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 5
¡Saludos desde Toledo!
It has been a long day, but a positive one as we began our Spanish Language Experience program!
The staff team – James, Teresa, Fernanda, Gina, and Greta – had an early start to the airport, about an hour’s drive from our home base in Toledo.
Students arrived at various times and in different terminals but the staff team all came together to collect everyone and shuttle them back to home base in a couple of buses. There the staff received the students to get settled in their dorm rooms, eat lunch, and have some chill time in the cool, air-conditioned common areas.
This evening we began our GLA orientation with a name game ice-breaker and later talked about the program, home base, and policies, making it interactive with some skits!
We finished our long arrival day with “chow circle” where we gave shout-outs and discussed the day’s highlights before eating some comfort food for dinner at home base. We wrapped up with some more chill time before hitting the bed early so that we’ll all be fresh and ready to go for our first full day in Toledo tomorrow!
We’re anxiously awaiting the arrival of our last two students, Nikki and Emmie, who will make it to home base tomorrow so that we’ll be a full team!
¡Hasta pronto!
The GLA Staff Team
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Hola from Toledo!
Today was our first full day of program! We all got some really good, much-needed rest after our long travel days. We had a filling breakfast at the home base and then rolled right into orientation part two where we made our list of community agreements, writing down what we wanted to see as a group in the program. Some examples are being present and engaged during activities, being inclusive and non-judgemental, and respecting nature and the environment.
After a short break we took a bus into town to explore the historic center of Toledo via a fun, competitive scavenger hunt in groups! We searched for famous monuments and statues, practiced Spanish with locals, and even had to act out a scene from a movie in front of a local theatre. We cooled off during a nice lunch in the center before taking our private bus back to the home base.
This afternoon we met our Spanish teachers for a placement test. Afterwards, we split into our Mentor Groups to just discuss the types of conversations and activities we will typically have in these small groups.
We spent the hottest part of the day at a nearby private swimming pool, enjoying the refreshingly cool water with an amazing view of the historic center of Toledo in the distance. We were excited to have Ellie join us as soon as she and Greta returned from the airport!
Back at the home base this evening we ate dinner then sat down as a group to watch a bit of the Spain vs Portugal World Cup match before calling it a night after a fun and full day!
We are still waiting for our final arrival, Nikoletta, so we can be a full team!
¡Hasta luego!
The GLA Staff Team
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Hola!
In the morning, we had a delicious breakfast of toast, fruit and pancakes. That was very filling and gave everyone the energy needed for the chaotic morning with the summer camp. After breakfast, we had time to get ready for the day and also clean our rooms. To win the ‘cleanest room challenge,’ the cleanest room wins. The winner will be announced on a random día by our cleaning lady, Carolina, so people have to stay on high alert with their room cleaning.
At the camp we played with the kids as we switched through stations. The stations included music, computers, art and more fun activities. We also got to practice our Spanish by talking with the young campers because they spoke little to no English. All the kids were very sad to see us leave by the end of our time.
After summer camp service, the group went back to the cafeteria to eat some comida. Lunch today was paella and fish sticks. The side was the best bread ever. Ruben had at least five pieces of it.
After lunch we had a little break time before our first Spanish class. The two Spanish teachers, Alfredo and Rosa, were amazing. We played bingo with animals, made collages about us, and listened to Bad Bunny.
After 3 hours of Spanish we got ready to go to the pool for the second day in a row. It was close to 100° so I’m sure all of us were ready to hop into the pool. After swimming for a little while, we split into our Mentor Groups and did an activity on our core three values in which we had a long list of attributes and had to narrow it down to only 3, which was very difficult.
We then walked back to the school to wrap up the day. Dinner was pork ribs with potatoes and more amazing bread. Overall, today was a great day and we’re so excited for tomorrow!
Hasta luego!
Jackson and Sydney
