TIME CAPSULE LETTER
Written by:
Serenity Dzubay (International Director)
Diveana Samos (Local Director)
Marinella Stollenwerk (Mentor)
Matthew Hwang (Mentor)
Hola amigos!
Your GLA family here! We hope you didn’t forget about us and your time in Belize! We are checking in to remind you about the impactful trip we had! We wish that everything you learned during your time in Belize, and especially the humble village of Sarteneja, has stayed with you and impacted your daily life.
The day you arrived in Sarteneja, you were all quiet and reserved, nervous and apprehensive of the journey ahead of you. But throughout the course of the entire trip, we saw all of your individual personalities shine creating a diverse group of future leaders.
Although service was hard, it was so rewarding seeing marine life thrive in the habitat we were helping to preserve by planting mangrove propagules and cleaning the beaches to pave the way for new turtle nesting sites. We learned through doing and coming out of our comfort zones, even if that meant we had to get our hands (and pants!) a little dirty! Presentations with Miss Zoe and the SACD team taught y’all about why the mangroves were important in the Belizean ecosystem and how manatee rehabilitation is truly important to save these animals. Last but not least, picking up trash with the local Sarteneja children brought all of you closer together and made all of us happy to be able to not only clean up potential ocean pollutants, but to also educate the local children about why cleaning up after ourselves is so important for marine conservation efforts.In total, we cleaned up 25 bags of trash at the turtle nesting site, collected at least 75 bags of trash in Sarteneja and planted around 260 mangroves!
Over two weeks, we hope everyone learned to embrace the heat, humidity and awesome animals/marine life literally every step (and boat ride) we took. We will remember all the awesome animals we also saw at the Tropical Education Center and the Belize Zoo, the fishes we saw while snorkeling and swimming, the birds we saw (and heard) as we walked through the sandy roads of Sarteneja, and of course the manatees we saw at Wild Tracks.
Do you guys remember talking about your OMG (one meaningful goal) on the final night in Belize? Marinella’s mentor group had the goal to boycott unethical companies while Matt’s mentor group decided to stay involved as a global citizen and take initiative. We had some meaningful conversations about your personal goals as well and how you can achieve them by making small changes to your lifestyle choices, such as wasting less and consciously thinking more about our environment and community. To bring back the memories, we attached some videos from that night!
Finally, huge shoutout to:
-Dive’s mom for making us a feast + fourth of July cake
-Jema, Joma and Raynell for being the best boat captains and saving our lives multiple times (esp. when stuck in the ocean)
-our wonderful tour guides Zhawn and Giselle
-the local art shops (Belioness/Lionfish Jewelry, Chuy’s Arts, Tropic Arts)
-S.A.C.D. for teaching us about conservation and welcoming us into their world
-endless animals we got to see at T.E.C, Wild Tracks and out and about in Sarteneja, including numerous birds and fish, tapirs, macaws, manatees, vultures, numerous cats (pumas, jaguars, and ocelots), howler monkeys, spider monkeys and many, many more
-copious amounts of chicken and rice
-Kelly’s supermarket for always keeping our snack stashes + Arizona tea stashes full
-salsa verde tostito chips
-all the leaders of the day (+ morning bops)
-the great blue hole
-the mangrove service site catwalk
-snorkeling and swimming in silt
-Kimar
-Belizean folklore storyteller for scaring us out of our minds
-the passionate debate we had
-“you better Belize it” merch
-waterfalls and always striving for the “perfect count offs”
-Matt’s hat, may he never take it off
-group sing-alongs
-the most relaxing cave tubing experience and ziplining where Dive faced her biggest fear
-air conditioning at the Sarteneja Inn
We wish you all a very bright future and hope that each of you chases your dreams and achieves your goals. Every single one of you left a lasting and memorable impression on all of us. We genuinely hope that you go out, live each and every day outside of your comfort zone and be the change you want to see in the world.
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
Cell Phone Policy: The GLA cell phone policy is currently in place this summer to help foster meaningful connections between students. This means your student’s phone will be collected every day and returned to them after activities are completed to have with them through the night. Actual tech times and regularity will vary greatly by program location and time zones. During designated ‘tech time’, your student may use their phones as they wish. Please note that your student may not always choose to use this time to get a hold of their parents. If you are not hearing directly from your student each day, you can assume that no news is good news! We strongly recommend you follow the blog to follow your students’ experience without talking to them every day. If you are a parent and would like to get in touch with your student directly, you can call us at +1-619-758-3031 and we can set up a formal time for you to connect with your student.
