Hey everyone!

I can’t believe how long it’s been since you guys left Costa Rica – I’m sure by now everyone is seriously missing rice and beans for every meal. We miss you all and hope you guys are doing well back home and sharing fun stories from the trip with friends and family.

It’s funny to look back now on our first walk through the community together and think of how much we learned throughout the week. We got to know the Bodhi team really well and also meet people from Bahía Ballena through surfing and service projects. We hope that you guys gained a lot through the different service experiences. There may be some lollipop moments that you didn’t realize and we hope that you all treasure the bonds you made with the students at Forjando Alas. Watching you guys work through a language barrier to play with and form friendships with the kids was really special. The Surf and Service project at the end of the week was awesome because we were able to give back to the ocean by cleaning the beach and then put our new surf skills to use by giving lessons to the people that showed up.

In addition to the service projects, we had so much fun during activities with you guys. We got to relax and laugh our way through partner yoga with Pilar and watch (fall asleep to) a movie together to wind down after the long day. We wont forget our crazy day of navigating the rapids and getting to jump through waterfalls on the rafting trip. We were also very proud that everyone rallied for the hike toward the end of an exhausting week and got to see the whale tail from the top. We look back especially fondly on that final day of surfing when we made it out to the green waves during that storm.

We’re missing you all and think of our trip often. We hope you’re doing well and that you’ll send us updates about where you end up in the future! We hope you are all feeling happy and healthy! Best of luck with everything 🙂

Some special memories from the trip:

– Dancing in Alajuela
– Coconut chugging at the crocodile bridge
– Climbing all over the Jaco sign
– Rock paper scissors tournament
– Stories of self (an incredible night)
– Drawing pictures of ourselves as leaders
– Hugging each other after compliment cards
– Painting each other at service
– People falling out of boats during service
– Serious sunburns

¡Pura vida!

Patrick and Jen

 

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

Hey everyone!

I can’t believe how long it’s been since you guys left Costa Rica – I’m sure by now everyone is seriously missing rice and beans for every meal. We miss you all and hope you guys are doing well back home and sharing fun stories from the trip with friends and family.

It’s funny to look back now on our first walk through the community together and think of how much we learned throughout the week. We got to know the Bodhi team really well and also meet people from Bahía Ballena through surfing and service projects. We hope that you guys gained a lot through the different service experiences. There may be some lollipop moments that you didn’t realize and we hope that you all treasure the bonds you made with the students at Forjando Alas. Watching you guys work through a language barrier to play with and form friendships with the kids was really special. The Surf and Service project at the end of the week was awesome because we were able to give back to the ocean by cleaning the beach and then put our new surf skills to use by giving lessons to the people that showed up.

In addition to the service projects, we had so much fun during activities with you guys. We got to relax and laugh our way through partner yoga with Pilar and watch a movie together to wind down after the long day. We wont forget our crazy day of navigating the rapids and getting to jump through waterfalls on the rafting trip. We were also very proud that everyone rallied for the hike toward the end of an exhausting week and got to see the whale tail from the top. We look back especially fondly on that final day of surfing when we made it out to the green waves during that storm.

We’re missing you all and think of our trip often. We hope you’re doing well and that you’ll send us updates about where you end up in the future! Best of luck with everything 🙂

Some special memories from the trip:

-yoga with Pilar and all the giggles
-learning about the philosophy of surfing from Gibran and getting to share how we think sports have impacted our lives
-playing soccer and making paintings of the flags with the students at Forjando Alas
-bananagrams when it was pouring rain
-our last dinner at Carlitos and giving each other lollipops to show appreciation to each other for an awesome trip

¡Pura vida!

Patrick and Jen

 

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

Hey Session 2 Spanish Service Adventure 2018! I hope that you all had a wonderful August and have kept in mind those take-aways that we talked about during the final reflection of the program! Looking back I hope you remember both the fun and challenging times, from the stress free beach day to exhilarating extreme forest park, the physically demanding waterfall hike to the mentally-demanding rafting adventure.

I hope that each of these moments brought learning to you as well as the laughter and friendships made. Maybe it doesn´t feel so long either since those technical and teamwork skills learned during the bio-garden service project (anyone miss hauling those rocks around?), mastering the art of cement volcanoes while expanding the floor of the basketball court / amphitheatre and making and spreading the bokashi fertilizer onto the coffee plants that will produce that same great organic coffee that some of you may still be drinking!

I also hope that some of you have kept practicing your Spanish! Our time shared with the Young Dreamers and the families that ´´adopted´´ us gringos were definitely highlights for me. Juan´s amazing panqueques, gallo pinto, frijoles y arroz and the traditional meals including platano and guacamole at the trapiche kept us going through those afternoon discussions, not to mention the cafecito in between them! Finishing off those evenings with Mentor Groups to keep us reflecting on the experience and increasingly animated card games was also good to see. Que chiva!

Please keep learning, thinking critically and exploring different cultures! I hope that the experience in Providencia stays with you, but also that there may be many more to come :). Pura vida amigos!

