PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
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 3
Selamat malam from Bali!
We are so excited to start our first session of Bali Health Expedition!
Today, our students made their way to Denpasar airport to jump into their adventures and learning opportunities that are coming along! We hope that you will enjoy using this blog as a way to experience this journey with us!
Our group has safely arrived and is getting comfortable in our homestay in Ubud. Most of the students shared that long hours of traveling were tiring, but they are all super enthusiastic and looking forward to the adventure and service days to come!
We picked up our first three students just after midnight. Then two in the morning and 12 in the evening. One student is coming tonight (Sumiko) but the team won’t be complete until last person (Jessica) arrives on the 5th of July. We had a dinner together in our homestay. Students got to meet the team: Mag, Kristin, Richie-our international director and mentors and Beni, Dilla and Billy-our local director and mentors. We will be with the group during this whole trip, facilitating the experience, supporting the learning and making sure we all have a lot of FUN! We also met the homestay family we are staying with: Nyoman, Tik, Gina and Kadek. They are all very welcoming and the students were thrilled to meet them and have opportunity to learn their first words in Indonesian.
We are all looking forward to service learning , making lifelong memories, and friendships that await for us.
Tomorrow onwards the Leaders of the day will be writing the blog entries to keep the parents and loved ones updated about our adventures.
Hope you will enjoy our blog!
Mag & Beni (International and Local director)
Dilla, Kristen, Billy, Richie (mentors)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Salamat malam!
The day started with our orientation straight after breakfast, which introduced us to each other as well as the details of our program. We played many icebreaker games in between to break it up and got to learn more about each other. We had a Bahasa language class where we got to learn some basics and an introduction to the culture here.
We were also taught how to wear a traditional sarong and sash, which is usually worn to temples.
After lunch, we had an Amazing Race, which included a scavenger hunt that helped us get out of our comfort zone by being able to talk to locals without fully knowing their language. This did create barriers but we were able to work through them and were able to get a fun experience. When talking to these locals we not only were out of our comfort zones but also very impressed by their life stories, different backgrounds and their welcoming attitude. We then got the opportunity to be part of a welcoming ceremony held by the family in their temple to bless the students staying at their homestay and give us a typical Balinese spiritual cleanse. It gave us a hands-on experience and was our first official greeting. A lot of us can’t wait to experience more temples like this.
Everyone is really enjoying the food, especially the traditional noodles! After dinner, we watched legong, a traditional dance, and even got to participate as well! We ended our day with an evening activity, by creating and signing a community agreement, where we shared all the values we will be committing to throughout the program.
After today, many of us felt excited and inspired for what is to come, especially after the ceremony and Amazing race.
Om shanti shanti shanti om!
Monique and Eshika
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Hello everyone!
Today we woke up early in preparation for the busy day. We began with an herbal walk through the paddy fields and learned about the significance of different traditional herbs. After that, we made our way to Trita Empul Temple where we were able to walk the grounds and explore the beautiful landscape that surrounded the area. For lunch we traveled to Kintamani, an active volcano on the island, and ate while admiring the beautiful view of the volcano and the lake. We wrapped up the first part of our day by visiting a coffee plantation where we were able to try many local drinks.
In the evening, we got a tour of the royal palace and we able to meet the princess and enjoy a beautiful traditional balinese dinner. The princess was 16 years old and shared a lot of the same interests as us which allowed us to bond with her. Overall, we had an amazing, fun filled day where we were able to learn more about Bali and the culture.
When we returned to home base, our last member of the group, Jessica, had arrived at the home base.
See you next time sending lots of love!
Peace out,
Jenni and Mackenzie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Om Swastyastu!
We started our day today a bit later than usual. We headed to the NGO, Bhumi Sehat natural birthing clinic. We had the opportunity to have a tour of the facility, and were introduced to their ways of caring for their patients, which differs greatly from the culture we are used to. They spoke about holistic medicine, acupuncture, and other traditional and natural medicines and remedies. We watched a few natural birthing videos of long term patients of the clinic and were amazed and impacted by the emotional aspect of them.
