rock

Everything was so shiny and glittery in the florescent light, each display holding hundreds of varieties of gems and rocks, many of which I could not name. One table had rows and rows of tubs, each filled with water and thin slabs of stone. Later I learned that vendors did this to show the buyer what the rocks would look like once polished.Near the back of the room I was looking at a display of large gemstones when a little girl loudly exclaimed to her mother, “I want that one!” pointing at a three-foot amethyst. My date and I chuckled; the poor girl didn’t realize how costly that gem was. However, her enthusiasm matched my own; it was almost magical to be in a place with so many beautiful things.

Some say that music has the power to move the soul. But in a more literal sense, music can move its listeners great distances—just consider the flocks of fans who travel many miles to see their favorite music artists. The stats don’t lie: according to Billboard, thirty-two million people attend at least one music festival yearly and travel an average of 903 miles to do so.

You don’t have to be an archaeologist to unearth a few treasures.