Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things to know and expect:
- Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
- We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
Click here to jump down to the most recent post!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Bali Business and Sustainability Internship is in the building!!
Our students have arrived after traversing the world and we’re happy to see their excitement taking in the sights and sounds of Balinese culture including traditional ceremonial dances right at the airport. We look forward to welcoming Miles and Grace tomorrow and starting off with the full team.
Look out for our adventures!!
By: Bali Internship staff- Liz, Warren and Shouniez
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Today we went through our GLA and Bali Institute orientation. We also visited a Banjar and this was a great introduction to the daily lives of the local Balinese people. We learned how to play some music instruments and have began practicing our bahasa- did you know that the main 2 local languages spoken in Bali are Bahasa Indonesia and Balinese?
We then had dinner at a local restaurant, sampling some super delicious Indonesian meals and played games that helped us bond as a team before bed.
We’re quickly learning the differences in culture and one thing we all agree that we admire is the family and community bonds in Bali.
Sampai jumpa lagi (see you again!)
Collab: students/ mentors
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
We all woke up and went on an herbal walk with a local tour guide. We walked through rice fields and he told us about herbs that grew around the area, and stopped for a snack of tumeric rice. Afterwards we went to his shop, where he hand makes all sorts of natural things, like essential oils.
We drove to the temple after and put on our traditional clothing. We toured the temple and saw a water cleansing ritual. There was a pond full of koi fish we got to feed and it was a really cool experience. We then went to lunch over looking the view of an active volcano.
Afterwards we rotated to a pool and interacted with some locals and passed our swim test for snorkelling. Then we headed home and ate dinner, played cards and went to bed.
Leaders of today: Luca, Jacob and Ashlynn
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
The first thing we did today was visit an enterprise called Manamu who are a fabric and metal weaving enterprise that work to preserve an ancient weaving technique from Sumba Island, Indonesia. After understanding their business model, achievements and challenges, we worked on finding ways for the company to open their audience and get more people interacting with their brand. We then went to a beautiful cafe for lunch and enjoyed some time outside to work on our project for Manamu. After this we traveled to the Sanur beach and enjoyed some beautiful time under the sun, playing around in the sea, and on land. Once we finished our meal at the beach, we headed back to homebase and spent time with our mentor groups before calling it a night.
Leader for the Day: Zakai
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
We woke up at 7 am and we had a very good typical Balinese breakfast. Around 8:30 we headed to the Bali institute where we celebrated Luca ‘s birthday with some cake. Then, we were divided into our 5 working groups to finish our business presentations for Manamu. For lunch we ate the delicious food made by chef Madē that gave us the energy to continue our work. Around 3:00, the Manamu team arrived and listened to our pitch presentations on how to improve the Manamu business. After this we headed to the cooking class at Ubad Ubud where we cooked some delicious Balinese food together and enjoyed eating it at the house with a great view. We then headed back to the home base and played some fun group activities like soccer and cards. In conclusion this day was really interesting and engaging, we liked working in groups, and now we can replicate the delicious Balinese food at home since we each have a recipe book as a gift from Ubad Ubud!
From Leaders of the Day: Gwen, Caterina, Shane
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Om Swastiastu!
Today we had our balinese breakfast buffet at 7:30 then played some games after that. At around 9 we went to the Bali Institute where we had our 3rd main session on social enterprises, had lunch and gelato, and even made our own social enterprise models.
We headed back to homebase and around 4 went to see a beautiful waterfall not too far away. After we spent about an hour walking around the waterfall, we went to dinner where everyone had great food and Carter and Luca even got their haircuts. Finally, we headed back home and played some bonding games before going to bed.
By Leader of the day: Annie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Hello from Ubud! Today was enterprise immersion two! We got to visit DAUR Movement, which is a waste management center that is dedicated to tackle Bali’s waste crisis through holistic localized management solutions, covering from plastic to organic food waste in one circular hub. We got to see and learn about maggots and their critical role at this enterprise and later following with an interactive lesson of making our own wallets from plastic bags. After having lunch from regeneratively farmed produce from the enterprise we got to work by thinking about ideas of how DAUR can spread awareness to locals and tourists about their actions! The biggest takeaway from today was how much of an impact sorting our waste is! Food waste produces lots of carbon emissions and if plastic is properly disposed of, places like DAUR can upcycle it to extend its life. Additionally, being able to use ALL of your waste/by-product elevates the success of one’s business. Overall, every single bit counts!
By Leader of the day: Grace
SECOND BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Day 8 was one of the most insightful days of our Global Leadership Adventure as we spent the day at DAUR Movement, a social enterprise dedicated to tackling waste management and promoting the circular economy in Bali.
Our morning began with breakfast before meeting in the hotel lobby with our day bags. After a long drive, we arrived at DAUR Movement, where we were introduced to their inspiring mission of transforming waste into valuable resources while empowering local communities. Seeing how sustainability can be turned into a practical and scalable business was both eye-opening and motivating.
