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 7
All students for Utah: River Rafting & Canyon Adventure have arrived to program!
Flying in to Grand Junction, we played Uno in the airport, went to a park and playground in town and grabbed ice cream.
We started getting to know each other and drove over the state line into Utah and had our first dinner together at home base in Moab.
We’re excited to be all together and to go to Arches National Park tomorrow! Many had early flights so we’re off to bed early tonight so the adventures can begin.
– Abby Gust, International Director
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
The day started off with a hearty bacon and pancake breakfast. Afterwards, we all participated in a quick name game. We all suited up to head to Mill Creek where we all painted our faces with clay. Some people were even successful at catching tadpoles. After the creek, we all unanimously decided on an amazing trail in the arches. After dinner, we were all at awe at the beautiful scenes and rocks. After the majestic trail ride and productive evening meeting, we all sang along to our favorite songs in the van on our ride back.
Will
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
The second full day began with a breakfast of sausage, bagel, and eggs. We got ready for service and headed out, but had a misschedule with the service partners so we went to Canyonlands Field Institute’s outdoor camp center instead in the morning, and did service in the afternoon.
At the campus, we had mentor groups where we talked about our values and how we can take action in order to bring them forth towards the group. Then for service we worked with Community Rebuild which builds sustainable housing for NGO workers. We worked together to move wood, stones, and leaves, clearing the area for future projects and organizing a community resale site. Then after all was done we made spaghetti and meatballs and went to town to shop for souvenirs. It was a very fun day!
– Archivist Vaughn
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
First we woke up as always at 7:15am. The kitchen crew went to make the breakfast. After a great breakfast we went to the Youth Garden Project to help them with raised garden beds to grow produce for the community. This was part of our community service to Moab as part of this GLA trip. At the Youth Garden Project we planted new mixtures of soil and compost in the garden beds for them to plant new crops. Next we came back to home base to have lunch. After lunch we went to the CFI home base to rig our rafts for the river. We got fitted for life jackets and all got dry bags and sleeping bags. We made sure we have all the items we need for the river. We then went into town and got smoothies and watched a play put on by the children of the Youth Garden Project about their free community garden. We then did a leadership activity about digital agency and preparing for being without our phones and what we want our relationship to be with technology going forward.
After dinner, we went to the free concert in the park in downtown Moab and attended an art fair and danced.
Tomorrow morning we launch our boats on the river! We are so excited. We won’t have our phones for the whole river rafting portion, so please don’t expect to hear from us!
– Winslow
From International Director Abby:
We have a satellite phone to use to communicate any emergencies on the river and to be in contact with our program managers and both GLA and CFI Headquarters. If you have concerns you can always contact the GLA hotline! Don’t expect to hear from the students until the evening of July 15! We’re so excited to be out in nature together and they’re in great hands with the us and the professional CFI raft guides.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Last update before we leave regular service area:
We have launched! Students had an extended safety briefing, helped rig and launch the boats, and practiced safe Swiftwater entry.
Students are looking forward to all the different classes of rapids to come, learning more Swiftwater skills, and learning how to paddle captain their own boat.
The river adventure has begun!
– ID Abby
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
We are back on land! We did 17 miles of whitewater yesterday in Westwater Canyon, including the Class IV Skull and Funnel rapids. The students did an excellent job following the instructions of the Paddle Captain and all stayed in the boat the entire time. There were many great splashes, bounces, and cheers, making for a safe and thrilling trip down all 13 rapids in this stretch of canyon.
More student blogs written on the river will be coming soon, but for now enjoy some photos and the knowledge that all the students are back on land, enjoying the amenities of a hot shower and modern plumbing. We’re having a final pizza party and appreciation circle tonight before departures tomorrow!
– ID Abby
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
We woke up at 7am to get ready for sausage and fruit for breakfast. After breakfast we got in the van to head on our way to launch our boats and learn how to be on them safely. Once we got on the Colorado River, we started paddling down river, swimming and conquering small rapids. Three hours later, we all arrive at our first campsite called Onion 3. We started setting up the kitchen and unloading the boat and named our island. Kitchen crew made lunch and we figured out a great hangout spot in the shade for our communal conversations. We walked over to the river with life vests and helmets and learned how to do Swiftwater entries into the rapids. It was great for the heat and then we flowed down the river to our campsite. We returned to our hangout spot and hung out there for a while and then had delicious barbeque chicken and mash potatoes for dinner powered by Will and Ellie. After dinner we grabbed all of our sleeping pads and bags and slept in a circle on the ground. We told stories and went to sleep.
– Archivist Mina
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
First we wake up from our night under the stars at around 6:45. The kitchen crew went to prepare breakfast as usual and we were treated to a great dish of French toast and sausage in celebration of Winnie’s 14th birthday. What followed was another day on the river after packing up to move camp. On the way we discovered with the help of Will the term “semi-big-fih” for the fish we were seeing. After stopping for lunch we were taught how to reflip over a raft boat in case it happens on the rapids. After lunch we made our way to our campsite where we learnt how to throw bag a rescue rope to save someone’s life in case of emergency on the rapids. We practiced throwing and catching the rope in pairs. After we finished setting up camp after dinner and slept in the wind.
– Archivist Jackson
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
First, like most days on the river, we woke up at 6:45. We then ate eggs and ham alongside some mystery melon for breakfast. Then we loaded the boats and packed up camp and set sail once more down river. After a couple of hours we reached a boat ramp where we ate as well as de-rigged the boats and loaded them back onto the trailer. We then rode in the van where we jammed out to some music all the way until we reached our new campsite on a different part of the river. The guides then proceeded to rig the boats for us, due to us having a hard night sleep which made us pretty cranky for which we are very thankful for them. We then set up camp and ate hamburgers and fries for dinner. Now we prepare ourselves to ride down Westwater canyon tomorrow where we will experience tons of rapids.
– Archivist Ernest
We kicked off the day with a 6:45am wakeup and cereal with fruit and oatmeal for breakfast. We made our departure on the river at 9:00. We but a few riffles and pulled over for lunch. We ate deli meat sandwiches with oranges on the side and had a safety briefing for the bigger rapids to come. We then headed back down the canyon for a bumpy and fun ride on the rapids. The rapids were very wavy and we all worked as a team to keep the boat afloat. After a long and fun day of rapids we set up camp for the night with students in charge of setup and cooking after we had learned this skills all trip. We had chili and cucumber salad for dinner.
– Archivist Ellie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
The day began with a wakeup time of 6:45 as usual. As it was our last day on the river, the chaperones treated us to a great breakfast of homemade egg McMuffins with grapes and blueberries. We then packed up the kitchen and camp and loaded everything back onto the boats. Around halfway through the calm ride we used that day’s chaos card to paddle the boat by ourselves. It was chaos. There was an adorable black bear cub on the shoreline. When we finally arrived at the boat ramps, we worked as a team to lift the boats and their gear onto the truck. We finished surprisingly quickly and then jumped in the van for a hyper drive filled with singing and finally calling home. Once the drive was over we got cold drinks and ice cream for the heat and got food before checking into the hotel and taking well-needed showers. We signed and took a photo with the ‘GLA oar’ we broke off the oar boat paddle while learning how to row. We ended the day with an amazing pizza dinner and the Cars movie.
– Archivist Vivienne
JULY 16
All students have departed the program! We finished with a final group meeting commiserating our time together and handed out ‘airplane letters’ students wrote each other to read on the plane/car ride. They vowed to stay in touch and keep the community alive.
We were grateful to have them all on program and wish them safe travels and a wonderful rest of the summer!
