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 JUNE 19
Hola y pura vida from Costa Rica!
We had one flight cancellation so we’re not quite whole yet, but the rest of the group is here, healthy, and happy. Quite a few have been to Costa Rica before, and others are outside the United States for the first time. Everyone successfully navigated the long travel day, almost everyone has already passed a swim check, at least two students are VERY excited to see monkeys (and they will!), one student was already teaching our local director about the local plant life (what!!?), another started up a group game before staff did, two are fluent in Spanish, and all are incredibly kind and inclusive.
We’re calling it. This is the best GLA group of the summer. Tomorrow we head to Uvita and really get started. Can’t wait!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20
We’re home – all of us. Hope made it to home base with her mentor, Peggy, who stayed in San Jose to wait for her and accompany her here to Uvita.
We’ve had a full day starting with the drive to Uvita, including a stop at crocodile bridge. Then orientation, where our local director, Tiffany, introduced us to Costa Rica and some of its tropical fruits. We also went over the leader of the day program, and Niva signed up to be our first leader tomorrow.
After orientation, we finished the last few swim tests and headed to the beach. Everyone seemed very comfortable in the water and had a lot of fun, which bodes well for our upcoming surf lessons.
We finished the day with our first mentor group activities, and several students began making friendship bracelets before lights out.
Tomorrow: community walking tour and our first day at the animal sanctuary!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21
Today was our first big day of adventure; We started with a morning walk in the community where we learned about Costa Rica’s plants, animals, history, and culture. During this walk we discovered so many aspects of this country, like all the different uses of a papaya tree and even lizards running on top of water! After lunch we went to Kids Saving the Rainforest (KSTR), where we all eagerly learned about the many different wild animals we will be helping tomorrow. Before dinner, we had a little bit of free time, some student swam in the pool, played card games, and made bracelets together. After dinner we all wished Emily a very happy birthday, and played a Q&A game. Tomorrow will be our first day of community service at KSTR all day!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22
Hola amigos!
We had an early start to our morning with a delicious breakfast and a 1 hour bus ride to Kids Saving the Rainforest(KSTR). When we got to the rainforest, we were split up into three groups. The first group swept the leaves off the paths along the animal enclosures and collected them in buckets to later compost. The second group prepared food for each of the different animals. We got to cut up different fruits and vegetables while at the same time learning about the diets of each individual animal. The third group created enrichment activities for the rescued animals that keeps them from boredom, and reduces stress.
After lunch each group switched jobs. Once the jobs were all completed, we could watch the animals eat and use the enrichment toys. Some kids were able to be in the enclosures to give the food to the animals without touching them.
We came back to home base and ate dinner, had sunset circle, and mentor groups. In our mentor groups, we journaled about our core values and how they relate to leadership.
Another great day finished!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23
Today we woke up to a wonderful breakfast yet again (there were cinnamon rolls (: ), and shortly after made our way to class with an experienced yoga therapist. There we learned about breath work and some interesting exercises, including a group sun salutation. While one group participated in yoga, the other focused on fun activities like soccer and volleyball, and then we switched.
After lunch, we headed down to the beach for a couple of hours, swimming and enjoying the strong waves. We then experienced our first Costa Rican grocery store on this trip! Up until our sunset circle and dinner time we enjoyed some free time with our new snacks, and then devoured a meal consisting of the typical rice and beans, as well as chicken, steak fajitas and salad.
After dinner, we learned about some different leadership styles through a fun game, learning more about ourselves along the way. Today was a relaxing day, looking forward to day 6!
Emily & Katelyn
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24
Today we went to Manuel Antonio National Park! We went on a walking tour and saw lots of beautiful plants and animals, including a sloth, a Coati and lots of species of colorful birds. Then, we arrived at the beach played in the waves a little and soaked up the sun! After, we hiked out, had a picnic style lunch near the beautiful beach and walked the town buying souvenirs, enjoying fresh smoothies, and gelato from local vendors in the area. Afterwards, we drove home, had free time and relaxed. Had a lovely dinner followed with mentor groups, health checks, and storytime and called it at night.
Ruby and Jordin
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25
We had an early morning with breakfast at 6:30 am. we headed out to go surfing for a few hours, and we even got to see some Howler Monkeys! On the way back to home base, we stopped to buy some coconut water and ate a delicious lunch. We had a bit of free time, went out to get gelato, participated in an hour long debate, and completed our pulse checks. We finished the evening, having another delicious dinner, celebrating Hope’s birthday, and watching My Octopus Teacher. Overall, we had a very fun and eventful day!
-Anita
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26
Today we awoke to a wonderful breakfast consisting of bread, rice, eggs, and fresh fruit. Shortly after, we left for our first day of community service at Marina Ballena National park. Here, we rotated in three groups helping locals with beach clean up, path beautification and painting signs. Once finished with lunch, we completed the rest of the work we had not yet completed, and experienced local culture by trying fresh pineapple, watermelon, and coconut water! We finished off the day with some optional downtime at the ocean and delicious dinner at home base.
P.S. Look closely at the photo of the students on the trail, there’s a lizard in the bottom left!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27
Today was amazing. First, we started the day with french toast, scrambled eggs, and freshly cut fruit. Next we went to Uvita Ziplines. There were 5 ziplines, one rappel, and 1 water drop. On the 4th zipline we got to go completely upside down. And on the water drop, Finley was the first and made it less scary for the rest. After, we enjoyed some fresh cut pineapple, watermelon and water. After relaxing for a bit we went back to home-base to freshen up and eat lunch. Then we went to an elementary school and got to sand and paint chairs and desks for the children in their new English classroom. After our community service we went to the grocery store to buy some amazing Costa-Rican snacks! Some even bought food for their family! Then we went back to the home-base and our leaders of the day, Hope and Nathan created a 30 minute interactive presentation about the dangers of plastic and how harmful it is for ecosystems and humans. It was really fun and social!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29
We started the day spending our last 3 hours at Kids Saving the Rainforest. We split into three groups. Some made enrichments, some worked in the farm, and some worked in the kitchen. Afterwards, we headed back for lunch and more activities. After lunch, we all went to a nearby town: Dominical. We explored, went souvenir shopping, and ordered refreshing tropical smoothies. Afterwards, half of the group headed back to the home base while others went to a beautiful dinner along the beach. We all ate various foods: pasta, salad, fajitas, etc.
Finally, we had a late night story time and went to bed early.
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30
Hey guys! Today we woke up had breakfast and headed out to go on a whale and dolphin tour! We started with snorkeling and then drove around for a few hours looking at islands and birds. We learned about the studies of sounds and the underwater microphones surrounding the islands. Then we headed back to the hotel to have lunch and from there went to cooking class. We learned how to make empanadas and enjoyed some homemade ice cream and card games. After, we headed back to dinner and went to a culture enriching dance class. Overall, today was a relaxing, cultural dive into Costa Rica’s beautiful traditions.
Note to families: We’ve also added in new photos for the June 21 blog post. Scroll up to check them out! 🙂 -GLA HQ Staff
