United States
Your Stories From Abroad
United States
ETHICAL DILEMMA: The Right Way To Photograph People?
You see the perfect shot. A weathered guitar player leans against a Havana beach wall and belts out a heartfelt canción. A little boy dumps his ice cream on ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
29 Jan 2009
United States
TOP 5: Most Unusual McDonald's Dishes Abroad
Ask anyone to define American cuisine and chances are they’ll mention McDonald’s. But Mickey-D’s is more than just an American phenomenon. The McDonald’s Corporation operates more ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
09 Mar 2009
United States
ETHICAL DILEMMA: Leaving Your Comfort Zone
In February 2008, a study abroad student made headlines when he returned from Egypt weighing just 99 pounds, nearly 60 pounds less than when he departed. He had lived with ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
17 Mar 2009
United States
TOP 5: Boy Bands Beyond Borders
America's obsession with boy bands reached its screaming-teenage-girl zenith in the early 2000s, when ’N Sync and The Backstreet Boys topped the charts with hits like “It’s Gonna ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
30 Mar 2009
United States
TOP 5: Accidental Sexual Innuendos
In some countries, Americans are known for being slightly less than chaste. But even when our actions are pure, accidental slips of the tongue can reinforce our reputation as philandering ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
24 Mar 2009
United States
PHOTO CONTEST: Getting Places
Grand Prize Winner [Erg-Chebbi, Morocco] As the evening air grows frigid, Ali contemplates how much further Buaro and Jimi can ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
03 Apr 2009
United States
ETHICAL DILEMMA: Should You Give Money To Street Children?
You are walking down the street when a young boy approaches you. He is wearing shabby clothes and appears hungry, and is cupping his hands as if to ask for ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
14 Apr 2009
United States
PHOTO CONTEST: Cultural Explorers
Winner [Jomsom, Nepal] – While traveling by bus to Jomsom, my friend and I discovered that part of the road was ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
05 Oct 2009
United States
This Girl Wants To Know If I Grew Up Speaking Pakistanian
Tina is a little late. I am glad we decided to meet at Lucky Lounge instead of a corner at umpteenth and what’s it called. While I wait to ... read more
by Yasir Shah
31 Oct 2003
United States
PHOTO CONTEST: World Styles
Grand Prize Winner [Seoul, South Korea] While walking in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, I encountered these two Koreans, both artists. I thought ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
13 Jul 2009
United States
PHOTO CONTEST: Street Performers
Grand Prize Winner [Melbourne, Australia] – On a Sunday afternoon, my friends and I were on our way back to the ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
01 Jun 2008
United States
PHOTO CONTEST: Market Day
Grand Prize Winner [Suva, Fiji] This family sells duruka, which has been dubbed by my host mother as "Fiji's ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
01 Jun 2008
United States
PHOTO CONTEST: Family Time
Grand Prize Winner [Kimana, Kenya] – Maasai culture is defined by its strong sense of community and extended family ties. The ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
01 Jun 2007
United States
TOP 5: Things NOT To Do After Returning From Abroad
You’ve been abroad and now you're home. You’re more worldly, more cultured, and excited to share your experiences with your friends and family. You feel like a ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
01 Sep 2009
United States
TOP 5: Ways To Be A Respectful Vegetarian Abroad
Being a vegetarian abroad can be challenging. You’ll not only face practical concerns, like how to find good vegetarian meal options in some places, but also daunting cultural challenges ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
16 Nov 2009
United States
TOP 5: Health Tips From Abroad
Fat. Exhausted. Stressed. It seems that no matter what the study, Americans aren’t very healthy. We have a lot of heart attacks. We’re always tired. We take a ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
19 Jan 2010
United States
PHOTO CONTEST: Best Shot
First-Place Winner [Chittagong, Bangladesh] Hiding from the ticket inspector, these women perch precariously between train coaches. Many Bangladeshis who travel ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
23 Feb 2010
Tips
United States
Save money on the New York subway
For those who frequent the City, and by City I mean New York City of course, the subway is a convenient and quaint way to get around, avoiding shrouds of ... read more
by Claireanne Rementilla
12 Jan 2010
Blog Posts
United States
hi.
