At Cultural Vistas, immersive international experiences are everything; even after they’re over, we continue to learn from them. While new international experiences are not possible right now, we can still learn from our past experiences abroad.

Over the next two weeks, Cultural Vistas will be sharing photos from our alumni through our (Re)Visit series. Each day, we will focus on a different country or U.S. state that transformed them. These photos stay the same, but our perspectives continue to change.

Thank you to our alumni for allowing us to highlight their stunning photography. We hope these photos inspire you to reflect, remember, and #ReVisit your own experiences abroad.

Washington

Washington state (not to be confused with Washington, DC: the nation’s capital) is another American state with stunning natural beauty. Many program participants get to experience this state through our J-1 internship and trainee sponsorship and programs like the International Visitor Leadership Program and Korea WEST.

Most of us aren’t able to experience this natural beauty firsthand right now. So instead, lets (re)visit past excursions and continue to draw inspiration from these experiences.

Paradise, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington

Christine Paiva
Cultural Vistas Staff (2018)

 

Seattle, Washington

Hyung Woo Lee
Korea WEST (2018)

 

View from school

Lee Horyun
Korea WEST (2018)

Olympic National Park

Galyna Korniyenko
Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program (2015)

“I was stroke by the beauty of Olympic National Park. How great it is that the United States had the President, like Theodore Roosevelt, who understood the importance of preserving nature for future generations.”

La Push Beach, Washington

Moritz Decker
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (2017)

 

The Colors of Seattle, Washington

Brunno Felipe de Souza
Train USA, Internship/Trainee Program (2018)

 

Overcoming fears

Seunghyun Cho
Korea WEST (2018)

“I had never tried paddle boarding before because I was afraid of the water. But now, this travel experience gave me a lot of confidence and now I can do anything.”

 

Washington sunset

Burcu Ciraci
Train USA, Internship/Trainee Program (2018)

“Sometimes during my time abroad, I felt really alone. A thousand miles away from my family and friends, I was feeling that some part of me is missing. One Saturday, with a small group of interns, we went hiking. We climbed to the mountains, we went to shore and I felt the cold ocean water below me. I saw the sunset, I saw the moon. I focused on how I feel at that moment. Hearing the laughter of my friends, being in the beautiful nature, all I felt was happiness. Slowly, all those negative feelings and worries went away with the wind. After that day, my internship experience was significantly better. I become more focused on positivity and proud of myself. I can say that I was transformed by that day trip.”

 

Seattle, Washington skyline

Lisa Boehm
Train USA, Internship/Trainee Program (2018)

 

Ferris Wheel

Fabiana Maria de Oliveira Ferreira
International Visitor Leadership Program (2017)

 

Are you remembering, reflecting, and (re)visiting your own experiences abroad? Share your story with us.