Dearest Ava, Brady, Carl, Emma, Jacobe, Jazmin, Jody, Katy, Kenny, Kenzi, Lily, Makayla, Maleiya, Meg, Quentin, Sara, Taylor, Tea, & Yobany:

Hey, everyone! (Or as David would say, “Hey, good people!”)
We hope this letter finds you all living your best lives with sweet adventurous memories of our time together in Ecuador with GLA.

We truly accomplished a lot together from bonding as friends to giving back to the communities that so graciously accommodated us to learning so much about Ecuador and the Galápagos! Y’all were true rock stars for the duration of the trip, and we hope you feel a sense of pride when you look back on how well you adapted and maintained positivity outside of your comfort zones. That is, after all, what GLA and travel are all about!

Some of our favorite memories include:

-Ava’s flawless and ultra serious rendition of “The Fox” during lip sync karaoke while Emma supported her with lots of paw-licking… “Is this correct?”

-Brady’s determination to try fried guinea pig regardless of how his stomach was feeling

-Carl’s endless comedy; best soccer goalie and Spanish student ever!

-Emma’s incredible ability to “tan” and “not get sunburned”

-Jacobe’s affinity for peaches as well as his passionate performance of “Hotel California” for the group

-Jazmin’s dedication to both her veganism and to building the sand wall on Isabela

-Jody’s ultra-downness for each and every activity and adventure

-Katy’s toughness and sweet flailing moves during the ant attack at the tortoise preserve

-Kenny’s triumph over the Sea Baby on the second and third boat voyages – keeping it down!

-Kenzi’s blossoming over our 2 weeks together – and her desire to buy ALL the things at the market

-Lily’s trendsetting abilities…the sisterhood of the Ecuadorian pants

-Makayla’s sweetness, consistency, and determination to conquer the Sea Baby, even if it meant sacrificing her travel pillow

-Maleiya’s near perfect Miley Cyrus performance and consistently taking an abundance of photos

-Meg’s commentary on Christopher Columbus as well as her amazing lighting engineer skills during lip sync karaoke; also, Woman Crush Wednesday even though it was aSaturday

-Quentin’s excitement over crepes and willingness to be helpful and learn as much as possible about well, everything!

-Sara’s warrior-like persistence during service, even when she was wounded by a stump that fought back

-Taylor’s scheme to get his mom lots of chocolate in the hopes of chipping away at days of being grounded

-Tea’s demonstration of how to barter in the market and showing the group how to really beach with ceviche and a coke after snorkeling

-Yobany’s creation of a unique handshake with everyone and his amazing snowman socks and tropical swimsuit

As our first group of the summer, y’all set the bar very high for the next groups! We feel fortunate to have gotten to kick off our summer with this great group of future leaders. We, El Sueco, Wilson, Fernando, and the tortoises thank you all so much!

When we really miss y’all…YES!!!

We’d like to leave you with a quote:

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
-Howard Thurman

Stay curious, stay kind, and follow your hearts always! (And stay in touch!)

With love,
Jenny & David

 

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Wow! It is simply incredible looking back on our Fiji program!

You’re probably back in school, maybe even starting college or perhaps on some other path or adventure…but we wanted you to know that, here in Fiji, we are still thinking of you and the amazing summer we have shared. We are thanking you for all those special moments. I can still taste the wonderful baked goodies in the morning and the delicious tea times and oh my, that out of this world dinner we munched away on the island saying our farewells. Often I just sit and reminisce about our hard work, the fun, those stunners of sunsets and the many friendships that were created.

You guys were a huge part of making this trip so fun!!!

We experienced Fiji culture by learning to be comfortable with the unknown and to go with the flow on island time. As they say, “no hurry, no worry” 🙂 Whenever it was service, free or fiji waiting time, it was time spent well.

You should all know you left a powerful imprint on Matacawalevu, the villagers and us that will last much longer than the 14 days you were here. The Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) will continue to be a place of shelter, restoration and regrowth for marine life. The mangroves we planted will continue to grow and provide habitat, stability for the shore and beauty for the entire area. The reef checks provided us with valuable data so that we can implement SMART goals (remember that workshop?) for the LMMA. Just as important, the knowledge YOU gained on this trip we hope will serve you and your communities for the rest of your life! We now know how abundant the waste and plastic problem is. Also how harmful plastic is to the environment, and some important ways to reduce and reuse it in order to lessen our impact on the environment. Thank you for being on this program and helping out in so many ways.

We have seen some real talent during basket weaving, scraping coconuts, making local jewelry, racing each other on a kayak,…It was so cool to snorkel the caves and to see the boogieman.. We definitely heard some screams ( thanks Bill, Moses, Gabby)! Amazing moments to look back on. We have been blessed with the many stories that were shared during mentor groups and the many lovely dinners. Talking food, remember tea time?

We always had mouthwatering snacks awaiting us when back at Oarsman’s Bay. It was a joy for the staff to see how much you all appreciated the traditional food. Oni, our lovely hostess at Oarsman’s Bay will never forget your hungry smiles when coconut scones or Fijian doughnuts were served. What a great time we had with the locals. They for sure leave an everlasting impression on us all. We and the locals can’t wait to shout “Bula!” again to you with open arms. When shopping local and creating your own souvenirs, building trash bins, digging deep or preparing a feast for dinner, the kindness was everywhere. The “Isa Lei” farewell ceremony keeps tearing me up, how could you not with those warrior dances and charming voices!

We really need to thank you for making it able to have such a blast together. Whether it was birdie on a perch at a moments notice, hiking up the Nacula hills, mudding, snorkeling in the gorgeous blue waters or joking around with our beloved Gabby, Moses, Taz and Joe. It was pure bliss because we got to share it all with you guys — the 2018 GLA Fiji Marine Conservation Group! Thanks for helping to make these special memories in an amazing place.