Since I can’t sleep, I might as well blog. I’ve never been very good at introductions, but I’ll give it a try. I’m Jenn. I’m a 25 year-old woman/child hybrid from the South. I enjoy French martinis and long walks on the beach. I talk a lot, I make friends ... read more
by Jennifer Moore
17 Mar 2010
Chile
Haiti
United States
Chileans are angry....
and that is an extremely good thing. At least in my humble opinion. Many of the reports that I have seen or heard about the Chilean earthquake from North American media outlets have been largely exaggerated and overblown. Yes, the devastation in Maule and Bio Bio is very real and ... read more
by Raisa Johnson
03 Mar 2010
United States
New blog!!!! plus, I'm actually going to Chile!
Hi all!! I found out that this blog is not very user friendly. It doesn't let people comment and thats a problem. The new site will be http://sonjachile.wordpress.com/ Enjoy!! I won't be posting on this blog anymore All of the CIEE students received emails this morning announcing that the program ... read more
by Sonja Midthun
02 Mar 2010
United States
Disappointment? I think so.
Why hello. Welcome to my blog. As most of you know, today was supposed to be my first day in Santiago. Get off the plane around 11, fifteen days or orientation and intensive language class, a quick stop at a resort, meet and greet my host family, and then ... read more
by Sonja Midthun
01 Mar 2010
United States
Ride Our World
So what exactly is Ride Our World and why did I create it? That is an easy question with an easy answer. Ride Our World (R.O.W) is a company that I started with a friend of mine with a mission to change the way we all think about our lives. Frankly what ... read more
by Brian Lipski
22 Jan 2010
United States
December- Leaving
No plan: breathe in, breathe out and probably shit. Life is only limited by imagination. I thought studying abroad would be cool, you know, moving away would be a secret… like having an incurable disease that would painlessly kill me in five months. People for the most part would treat ... read more
by Hali Dardar
11 Jan 2010
United States
Study Abroad 101: Writing a Blog
Wondering how I became such an accomplished blogger, winning billions of prizes and having gazillions of fans? It all starts with a blog-writing technique that I learned from my grandfather, a martial-arts master currently teaching piano lessons to tree frogs in the winter, penguins in the summer (why do you ... read more
by Chris Vazquez
01 Jan 2010
United States
O'mama and O'papa came to visi
So my Bulgarian grandparents came to visit. Updates: my 89 year old O'papa has finally gotten his hearing aids to work and he is trying to learn how to text. Over the breakfast table to he goes "by ze vay, Sash. I'm going to try to text you now." Twenty ... read more
by Sasha Wilson
27 Dec 2009
United States
Re-Planning
Sadly, I will be postponing my study abroad experience a semester. I had planned to work this summer and then leave in the fall. Since I won't be going until spring now, I will have more time to work but then arises the issues of finding a job. My current ... read more
by Alaina Rose
19 Dec 2009
United States
why traveling fulfills my soul
Traveling is my addiction, my happiness, my fix, my life's fulfillment. It completes my soul like no lover could ever compare to. It is the reason I was put here on this planet, the reason my heart beats, the reason I am the character that writes before you. To describe ... read more
by Michelle Saltis
15 Dec 2009
United States
December already?
So, it's currently December 9th here on the East coast of the US, and in just 22 days I will be en route to Auckland New Zealand (with, of course, a quick pit stop in DIsney Land.) In honor of the epic Kiwi Adventure that I'm about to embark on, ... read more
by Justin Touchette
08 Dec 2009
United States
Last day in Wilmington
Today is my last day in Wilmington, NC, until next August. I'm heading back to D.C. to spend some time with my parents before I leave. In 28 days I will be on a plane traveling across the Atlantic. It hasn't set in yet that I will be in Europe ... read more
by Matthew Delman
08 Dec 2009
United States
Love's Thesis
Today I attended a meeting about senior thesis projects. I have always wanted to complete one, but have never had a particular subject in mind. As a junior, it is suggested that I choose a topic this year, and begin researching it during the summer. Senior thesis projects include a ... read more
by Leticia Henry
02 Dec 2009
United States
Expect everything and nothing.