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 posts!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
Hola!
This is your crew from Belize Manatee and Marine Conservation, and we are so excited to kick off session 1 of summer 2023!
Today is arrival day! Everything is ready for our students to arrive and start experiencing everything Belize has to offer! All of the students were picked up at the airport in the morning/early afternoon at the Belize City Airport. Students then took a 3-hour bus ride to the beautiful and rustic village of Sarteneja! Along the way, we stopped for lunch in a local town and visited the 123 supermarket to buy some snacks to fuel us for the adventures ahead!
At the home base, students were able to mingle with other students, explore their new home base, and rest/shower after a long day of travel! The students also ate dinner, met the GLA Belize staff, and had their first mentor groups/leadership activities inspired by one of the GLA pillars: Connect & Influence.
Although all of the students shared that they were exhausted from the traveling, they were super enthusiastic and looking forward to the adventure and service days to come!
We can’t wait for the next two weeks of service learning, lifelong memories, and deep friendships that await.
We hope that you can use this blog to keep up with your student’s adventures and as a way to experience this journey with us!
From the excited GLA Belize team,
Serenity (International Director)
Dive (Local Director)
Marinella (Mentor)
Matt (Mentor)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Written by Zoe G. and Jacey H.
Hola, Buenos dias!
Today we woke up at 7am to Titi Me Pregunto, which was a wonderful start to our day. We had an array of delicious fruit and pancakes for breakfast. Then shortly after we began our student orientation. During this time we discussed community guidelines inside and outside of the home base, we got to play some fun games and learn a lot about the different students here on this program. It was so nice to see how everyone was so excited to be here.
We thoroughly enjoyed the lunch home cooked by our local chefs, which included beef stew, rice, and steamed veggies. After lunch, we visited a local artist (Mr. Chuy) who shared his story with us, and we supported him by buying beautiful pieces of his handmade paintings. We also got reusable tote bags with Mr. Chuy’s designs as part of our GLA program (in partnership with the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development, the NGO we will be working with this summer). We then had the opportunity to tour the Sarteneja Village with our local director Dive, and really enjoyed seeing how the locals live their day to day lives.
Once the tour was finished, we took a fantastic boat ride from the pier just a few steps outside our homebase. We enjoyed the salty air on our way to Warrie Bight, where we took our swim test and had a 100% passing rate! We cannot wait for the many water adventures ahead! After enjoying the refreshing Belizean water, we headed back to the Sarteneja pier where we were immediately greeted by a torrential downpour! Although some may see this as an unfortunate event, it was extremely refreshing and fun to be a part of. Luckily, we were all able to shower immediately and get ourselves ready for dinner.
At dinner, we enjoyed an authentic meal consisting of rice, beans, chicken and bread pudding. This was lovely after the long and packed day. Finally, to end the night, we split up into our mentor groups to learn more about leadership and bond with each other!
We are super excited to see what this program has in store and after the day of many smiles, laughs and positivity. We are confident that this will be an experience to never forget!
Swimcerley ;),
Zoe and Jacey
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Written by Griffin and Ryan
Hola!
Today we woke up a bit early at 6:30am for a hearty breakfast of fry jacks, scrambled eggs, sausages, fruit, and beans. The meal was needed as we then embarked on a journey to check out fisherman beach traps, where the local Sarteneja fisherman catch a multitude of sea life, including snapper, barracuda, stingray, crabs, and catfish. We watched as they made sure to release the catfish and stingray back into the water as a part of the preservation and sanctuary rules surrounding fishing in such a beautiful and treasured place. The beach trap worked by creating a sort of funnel into a heart-shaped area with sticks and chicken wire netting where the fish would enter, and then the fishermen would use a net to bring in all of the animals and put it on the boat to sort out everything they caught.
After that amazing tour it was time for us to filet and gut the fish. We helped the fisherman clean and prepare the fish, and then we went back to the hotel. We then had a super good lunch that consisted of all of the fish caught earlier in the day. Then it was time for our fish/bird ID training. The presentations were super detailed and had a ton of interesting facts and things about all of the fish and birds in the Sarteneja region. We learned so much about all of the fish/birds, and why its important to protect the wide variety of species, and then we walked around Sarteneja to see if we could identify any of them. To end the tour, we met the staff of SACD (the NGO we are partnered with) before going back to home base.