After lunch we walked to the Banjar workshop that took place near by, where we learned how to do the Legong dance, how to play a song on the Gamelan instrument, how to make an offering, and a simple carving technique. Later that afternoon, we took part in an activity with a health researcher that taught us about Public Heath.
We got to partake in a 2 hour discussion that taught us a lot about the climate in Indonesia and the history behind the medical facilities, global warming, and fast growing public problems. We got to work in groups to implement solutions to issues that are growing in Indonesia. We ended the discussion off by starting our temple circle!
We ate a delicious dinner and begun our evening activities and mentor groups. Overall, today really put our trip into perspective, and more awareness about the country we are visiting.
Sampai Jumpa Lagi!
– Monique and Mika
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Om Swastiastu!
We are the leaders of the day, Nina and Maggie M. We started our morning by visiting the money exchange and trading US dollars for Rupias. The reason for our withdrawal of funds was to have plenty of money to spend at one of Ubuds many vibrant and exciting markets. We all got lots of traditional Balinese clothing, trinkets, snacks, and accessories as tangible memories to take back home with us.
We then attended a local restaurant in Ubud where there was a wonderful selection of cuisines and mocktails. After a much needed rest after a long day of shopping and eating, we participated in a leadership activity. This consisted of watching videos, taking notes, creating solutions, and participating in activities revolving around the knowledge and exploration of plastic pollution. Following leadership we exposed ourselves to difficult ideas and questions pertaining to cellphone use in today’s generation as well as the part we play in modern technology. After small group discussions and temple circle, we ate a delicious traditional dinner. We ended our night with a language class and Zumba class before heading back to our rooms for lights out. Overall, it was a great day!
Mimpi indah (Sweet dreams)
Sincerely,
Maggie M. & Nina
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Om Swastiastu!
Today is day six of our 21 day Bali adventure and we were able to delve into the world of SAMPAH (garbage). We learned about more sustainable ways to manage our food waste at Magi farm. There, they feed their food waste to Black Soldier Fly larva to reduce the amount of food waste and the methane gas emitted from the food decomposition process. Some of us were lucky enough to get to try a dehydrated maggot filled with plenty of protein, 36 percent to be exact. This fueled us for our grand maggot harvesting competition where we sorted food waste from maggots at rapid speeds! Shout-out to Billy for his phenominal guidance leading his team to victory.
Later on we prepared and cooked meals that we delivered to families living at the largest landfill in Bali. Meeting these individuals was an eye-opening experience, as we immersed into the realities of climate change and those living without proper access to clean air and water. On our venture back home we got the opportunity to visit the much anticipated Indomart, and fulfilled our ramen cravings. Afterwards, we had a much needed nap and rest time, before we concluded with our reflection questions, dinner, and evening activities.
Always mengurangi, menggunakan kembali, mendaur ulang!
– Fiona and Kayla
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Om Swastyastu!
As the sun rises, everyday presents a new opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Bali. Day seven of our adventure started with Dragon fruit pancake before the drive to Amed. On the way there, we stopped to eat at the Good Karma Tirta Gangga Resturant and walked right next door to the Tirta Gangga Water Palace.
The palace was a dream come true offering a glimpse into the island’s royal past. Originally built in the 20th century by the royal family of Karangasem, the palace served as a retreat and a place for spiritual purification. The highlight of this place was the iconic stepping stones and the Koi fish that lay below.
Once we arrived to Amed, we settled into our hotel right along the beach. Hotel Uyah is the perfect blend of relaxation and natural beauty. Walking into the tranquil beach getaway, with our feet in the volcanic sand, we immersed ourselves in the warm waters. Afterwards, we got fitted for the sunrise boat, snorkelling tour ,tomorrow early morning. Finishing the day with a sunset circle, the leaders of the day, Jessica and Betzabe want to say goodbye and Selamat malam!