Here I am, sitting in the library of my college. I'm starting to realize that I need to start thinking about how to prepare myself for my huge trip to Chile. I'll be gone for over 5 months. Things I will miss the most? My cat for sure, my ... read more
by Sonja Midthun
19 Nov 2009
United States
Really quick
An update here is long overdue. I still have to tell you about the Gilman scholarship, CampusFrance, the visa process, and all my other preparations for study abroad. It's only 2 months away! I've just been bogged down by all this work. But expect a thorough and comprehensive update soon! read more
by Katherine Hom
17 Nov 2009
United States
Buddha and Boudain
We pulled into the parking lot and I saw it, a large golden Buddha sitting in the center as if keeping watch over the patrons of the shopping strip. Which in reality makes sense seeing as this strip is indeed on the other side of the tracks. Amber’s Seafood and ... read more
by Courtney Rogers
16 Nov 2009
Norway
United States
The early bird...?
So, I like being early. Turning things in early, starting processes early, getting up early in the morning. I like to think it's one of my better qualities. And so I've started my blog early. Two months early to be precise. Now my reasoning is this: I am technically already ... read more
by Elisabet Arnesen
12 Nov 2009
United States
The Fifth of November, or How We Deal with Terrorism
5 November, 1605. Act of intranational terrorism no. 1. The guy, Guy Fawkes. Threescore barrels, laid below, / To prove old England's overthrow. / But, by God's providence, him they catch, / With a dark lantern, lighting a match! / A stick and a stake / For King James's sake! ... read more
by Marshall Worsham
09 Nov 2009
France
Italy
United States
Why I travel
It's mid-semester, my first semester as a graduate student in professional writing. I've been meaning to blog for quite some time now, but somewhere between schoolwork and the constant cycle of reading and writing that is the so-called lifestyle of a writer, it's been pushed back. I just finished a ... read more
by Chelsea Young
27 Oct 2009
United States
"Making Peace with the World"
I am currently taking a break from my travels to raise funds to continue my work. Please read this information about how to donate to a campaign to support my project: “Making Peace with the World” needs you! “Making Peace with the World” is a photo documentary ... read more
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Paris, France] Preening, this pigeon appears headless above a browning apple core in the streets of Paris. Taken on Bastille Day, this picture truly provokes a thousand revolutionary words. The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 is the symbolic event that marks the beginning of the French Revolution. While parades and countless other frivolities occurred elsewhere in the city, this headless pigeon marched alone, a morbid reminder of the tens of thousands of French citizens beheaded at the guillotine during the Reign of Terror as the gallant Revolution imploded upon itself.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Mitchell Bloom</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/nA5gGU/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Paris, France] Preening, this pigeon appears headless above a browning apple core in the streets of Paris. Taken on Bastille Day, this picture truly provokes a thousand revolutionary words. The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 is the symbolic event that marks the beginning of the French Revolution. While parades and countless other frivolities occurred elsewhere in the city, this headless pigeon marched alone, a morbid reminder of the tens of thousands of French citizens beheaded at the guillotine during the Reign of Terror as the gallant Revolution imploded upon itself.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Mitchell Bloom</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/nA5gGU/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: large;">Runner-Up</span><br />
[Rome, Italy] The Amazing Purple Lady (as my friends and I affectionately referred to her) kindly posed for a photograph in front of her clothing stall in Porta Portese, a Sunday-morning flea market in the Trastevere area of Rome. She sported purple pants, purple shoes, a purple sequined hat, a purple fur coat, a purple scarf, and sunglasses with purple lenses, all of course accented by purple-hued lipstick, purple make-up, and a proud smile.</p>
<p><em>Photo by <a href="http://glimpse.org/accounts/facebook_20612039/profile/">Walter Lang</a></em><a href="http://glimpse.org/accounts/facebook_4205622/profile/"><br />
</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: smaller;">Check out our <a href="http://glimpse.org/contests/submit/">current photo contest</a></span><span style="font-size: smaller;"> and submit for a chance to win a $250 travel voucher, courtesy of STA Travel! </span></p>
<p> </p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/LYrir2/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: large;">Runner-Up</span><br />