We then were able to have some relaxation time as a group, and we chose to go swim during our free time in the calm and warm estuary right by the hotel. Afterwards, we had our hour long tech time followed by our first meal at a super neat local restaurant called El Fogon. We scarfed down on some chicken and cilantro rice, and were even given large bottles of Belizean Coke that tasted ten times better than Coke from home. Once we finished with our main course, we had a Fourth of July surprise from the staff; a slice of cake, which was a spin on a tres leches cake made by the extraordinary mom of our staff member Dive.
To end the day, it was time for folklore. We all gathered in a circle to hear about these terrifying and interesting stories. After the stories we walked back to the hotel and then went to sleep.
See you tomorrow for our first day of service!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Written by Beckley and Katie 😉
Hola from Sarteneja!
We woke up at seven this morning and kicked off the day with some delicious breakfast burritos! For the rest of the morning, we listened intently to several presentations by members of the SACD. We learned a tremendous amount about the organization and what it does for marine life conservation in Corozal Bay. We also were educated about the unique challenges of mangrove restoration and how the SACD is working to overcome them. Additionally, we learned to identify the three types of mangroves found in Corozal Bay based on their leaves, roots, and propagules. Following the presentation, we had the opportunity to converse with the SACD members and hear their stories and experience the passion they feel for their work.
After a hearty lunch of spaghetti and meatballs (a taste of home), we put our new knowledge to work back at Warrie Bight, our service site for the day. When we arrived, we made sure to apply healthy amounts of sunscreen and bug spray, and then we split into three groups. One group worked on mangrove propagule collection with SACD member Mike. We waded into the shallow water and carefully harvested 152 mature propagules from the mangrove branches. We were interested to learn that mangroves are viviparous, meaning the seeds germinate on the tree.The second group dug up loose dirt and silt and filled small bags with it. These bags were used to plant the mangrove propagules. The third group got to work on building up the Warrie Bight site, leveling the ground and collecting loose rocks for a greenhouse. After taking a quick break, a few of us rotated tasks and we set to work again. To finish off the service day, we took a dip in the ocean to cool off and returned to home base.
Once back in town, a few of us went to Dive’s home to get some delicious mangoes and chat with Dive’s mom. We’ve enjoyed how friendly and inviting the locals have been, and it’s been wonderful to immerse ourselves in their culture. The motto of Sarteneja is “where the sun sets on the water”, and some of our group was lucky enough to experience this last night; we witnessed a beautiful sunset out on the pier. Afterwards, we returned to home base for some much needed showers and free time. Then we enjoyed a delicious meal of chicken and tortillas, along with fruit kebabs and mashed potatoes. After dinner we split into our mentor groups, where we discussed our various leadership styles and played a few games. Then we all settled into our rooms for a good night’s sleep.
Overall, it was an unBELIZEable day of service and fun!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Written by Mason and Sasha
Hola!
Today we woke up to Lil Uzi blasting at 7:30AM. For breakfast we indulged in eggs, tortillas, and fruit kabobs. After breakfast, we got straight into our service work. We walked over to the SACD office where many village kids were waiting for us. There, the village kids introduced themselves, and we played a new game called Zip, Zap, Boing. The game was a great start to getting to know the kids. After the game, all 42 of us (GLA students and village kids combined) were split into seven groups for our first group activity which was a scavenger hunt around the village. There were clues scattered around Sarteneja, and with the help of the village kids, we were able to find all of the clues that led back to the SACD office. During the hunt, we bonded with the village kids by giving them piggyback rides even though the heat was extreme and we were all sweating bullets. Then we waited for lunch which we ate at the SACD office.
For lunch we had the usual chicken, rice and bean mix, and veggies. Per usual, the food was very flavorful, and every time we have chicken and rice, the sauce and flavors are different, so we don’t feel like we are eating the same food every day. After lunch, we built up the energy to continue our work with the kids by cleaning up trash around the village and on the beach shore. In our original groups, we walked around town with trash bags and collected any bottles, cups, plastic bags, and broken glass. We recorded every piece of trash we collected so that SACD could look at the data of which trash is most prevalent in the town. All of us were shocked by the number of bottles and bottle caps we collected. After the trash collection, we went to a small location to play with the kids. We played soccer, volleyball, and basketball, and the kids were great competitors. After a fun time playing sports, we cooled off by swimming in the ocean before heading back to the hotel for an hour with our phones.
