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
¡Hola from Costa Rica! – Day 1 Adventure Recap 🌴🍕
Welcome to the GLA Spanish Service Adventure Blog, parents and families! We are so enthusiasmado to have our amazing group of students finally here with us in beautiful Costa Rica! The past two days have been full of smiles, sunshine, and lots of laughter as everyone settles in and starts this unforgettable journey.
☀️ Morning Moments & New Connections
We kicked off the day with a delicious breakfast (yes, the gallo pinto was a hit!), and then jumped right into a fun “Pass the Mic” activity where students teamed up to get to know each other better—instant friendships in the making!
We also asked, “What’s one goal or hope you have after meeting everyone today?”
One of our students, Gabriel, shared:
“I really want to build long-lasting friendships while I’m here.”
We’re already seeing that energy take shape. 💚
🍕 In Pizza We Crust (Our Values Activity)
Next up? One of our favorite activities: In Pizza We Crust! Each student added a “topping” to our giant group pizza, with each topping representing a core value for the trip—think kindness, curiosity, courage, and teamwork (plus a whole lot of cheese).
We also asked, “What’s one thing you learned about someone today that surprised you in a good way?”
Lexi and Caroline shared a fun fact: “All of Pearl’s siblings have really unique names!!”
🏡 Home Base Tourcito
After that, we took a tourcito of our beautiful home base. From the comfy dorms to the hangout chairs and the sparkling pool, students got to see all the cozy corners and cool spots where they’ll be spending the next 21 days.
🌟 Meet the Mentors & Learn the Ropes
Mentor intros followed (such an awesome crew!), and after a tasty lunch and a little free time to settle in, we jumped into the GLA Survival Guide—a must-know resource packed with everything from health tips to house rules, plus a fun dive into the inspiring history of GLA (spoiler: it all started with ALA!).
🕵️♀️ Mentor Mystery Game
Then it was time to get detective-y! Students played a clue-based game to uncover who their mentor would be. There was laughter, guessing, and finally the big reveal: their mentor groups! These small squads will be their home teams for reflections, support, and lots of learning throughout the trip.
🤝 Community Commitments & Chow Circle
Before dinner, we came together to create our Community Agreement—a collaborative set of expectations to keep our group strong and united. Then, we wrapped the day with our first Chow Circle, a GLA tradition where we celebrate the day, shout out kindness, and crown our first Leaders of the Day.
🎲 Game Night & Chill Vibes
Evening downtime included epic UNO battles, Monopoly takeovers, and some well-deserved chill time under the stars.
To cap it all off, we asked two students how they’d describe Orientation Day as a song. Their answers?
🎵 “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys.
“It speaks on connecting people in a world where everyone belongs—and I believe GLA does exactly that. Everyone was nervous about being in a totally new place with people they’ve never met, and the activities we did today brought everyone closer.” – Pearl
🎵 “NuevaYol”
“Because we listened to it during Naty’s presentation about self-care and self-regulation.” – Caroline
We’re off to a fantastic start, and we can’t wait to share more updates, photos, and stories with you as the adventure continues. Stay tuned—tomorrow brings new sights, service, and más español!
Pura vida,
The GLA Costa Rica Team 🇨🇷💚
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28
Hey fam!
We had a great day today — a total WIN! We woke up bright and early and had breakfast at 7 AM. It was eggs, sausage, hash browns, cereal, and some orange juice.
At 7:45, we headed over to the Ruta National Sanctuary. The drive was an hour and fifteen minutes long, but we survived it with interesting “Would You Rather” questions.
At 9 AM, we went to see the various animals, starting with the birds, with the main stars being the toucans and the peacocks. After we took a wonderful picture with the various birds, we went to the butterfly enclosure, where butterflies showed off their beautiful colors.
Moving on from the butterflies, we went to the snake exhibit, with multiple beautiful and venomous snakes bathed in the heat. After the snakes, we went on to see the frogs — showcasing tree frogs and a couple of species of poisonous frogs and their bright colors.
After the frogs, we went on to see the mammals, including sloths, ocelots, jaguars, and pumas. After hiking along the trails and seeing the bright and beautiful vegetation, we went on to lunch at 12 PM.
After lunch at the Ruta National Reserve restaurant, featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet, we went to see the waterfalls. The waterfalls ranged from tallest to shortest but did not lack in strength.
Jose, a guest speaker, told us the history of Costa Rica. This included many facts, such as the 3% of the world’s biodiversity being in Costa Rica, and the fact that Costa Rica has no army. Instead, what Costa Rica specializes in is its education — with teachers in the past teaching as young as age 6, helping kids to read and write.
Pura Vida
Leaders of the Day: Gabriel and Liam
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29
We started off the day con una desayuno delicioso of gallo pinto and pancakes in the restaurant 🥞
Following breakfast, everyone took a quick swim test before a few hours of free time 🏊♂️Throughout the free time, many enjoyed soccer on the lawn and cards games in the restaurant ⚽️.
The rest of the day was spent playing an intense game of soccer, playing cards games like B.S. and pinky, preparing for the first day of service, and a fun leadership activity with mentor groups.
Everyone had positive comments today and here are a few:
“It’s 9 am somewhere ☕” -Anya
“The pasta was not bad 🍝”-The Italian guy, Francesco
“Today was a once in a lifetime experience” – Sebby
“The coffee and chocolate was delicious🍫” -Chase and Callum
“I loved today a-latte” -Halle
Joke of the day from Anya:
If water was coffee and I was a duck, I would swim my way down and drink my way up🦆. But water ain’t coffee and I ain’t a duck so let’s taste this espresso and get hyped up.
From the leaders of the day, Pearl and Callum
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30
¡Hola familia!
We started our day off with a bang with a 7 AM breakfast of rice and beans, waffles, salchichon, mango, and melon. Today was our first day visiting the school—for both us and the little kids! We played soccer and tag with them, and some were even faster than us! Everyone had a lot of fun, and by the end of our time there, we had finished our final draft plans for the murals.
At our Spanish school in Heredia, we took a placement exam and were sorted into classrooms, but we also had time to chill, play games, and visit the central market in Heredia (the empanadas were muy deliciosas).
After we returned, it was time for our usual chow circle and dinner routine, which included the most shout-outs we’ve done all trip, a new leader selection, and our signature exit—saying our favorite color in Spanish.
Dinner today was pollo frito, papas fritas, and arroz! After dinner, we split into our mentor groups for an engaging activity.
Quotes of the Day:
“Costa Rica is chill.” – Gabe
“Nosotros nos divertimos.” – Jake
“Tenemos agua caliente.” – Nathan
“I am the Landa queen.” – Lexi
“Live, laugh, love.” – Liam
“Live life to the fullest.” – Gavin
Pura Vida!
Caroline and Eddy