[Rome, Italy] The Amazing Purple Lady (as my friends and I affectionately referred to her) kindly posed for a photograph in front of her clothing stall in Porta Portese, a Sunday-morning flea market in the Trastevere area of Rome. She sported purple pants, purple shoes, a purple sequined hat, a purple fur coat, a purple scarf, and sunglasses with purple lenses, all of course accented by purple-hued lipstick, purple make-up, and a proud smile.</p>
<p><em>Photo by <a href="http://glimpse.org/accounts/facebook_20612039/profile/">Walter Lang</a></em><a href="http://glimpse.org/accounts/facebook_4205622/profile/"><br />
</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: smaller;">Check out our <a href="http://glimpse.org/contests/submit/">current photo contest</a></span><span style="font-size: smaller;"> and submit for a chance to win a $250 travel voucher, courtesy of STA Travel! </span></p>
<p> </p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/LYrir2/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Siem Reap, Cambodia] – In Cambodia, the fragility of life is never taken for granted. Thousands of UXO (unexploded ordinances) litter the fields, roads and villages, buried underneath thin layers of soil. Their explosions have maimed almost one in three Cambodians. These remnants of history tear families apart, leaving homes without mothers to care for children and without fathers to provide for the family. This young girl is holding her brother, a common sight in Siem Reap, where daily explosions force children to take on parental roles, robbing them of their childhoods and yet demonstrating just how important family is. Under the direst of circumstances, relatives pick up the pieces, fill in the gaps and begin life anew.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Danielle Staymates</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/LtklBC/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Siem Reap, Cambodia] – In Cambodia, the fragility of life is never taken for granted. Thousands of UXO (unexploded ordinances) litter the fields, roads and villages, buried underneath thin layers of soil. Their explosions have maimed almost one in three Cambodians. These remnants of history tear families apart, leaving homes without mothers to care for children and without fathers to provide for the family. This young girl is holding her brother, a common sight in Siem Reap, where daily explosions force children to take on parental roles, robbing them of their childhoods and yet demonstrating just how important family is. Under the direst of circumstances, relatives pick up the pieces, fill in the gaps and begin life anew.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Danielle Staymates</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/LtklBC/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span><br />
[Quito, Ecuador] – On my way back from an afternoon of shopping at the Mercado Artesanal de La Mariscal, I heard the sounds of a fiddle playing a traditional Andean melody. As I rounded the corner, this man came into view. He was playing his heart out, and I got the distinct impression that it was less for the coins in his dish than for his overwhelming love of the music.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Kathy Kaufman</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/ponz0H/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span><br />
[Quito, Ecuador] – On my way back from an afternoon of shopping at the Mercado Artesanal de La Mariscal, I heard the sounds of a fiddle playing a traditional Andean melody. As I rounded the corner, this man came into view. He was playing his heart out, and I got the distinct impression that it was less for the coins in his dish than for his overwhelming love of the music.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Kathy Kaufman</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/ponz0H/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Gao, Mali] I took this photo from a small canoe in northern Mali. I was with two Songhia men, searching for hippopotamus south of Gao in the Niger river. At midday, the hippos were showing us nothing more than distant bubbles. This woman immediately caught my eye as she sat in the mud, washing away in a proud, confident, meditative state, ignoring our presence completely.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Jared Alden</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/KIZNMw/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Gao, Mali] I took this photo from a small canoe in northern Mali. I was with two Songhia men, searching for hippopotamus south of Gao in the Niger river. At midday, the hippos were showing us nothing more than distant bubbles. This woman immediately caught my eye as she sat in the mud, washing away in a proud, confident, meditative state, ignoring our presence completely.