At the end of the day, we walked to a local restaurant, Raquel’s, and enjoyed a fun night of Chalupa bingo, a traditional Belizean bingo. While playing bingo, we also ate traditional tortillas with queso and amazing chicken quesadillas. We washed the food down with fresh pineapple juice. Raquel’s dinner was a great way to end a hot and productive day.
Adios Amigos!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Written by Jenna and Kamron
Hola Amigos!
Today, we woke up to The Best I Ever Had by Drake, blasting around the grounds of home base. For breakfast we had the most amazing waffles and bacon. Then, we did a little intro to our big debate that took place at night. We were given our roles and studied hard to kill this debate! Then we got ready, headed to the dock, and took off for the Cerros Mayan ruins. Once there, we split off into groups, one group toured the ruins site, the other headed to the new river tour. Our tour guides were amazing, they were showing us the flora and fauna of the river bank, as well as pointing out different species of fish. We also decided to get fresh salt and pepper mango by the ferryman.
After the tour we went to Cerros, the Mayan ruins, where we climbed to the top of the temple, got to look out over the sea, and tried to train to get “Mayan feet.” We came back to meet with the group and headed for lunch at our service site, where we ate delicious noodles and veggies. Then we were divided into groups, and had different responsibilities in helping to plant mangroves. When we got done with work, we took a dip in the ocean. On our way back to the mainland our boat ran out of gas,in the middle of the ocean, and the other boat had to come and tow us back to Sarteneja.
Later at night, after we all showered, we all had dinner which was a Belizean traditional dish called “Relleno” or “Black Soup.” Then, after dinner, we prepared and started our debate about how to help Belize’s economy grow. We discussed things like how traditional fishing practices are unsustainable and harmful for the ecosystem, as well as how we can make it more sustainable. After that, we all settled down, the new leaders of the day were picked, and we had lights out so we could be fresh and awake the next day.
Adios!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Written by Lila and Alec
Hola Amigos!
Today we woke up to Hotel Room Service by Pitbull at 7:30am. At 8:00am we met downstairs and had breakfast which was rice, beans, fry jacks, a flavorful sausage mixture, and a choice between Fruit Loops or Cocoa Crisps. After breakfast we broke up into our two mentor groups with our amazing mentors, Matt and Marinella. Marinella’s group got in a van at 9:00am to head on a 15 minute ride over to Wild Tracks, a manatee and primate rescue and rehab center. When we arrived we were greeted by Ms. Zoe who is the director and owner of Wild Tracks. We indulged in an hour of presentations about Wild Tracks and their wildlife. Then we did a brief team activity where we split up into groups and used post-its to address and find solutions to the main issues that manatees in Belize are facing. After this was the most exciting part of our Wild Tracks experience because we got to see manatees being fed. We saw a total of three manatees and four monkeys, two spider monkeys and two howler monkeys.
After meeting back up at home base, both groups ate lunch together at 12:15pm. We had chicken, rice, and amazing mac-and-cheese. After lunch we split back into mentor groups and swapped activities. Matt’s group went to Wild Tracks to experience what Marinella’s group had earlier in the morning. While Matt’s group was out at Wild Tracks, we made our way to the SACD office to see a crocodile that one of the fishermen had brought in from his beach trap. Although it was small, being able to touch the croc was very cool and a once in a lifetime experience. After seeing the croc, we made our way to the shoreline with our trash bags to spend an hour and a half doing what Matt’s group had done earlier and cleaning up the beaches and streets of Sarteneja. After getting hot and sweaty helping out the community, we stopped by the local supermarket to stock up on snacks for Bacalar Chico which is the island that we will be heading to tomorrow. Then we headed back to home base to do mentor groups in which we did a reflection activity called What? So What? Now What? In this activity we talked about our experiences in service throughout the trip so far and it’s effects on our lives.
