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
Day 1: Safe & Sound in Costa Rica 🇨🇷
We are happy to say all our students made it to our initial home base safe and sound!! Each of our students did an amazing job and displayed so much patience during our airport pickups.
After making some new friends and getting their assigned rooms, our students ended the day with an amazing group dinner! 🍽 See our attached picture with 13 of 14 of out students as we awaited for Matthew’s late night arrival. Matthew is doing great and excited to spend more time with everyone. We will be sure to snap a full team photo tomorrow! 📸
Our students were very tired after a long day and our now having some much needed rest. 💤😴🌌
Stay tuned for updates with contributions from our daily student leaders as we begin our Costa Rica Middle School Service Adventure!! We are super excited for them to experience all we have planned.
Buenas noches 🙏🏽,
Nic Montuffar
International Director
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Day 2: To San Carlos 🚍
The journey begins!! Today after completing our health checks and swim tests with the kids, we made our way down to our next home base in San Carlos.
A few snack runs later, the kids were ready for the trip. After some detours, asking if we were there yet, and bathroom breaks, we finally made it to our home destination in San Carlos. The kids have been getting along great, and are excited to see the lake in the morning. Tomorrow we will also mark our first day on our service project! The kids will design classes for elementary age students here and we are excited to see their ideas!
We were able to snag our first full group photo in the bus too! As you’ll see, we were nearly at maximum capacity, with a piñata and everything 🤣! The kids did amazing despite the long ride, and showed so many signs of leadership already as they helped clean our bus and get settled into our new home!
Take care,
Nic Montuffar
GLA International Director
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
“The Great Pineapple Adventure”
🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍
After waking up we began working on activities for the kids we will be teaching. We split up into three different groups and chose a topic to help teach the kids English. We then practiced presenting them so they can understand the basic words in English.
After finishing our preparation for community service we cooled off in the lake!! After a quick cool off, we got ready to embark on the pineapple journey. We learned how pineapples are grown, sold, and were able to taste test so many!
We returned back to camp and got ready to dance!! We learned a bunch of choreographies and competed against each other for the most creative dance. We finished the day with burgers and mentor groups! We are now watching the world cup together!! ⚽️🏟 It was an amazing day!
Sincerely today’s team leaders,
Graham & Alexander
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Day 4: Our First Day of Serivce!! 🪴
First thing this morning we walked to a delightful and healthy breakfast of rice, beans eggs and meat. After, we got into the bus and headed to the public school for community service.
There, we got introduced to the students, who were three lovely girls, ages 9 to 12, who were very sweet and eager to learn.
After we got introduced we presented curriculums we made to teach them English.
After we were done, we started our work beautifying the school. Such as, the garden and plants in the campus. We pulled weeds, planted medicinal plants, and prepped soil for food that would be later used in the cafeteria.
After we went back to home base for lunch, we headed back to the school to continue our work. We painted pots for the plants, and cleaned the school to make sure it looked better then when we got there.After, we headed back to the home base for a quick swim in the lake. Later that night we were served a delicious meal of fajitas with handmade tortillas. After we had a time we call mentor groups, where we reaffirmed the GLA values by choosing some that stuck out to us. That was the end of our day.
Sincerely,
Fiona and Adrielle
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Day 5: Chocolate Tour and Day at the Hot Springs 🍫
Yesterday marked one of the most exciting days of our trip!!
We began the day learning about the history of chocolate making and its relevance to Costa Rica, at the La Fortuna Chocolate Tour!! The kids also learned about the chocolate making process and completed each step together. Afterwards we were able to make our own recipes with a variety of ingredients available. A few of the kids visited the shop afterwards and hopefully saved some chocolate for you guys!
We next went to one of the highlights of our trips thus far at Baldi Hot Springs. The kids did not expect to see how huge the park was along with waterslides, a sauna, and many pools!! We were even able to watch the World Cup. It was a memorable day for all of us!
Take care,
Nic Montuffar
International Director
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Day 6: Service, Smiles, and Sweet Treats 🍧
Day 6 of our G.L.A. adventure started with a delicious breakfast before we left Home Base at 7:45 a.m. for our morning of service at the local school.
We spent the morning teaching English to Costa Rican students and playing fun educational games together, including a drawing game where students guessed foods in another language. It was a great way to learn, laugh, and connect with one another.
After returning to Home Base for a tasty lunch of fish, rice, and mashed potatoes, we headed back to the school to paint chairs, tables, and other classroom furniture, helping improve the learning environment.
To celebrate everyone’s hard work, we made a surprise stop for ice cream before enjoying some free time by the lake. We wrapped up the day with a delicious dinner of Champions as Olla de Carne, Fried Chicken, rice and bean and Yuca! After that Delicious dinner, we had mentor groups, and time to relax before lights out at 9:30 p.m., ready for another exciting day ahead.
Leaders of the day
~Matthew and Grail
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Hey everyone,
Yesterday marked our last day in Alfredo’s place and we made an early morning exit to arrive back to our original home base in the Cypresal Hotel.
Our drive up was fun as we stopped at a local Tortilleria restaurant and had some amazing food! We then made our way up to a local market for the kids to experience the environment, try new fruits, some ceviche, and watch the world cup game!
Once we arrived to Cypresal, we had a busy evening. We had a mini cooking class where the kids learned how to make their own tortillas and onion rings! We then watched a documentary and had a debate on tourism in Costa Rica. We finished the day with a movie night with our snacks and pajamas. We went to bed early as we have a drive to the beach today!
Take care,
~Nic Montuffar
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Hello all!!
Yesterday marked one of our best days yet! We drove down to Manuel Antonio National Park to see animals and swim in the gorgeous beaches! The kids saw some wildlife including iguanas, different types of crabs, and monkeys! We all spent a while swimming with each other and building sand castles. I think the pictures do it mkre justice!! 🏖🌊
Afterwards, we made a stop at a local resturant and had an amazing lunch and fresh smoothies. We made our way to a souvenir shop. The kids were so thoughtful and spent a long time thinking of the gifts they wanted to bring back for you guys! I am super excited for you to see them soon.
Take care,
~Nic Montuffar
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11 & 12
Ziplining in the Jungle 🌴 and Departures
Hi everyone!
As we reached the end of our program we had one final adventure with our kids! We took them on a rainforest adventure, and ziplined through the jungle. We had the full jungle experience as it rained as we ziplined. Afterwards, we got to see some of their wildlife with their butterfly sloth, frogs, and snakes exhibits. 🐸🐍 🦋 we were also able to slow down a bit and take a tram throughout the jungle! The kids were so brave for trying the ziplines!
On our final night together we had a reflective appreciation circle, and everyone was able to feel recognized for their wonderful traits. We took some time to talk about some of our favorite moments on this trip.
The morning of our departures was bittersweet, the kids exchanged goodbyes, hugs and best wishes. Plenty of friendships and memories were made. We truly hope they had a formative and fun experience with us! We truly enjoyed our time together and wish you all the best!! Till next time!
Pura Vida
Nic Montuffar
GLA | International Director