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Jared Alden</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/KIZNMw/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Huayllarccocha, Peru] Ernesto is one of over 40 students at Cafe Social Yuraq Ch'aska, a small one-room schoolhouse with just one professor in the rural town of Huayllarccocha, on the outskirts of Cusco, Peru. Ernesto is fluent in both Spanish and Quechua, as are all of the children in his community, and is currently studying hard to learn English, so that he may travel to the United States when he's older. In the meantime, Ernesto works on his family's potato farm, where his cheeks have become chapped by the strong winds of the mountainous region.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Sarah Gormley</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/KxFchq/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Huayllarccocha, Peru] Ernesto is one of over 40 students at Cafe Social Yuraq Ch'aska, a small one-room schoolhouse with just one professor in the rural town of Huayllarccocha, on the outskirts of Cusco, Peru. Ernesto is fluent in both Spanish and Quechua, as are all of the children in his community, and is currently studying hard to learn English, so that he may travel to the United States when he's older. In the meantime, Ernesto works on his family's potato farm, where his cheeks have become chapped by the strong winds of the mountainous region.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Sarah Gormley</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/KxFchq/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Uttar Pradesh, India] – Shivani, a student at a recently opened vocational school for girls, helps her mother with chores around their one-room home on a Sunday morning. Shivani's family lives in the impoverished Anoopshahr sub-district of Uttar Pradesh State in India, where poverty and tradition often prohibit girls from finishing school. Shivani's mother never completed grade school, but on this morning, over chai, she speaks with great pride about her daughter's new prospects. Shivani plans to finish school and go to university; if she does, she will be the first in her family.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Alex Stonehill</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/Hrkmpv/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-up</span><br />
[Uttar Pradesh, India] – Shivani, a student at a recently opened vocational school for girls, helps her mother with chores around their one-room home on a Sunday morning. Shivani's family lives in the impoverished Anoopshahr sub-district of Uttar Pradesh State in India, where poverty and tradition often prohibit girls from finishing school. Shivani's mother never completed grade school, but on this morning, over chai, she speaks with great pride about her daughter's new prospects. Shivani plans to finish school and go to university; if she does, she will be the first in her family.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Alex Stonehill</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/Hrkmpv/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: large;">Runner-Up<br />
</span>[Koh Phi Phi, Thailand] With no developed roadways, native islanders of Koh Phi Phi rely on long-tail boats to transfer people and goods around the island. This long-tail boat is resting on the shores of Koh Phi Phi Don, looking out toward the sister island of Koh Phi Phi Le. However, being the budget-conscious traveler I am, I spent most of my time trekking through the jungle interiors of the island instead. By the end of my four-day trip on the island, my wallet was thanking me, but my feet sure weren't!<br />
<br />
<em>Photo by Tim McNaught</em><br />
<a href="http://glimpse.org/accounts/12942/profile/">view profile</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: smaller;">Check out our <a href="http://glimpse.org/contests/submit/">current photo contest</a></span><span style="font-size: smaller;"> and submit for a chance to win a $250 travel voucher, courtesy of STA Travel!</span></p>
<p> </p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/qySyjm/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: large;">Runner-Up<br />
</span>[Koh Phi Phi, Thailand] With no developed roadways, native islanders of Koh Phi Phi rely on long-tail boats to transfer people and goods around the island. This long-tail boat is resting on the shores of Koh Phi Phi Don, looking out toward the sister island of Koh Phi Phi Le. However, being the budget-conscious traveler I am, I spent most of my time trekking through the jungle interiors of the island instead. By the end of my four-day trip on the island, my wallet was thanking me, but my feet sure weren't!<br />
<br />
<em>Photo by Tim McNaught</em><br />
<a href="http://glimpse.org/accounts/12942/profile/">view profile</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: smaller;">Check out our <a href="http://glimpse.org/contests/submit/">current photo contest</a></span><span style="font-size: smaller;"> and submit for a chance to win a $250 travel voucher, courtesy of STA Travel!</span></p>
<p> </p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/qySyjm/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span><br />