At around 4:30pm we met back up with Matt’s group at home base and had a meeting about what to expect and what to pack for our Bacalar Chico adventure. After, we got around an hour of freetime before having tech time from 5:30pm–6:30pm. After tech time we had about a half an hour to prepare and pack for our excursion the next day. At around 7:00pm we headed across the street to a restaurant named Mirador where we had a choice of lime, melon, or watermelon juice, and chicken, rice, garlic bread, and mashed potatoes. For dessert we ate a Belizean delicacy. which was a fluffy yogurt mixture topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Then the party got started. For the next hour and a half we enjoyed a mix of Belizean and American dance party music. We got back to the hotel around 9:15pm and the new leaders of the day were announced along with groups and roommates for Bacalar Chico. Then we headed off to bed excited for the day to come.
See you bright and early tomorrow morning for our Bacalar Chico adventure!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Written by Colin and Gabriel
Buenas,
Today we woke up at 6:15, which is the earliest we’ve woken up so far. The wake up song was Bad Bunny’s Despues de la Playa. The song fit perfectly because we went to a remote island with breathtaking views of various water bodies and very comfortable hammocks. The two hour boat ride was bumpy and painful for some, but was definitely worth it since we encountered a pod of dolphins. We watched them as they swam and surfaced at different sides of the boat. Everyone was extremely happy, and we were lucky enough to have witnessed the dolphins’ graceful existence. Fun fact, the island we stayed at, Bacalar Chico, would’ve been part of Mexico if the Mayans hadn’t made a canal which allowed them to efficiently trade..
Once we arrived at Bacalar Chico, we ate breakfast which consisted of a chicken quesadilla with lettuce and tomato on top. Afterwards we went snorkeling on site to a man made reef, around the mangroves. Some of us saw a lot of fish species including snappers, barracudas, and many more. After we finished snorkeling we had a bit of free time. During that time someone played basketball, some talked, and some fell asleep in the very comfortable hammocks which concluded with all of us eating lunch. For lunch we had chicken, accompanied with some vegetables and the best rice we’ve had so far. After lunch, we split into two groups. One went snorkeling and the other one cleaned up trash so that turtles could lay their eggs there again. While snorkeling, we saw a shark, beautiful coral reefs and different fishes. During service, we were all shocked with how much trash was on the island; we were able to pick up 25 bags of trash as a whole group.
After service and snorkeling, we went back to Bacalar Chico to take bucket showers and eat dinner. For dinner, we had barbeque chicken, baked beans, and coleslaw with a tortilla on the side. We followed dinner with a gratitude circle while stargazing, where we told each other how grateful and proud we were for all of our peers. To end the night, we had mentor groups focused on the leadership pillar “be courageous”, as we reflected and shared our life stories using the “River of Life”. This was a really high note for all of us as it bonded us together as a group.
Hasta Luego!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Written by Courtney and Sophie
Buenos dias from BCMR!!
We kicked off the day with our first GLA mystery. The entire island woke up bright and early at 6:00 to the sound of roosters singing. It was no challenge to stay awake considering the sweltering conditions, but to our surprise, the mentors were nowhere to be seen. For the next two hours, the kids enjoyed some morning relaxation by sunbathing on the dock, swimming in the sea, and even eating breakfast. The mentors finally appeared close to 8:30 am*, coming down the stairs with Mamma Mia blasting, but to their surprise, we had already kicked off our day.
Once the real agenda began, we started our day with a responsible/ethical photography workshop where we learned the consequences of taking pictures and sharing them around. We practiced by taking ethical and “unethical” pictures of each other to model wildlife situations. Right afterwards, we loaded up into the boats to head back to Sarteneja. Right as we were leaving the dock, it started to pour rain. By the time we picked up speed, we were all completely drenched. Luckily, we managed to race the good weather all the way back, and almost everyone (big boat wins again!) made it back to the hotel before the storm found us once more.
After lunch and showers, we turned down swimming again in favor of reuniting with air conditioning, which was how we spent the next few hours. At 4:30, we went to Diveana’s house, where her parents taught us how to make tamales. We worked for two hours, prepping the
tamales at different stations. We then went back home to play a very aggressive game of jeopardy while we waited for the dinner to cook. While the semantics of the game can be debated by many, it should be noted that GREAT is the most important part of “the great blue hole”. The group left rather riled up, however with the help of Matt’s guitar and the amazing dinner we were greeted with, the group was able to forget their differences again. The Samos family not only boiled our tamales, but also provided us with freshly squeezed mango and watermelon juice, pineapple slices, lemon meringue pie, bread pudding, and alternative cakes for those with allergies. We want to express our extreme gratitude to the family for opening up their home so we could feel welcome in such an intimate part of Sarteneja’s culture.