Some special moments from our trip:
-Learning about the waste plastic bottles create and making trash bins.
-Digging deep to better waste management. We saw some serious muscle work!
-Getting to see the amazing Garden of the Sleeping Giant and therapeutic mud pools
-Hiking up to the top of the Nacula mountains while chanting “I am Moana!”
-Learning about Marine species, coral, mangroves, and waste management from Gabby and Moses
-Amazing Race on the private Blue Lagoon Island (Thank You Elle!)
-Watching all the fish and coral as we snorkeled in so many different places
-Celebrating with the village with traditional kava and lovo ceremonies
-Dancing the night away under the stars
-Wearing our colorful sulus in style
-Presenting your hard work to the village and performing the wonderful Coral Song
-Chanting during the boat rides wanting to go faster and faster!
-Spotting wildlife all around us with a definite shout out to the bioluminescense on the beach

Bula Vinaka and Sota tale!
Valerie and the entire Fijian Team

 

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We can’t believe it has already been so long since our Fiji trip ended! I can still taste the delicious lovo for dinner, the wonderful baked goodies in the morning and the delicious tea times that we shared. Often times, it seems like it was just the other day that we were laughing at all your silly jokes, snorkeling on the Oarsman Reef, and playing volleyball or (modified) rugby . You’re probably back in school, starting college!, or perhaps on some other path or adventure… but we wanted you to know that, here in Fiji, we are still thinking of you and the impact we made this summer together.

Our time spent together in Fiji truly did make an impact. You should all know you left your imprint on Nacula, the villagers and us that will last much longer than the 14 days you were here. The Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA)will continue to be a place of shelter, restoration and regrowth for marine life. The mangroves we planted (over 1,250 of them!) will continue to grow and provide habitat for marine life, stability for the shore and beauty for the Nacula area. These mangroves will live on long after our time here is just a memory, making the environment of that site more comfortable and bountiful for the people and marine life. Coral will continue to be restored because of our coral nursery. The reef checks provided valuable base line data so that we can implement SMART goals (remember that workshops?)for the LMMA. Just as important, the knowledge YOU gained on this trip we hope will serve you and your communities for the rest of your life! We now know how abundant the waste and plastic problem is. Also how harmful plastic is to the environment, and some ways to reduce and reuse it in order to lessen our impact on the environment.

Another thing I can’t forget is how much fun we had together here! You guys were a huge part of making this trip so fun by being a really close knit group. We experienced Fiji culture by learning to be comfortable with the unknown and to go with the flow on “island time”. We also enjoyed Fijian food like the time we all helped build the lovo to cook our lunch. We learned about basket weaving, scraping coconuts, and tasted so many tropical fruits! We also got to visit a local market and buy our own kava and other goodies to take home with us.

We worked really hard and also had a blast together. Whether it was playing games at night, birdie on a perch at a moments notice, figuring out plants at the Gardens of the Sleeping Giant, throwing mud during the Mud Pools or learning from Gabby. It was so much fun because we got to share it all with you guys — the 2018 GLA Fiji Marine Conservation Group! Thanks for helping to make these special memories in an amazing place.

Some special moments from our trip:
-Learning about the waste plastic bottles create and making trash bins for the Nacula Community out of those bottles
-Laughing during Birdie on a Perch moments
-Getting to see the amazing Garden of the Sleeping Giant and therapeutic mud pools
-Learning about Marine species, coral, mangroves, and waste management from Gabby and Moses
-Amazing Race on the private Blue Lagoon Island (Thank You Elle!)
-Watching all the fish and coral as we snorkeled in so many different places
-Celebrating with the village with traditional kava and lovo ceremonies
-Wearing colorful sulus in the village and to dinner in the proper Fijian way
-Playing Gabby’s Real version of Zoo after much practice with Jessica’s baby version was introduced
-Amazing sunrises and sunsets, especially that first day on the island!

Bula Vinaka and Moce!
Jessica and the Fijian Team

 

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Bula! We can’t believe it has already been so long since our time in Fiji where we snorkeled to our heart’s delight, shared coconuts together and admired the beautiful sunsets at Botaira. Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that we were playing with the children in Gunu, enjoying delicious donuts at tea time and building water catchment tanks. You’re probably back in school, but we wanted you to know that there are so many people still thinking of you and the impact you all made together this past summer.

You should all know that you left Fiji a better place than when you came. Ross is continuing forward with various projects planting fruits and vegetables. In addition, water continues to fill the tanks we put up while the children play duck-duck goose! The children were so touched by the attention you all gave them through tutoring and just playing together. Even more importantly, the knowledge and perspective YOU gained on this trip we hope will serve you and the communities you go on to be in for the rest of your life!

We had so much fun as a group together in Fiji! You all were a huge part of making this trip a blast. We experienced the Fijian culture by learning some of the basic language, weaving bracelets, and the Bula dance. We were also able to visit an Indian community and put our hands together to cook a delicious lunch! Whether it was jumping off the high dive at Botaira, stepping in for a game of volleyball, or swinging in hammocks, thanks for helping to make such special memories in an amazing place! Remember Sunia’s whole hearted smile and dance moves. And the special beauty of the setting sun over the Pacific. Or the time when we had fun playing mud games after visiting the Sleeping Giant. All of us smile when we think about the birthday cakes and party. We reminisce the times we saw the coral, blue starfish and zebra fish during low tide. And dream of the stars and the moon that shown brightly in the evenings.

We wish everyone the very best in all of your endeavors. Hopefully we’ll see you for another GLA program next year!

Moce,

Lisa, the Mentors and the Fiji team!

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our 2019 programs, or enroll now.