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 2
Saludos de Guatemala!
Welcome to Guatemala! The entire GLA staff is excited to begin our Central American journey. Our staff has been busy all day picking up students from the airport, and so far we have welcomed 8 out of 10 students. Everyone is in great spirits and settling in well.
We started with quick introductions, followed by our first Guatemalan lunch featuring grilled chicken, traditional beans, tortillas, and guacamole. After lunch, we headed to Antigua Guatemala to check into our hotel. It is absolutely beautiful filled with lush plants and stunning terrace views. We wrapped up the day with dinner and are looking forward to meeting Arika and Yosselyn tomorrow.
Goodnight!
-Rudy, Nayo and Dany
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
We woke up to an amazing desayuno at our hotel with incredible views of the volcanoes. At breakfast we finally got to meet Arika and Yosselyn. Then we took a walking tour of Antigua Guatemala and saw the famous Arco de Santa Catalina, the main square, and even shopped at an artisan market.
After that we headed back to the hotel, packed up the van, and made our way to Quetzaltenango! The drive was about 3 hours long, but it honestly didn’t feel too bad because the views were so beautiful. Everywhere we looked there was so much greenery, and now we totally understand why Guatemala is known as the Land of Eternal Spring.
Once we arrived at home base, we had lunch and got settled into our rooms. Then orientation officially began and it was actually really fun! We played an intro game, toured home base, went over expectations, rules, mentor groups, and community agreements, and played more games. We also did an activity called River of My Life, where we reflected on our personal journeys.
One of the coolest things we learned today is how much we all have in common, despite coming from different backgrounds. Dinner was chicken quesadillas, and afterward we had some free time to hang out and play soccer. We’re already bonding so much as a group, and it’s exciting to see these connections continue growing.
See you tomorrow!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Buenos dias! We woke up around 8 this morning and headed to breakfast, where we had a mix of eggs and ham, yogurt, granola, watermelon, and toast with different spreads. We quickly grabbed our weekend bags and hopped in the van for our trip to Lake Atitlán.
When we arrived at the hotel, we settled in quickly before heading out on a boat ride. We took about a 25-minute boat ride across the lake to another town called San Juan. Once we got there we exchanged money and had a short lesson on textiles and how wool is made into different traditional items, which was really interesting.
Then we had lunch with chicken, beans, salsa, rice, tortillas, and salad. After that, we got some free time to explore the area and shop for souvenirs. We took the boat back to our hotel town and had more free time to relax and hang out. Then we headed to the town’s main street for another chance to explore and shop.
We went back to the hotel for dinner, which had chicken, chips and guacamole, potato salad, rice, and tortillas. After dinner, we did a GLA activity where we gave each other shoutouts and played a super fun game of musical chairs.
To end the night, we went up to the rooftop for a Fourth of July celebration with sparklers, fireworks, cake, music, and decorations. It was honestly so fun and everyone got a chance to light and hold different fireworks.
What a day! See you tomorrow!
-Nick
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5 & 6
Today we woke up and had a really good breakfast at the hotel before saying goodbye to the beautiful Lake Atitlán. Then we headed to Chichicastenango, home to the biggest market in Central America!
We spent a few hours walking around, shopping for souvenirs, and checking out all the different vendors. There were bright colors everywhere and so many smells. After everyone found what they wanted, we had lunch at the Hotel Santo Tomás. The buffet was really good, and the hotel was super colorful with beautiful architecture and lots of birds.
After lunch, we started the long but scenic drive back to home base. Once we got there, we had a little time to relax before playing some fun team games. During dinner we watched part of the soccer game since the world cup is happening as we write this. Later, we worked on planning our lessons for the kids we’ll be teaching tomorrow. We ended the night by playing games together before getting ready for bed.
The next morning, we started the day with breakfast before heading to the hot springs called Fuentes Georginas. On the drive there, we made a Spotify Jam so everyone could add their favorite songs to the playlist. The hot springs had three different pools: one small and shallow, one deeper and much hotter, and one really big pool that wasn’t quite as warm. We spent about an hour there just relaxing and taking in the scenery.
After getting ready, we left at 2:00 p.m. for the school to finish painting our mural and help spread environmental awareness around the school. We wrapped everything up around 4:50 and headed back to home base had dinner and did a powerful leadership activity called Step into the Circle and Cross the Line. We learned that even though we come from different paths of life, we have more things in common than differences. It made us appreciate our group much more. We cannot believe we are halfway done with the program!
-Peter and Jayden
