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 JUNE 27
Greetings from Greece!
We are thrilled that the group has arrived safely in Athens and is already captivated by the city’s buzzing and vibrant energy. Although Jillian’s flight was delayed, she will join us on the 28th, and we eagerly anticipate her arrival.
As we embark on this twelve day adventure, our itinerary is packed with exciting and enriching experiences, from exploring Athens by bike and diving into marine conservation efforts in the Messenia region to exploring the ancient wonders of Delphi and discovering the vital role of bees in sustainability alongside our community service activities.
Stay tuned as our student written blogs capture these moments, sharing captivating stories and visuals that will bring our Greek adventure to life. We will update another blog every few days to ensure we can fully immerse ourselves in each experience. We cannot wait to share our discoveries and reflections with you as we embark on this unforgettable journey.
Cheers,
Greece Turtle and Conservation
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28
It was a great day today. Jillian joined us this morning, making the group whole. We spent the day exploring Athens. First, we went on a bike tour, learning all about ancient Athens as well as some more modern sites. After the bike tour and a delicious lunch, we did Athens on foot, buying souvenirs and site seeing until we headed up for an acropolis tour. The acropolis is the hill the Parthenon (the temple) is built on. We learned about how Athens got its name (it started a feud between Athena and Poseidon) and took a bunch of great pictures. Our first full day was a blast.
GLA staff
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29
Hi parents!
Today we woke up early in Athens and got ready for a long day of traveling. After breakfast, we headed to a turtle conservation center and learned about their organization and how they save the turtles. After that, we headed to lunch and at an authentic Greek restaurant and were fed until we were very full.
We got on the road and drove 2 hours to the diving center where we will be doing our service. After getting sized for our snorkeling gear, we wen to our new home base. Once we arrived, we quickly got situated in our rooms, we headed straight for the amazing pool and swam until dinner. So far this was our favorite meal, as it was the most authentic and traditional.
After dinner, we watched the sunset on the rooftop and completed a leadership activity about our social media and phone use as teenagers and how we plan to reduce our time on both. That was pretty much it, we’re all heading to bed now.
Goodnight from Pylos!
-Sophie and Lucie
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30
Hi parents,
After a long day of traveling through the beautiful streets of Greece, we ended up at a gorgeous site near the water. This morning we woke up bright and early, exited to spend our first day in the ocean.
After an amazing breakfast, we drove out to a resort on the water. Here we broke into two groups. While one group went out to go try snorkeling the other group learned more about our dear sea turtles and how to save them.
Then we went for a quick stroll on the beach soon arriving at a breathtaking restaurant were served delicious club sandwiches and flavorful falafel wraps. After eating we quickly traveled to an ice cream shop.
We walked back to the resort and our two grouped switched activities. We went out on a motor boat and gawked at beautiful sites—including a wall and castle on the coastline built by the Ottoman Empire and holes in the rocks formed by the repeated crashing of waves.
After the wonderful ride, we entered the water and saw animals such as lion fish and crabs. Then we ended the trip with a final plunge off the boat into the awe invokingly clear ocean.
We rode back to the site where we’d woken up (the hotel) and ate a marvelous traditional Greek dinner. Then we had a “friendly” charades on steroids competition—normal charades but with more complicated rules for each round such as the actor is a puppet and two of their teammates have to move them around to get the act out the word. It came down to the final moments when the mentors had to do an interpretive dance round.
As the day comes to a close all we. can think about is how exited we are for tomorrow’s adventure.
-Clayton and Ian
BLOG POST FOR JULY 1
Geia!
Today we woke up and had a delicious buffet-style breakfast at the Agrikies hideout.
We headed on the bus to a Peloponnesian beach for our second day of snorkeling and exploring the water through a pretty route.
After a bit of a chilly swim to see the turtle nests, everyone had fun hanging out at the beach.
After our snorkel, we then went to lunch at a cute outdoor restaurant and left there to start our walk; calling it a hike” would be a reach.
It led us to a beautiful beach cove where we spent some time to relax.
Some of the group, led by adventure Ian, visited an old tomb on top of a cliff and learned a bunch of cool facts.
We then treated ourselves to ice cream and gummy octopi, then headed back to home base.
For dinner, we had a cooking class and made our very own spanakopita, aka spinach pie, which everyone enjoyed with a happy face.
We ended the night with a group activity reflecting on our amazing trip up until now.
It’s been a busy but tiring day, but always the best to end with peace and chow.
Kalinychta!
Love, Emily & Jordyn
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
This morning we woke up and went back to the dive shop to begin a new activity. We split into three groups and focused on recording the posidonia, a native sea grass in Greece. We spent a few hours in the water working with a compass, thermometer, and salinity meter.
