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 1
Hi Family and Friends,
The GLA Spain: Spanish in The Land of Don Quixote program is officially up and running!
Today all 27 of our students arrived in Spain. After traveling about an hour from Madrid Barajas Airport to our Home Base in Toledo, students had some down time to rest and get to know one another. In the evening we played some ice-breaker games and the students were given a brief overview of the program and some important safety information.
Tonight before lights out, some students played ping-pong, pool, foosball and board games.
Tomorrow we will have a busy second day with student orientation and Spanish placement tests in the morning, then lunch and a scavenger hunt in the historic centre of Toledo in the afternoon. At night we will be announcing mentor groups and completing medical checks.
That’s all for now folks!
Saludos,
GLA Spain Team (Marta, Ryan, Marie, Catherine, Sophie and Jesus)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
Day 2 Complete!
Today we completed orientation in both direct and creative ways. The students acted out skits to better understand the code of conduct. After that they took their Spanish test to determine which group they will be with during their Spanish classes that start tomorrow. We then enjoyed our first lunch away from Homebase at a quaint restaurant in downtown Toledo before starting a scavenger hunt. After finding key locations and iconic symbols around town students headed back to home base to find out who their mentor groups were and completing our formal Health Checks.
Tomorrow we are looking forward to officially being service in the morning and Spanish classes in the afternoon before heading to the beautiful pool to conduct our swim tests and enjoy some time outside. To finish up we we will completing our first GLA leadership activity in our mentor groups.
It’s gonna be a fun one!
Saludos
GLA Spain Team (Marta, Ryan, Marie, Catherine, Sophie and Jesus)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Today July 3rd, after breakfast we participated in our community service at the local kids summer camp with kids ages 3-11. We painted pots for their growing garden, played games like dodgeball in the gym, and played with the kids in the pool!
After lunch, we had our first Spanish classes of the session, taught by our amazing teachers, Alfredo, Ana, and Sra. Martinez. Then we took a trip to the local pool, and did our swim tests. Later on we participated in a leadership activity centered around the use of social media and phones, followed by an amazing dinner, and we finished the day off with some free time (some of us played basketball!). Can’t wait for tomorrow!
Written by Max and Melina
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Hola!
Sorry for the late blog post, we were so busy being the change on the 4th of July that we went straight to bed when we got back later than usual to Homebase.
We started off the day listening to the Fergie version of the National Anthem, and then we engaged in fun and educational Spanish classes, ¡que divertido! Then we had some downtime to decompress and relax before heading to central Toledo.
In Toledo, we had so many laughs at a mazapán cooking class! We then walked around, exploring beautiful Toledo, and headed to a delicious dinner at a restaurant within the city wall. We ate and saved a bird!
We got home late and after showering, we all fell asleep. We were excited and eager to wake up the next morning (today) to participate in a Red Cross community service trash collection.
See you tomorrow!
Adios, Lily and Eli
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
We began the morning promptly at 7:30 with breakfast to follow. Then we prepared for the day and headed on the bus to Toledo. We jammed to Sophie’s playlist enjoying the ride over. Following the fun bus ride we arrived in Toledo to began our service opportunity with Cruz Roja (The Red Cross). We embarked on a 2.5 hours volunteering opportunity along the Tagus River. During this time we picked up 16 kilos or 35 pounds of trash, including plastics, organics and paper. After disposing of the waist we entered into Toledo to have a well deserved Lunch. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into. At lunch we were served a typical España lunch consisting of 3-courses. By the end we were stuffed.
We took the bus back to Homebase where we took part in our Spanish classes consisting of a gazpacho cooking class, practice of our colors and directions, and learning more about spanish culture and its impact on the world. Following the fun Spanish classes, we participated group activity in which half of the group was blindfolded and their partner had to lead them across multiple obstacles. This was all part of our SMART goals activity in which we learned how to create SMART goals and its implementation into our lives in the future. We ended the day off with a yummy dinner of pizza, watermelon and salad. Looking forward to our trip to Madrid tomorrow and the new memories and experiences we will make.
From Jake and Toby
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Today, July 6, GLA students embarked on a journey to Madrid. After an hour and half long trip, our tired voyagers trekked to a lovely hostel in central Madrid. Quickly transitioning to the next activity, which was visiting Bernabéu Stadium or Prado museum, we hopped on the metro and arrived at our designated destinations with gusto!
After thoroughly enjoying our time at our respective activities, the sound of our rumbling stomachs became overwhelming. We hurried back to our hostel to enjoy a lovely meal of rice, chicken, and vegetables. As our eagerness to learn the art of Flamenco tempted us, we only briefly stopped in our rooms to delight in a quick cat nap. Popping out of our beds, half of us hustled to a quaint Flamenco class while others explored the joys of the mall. The groups switched after an hour. Shopping bags in hand, the groups reunited for a rigorous and captivating Flamenco show.
