Hello Darlings,

We hope you are all happily settling in to your new/old lives at home! We miss you here and wanted to send you an update from Las Canas. We completed the bottle houses and the family of 5 moved in! Slow but sure progress we finished up walls and taught newcomer students to tackle problems. The base you set for us truly helped us in continuing this work… what a great start to the summer!

We often reminisce on your sarcasm and maturity. You all surprised us with the way you tackled new, uncomfortable situations. Your thoughtful queries during discussions and work days show us the power you have to analyze your situation and respond in an appropriate and impactful way. Whether we were figuring out work strategies or enjoying a piña colada at the beach you all managed to convey true personality and caring.

Our little family turned out to be quite functional. Remember the night we went out to the starry beach? You told us about the peace and content you felt. We hope you can remember that feeling and carry it with you no matter where you may be.

We are here; reach out if you need anything!

Thank you all!

 

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Hey everybody!

Thank you so much for a great session in the jungle! The entire staff couldn’t have asked for a more enthusiastic, fun, and curious group for our Sea Turtle Initiative program. Even though we were together for a week, it felt like we got to know each other so well by the end. By the time you get to read this, you will have adjusted back to normal life in your homes, but we wanted to share a few memories to relive our time here.

It seemed like the first day you were already excited to get to know each other and begin your Costa Rican adventure. What better way to start the program than with zip-lining and going through the canopies of the lush rainforest? We got to see beautiful birds as we soared above the trees on 11 different cables! Once at homebase, we got adjusted and jump-started the week with an awesome tour of the organic farm and surrounding forest with Jason, where we learned together about different plants and animals of the Caribbean rainforest.

Walking to town was also fun as we discussed Costa Rican environmental issues and then learned about sea turtles and the importance of protecting them. The night patrols were awesome with dark skies against this dense coastal forest, listening to the waves crash as we patrolled the area. You guys were rewarded for your hard work! How beautiful was that massive leatherback? Remember that everything is connected and you guys did an epic job patrolling and protecting their nesting habitat in various ways. Don’t forget that your impact does not need to end in Costa Rica. Keep learning, playing, and exploring. Best of luck in all your future adventures!

-Hannah Calloway, International Director

 

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GLA Spring Break Session 5!

We miss you all! You are probably off enjoying your summer somewhere, likely still dreaming about laying in hammocks, black sand beaches, and chocolate covered bananas. As soon as you all arrived in Alajuela, there was immediate energy and connection and we knew it was going to be a great session! Though we only had a short time together, everyone seemed to bond quickly and build friendships that will last for years to come.

We started our week of adventure with zip lining through the beautiful rainforest! Remember the scorpion that joined us for lunch?! After a long ride in the van, we finally arrived to the boat which took us to our amazing, rustic home base in the middle of the jungle. Surrounded by monkeys and sloths (and lots of mosquitos and spiders), we settled into life on the Caribbean coast for a few days.

We jumped into our service work as we took to the beaches to clean up the large amount of trash that washes up, and we installed markers at the beach to help ASTOP with the tracking of turtle nests. We also learned about the effects of plastic on the environment and the turtles and brainstormed ideas of how we can reduce our use of plastic back home. Our night patrol walks were physically demanding, but you guys did a great job and we were able to see TWO TURTLES! It was exciting and rewarding to see firsthand the work we were out there supporting.

Teaching English at the local school, swimming in the barrita, daily hair braiding parties, poop buddies (neti pots anyone?), rat showers, and so many more memories were created in our few fun days together. We dove deeper in group activities and opened up with each other in mentor groups. You guys built an amazing, supportive community during your time together. I hope you all have taken the lessons you learned on this trip and applied them to your lives back home in the States. Thank you for your hard work, willingness to be open and vulnerable, and overall awesomeness. We love you!

-Kelly, Hannah, and Rudy

 

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

Hey everybody!

Thank you so much for a great session in the jungle! The entire staff couldn’t have asked for a more diverse and silly (my euphemism for wild and clever) group for our Sea Turtle Initiative program. Even though we were together for a week, it felt like we got to know each other so well by the end. By the time you get to read this, you will have adjusted back to normal life in your homes, but we wanted to share a few memories to relive our time here.

It seemed like the first day you were already excited to get to know each other and begin your Costa Rican adventure. What better way to start the program than with zip-lining and going through the canopies of the lush rainforest? We even got to see our first sloth! Once at homebase, we got adjusted and jump-started the week with an awesome tour of the organic farm and surrounding forest with Jason, and found ourselves surrounded by all three species of indigenous monkeys!

Can anyone remember their names? (*see below!) Walking to town was also fun as we discussed Costa Rican environmental issues and then learned about sea turtles and the importance of protecting them. The night patrols were awesome with a big beautiful moon that lit up this dense coastal forest, and you guys were rewarded for your hard work! How beautiful was that massive leatherback? Remember that everything is connected and you guys did an epic job patrolling and protecting their nesting habitat in various ways (even though you tried to go barefoot). Don’t forget that your impact does not need to end in Costa Rica.

Through the week we were challenged to communicate with people different from us, pushed to step up in a very difficult situation, and taught how to come together with love and appreciation. You are an incredible crowd of students. I hope you guys use this time capsule letter to remember the purpose of your trip here and to continue inspiring those around you. We miss you and please stay in touch with us. Pura vida!

-Hannah Calloway, International Director

*Monkey species found in the Costa Rican caribbean: White-faced capuchin, howler monkeys, spider monkeys.

 

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

Hey everybody!

Thank you so much for a great session in the jungle! The entire staff couldn’t have asked for a more laid back group for our Sea Turtle Initiative program. Even though we were together for a week, it felt like we got to know each other so well. By the time you get to read this, you will have adjusted back to normal life in your homes, but we wanted to share a few memories to relive our time here.

It seemed like the first day you all were pretty quiet but eager to begin your Costa Rican adventure. What better way to start the program than with zip-lining and going through the canopies of the lush rainforest? We even got to see toucan and aracaris fighting! Once at homebase, we got adjusted and jump started the week with an awesome tour of the organic farm and surrounding forest, and found ourselves surrounded by spider monkeys. Walking to town was also fun as we discussed Costa Rican environmental issues and then learned about sea turtles and the importance of protecting them. The night patrols were awesome and even though we didn’t see a turtle, you guys were part of the bigger picture of protecting them.Remember that everything is connected and you guys did an epic job patrolling.

Finally, we wrapped the week up with a relaxed day in town, learning to make empanadas and playing volleyball with locals. I hope you guys use this time capsule letter to remember the purpose of your trip here and to continue inspiring those around you. We miss you and please stay in touch with us. Pura vida!

-Kelly, Hannah, and Rudy

 

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