Jessica & Betzabe
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Om Swastyastu!
Today we had a wonderful opportunity to see an amazing sunrise and colorful fish while snorkeling. We started the day bright and early, leaving the beach at 5:30 am on spider boats. There was about 3-4 people per boat, making the experience personal and special. The sunrise was a beautiful mosaic of colors and felt mesmerizing. After the sunrise, we headed over to the bay to enjoy some snorkeling. Jumping off the boats we dove into the beautiful blue water and observed a whole ecosystem of sea creatures. We even happened to come across an underwater temple in the middle of the coral.
After coming back to shore we ate an array of foods for breakfast and talked about the morning. Then we kicked back by the pool, recovering from the early morning. Many of us found out about the spa offered here at the hotel and scheduled some massages for some self-care. Around mid day we gathered and began a leadership activity/debate. The debate followed the theme of medicine, we debated the idea of medical tourism in Indoneasia. We were divided up into four groups with mediators and debated our designated argument. We then ended this debate with a reflection activity talking about how our opinions changed about medical tourism and other thoughts on the activity.
We were then granted more free time where we were allowed to swim in the beach or just relax around the hotel. While the sunset approached the west, we ended the day with sunset circle and talked about what we can do at home to practice self-care. Then we headed to dinner and ate some delicious food and talked about concerns regarding tomorrows scuba activity. That concludes this amazing day! Bye bye for now from today’s leaders!
XOXO,
Isa and Maddy
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Om Swastyastu,
The day started early with breakfast at 6:30 am. Following soon after our first group left for scuba diving. They started in the pool in groups of 3-4 with an instructor assigned to each group. Once their instructors thought they were ready they took a car to the first diving spot. Which was the longer dive of the two with stunning coral reefs which contained an array of animals of all different colors. The dive was challenging yet exciting as it was most of the students first time diving. Throughout the dive people got more comfortable and confident in the water.
The two groups lunch overlapped in Amed at the Bali Reef’s restaurant. The first group headed back for free-time while the second group got their briefing and went out to their dives. Similar to the first group the second group felt uneasy at the beginning but quickly embraced the experience. Once both groups were back they got their final opportunity to go in the ocean in Amed. For dinner the local staff ordered burgers and fries to be enjoyed by the beach. During dinner the students got opportunities to go take pictures with the awe-inspiring sunset on the beach. We ended the day with our sunset circle, where we said our biggest challenges from scuba diving. Goodbye from today’s leaders of the day!!!
Selamat Malam,
Teagan and Rebecca
“In the beginning they were like fish out of water, but very soon they were like fish in water.”- Richie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Om Swastystu
For our last day in Amed, we had breakfast at 7:30, packed our things, and headed towards our trek. We drove an hour to the Tenganan Trekking point where we walked through rice pattie fields and traversed through the jungle a bit. We enjoyed a picnic-style lunch of traditional Indonesian food. After lunch, we completed our hike and drove back to our homestay in Ubud, and met with the medical students of the local university. They taught us basic skills we will need for our upcoming home checks in the community such as taking blood pressure, height, and weight. We had dinner with the students and celebrated Beni’s (our local director’s) birthday with a strawberry cheesecake. We concluded our day with laughs and smiles while our mentor Kristen led a Zumba class.
To reflect on our day we learned to appreciate the beautiful sites Bali has to offer. The rice patty fields truly took our breaths away as well as the volcanos and mountains. After our fun vacation and relaxing time in Amed, we are ready to jump into service and help the community stay healthy.
“Om Shanti Shanti Om “
Love,
Maggie Soper & Izzy Triandafilou
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
Om Swastyastu!