Afterwards, we returned to the shore and each group made their own maps of the under-water area nearby. Next, we strolled along the shore on our way to lunch, picking up trash off the beach on the way. There, the group enjoyed a delicious meal consisting of veal and rice followed by ice cream from our favorite new spot.
After a quick break at our hotel, we went out to another turtle center to learn about how they work to protect the nests. We were even given the opportunity to see recently made turtle nests on a nearby beach. Afterwards, we hung out at the beach for a while and then headed to dinner.
We had a delicious dinner at a traditional greek tavern and then returned to our hotel for a leadership activity and some free time before going to bed.
Saila and Vivian
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Hi parents,
Today, July 3rd, GLA travelled to Petrochori for a beach cleanup with Aqua Dive Center. The excursion lasted about 3 hours before it came to an end, with a total of 3 large trash bags (and 2 smaller bags) filled to the brim with trash. It was satisfactory knowing that we were able to contribute positively to the environment’s cleanliness, even if just a little!
Afterward, we ate at the beach’s restaurant, where we were served a delicious mix of penne pasta, vegetables, fresh bread, Greek salad, and more. Once lunch was finished, GLA returned to the beach, where we were awarded with a certificate by Aqua Dive Center. The certificate congratulated us for our hard work, and thanked us for working with them! After saying our goodbyes, we returned to the hotel.
Students spontaneously decided to spice things up, declaring everyone should wear formal clothing to dinner tonight. Amazingly, everyone (both students AND staff) showed up in fancy attire to commemorate the occasion! Dinner consisted of delicious, homemade pizza, crafted to the tastes of each individual GLA student. It was a wonderful experience all around! The night ended with lots of laughter and joy, leaving everyone feeling fulfilled.
Lots of love,
Willow and Maggie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Happy Fourth of July !
Today we woke up to our last delicious breakfast in Pylos. After we ate the scrumptious meal we packed up the luggage onto the bus to start our trek back towards Athens. First stop was Ancient Olympia, a small town filled with history and the birthplace of the Olympics. After being led around the museum of Olympia, we were able to see all the sites such as the stadium and Hera’s temple. While in the stadium we participated in a friendly race where John left us in the dust. He’s so cool. We want to be just like him when we grow up.
On the way out we were able to cool down with ice cream and frozen lemonade! We boarded our bus once more and made the journey to the city of Patras where we checked into our hotel and had some down time before dinner. Dinner was filled with food and fun, it allowed us to explore and experience the city! Back at the hotel we enjoyed the new beds and will be rested for the day ahead of us!
Loads of love,
Josie and Addie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Hi parents!
We had an early start this morning as we got our bags together to travel from Patras to our next destination. Following breakfast, we drove to the bee and olive farm where we began by learning all about how bees function and work in their colonies. After this quick lesson we put on our beekeeping outfits and got to see the bees up close.
We got to try samples of different types of honey with our delicious lunch at the farm and had apples with the fresh honey and cinnamon for dessert. We quickly moved into the service portion of the day and split in to groups to cycle through the different activities. We searched for the queen bee in the hives, watered the plants around the land, and raked leaves out of the way to clean and freshen up the farm. Once finished with our service we bought some of the fresh honey provided in a shop on the farm to take home with us.
Heading to our next destination: Delphi! We arrived and settled into our new hotel then strolled around the town and did some shopping. Coming back we had some downtime to relax and get ready for dinner which was another delicious authentic Greek meal. We finished the night by listening to music and hanging out all together. We’re all excited for what’s to come in the next few days as we near the end of our trip!
See you all soon!
-Josie and Addie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Hi Everyone!
Today, we woke up in Delphi and after a delicious buffet style breakfast, we walked to an archaeological museum and followed a tour explaining the cultural importance of the Oracle, Temple of Apollo and other Greek sculpture. We then proceeded to walk up the actual site of the temples, designated a UNESCO heritage site back in 1987. Delphi, all though now a well preserved part of greek culture, was once torn down to build a small village called Kastrí, until excavations began to rebuild the site of Delphi in 1890.
Afterwards, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant before continuing our drive to Athens for the day. Once there, we settled in and went out for a short walk to what is supposedly the best ice cream place in all of Athens. Afterwards, we continued on with a leadership activity centered on goal making, ending with people sharing their personal goals that they had made and then our accumulative group goal, which is to participate more in our individual communities. Emily lead our group in said group discussion!
We then took a short hour break before dinner at our hotel, eating buffet style greek dishes with brownies for dessert. Then, we ended off the night with our final mentor group activities, split between Juliette and Adham. Finally, we all headed off to bed to prepare for the next day!
πολλή αγάπη (much love),
Eve, Lara & Jillian
