The future of international education and academic student and scholar exchange is bright. Though the term "virtual" transformed from an adverb to a noun since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, our belief is that international educational exchange in all its forms will continue. This essay outlines the importance and need for internationalization on U.S. higher education campuses throughout and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, learnings from the last two years from U.S. higher education institutions, and critical considerations regarding the future of international educational exchange.