We began today later than usual having breakfast at 8:30. Afterwards we had a GLA session reflecting on the importance of having an open mind and seeing different perspectives. Right after we had lunch at the home-stay and prepared for our service for the day by ensuring we had all the equipment we needed and that it was working properly. Then we hopped on the bus and headed to Banjar Juga, where we met up with the local medical students and prepared to go to the community homes.
In the homes, we did a medical check which included checking the persons blood pressure, blood sugar, height, weight, and other question regarding their overall health. Additionally we checked the bathrooms for mosquito larvae, and taught children how to wash their hands. Each group went to between 5 to 7 houses in the time we had. After we debriefed the service and discussed our challenges and successes and how to improve our experience for the coming days. We came home and input all the data we collected from the homes and reorganized our equipment and supplies. Finally, we had our temple circle, where we reflected on the day and ate a yummy traditional Balinese dinner.
Goodnight from today’s leaders of the day!
Selamat malam,
Laila and Rikar
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Om Swastyastu!
This morning we headed off to a cooking lesson after breakfast. We enjoyed some juice and pancakes while we learned about Balinese culture, marriage, and family life. We then participated in a cooking class and even got to see a traditional Balinese kitchen and tools. We were able to cut, saute, and mold different ingredients to create many different dishes. Some of group favorites were the mushroom soup, black rice pudding, and chicken skewers. Following lunch, we had some down time before heading off to Day 2 of Service. Similar to yesterday, we went into locals homes, took their vitals, learned about their ways of life, and assisted the medical students with anything else they would need. Some groups got to play with children, some learned about traditional carving methods, and others discused pop culture with the locals. After a long day of service we retuned to the homestay to input the days data. We enjoyed rice, noodles, vegtables, chicken, and watermelon for dinner before have some free time and ending the night with yoga. Overall, it was a wonderful day and we can’t wait for tomorrow!
-Maggie M & Sumiko
(over and out ;))
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Om Swastyastu!
Sorry for the late post, we had a eventful day! We started the day by heading over to Astungkara Way, here we learned about regenerative farming. On this beautiful farm, we got to wear farming hats while we were taught how to make mulch out of cow manure, worms, and banana trees. We also learned how to plant different types of plants. While getting our hand dirty prepping plants, we learned more about the agriculture behind planting rice. Then we enjoyed a delicious lunch grown and harvested by the Astungkara Way farmers. Leaving the farm, we heading back to the Homestay to get dressed for out final day of service for the home health checks. Due to our hardwork, we were able to service most of the houses within the communinity. Saying goodbye to the med students we worked with for the past three days, we were able to head back to the Homestay for a quick Indomart trip! To end the day, the mentors surprised us with a indoor futbol match. Congrats to the black team that ended up winning the whole turnoment! Thanks for waiting for the update!
XOXO,
Isa
BLOG POST FOR JULY 16
Salamat pagi!
Today we had quite the adventurous day. We began bright and early and headed towards the rushing rapids in northern Bali. We were dvided into groups of three or four and begun our 15km (2 hour) exhilirating rafting ride down the river. As we descended the rushing water, we were amazed by the tall cliffs and waterfalls that surrounded us. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall half way through that gave us a chance to catch our breaths! After we finished, we climbed what felt like a 1000000000000000000 stairs to the buffet-style restauraunt above. We also had the chance to download the pictures taken during the rafting that reminded us of how “adrenaline inducing” the adventure truly was (yikes). Anywho, we later had a delicious dinner down the road from our homestay in Ubud and spent a lovely evening there.
Love, peace and chow,
monique and teagan
P.S. Richie quote of the day: “When you go rafting, you go boom boom!”
