GLA Spring Break Sesh 2!
We miss you! You are probably off enjoying your summer somewhere, likely still dreaming about hammocks, fruit smoothies, and chocolate covered bananas. As soon as you all arrived in Alajuela, there was immediate energy and connection and we knew it was going to be a good session! Though we only had a short time together, everyone seemed to bond quickly and build friendships that will last for years to come.
We started our week of adventure with zip lining through the beautiful rainforest! After a long ride in the van, we finally arrived to the boat which took us to our amazing, rustic home base in the middle of the jungle. Surrounded by monkeys and sloths (and maybe a few too many mosquitos?), we settled into life on the Caribbean coast for a few days with our gentle reminder from Hannah to put “toilet in the trash.”
We jumped into our service work as we took to the beaches to clean up the enormous amount of trash that washes up, including the paddle boat! We also learned about the effects of plastic on the environment and the turtles and brainstormed ideas of how we can reduce our use of plastic back home. Our night patrol walks were difficult, but you guys hung in there and did a great job and…WE SAW A TURTLE!!! It was exciting and rewarding to see firsthand the work we were out there supporting. We came back excited and everyone had PTH afterwards!
Teaching English at the local school, swimming in the Caribbean, (Boy) George’s adorable roommate for the last night, finger guns, and so many more memories were created in our few fun days together. We dove deeper in mentor groups and opened up with each other in group activities (stinky laundry bag anyone?) I hope you all have taken the lessons you learned on this trip and applied them to your lives back home in the States. You were an amazing group and set the bar high for the following sessions. Thank you for your hard work, willingness to be open and vulnerable, and overall awesomeness. Always remember to Be The Changɘ! We love you!
-Kelly, Rudy, and Hannah
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