Having worked in the fields of study abroad and international education, I know first-hand the importance of intercultural understanding. Intercultural understanding can come about in a variety of ways, of course. One such way is experiencing other cultures, and then sharing what you've learned. When people come home after being in a different culture or discovering new things, they are eager to share their new cultural experiences with the world - and find a like-minded community of fellow travelers and explorers. One such place that many global travelers have discovered is one that I am so happy to share with you - Glimpse.org. Glimpse is an ever-evolving site for global citizens to share their experiences abroad.  We were lucky enough to sit down with Kerala Taylor, Editor in Chief of Glimpse.org, and discuss the site, its growth, cultural immersion, and more. Here's what she had to say...

WE: Please tell us about Glimpse.org...

KT: Glimpse.org is a platform for young Americans to develop and share their stories of real life abroad. We're looking for interesting stories, surprising stories, stories that make you think. Glimpse is somewhat unique in that it's a user-generated, professionally edited website. Our stories, photos, tips, and blogs are created by talented people living all over the world, and we're trying to raise the bar for what user-gen content can be. We work with storytellers to develop feature stories, giving aspiring writers and photographers the chance to experience a professional editorial process and to hone their storytelling skills.

WE: What was the genesis of Glimpse? And recent developments?

KT: We just relaunched our website in February 2009, which we're really excited about. Not only does it look sexy, but it offers a lot of ways for people to contribute -- whether it's an Insider tip about empanadas in Argentina, a blog chronicling someone's abroad experience in Spain, or a full feature story about going to a cockfight in the Philippines.

Glimpse was born in in 1999 in a college-kitchen dorm room. My coworker Nick Fitzhugh convened a meeting to talk about an idea he had for a new approach to international journalism, one that focused on personal cultural stories from Americans living, not traveling, abroad. By positioning itself somewhere in-between travel literature and international news, this platform would enhance global understanding through smaller stories—glimpses into the daily lives of ordinary people abroad.

I was at that first meeting and a group of us set to work, gathering stories from study abroad students and other young Americans living overseas, creating a website, and laying the groundwork for an educational nonprofit organization. I'd say Glimpse has come a long way since then. After we graduated from Brown University in 2002 and secured start-up funding from the National Geographic Society, Nick and I moved Glimpse to an old mill building in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. For five years, supporting ourselves with evening bartending shifts, we expanded the website, published quarterly print issues, forged a network of nearly 1,000 partner study abroad offices, and collected and edited hundreds of personal-experience stories from young Americans abroad.

A few years ago, in spring of 2007, National Geographic invited us to move to its headquarters in Washington, DC.  Here, we've expanded staff; built our new website; and launched the Correspondents Program, which provides stipends and one-on-one editorial support to particularly talented young storytellers who are venturing abroad. Glimpse became an online-only publication in fall of 2008 and remains committed to providing a space where young Americans learn how to craft great stories, become inspired to engage with new cultures, and feel connected to a community of like-minded peers.

WE: What is your mission? And how do you accomplish it?

KT: Our mission is to encourage young people to care about other cultures, change the way they think about the overseas experience, and challenge them to explore real life abroad. We do this through storytelling. I truly believe that personal stories are one of the most powerful tools out there to help connect people across borders. After all, we don't really feel a connection to something unless it's personal. The news media can report that hundreds of thousands of people died in a tsunami in Asia, and it might shock us, but mostly we'll just shake our heads and go on with our day. But a story about a single person who experienced it, and what he or she is dealing with now -- that will hit us much harder.

Our stories aren't necessarily about the "big things" though -- often smaller experiences can be the most telling... for instance, getting yelled at by a pool warden in Iceland, or meeting an Iraqi plumber in Cyprus, or struggling to connect with a Bangladeshi student. Glimpse stories illuminate cultural differences, but often what's most interesting are the various ways we end up relating to people halfway around the globe.

As for changing the way people think about the overseas experience, we hope that our stories will inspire young Americans to actively engage with other cultures. Study abroad has gained a negative reputation for being an excuse to bar-hop with your American buddies for four months, and get credit for it. We want to push people out of that infamous "American bubble" and get them talking with locals and pursuing challenging culture adventures.

WE: How important is it to experience cultures so different from one's own?

KT: While we do hope that Glimpse stories are able to serve as a stand-in for people who can't go abroad themselves -- because, let's face it, not everyone can -- there's really no substitute for experiencing another culture firsthand. It’s such a cliché to say that study abroad is a life-changing experience—and if anybody ever includes the phrase, “life-changing experience,” in a submission to Glimpse, we will remove it immediately. In fact, it’s on our “banned phrase” list, along with “experience of a lifetime,” and “the hospitable natives.” But the fact is, it’s nearly impossible to immerse yourself in another culture for an extended period of time and come back home unchanged. Sure, there are superficial differences—maybe you prefer tea to coffee now, or you’ve gained an appreciation for hip-hop, or you’ve started wearing scarves. But on a deeper level, an entire portion of the world, which was once distant and two-dimensional, has now been humanized, brought to life. From now on, whenever you hear your host country mentioned, whether it’s on the news or during a lunchtime conversation, you will inevitably perk up, because now you care.

WE: Intercultural learning is so critical for understanding the world and its people. How can travelers create true intercultural learning for  themselves?

KT: Again, it goes back to meaningfully immersing yourself in another culture. That's hard to do from inside a tour bus. It's also hard to do if you're just passing through a place for a day or two -- it's best to really be able to settle down somewhere and adapt to the rhythms of daily life. But that's not to say that short trips can't also be meaningful -- it's entirely dependent on how you're able to interact with people there. I visited South Africa for 10 days last year, and yes, I did some of the cheesy tourist things... I took the tram up to Table Mountain and went on a short safari. But the first thing I remember when looking back on that trip was meeting some local musicians and being taken to a performance in the township of Alexandria. It wasn't a show put on for tourists; in fact, my family and I were the only tourists there. If you put yourself out there and talk to local people (as best you can if there's a language barrier), you never know what kinds of connections you'll make.

WE: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

KT: If you're a young American considering going abroad, currently abroad, or recently returned, we hope you'll visit Glimpse.org and get involved! If you're an educator, let your students know about our many sharing opportunities. We partner with tons of study abroad offices and university departments across the country to help recruit talent. It's amazing how much of it is out there!

WE: Thanks so much, Kerala! I've been very impressed with Glimpse - I greatly appreciate you sharing this with us today.