Glimpse: Student Travelers' Take on US, International Green Practices

Monday August 21, 2006

Glimpse Quarterly's fall issue is featuring an interesting story spotlighting student travelers' feedback on international attitudes affecting environmentally conscious practices abroad compared with US approaches, addressing topics like power and water consumption, as well as creating an "eco footprint" by country. The print mag's piece includes excerpts from the Glimpse Foundation's GlimpseAbroad.org, relating study abroad students' takes on mindsets they've seen globally, like a commonplace reliance on walking and public transportation in other countries as compared to life in these United States.

Student traveler Lida Teneva, reminiscing about her time with Tanzanian and Mexican villagers, writes that her former love for half-hour US showers is dampened when she considers the minimalist water usage of her international hosts. A Brown University student says, "Let's take a crash course in conservation from Vietnam," and details a couple of ways the Vietnamese recycle and reuse in everyday life.

Interesting insights, and you could be among those lending your voice and experience via written word. A first step in being a contributor at an outfit like Glimpse Quarterly is writing out your own experiences while you're ambling around abroad -- learn about keeping a travel journal and start jotting.

The non-profit Glimpse Foundation promotes itself as providing cross-cultural understanding through the experiences of college-age travelers living and studying abroad. Among its many endeavors, the organization sponsors an annual student travel photo contest and essay contest with travel prizes given to those travelers artistically demonstrating an appreciation of or insight to travel experiences; 2005's essay contest, for example, asked writers to explore the "culture shock" often experienced by students who've returned home after a protracted period away.