Throughout the morning, we explored DAUR’s operations and learned about the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. We gained a deeper understanding of how businesses can create both environmental and social impact through innovative solutions.
One of the highlights of the visit was a hands-on workshop where we transformed waste plastic poly bags into useful items such as wallets and pouches. This activity showed us that materials often considered waste can be repurposed into practical products through creativity and innovation. It was a fun, engaging experience that reinforced the importance of upcycling and reducing plastic waste.
After lunch, the learning continued with a deeper enterprise immersion. We had the opportunity to ask questions, understand the challenges faced by sustainable businesses, and see firsthand how creativity and collaboration drive positive change. This experience helped us realize that solving global environmental issues requires not only passion but also effective business models and community involvement.
Later in the afternoon, we worked in teams during Group Work 2, where we brainstormed ideas inspired by everything we had learned. Collaborating with teammates allowed us to think critically about real-world sustainability challenges and develop innovative solutions that could make a meaningful difference.
In the evening, we returned to our homebase, enjoyed dinner, and participated in an evening activity. It was the perfect way to reflect on an inspiring day filled with learning, teamwork, and new perspectives.
Day 8 reminded us that sustainability is not just about protecting the environment, it is about creating systems that benefit people, businesses, and the planet together. Visiting DAUR Movement showed us that even small actions, when combined with innovation and collaboration, can create a lasting impact.
By Leader of the day: Yuvi
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
We woke up at 6:30am today for some stretching and yoga on the second level led by Zakai and later had breakfast. We then went to Bali Institute to finish working on our presentations and made business consultation pitches to the DAUR Movement team who we had visited the day before.
In the late afternoon we visited the Blahbatuh Royal Palace dressed in our tradition sarongs then got a really cool tour around the palace. We saw some impressive architecture and enjoyed amazing Jauk Manis (masked dance) and Legong Keraton (kingdom dance) performances that they showed off. The royal family invited us for dinner with the princess. Meeting her was a highlight and pleasant surprise for us all because we asked her a bunch of different questions (both silly and serious but she was happy to answer them and put us in our place for others 🙂 And then I think all of the boys, including me, got her Instagram so that was a win). The thing that was a really big surprise for us was that she was so up-to-date with all the terms and slang all the teenagers use, being 18 herself and in college, and moved pretty recently to be a princess.
My favorite part of the day was hanging out with the princess and being respectfully silent at the dinner table with all my friends.
By Leader of the day: Carter
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Day 10 started off with a 6:30 wake up where we participated in morning stretches. We had a 7 o clock breakfast where we enjoyed a balinese traditional breakfast. We then headed to the Bali Institute to learn.
We had lunch and free time after learning our business module for the day. Then we drove to the PKP community center. At the PKP community center we explored the jungle and saw all kinds of animals. We got to go on a rope swing with a beutiful view above the trees. We listened to moving stories from the women at the community center. After we got a yoga class and Warren let one loose.
We followed up yoga with a traditional balinese dinner. During dinner the younger women danced and sang for us to show off their culture. In return we danced for them and showed them the cha cha slide and the Macarena and cotton eye joe. We got a picture with them, showed we were grateful for the opportunity said our goodbyes and headed back to home base for our evening activities.
By Leader of the day:Jake
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Good morning from Amed!
Today we started our day having breakfast with a beautiful sea view reminiscing about the absolute fun time we had yesterday at rafting along the most beautiful river we have ever seen!
After breakfast we gathered outside of our rooms and played some team bonding games like capture the flag and other fun activities. To finish the morning before lunch we had a GLA session in our mentor groups. After lunch we headed for beach snorkeling at Jemeluk where we had a guide who showed us coral reefs, rainbow fish, an underwater temple, etc. We stayed there for most of our afternoon. When we went back to our hotel we had some free time until dinner where we went to the pool, went to the hotel beach and played soccer. For Dinner we headed to a burger place. A taste of back home that our American friends were craving! After dinner we did a stop at the Indomarket for snacks before we headed back to our hotel where we did our usual chow circle and to end the day we played some cards until lights out. This day was really fun and we really liked the snorkeling and having lots of time to hang out with our friends and it was nice to rest our brains before our final internship project!
By Leader of the day: Caterina
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Today we woke up with a delightful breakfast for our last day in Amed before we had to pack up and get on the bus. Then we arrived in the indigenous Tenganan village. Here, we took a tour through the Main Street before having lunch, and then watching a demonstration of their weaving techniques and procedures, traditional culture of rooster challenges, palm leaf calligraphy and gained a deeper understanding of the unique way of life in this protected village. Then we drove to the Oleh Oleh souvenir store and bought lots of matching outfits and goods. Finally, we had dinner before heading back for the night. Overall, this day was full of traveling by bus, but still felt interactive and unique.
Leader of the day: Henry