Some special moments from our trip:
– Learning to dance like latinos in both classes with each other and the Young Dreamers
– Those thrilling rides in the back of Jonathan´s SUPER DUTY
– Swimming and jumping into the freezing water at El Poceron
– Being followed by monkeys during our walk in Manuel Antonio
– Playing cards and other interesting games with Jonny and Gustavo
– learning to cook traditional meals for over 20 people with Chef Juan
– Playing games and soccer / slip n´ slide on that rainy day at the plaza

-Nicolas Couto, International Director

 

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

Looking back to our 21-day Spanish Service Adventure high in the cloud forest in Costa Rica, we are filled with fond memories of all the good times our group shared, and of all the challenges that we overcame and learned from. From our first exhausting week of service mastering the art of cement volcanoes as we mixed and poured concrete by hand for the new basketball court for the village of Providencia, to the breath-taking and exhilarating rafting trip down the Pacuare river (where we ate “iguana tails” that tasted like chicken for lunch). From our second week of service fertilizing organic coffee plants on Don Geraldo´s coffee farm, to surfing it up in playa Dominical and spotting sloths (shout-out to Aiden) and rainbow grasshoppers in Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio.

From our final week of service when we stuffed eco-bricks and worked tirelessly to complete the first Bio-garden in Providencia at Juan and Joana’s restaurant, to our final adventures in the EXTREME Forest Park and the beautiful (and steep) waterfall hike. We really did it all, working hard at service and playing hard on our excursions, and yet somehow found the energy for afternoons of Spanish classes, with the beloved families of Providencia, soccer in the plaza, dancing and hanging out with Natalia and the rest of the Young Dreamers, and of course, too many heated and uproarious games of cards (all somehow won by Wyatt). Juan’s famous panqueques, gallo pinto, arroz con pollo, pasta con pesto, and other specialties kept us fueled up throughout all of our activities, as well as the unforgettable cafecito we were treated to every afternoon. Mentor Group meetings with Rachel, Nico, and Luis Diego rounded off the evenings, and Jonathan challenged us and inspired us with his group discussions.

All in all, it was an incredible 3-week experience, and we hope the memories and friendships made will last a lifetime. Pura Vida!

Some special moments from our trip:
– Learning traditional dances during our first encounter with the Young Dreamers
– Celebrating the three special birthdays
– The never-ending search for waffles
– Fending off the pelican at the beach in Manuel Antonio
– Those thrilling rides in the back of Jonathan´s SUPER DUTY
– All those interesting games in the hotel pool at Dominical
– Swimming and jumping into that freezing water at the Poceron
– Solving a lot of never-can-tells and riddles throughout many days
– Stargazing on those last beautiful nights!

-Rachel Pacione

 

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

Our trip to Costa Rica was absolutely incredible and I can’t believe how time has just flown by!
In just two short weeks we did a TON of activities, made new friends, learned more about
ourselves and our host country. Now that you are back home and back to your normal routines,
I hope that you still think about your time in San Pedro and are using all that you learned here to
do something you are passionate about!

As GLA and Green Communities have taught us, it is our job to consider how our communities
can become more sustainable, looking at the pros and cons of everything before making a
decision. It is also our job as global citizens to promote awareness on the changes our Earth is
going through simply because of the materialist nature of our economy. What we hope is that
your time here helped develop you to be true global leaders and that you continue to look for
ways to incorporate sustainable development at home.

But besides the academic portions of the trip, we also have learned a lot about ourselves
through our excursions and service! Some of us learned to embrace the unexpected and try to
look at life through a new lens-whether that was learning how to trust and be brave while getting
flung across the forest at the Adventure Park, putting our differences aside while working with
the locals at service, meeting the mothers that work and live in San Pedro, or being valiant
enough to express our own opinions and ideas during our mentor groups! I’m sure that each of
us gained a bit of confidence somehow, someway, during our time here and sometimes that’s
the most valuable thing you can achieve from a trip like this! So, next time you are in a difficult
or similar situation, I hope you think about how you handled differences, insecurities, debate,
and friendship while in Costa Rica.

We hope that you all think of Costa Rica and the people here often. The sidewalk is getting
longer each and every day. In fact, the town of San Pedro has said they want to contribute
some of their own money to the project to help get it completed faster! We have also fertilized
over 20 coffee farms in San Pedro! The organic coffee will grow to be an amazing product that
not only provides income for the families, but also will be bought from next year’s GLA students
and their families! We are still recruiting more families into switching to organic farming and
thanks to your help, more and more people are willing to give it a go!

Although it may have been a while ago that we were all together at the ecolodge in Copey, your
memories and the friendships made here will remain forever! Here at GLA Costa Rica, we hope
that you are all doing well and going the extra mile in whatever you are passionate about. Keep
up the good work!

Some highlights of our trip:
-Surfing the waves in Dominical
-Seeing the natural wildlife and the National Park and swimming in the crystal clear waters!!!
-Working alongside Alvaro and his constant teasing!
-Our time spent at the Adopt-a-gringo activity
-The last night’s bonfire
-The amazzzzing smell of compost
-Tona’s “Dropping the soap” improve song

-Nicole, Tona, Esteban + Green Communities Staff

 

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