel scholarship, but hadn’t considered the possibility of being at the mercy of strangers and a set itinerary for two weeks.

12 natural wonders of Australia - Our SiteFor the record, I’m skipping straight over Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef.Not that they don’t deserve it, of course. But let’s all agree we know what they look like. Instead, here are some lesser-known natural wonders in the harsh, rugged land that is Australia.