Before dinner we went to a plaza España where we saw some of the pride performances. There were people of all ages there from kids to adults, all enjoying the dancing and singing. Lastly, our stomachs got filled by some scrumptious pasta and we headed back to the hostel for a peaceful night’s sleep.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Hola!
Today, we woke up in our hostel for our last full day in the beautiful city of Madrid. After our delicious breakfast in the lobby of the hostel, we embarked on a walking tour of Spain’s capital city. We explored the history of Madrid and its rich culture with our tour guide Yanni. We learned about the amazing architecture of Madrid and paid a visit to the world famous Chocolateria San Ginés. After our walking tour, we went to a cooking class to make Paella. We used a combination of rice, chicken, and various vegetables to create the amazing dish. We made a side of Spanish tortillas, with potatoes, eggs, and onions. We then headed back to the hostel for a short break before our afternoon.
After our well deserved nap. We made our way to the “Parque Retiro” where we all immersed our selves in the marvelous sculptures and architecture of 15th century. After a rigorous two hours of biking with the group we enjoyed some time with our mentors to review and converse how our experience of Madrid is going so far. Eventually we made our way to the buses too a long awaited shopping time. We all scurried around a popular street with many amazing stores. As some of us walked tiredly and others more energetically. We all made it to out long long awaited dinner, where we all ate and enjoyed our fellow peers company and stories. After our long and challenging day we all ended up pushing through to make it safely back to the hostel in one piece.
Written by Ryan, Stella, and Allen
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Today July 8, we started our day by packing our bags and preparing for the travels ahead. We refueled for the hard day getting breakfast with a strange Spanish Nutella and croissants. After, we took a nice walk at Templo de Debod and took pictures overlooking the Madrid skyline. Then we started our unique GLA Olympics. The activities included interesting things like attempting to draw your mentor and practice conjugating Spanish words. Most exciting was a game where we placed water cups on our heads and tried to transfer water into a water bottle. We were all drenched. Jesús’s group came on top because of the artistic abilities of his team. This meant the standing in the overall GLA competition were: 1.Catherine 2. Jesus and Sophie 3. Maria.
Afterwards we had a delectable buffet lunch. After we ate, we drove in a bus back to Toledo. We had the choice to either watch Pitch Perfect or play ping pong and pool. After these activities, we learned several traditional Scottish dances, which gave us a chance to experience the culture of our director. Then, we had a delicious fish dinner with chocolate mousse. We then ended our night with more pool and ping pong.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Today, July 9th, started off with a healthy and nutritious breakfast of toast, cereal, and juice. After our filling meal, we split into groups and headed downstairs to complete some community service with local elementary grade summer camp. The kids were all amazing, energetic and eager to learn. It was an interesting experience to work with the youth of spain, and it was fun to converse with locals with a more similar level of spanish. We started with making houses for bugs with various materials such as cardboard, pinecones, sticks, and dried grass. After making bug houses, we started on a planting flowers in a small garden. Finally we played a bunch of games to wind down, such as basketball, football(soccer), tag, duck duck goose, and hot potato.
After a thrilling morning with children, we finally ate some lunch. It was a meaty meal of barbecue ribs, widely considered the best meal at the Colegio Mayol thus far. After lunch we split off into groups once again for spanish class and began rehearsing spanish folktales, a different story for each group. after 2 hours, the plays commenced. Every role had a costume, and lots of laughs were heard throughout the room. After the spanish class performances, the group prepared for a heated debate. Run by Jesus, we were first taught the learning objectives and some helpful tips about debating. Three groups (The Bureau of Tourism, The Euskara Association, and The Spanish Historical Society) used data and current knowledge to come up with statements and rebuttals for their team. Run by a fourth group (The Spanish Government) we all enjoyed a successful two hour debate about which language (English, Basque, or Spanish) should be recognized as Spain’s official language. The Spanish Government ultimately chose the Bureau of Tourism as the winner. The debate taught us all how to act in a productive debate and helped us grow as leaders. After the debate, we enjoyed a quick chow circle and dinner in order to be on time for the next exciting activity.
