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
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BLOG POST FOR JULY 18
Today was really fun! We started our day waking everyone up and collecting all the phones to put in a box. We then headed downstairs for breakfast before getting on the bus! On our long bus ride we got to know each other better. We stopped at a grocery store on the way to pick up some snacks and exchange some money to have for the next few days. A couple hours later we finally arrived, but we had to take a short boat ride to get to the eco lodge where we are staying for the next few nights. Once we settled in our rooms we came down to have some lunch, before having some time to relax before the orientation where we learned important rules for the next few weeks. After orientation we ate dinner and relaxed before going to sleep! We had an amazing first day!
Your leaders of the day, Mika and Emily
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
On Sunday July 19th, we started off the day with homemade breakfast at our homebase, Green-gold Ecolodge. After breakfast we started with a tour of the lodge’s farm, led by the owner Jason. We washed our hands with organic shampoo plants, spotted a snake, harvested fresh lemons and yuka, and even picked a pineapple. After we collected 2 species of coconuts, Jason walked us through the process of opening the coconuts, after which we tasted the juice and meat. Once we had all tried the coconuts, we tried a plant called the Heart of the Palm, obtained by cutting open the stem of a palm tree. Then we continued our tour and spotted both spider monkeys and sloths. After lunch, we had a few hours of freetime. Some read in the hammocks, some tried out the pool and many watched the World Cup, accompanied by a Costa Rican kind of wafer dessert. Following free time, a guest speaker from the organization that arranges our beach night patrol taught us all about the turtles that inhabit Costa Rica, as well as our roles in night patrols. However during dinner, night patrol had to be cancelled due to an influx of Portuguese Man O’War caused by severe storms. So instead, we watched an award winning documentary called “Sand Souls,” about the importance of turtle conservation and rehabilitation. Everyone enjoyed their third day in Parismina, Costa Rica!
Pura vida!
Your leaders of the day: Leo & Izzy.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Today was our last full day at the green-gold ecolodge. We began the day by waking up around seven and had an amazing breakfast. Afterwards, we walked through the ecolodge and the beach to meet the pickup trucks that would take us to the town of Parismina. We split into two groups. The first group that went in the first car had a cooking class first, whereas the second group had a town tour first. Both groups then met up again for a dance class where we learnt salsa, bachata, merengue, and traditional line dancing, followed by lunch. Then group one went on the town tour, and group two went to the cooking class where we learnt to make empanadas. Both groups then met up again for the market, where we got to see local vendors’ homemade pieces. We then went to a volleyball court with the local kids, where some of us played volleyball with them and others played tag/hand games with them. Finally, to end our day in the town, we went to the beach and released 15 baby sea turtles into the ocean and hung around the beach. After that we made our way back to our home base on the pickup trucks; after returning we had an amazing dinner and celebrated Leo’s birthday. To end the night, we went around in a circle saying what we were grateful for and had a karaoke night! Overall this was an amazing way to end our stay in Parismina!
Your leaders of the day, Julia & JJ.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Hi! Today we woke up early and enjoyed a nice breakfast before partaking in a tough but rewarding morning service in which we helped create a new section of a turtle hatchery by camping and flattening sand to create a safe environment for the turtles to hatch. Following 3 hours of hard work (and an interesting intro from a local worker) we enjoyed a hearty lunch before going out on a long excursion which involved a boat trip and snorkeling through through bioluminescent water. After a few excursions we enjoyed a nice dinner in the nature reserve before heading back to homebase where many took a much needed nap on the bus!
Mía & Grace