[Barcelona, Spain] Exotic fruit juices bottled before sunrise enliven La Bouqueria market in Barcelona, Spain. Consumption at this market is never a matter of if, but when. The essence of time escapes this place. Here there are no shopping lists, no checkout lines. Shoppers lose themselves in this life-size candy-land of nature's finest offerings. Not one item is destined for the freezer, but instead intended for preparation within a matter of hours to satisfy the stomachs of loved ones.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Karen Sikora</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/O19F_j/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span><br />
[Barcelona, Spain] Exotic fruit juices bottled before sunrise enliven La Bouqueria market in Barcelona, Spain. Consumption at this market is never a matter of if, but when. The essence of time escapes this place. Here there are no shopping lists, no checkout lines. Shoppers lose themselves in this life-size candy-land of nature's finest offerings. Not one item is destined for the freezer, but instead intended for preparation within a matter of hours to satisfy the stomachs of loved ones.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Karen Sikora</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/O19F_j/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span></p>
<p>[Lumino, Uganda] I stayed in a small village bordering Uganda and Kenya for a weekend while participating in Food for the Hungry’s Go ED study abroad program. There had been a death in the village and nearly a thousand people had come from nearby villages to mourn. Everyone who came brought as much cassava root as they could, and the woman gathered to begin making cassava bread. It took a few women to move the giant stirring stick, as cassava dough is very thick. My traveling companion, right, is trying to help.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Charith Norvelle</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/5CR6wC/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span></p>
<p>[Lumino, Uganda] I stayed in a small village bordering Uganda and Kenya for a weekend while participating in Food for the Hungry’s Go ED study abroad program. There had been a death in the village and nearly a thousand people had come from nearby villages to mourn. Everyone who came brought as much cassava root as they could, and the woman gathered to begin making cassava bread. It took a few women to move the giant stirring stick, as cassava dough is very thick. My traveling companion, right, is trying to help.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Charith Norvelle</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/5CR6wC/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span></p>
<p>[Phapheng, Laos] While trekking through the forests of northern Laos, my sister and I stayed with families in minority Hmong and Khmu villages. Here, in the hamlet of Phapheng, we shared a meal of sticky rice and wild mushrooms with a family of 12 in their one-room home. Sharing food is one of the few experiences that transcends cultural, linguistic, and geographic barriers—all of us can recognize the warmth and fraternity that accompany the shared meal. This photo captures one of my favorite moments during my seven months of backpacking in Asia and the Pacific. Looking at it now, I can almost feel the humidity of the steaming rice and smell the earth floor and livestock.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Kevin Ummel</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/pvse2q/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span></p>
<p>[Phapheng, Laos] While trekking through the forests of northern Laos, my sister and I stayed with families in minority Hmong and Khmu villages. Here, in the hamlet of Phapheng, we shared a meal of sticky rice and wild mushrooms with a family of 12 in their one-room home. Sharing food is one of the few experiences that transcends cultural, linguistic, and geographic barriers—all of us can recognize the warmth and fraternity that accompany the shared meal. This photo captures one of my favorite moments during my seven months of backpacking in Asia and the Pacific. Looking at it now, I can almost feel the humidity of the steaming rice and smell the earth floor and livestock.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Kevin Ummel</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/pvse2q/large.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span><br />
[Fianarantsoa, Madagascar] – While on a village home-stay in Madagascar, I often attracted crowds of local children. One evening, I brought out my camera, and they all started vying for my attention. These children juggled limes while singing a little song.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Emily Wilbert</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/qjGhLZ/small.png)
![<p><span style="font-size: larger;">Runner-Up</span><br />
[Fianarantsoa, Madagascar] – While on a village home-stay in Madagascar, I often attracted crowds of local children. One evening, I brought out my camera, and they all started vying for my attention. These children juggled limes while singing a little song.</p>
<p><em>Photo by Emily Wilbert</em></p>](http://media.glimpse.org/uploads/qjGhLZ/large.png)