We walked home and finished the night with good conversations, laughs between friends, and late night card games before we turned in for the night. We have a fun day of making jewelry and our last ocean swim ahead. We’ll see you tomorrow!
Adios!
*Mentors Note: 8:30 was the intended wake up time and kids were supervised by other staff 😉
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Written by Abie and Lexie
Hola amigos!
We kicked off the day bright and early at 7:30 a.m. to start preparing for the Women’s Art Cooperative Visit where we made jewelry out of lionfish, the invasive species that’s threatening the waters of Belize. We used one of the 13 venomous lionfish spines to create either a bracelet, necklace, or earrings with the help of the women who founded the program to help empower women around Belize. Her son also educated us with a short presentation about the invasive species and how they are a rising threat to the biodiversity in the waters. After spending 2 and a half hours being creative ourselves, we visited an art studio (Tropic Arts) for some souvenir shopping. Tropic Arts had a wide range of products including jewelry, paintings, etc., helping promote other small shops in Sarteneja.
In the afternoon, we indulged in ramen noodles in chicken broth with a side of chicken, before getting ready to listen to Joel’s presentation addressing his life story as a fishing family in Sarteneja. Joel was one of few to receive a full education, including his bachelor’s degree, making him super successful throughout the village. After listening to a very interesting presentation, the group began getting ready for their last swim off the Sarteneja pier. Volleyball and other ball games were played in the water as we enjoyed our last swim in the village. At 4:30 p.m, we were given an hour to pack all of our things to get ready for the Tropical Education Center (TEC) where we will be staying for the remainder of our trip. At 5:30 p.m we had tech time for an hour, updating our friends and family on our stay!
When night dawned upon us, we got ready in our fanciest outfits for the long awaited Karaoke night! We sang multiple songs as a group, played pool, and had delicious food! When we arrived back at homebase, we were surprised with customized picture frames and a group photo to remember the memories we had on this trip! Overall, our last day in Sarteneja was a success!
Hasta Luego!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Written by Sean and Maggie 🙂
Buenos Dias!
Woke up to the Backyardigans theme song at 6:45. Started the day with a breakfast of yummy rolls, sausage, cheese, eggs, and refried beans. Next, we took a two hour bus ride to the Mayan temple ruins (Altun Ha) and stayed entertained along the way with many games like wavelength. We were also introduced to our other local director Zhawn. At the tour sight, we enjoyed chicken, rice and beans, cole slaw, and refreshing sodas.
After lunch, we split into groups and began the tour. We observed the beautiful temple sites, were enlightened about the Mayan people, their traditions, and their history. Mayan history is so amazing and complex, each group clapped all together and heard the sound from the top of the temple. We had the opportunity to climb the biggest temple, take in the incredible view, and take many pictures. Afterward, we were able to buy souvenirs from local vendors and had some delicious smoothies before hitting the road to TEC.
Our arrival at TEC was smooth as we picked up our bags and settled into our rooms. We walked around the trails connecting the TEC grounds and had a long refreshing swim that we all needed after the hours spent in the bus. Once we were done with the pool, we took showers and we ate dinner after in the beautiful dining hall along with the other TEC guests. The students then split into mentor groups for one last time and ended with games of mafia and pictionary. Free time followed and lights out was shortly after. We are so very excited for tomorrow and the adventures it will bring.
Adios!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
Written by Cassidy and Will
Hola family and friends!
We woke up bright and early to the song Sunny by Boney M and headed over to breakfast where we ate eggs with spinach, toast, ham, fruit, and cold and refreshing watermelon juice.
We then headed to our lovely cabins to prepare for our action packed day. We got onto the bus and headed to ziplining. We got all our safety equipment on and headed up onto the ropes. Everyone did great and had so much fun. When we finished ziplining, we headed to a restaurant and ate barbecue chicken and had chocolate cake for dessert.