After dinner, the group took a unanimous decision to stay up later than normal to attend the Spain vs France football match at a local watchparty. It was the Semifinals of the UEFA European championship, the second largest national football tournament, only after the world cup. By the time we got to there, France was already winning 1-0, but within three minutes, Lamine Yamal(who is only 16) curled a perfect shot from outside the box into the top corner, hitting the post before gliding along the inside of the net. then, within 4 minutes, Spain had scored again, making it 2-1. We all started joking that we were such a good omen, and we we the deciding factor in the victory. After a quick walk home, which seemed quicker due to some jolly singing, we arrived back at the Colegio Mayol, and promptly initiated lights out and went to bed.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
We started the day with a walking tour in Toledo to learn more about the historical buildings this city has to offer as well as the significance this city has in Spain as a whole. This tour included a visit to underground Roman baths, many cathedrals, and historically significant alleyways. After this wonderful tour, we made our way to a cute Italian pizzeria where we had an assortment of pizzas and chocolate cake. After this delicious lunch we return to homebase where we had a quick refresh before we made our way to the pool. We enjoyed our snacks, Marco Polo and tanning for one hour before we turned back to homebase to have a compelling discussion about consent led by Sophie. We topped the day off with a delicious dinner and our chow circle.
Written by Rowan and Amalia
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
We started the day with breakfast, and then we took a bus to Ruidera. Once we arrived to the lake, we kayaked and had a competitive race, Lars and Max won. Our fabulous mentos Sophie and Catherine came in second place! 💪 We then swam in the lake and ate lunch. The lake was super fun and very refreshing after kayaking. After lunch we ate some ice cream yum and swam some more. Later, we got back on the bus and rode to the windmills of Don Quixote and got a tour of the castle. We took many pictures on the hills and got blown away in the wind 💨. Once we got back to home base, we had chow circle and dinner which was fried pork and vegetable with noodle soup.
Written by Lars, Hannah, and Aggie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Hola! Today had a late start- 8:30 – but was a very filled day. We started the day off with the final day of summer camp for the kids (age 4- 12). We said “hi” to the now familiar faces before splitting up into mentor groups who each had a fun game to play with the kids. After, we came together as one large group to teach them the “Cotton Eye Joe.” We also jammed out to “Firework” by Katy Perry before saying our hard goodbyes to the kids we had bonded with. So today we had a great lunch with chicken drumsticks, mash potatoes and a pasta salad. I particularly liked the chicken today but all the food was great ( today was our last lunch at the colegio because we will eat out tomorrow) After lunch we went straight to Spanish class which was very fun because we learned different styles of Spanish dance. We typically just work on our Spanish skills but today was different because we danced the whole time!! We then said goodbye to all the Spanish teachers Rosa, Ana and Alfredo then went to change for the pool. The pool was perfect today because the weather was so nice and the sun was completely out. We also all bought lots of snacks from the store at the pool and ate them the whole walk back.
After the pool everyone quickly showered up and was ready to battle it out in our last mentor activity. We were all divided into our mentor groups and had to quickly answer challenging questions about the school, mentors, and history of Spain. The winner of the competition was Jesus’s group giving them 4 points in the overall mentor competition. After calculating all the points, Ryan announced that Cathrine and Jesus’s group tied and would have a final tiebreaker the next day. After the competition we had a talent show where songs, dances, backflips and poems were performed. It was an amazing time and after we all had a dance party. For one of our last dinners we had a little taste of home and had hamburgers!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
We started the day with delicious chocolate chip breakfast to energize for the exciting last day that was upon us. We then reflected upon the smart goals we had made a few days ago through the guidance of our mentor Mari. After concluding smart goals, we took a quick bus ride to the heart of Toledo to go zip lining over a beautiful lake. We all then walked to a nice place for lunch, and we had an insane variety of delicious tapas.
After arriving back at home base from souvenir shopping, we took a quick break to shower and get ready for a night out in Toledo. Then, we were a brought into the Leadership Lair for our circle of appreciation. During this final group activity, we all took a chance to close our eyes and reflect on our trip to appreciate each other and the experiences we had. Before leaving for the bus, we ended with a quick survey that allowed us to rate activities and give feedback on the trip.
For our evening, we took a short bus ride over to Puy du Fou España. We watched four different shows that were absolutely mind blowing. There were four different stages all with a complete different vibe. After a few of the shows we ate dinner and headed back to home base. We packed our suitcases and headed to bed for the early wake up tomorrow.
(Written by Jian, Dilan, and Megan)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Dear Students, Parents and Guardians,
Yesterday the group departed from Madrid between 8am and 1pm. After a packed 14 days, there were some tearful goodbyes at the airport.
We as a staff team feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such incredible young people. Students, I said it to you all in the closing activity, you give me a lot of hope for the future!
We as a team hope you made life long memories and great friendships and that you developed leadership skills and grew in confidence.
All the best for your next chapters. Remember to believe in yourselves and be the change!
Cheers!
Ryan and the team!
