The quarterly FIUTS Photo Contest is an opportunity for members of the FIUTS community to share images from around the world. The theme for this quarter was "Travel the World" and we received photos from trips that members of our community have taken in the U.S., Nepal, Switzerland, Colombia, and more.

As usual, there were so many submissions and it was incredibly difficult for the judges to choose just three winners! Thank you so much to everyone for sharing your beautiful pictures.

First Place: Arizona, USA

Photographer: Tetsugoro Matsubara (Japan)

"I took this photo during my bicycle trip in Arizona. Loading all my camping gear and biking for 16 days, I've traveled over 500 miles. Starting from Phoenix, I went to Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, and was heading to Las Vegas when I was caught in a snowstorm. I ended up hitchhiking with my bicycle and made my way to Las Vegas just in time for the New Years Celebration! I left a city called Flagstaff and was half way to Grand Canyon when I took this photo (It is about 6 miles past a town called Cameron). It was extremely cold there (14℉ or -10℃), and even during the day, my water inside the bottle started to freeze. Camping was tough but I was awarded by stunning sunsets and sunrises, spectacular scenery, and there were always people that helped me along. Definitely was a trip of a lifetime."

Second Place: Olympic National Park, Washington, USA

Photographer: Maike Douglas (Brazil)

"This photo was taken during the FIUTS trip to Olympic National Park, WA, on February 15th. Specifically, this place is called Hurricane Ridge, one of the most stunning places I had the opportunity to visit there. By having "Hurricane" as one of its names, you may probably have a sense of how cold and windy it is on the top of this mountain."

Third Place: Sarlahi, Nepal

Photographer: Katherine Tan (Malaysia)

"The photo was taken in Sarlahi, Nepal (close to the Indian border) of a mountain goat on top of water buffalo by a countryside road. This picture warms my heart as it reminds me that friendship is without borders. Even though the mountain goat and the water buffalo are such different animals, they can exist in harmony and enjoy each other's presence. I really love it when cultures come together to create joyful and learning experiences!"

Congratulations to the winners, and be sure to stop by the FIUTS office to pick up your prize!

And here are all of the amazing photos we received (shown in no particular order). Thank you all again for your submissions, which provide a beautiful glimpse into places around the world.

Los Angeles, California, USA

Photographer: Zhen Xu (China)

Zhen, who shot this photo during the road trip in California, says: "This pic is taken at dusk at Santa Monica Beach, LA. It was shot by iPhone without any filter or PS management. You can see both peace and surprise from the people on the beach."

Oregon, USA

Photographer: Yuanjiang Song (China)

Yuanjiang, who took this photo of a bird while traveling in Oregon, says: "I thought the bird had a positive attitude towards the winter!"

San Francisco, California, USA

Photographer: Lauren Young (New Zealand)

Lauren took this photo of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. She says: "We trekked across the Golden Gate Bridge and to the top of a hill to catch the sunset and the evening traffic - stunning!"

Porbandar, India

Photographer: Taru Singhal (India)

Taru says: "This picture of a Camel Cart was taken at a beach in Porbandar, which is the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, India."

Veytaux, Switzerland

Photographer: Jason Ye (China)

Jason traveled to Switzerland in October 2011 and took this photo of the Château de Chillon.

Seattle, Washington, USA

Photographer: Wenjie Li (China)

Wenjie took this photo on June 22, 2014, at the Seattle Rock & Roll Marathon. He calles it "Holding hands~" and says: "Traveling in the modern days now, have all sort of different ways like by driving bicycle, car, motorcycle, plane, boat... It makes our lives much easier but also busier. Nothing would be better than true friends holding hands together running together towards the finishing line. I believe that's the best of traveling."

St. Petersburg, Russia

Photographer: Cathy Farrar (USA)

Cathy, a longtime FIUTS host and Friendship Connection, says: "I traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia in August 2014. This is 'Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood' (a gory sounding cathedral name, but where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory)."

Nagoya, Japan

Photographer: Lynn Masuda (Australia)

Lynn took this photo in Nagoya, Japan, of "dangling radishes at an organic market in December's cold winter. They are drying so that they can be pickled and eaten in the spring."

India

Photographer: Songtian (Tim) Zeng (China)

Songtian took this photo in India in 2008, at 6 AM as people were bathing in the river. He says: "This photo always reminds me how peaceful and simple life could be."

Hong Kong

Photographer: Bingyan Mei (China)

Bingyan took this photo of the Hong Kong Skyline at Sky 100 Observation Deck in 2014.

Santa Cruz de Mompox, Colombia

Photographer: Maria Alexandra Artunduaga (Colombia)

Maria took this photo while fishing with a group of local fishermen on the Magdalena River.

Thank you again to everyone who participated, and we hope you'll participate again! The theme of the Spring 2015 FIUTS Photo Contest is "There's No Place Like Home." Send a photo that represents any place that you think of as "home" to ellen@fiuts.org. All photos must have been taken by the person submitting them. Please include your name, where you are from, and a brief description of the photo including where it was taken. The deadline to submit photos is noon on May 27, 2015.

Winter 2015 Photo Contest: Travel the World