After lunch, we headed back onto the bus and headed to the cave tubing. When we arrived, we were set by our tour guides, and were given our helmets and life jackets and began our hike to the start of tubing. We hiked through parts of the river on the way. When we arrived at the starting location, we had some swim time at the entrance to the cave we would soon be tubing through. After our swim time, we divided into 4 groups, tied our tubes together, and headed into the caves.
When in the caves, our wonderful tour guides explained the history of the caves. We got to see all sorts of cool cave formations. We drifted through the cave for an hour, enjoying the views and enjoying the cold water after many days in the hot sun. We exited the cave and continued our stroll down the river, and took in the greenery that surrounded the water.
Before heading back to our home base, we had some time to shop for souvenirs and gifts at the shops. We got back onto the bus and headed back to TEC. After we got back, we had some time to unwind, and then gathered for dinner. For dinner we had a garden salad, mashed potatoes, and, as always, chicken.
After dinner we headed on a night tour of the zoo to see the nocturnal animals. We saw owls, a jaguar, ocelots, a crocodile, a porcupine, some snakes, and a variety of other animals. We then headed back to home base, had some free time, and sang along to songs played on the guitar by Matt. We then went to sleep to be well rested for our day tomorrow.
Adios!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Written by Cosi and Marie
Hola everybody!
Today we woke up at 7:00 AM and ate a delicious breakfast. The breakfast consisted of pancakes, bacon, juicy pineapple and sweet cantaloupe.
After breakfast, we went and packed for a guided trip to the Belize Zoo. When we arrived we split into two groups to explore the exotic, native animals with our guide. Along the walk we saw a giant harpy eagle, two colorful parrots, spider monkeys, and howler monkeys. In an exciting turn of events, one of the howler monkeys escaped. Luckily, the zookeeper’s were on it. We also saw a variety of jungle cats: the jaguar, the ocelot, and puma. Then it was time for lunch!
Our groups converged into one at the zoo cafeteria and gift shop. As we waited for our food, people were able to browse through the various souvenirs. We bought T-shirts and other merchandise as a way to have a part of Belize with us. Soon everyone was handed their food which was selected by them early today from the zoo menu. Many chose burgers, quesadillas, and chicken fingers. Everyone left the zoo with a new knowledge of Belize’s native animals and a full stomach.
After lunch, we piled onto the bus to head to the Art Box (which is a souvenir place).The place was stunning and unique. As people shopped and browsed through bracelets, clothing, stickers, and local art, many chose to also buy a smoothie or ice cream to get them through the heat. When we climbed off the stuffy bus, we collectively chose to cool off in the ice cold pool. We spent a while swimming and playing games together for one last time until it was time to shower, pack, and prepare for mentor groups.
At mentor groups we did an activity called OMG (one meaningful goal). In our groups we conversed and created a skit to demonstrate the goal our group chose. These skits were presented after dinner which consisted of pepperoni and veggie pizza. There was also ice cold mango and pineapple juice.
When the skit presentation was done we listened to the thunder and rain as we completed our GLA surveys. When the storm was over we headed outside for a bonfire and the last activity of the program. We gathered around the crackling fire and began the appreciation circle in which a group of people would tap your back when the sentence read would apply to you. For example, the sentence would be “This person makes people around laugh” and a person would tap your back.
When the circle was done we gathered together and sang to Mentor Matt’s guitar. We sang “Somewhere Over The Rainbow ” and “Count On Me”.
The night was magical as we looked at each other for one of the last times. While the fire was flickering and the lightning lit up the sky, staff and students exchanged hugs and affirmations. Which brought an end to an amazing day and program. Signing off as the last leaders of the day!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Buenos dias,
Today was a bittersweet day as we said goodbye to the 24 students who made up the first “Manatee and Marine Conservation” GLA Belize trip. Staff dropped off students at the Belize airport in groups depending on what time their flight was departing. All students have departed without any issue, and should be arriving home shortly!
On behalf of the staff, we want to thank every student that made this trip possible. Their incredible patience, dedication to the program, kindness and love truly resonated with everyone in the staff team and their peers. We hope that Belize was truly a one of a kind trip that the students will never forget, and take their newfound global knowledge, leadership skills and life-lessons that they have learned on this trip to “be the change” in the world as our future leaders.
Goodbye for now!
Serenity (International Director)
Dive (Local Director)
Marinella (Mentor)
Matt (Mentor)
