Issue XI: Every Picture Tells a Story

Issue XI of Global Impressions, consisting of eleven essays and two videos, focuses on images and the stories they tell. Our contributors reflect on a wide range of travel experiences, from studying abroad, to being away from a home country, to embracing a new place as home, each connected to a photograph which embodies their encounters. In this digital age, the ease with which we can take snapshots of our lives allows us to reflect, later, on our travel experiences with new eyes. We encouraged our contributors to look back on their memories of a time, place, or a particular event as evoked by the photographs they took. Every picture displayed here truly tells a story, not always an obvious one— each author’s reflection is essential to extracting the true tale behind the image.

The Global Impressions editorial team is pleased to announce that the theme of our Spring 2018 Issue XII is “Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone.” Whether crossing oceans and traversing unfamiliar lands for the first time or returning to home soil, traveling forces us to be brave.  Tell us about a time during your global travels when you were forced to step out of your comfort zone: What cultural, linguistic, or personal challenges did you confront? What fears did you have to overcome? How did taking risks change your perspective or your overall experience?

Submit your essay of 500-750 words directly through the submission form for Issue XII.

The Submission Deadline is April 13, 2018.

Memorias de Una Rosa by salicea - I spent the majority of my childhood in rural Guatemala, with my grandmother, my abuela Reina Sical whom I called Rosa,  as… ... Continue Reading
Dr. Martens: like a Fênix by mrodrigues - We left Rio de Janeiro to travel to Belém, then to São Paulo, to Los Angeles, and to San Francisco. We thought… ... Continue Reading
My Bersih Story by dbulchand - “More shots.” I felt my eyes start to sting for the first time. It was about 1pm when the Malaysian Federal Reserve… ... Continue Reading
My Walk Home by hjthompson - The route home was a highlight of my summer job. I love the noise of cities, but Central London during rush hour… ... Continue Reading
463 Steps to Reflection by Kaity O'Neil - I first went to Italy five years ago with my high school Latin class. I don’t remember much of it anymore, but… ... Continue Reading
Flipping Tortillas by Maya - Blanca’s kitchen sat in the back of the house overlooking her garden. It was filled with greens and root vegetables that she… ... Continue Reading
Embracing Imperfection by Tianhua Zhu - When I first arrived in Germany, I immediately noticed the overwhelming number of flower shops. Around the corner, on a quiet sideway,… ... Continue Reading
Explaining the Joke by Xiaoxiao Meng - I have a weird love-hate relationship with translation jokes. On one hand, that little rift between languages makes me chuckle. I think… ... Continue Reading
Afternoon by mcarrera - The photograph Afternoon was taken on a quintessential Parisian Sunday afternoon, where it is common to see people outdoors apparently ‘doing nothing’,… ... Continue Reading
The Eiffel Tower: A Change in Perspective by rewing - Having grown up in the suburban crossroads between farmland and strip malls that is Northern Virginia, the move to Paris was dizzying,… ... Continue Reading
The Story Begins When He Left by nrondon - One summer day, I roamed the streets of Paris and stumbled upon an art museum showcasing the art exhibit “Émigrer.” The differentiation… ... Continue Reading
Dora Bruder’s Secret by rvanhuizen - The film, Le secret de Dora Bruder (Dora Bruder’s Secret), was imagined and realised after the biographical novel, Dora Bruder, written by… ... Continue Reading
From the Archives: Mai 68 Beyond the Gates of Reid Hall by Amanda Carberry - Within the walls of the idyllic Reid Hall, which once served as the academic center for a number of graduate and undergraduate… ... Continue Reading