BLOG POST FOR JULY 17
Om Swastyastu,
Today we welcomed the third week with another fun filled day! The day had a later start allowing for some much needed rest after these early mornings these last few weeks. We kicked off our day with a bus ride to Kopernick, a lab directed at tackling social and environmental issues and ensuring change occurs. Afterwards, we had some time at the home-stay to work on the workstation activities we are creating and presenting to the elementary school students later in the week. The next part of the day was quiet the spiritual experience, as we visited a healer. The lucky bunch of students that were chosen to have a personal reading will truly have a story to tell once they return. Unfortunately, I and Betzabe were not part of the select few so please (directed at our families) do not ask as it is a touchy topic. Fortunately though, we were lightened up by the fire dance filled with lots of intriguing visuals as well as impressive vocals. We returned home and headed to bed after this long day.
Peace out,
Betty Boo and Kayla Poo
BLOG POST FOR JULY 18
Selmat malam!
Today was day 16 of this impactful and inspirational trip. We jumped into the bus at 9 am to start our 4 hour drive to Permuteran. On our long travel day we took a much needed break at the most “instagramable” temple in Bali. We sprung out of the bus and explored the beautiful attractions Ulun Danu Beratan temple had to offer. Such as, the floating temple, koi fish water fountain, and my favorite the DURIAN ice cream (smelliest fruit). Let me give you a tip DONT EAT THE DURIAN ICE CREAM.
After our break at the temple we continued on our journey to Pemuteran. We arrived at the Sudi guest house soon after and we scurried to the beach for sunset. To conclude our day we watched the gorgeous sunset, while we jumped into the huge waves in the warm ocean.
Tomorrow we start our service, teaching local kids about taking care of themself with nutrition, hygiene, and exercise. Cant wait to tell you all about it tomorrow.
Xoxo,
Izzy Triandafilou
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
Om Swastyastu!
For day 17 we started our first full day in Permuteran with an NGO visit. We learned all about coral at Biorock; we learned about coral structures, coral bleaching, and coral restoration projects. We unfortunately couldn’t snorkel due to weather conditions but we got to see a turtle hatchery instead. There were so many baby turtles! We then had some beach and volleyball time. The volleyball players got 51 consecutive hits while the beach kids got pushed around in the waves. We then headed back to the homestay for burritos and rest time. After some rest and preparation we were headed off to the school. Many of us were nervous, but it turned out great. Everyone had a lot of fun teaching and playing with the kids. We ended the teaching with a dance party before separating into debriefing groups where some kids came to greet us. They took our hands and put them to their heads in “salim” as a strong sign on respect that was unexpected even by the mentors. We had some time to put things down before heading to a resort for pool time and snacks. We had a relaxing walk on the beach while the sunset followed us back to the homestay for dinner. Bali is super fun but we can’t wait to go home to our families!
Miss you,
Maddy and Sumiko
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Om Swastyastu!
For day 18, our last day in Pemutran, we started off with our last day of service teaching local elementary childern the importence of hygiene, excerise, and nurtion. We then went back to homebase to chill untill our fun-filled day of being at the beach, which included beach volleyball, body surfering, getting spa massages,and chilling by the pool. After our day of relaxing, we ate dinner and headed to a moonlit temple ceremony. This included praying with offerings, which was very heart-warming being able to enage in the Balinese culture. As we come to our last days for our GLA Bali trip, we hope to cherish these memories we made along our journey! See you next week!!!
– from Nina and Eshika
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21 & 22
Om swastiastu!
Our last two day of the program pas by so quick. We traveled back from Permutetan to our main homebase in Ubud. We stopped on the way for a waterfall visit to stretch our legs and then we went for a delicious lunch.
Before dinner we had a leadership activity that helped to set the goals of how to be the change back at home. After dinner we went for a surprise activity, the leaders didn’t tell us where we were going and it was KARAOKE. We had great time at our little private singing party.
The next day we woke up early to then go on the bus and travel to Padma beach for our surfing class. The rest of the day was for shopping, packing and final activities as a whole group. The appreciation circle made everyone feel great!
The next morning some of the first students left for the airport early in the morning so we said our first goodbyes and then a large group took off.
This 21 days adventure ended and we hope you will remember this experience forever!
