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 Costa Rica: Marine Conversation and Sea Turtle Expedition 14 (MCSTE 14) day program is officially up and running!
Between 7.55am and 11.20pm, all 24 students arrived safely in country.
Today was a chill day in which students got a chance to get to know each other and the staff team.
This morning we woke up early and are currently about 1 hour into our 5 hour trip to Montezuma, where we will be based for the next 6 nights. Later today once we’re checked into our hotel, we will play some energizer games, do some team building challenges and run our program orientation.
That’s all for now folks!
Saludos,
GLA MCSTE 14 Team (Ryan, Fernanda, Cos and Laila)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
The GLA Marine Conservation and Sea Turtle Expedition kicked off its second day of programming!
We woke up bright and early to catch the ferry from San Jose over to our second home base in Montezuma. We got settled in, enjoyed a yummy lunch, and soon began our GLA program orientation.
We covered important policies, the GLA leadership curriculum, and much more! Afterwards, students bonded through card games and a yummy pasta dinner!
To end the night we developed a Community Agreement to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students.
We are excited to welcome all 24 students to the program, pictured in our first official program group photo!
Looking forward to our first day of service tomorrow!
Best,
GLA MCSTE 14 Team Mentor – Laila Jones
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Hola from Costa Rica!
Today, we woke up and got ready for service at ASVO. ASVO is an organization focused on sea turtle conservation. We learned how to create nests for sea turtle eggs and we also learned about the differences between the species of turtles in Costa Rica!
After service, we walked into town for gelato and snacks at the super market. We spent some time enjoying our gelato then went back to our Homebase for lunch before getting ready for our swim tests at a the pool at a nearby hotel.
At the hotel with the pool we played fun games like splat and follow the leader while small groups of five were assessed on their swimming skills. After every person finished their test we all got in the pool for some swimming time and also enjoyed delicious snacks and drinks at the restaurant.
We ended the day with a delicious dinner and some more team building activities. We talked about the importance of being present during our GLA program and taking a step away from our tech, in order to learn and benefit from this experience in the most impactful way.
So far it’s been an amazing program filled with amazing food, friends, and fun!
Pura Vida from your leaders of the day: Isabelle C, Isabel Y, and Laney!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Friday the 4th we started our morning by celebrating Independence Day with pancakes! Soon after, we left for service to clean the town playground.
After working up a sweat we came back to home base and enjoyed one of the many home cooked meals! To influence a deeper sense the Costa Rican culture, we explored the town of Montezuma and made our suitcases and stomachaches heavier.
Before leaving for night patrol, we had an early dinner, and our very first mentor group in which we learned more about our fellow travelers!
To end the night we had a once and a lifetime experience and saw baby turtles hatching!!! In awe, we would have wished to stay, but due to weather we had to cut the experience short, because of the local weather. Despite the crushing downpour, our spirits were high from the amazing experience!
Pura Vida, from your leaders of the day!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Today, we woke up feeling energized and ready for the day ahead. We had a delicious breakfast and then headed to the beach to assist ASVO with cleaning up. The physical effort needed for this task was a lot harder compared to the previous day. However, we grew together as a group because of the teamwork needed to move some of the larger logs. By moving this drift wood we cleared up space so that the turtles could find the perfect spots for themselves to lay eggs. After around two and a half hours of awesome work we headed back to the hotel for a quick turnaround to get lunch.
After Lunch we all got ready to play some beach volleyball. On the way we walked through a small market with some of us grabing some trinkets. Volleyball was a great time and the beach was beautiful. Halfway through our group split with some of us going to town and the other half staying to play some more.
Following the beach volleyball was our leadership activity where we defined what made a leader and what leadership’s definition is to us all.
Dinner soon followed with some delicious burgers and fries filling us all up for our night patrol with ASVO, an organization dedicated to sea turtle protection. With volunteers from ASVO we patrolled the beach looking for sea turtles and sea turtles nests to collect and protect the eggs.
We all finished the night with sunset circle where we gave shoutouts for the day and assigned our new leaders of the day for tomorrow Andrew and Isa.
Special shout out to Andrew! Happy birthday Andrew!!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
We woke up at 7:30 to participate in some group yoga in the yoga room. These stretches helped to get awake and ready for the day. After that around 8:30 we went down to breakfast and had a delicious mango purée bowl topped with sliced strawberries.
Next up, at 10:30 was the group debate. This debate centred around a conflict between an environmental students club, a local conservation organization, local small business, and the fisher-people’s association. The local conservation organization and the environmental students club argued that because of tourism’s negative impacts on local sea turtle populations, measures should be put in place to decrease tour group size and prevent tourists from entering turtle nesting areas. On the other hand, the fisher-people’s association and the local small business saw this proposed change as a attack on their income and fear that these new restrictions will cause less tourism and in turn less income.
Individuals were put into one of the four groups and were tasked with learning the specifics of each side’s argument. We had to listen and respond to points from the other groups before all finding a consensus decision in the end.
This activity was very helpful as it taught us to not look at an argument as just black and white. Furthermore, each side in an argument has positives to what they are saying and choosing a solution that just benefits one side is often never the answer. After the debate, around 12:30, we had a classic Costa Rican lunch of plantains, chicken and rice, as well as beans. This meal was tasty and filling, allowing us to be fuelled up and ready to go for the afternoon.
After our delicious home cooked lunch, our group got on the bus to head towards Curu wildlife refuge where we would be starting our activities of the day! Once we arrived, we explored one of the many hiking trails in the refuge where we walked across long wooden bridges overlooking the swamp adjacent to the ocean.
After our hike, we set off to one of Costa Rica’s most famous islands, isle Tortuga (Turtle island!). After arriving by boat, we got to play games with our mentors and fellow students in the water and take in the stunning tropical landscape and sunset.
Once it was dark, it was time for one of the most anticipated events of our trip, boating through bioluminescence! Our group split up into two boats and we ventured out into the water, where we got to dip our hands into the ocean and watch the as shimmering sparkles appeared from underneath us.
Finally, we arrived back in Curu where we enjoyed hearty group dinner at the local restaurant and reminisced about our favorite moments of the day before heading back on the buses to home base!
Looking forward to the days full of food, fun and fascinating views coming up! -Isa & Andrew
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
A Day of Sun, Sand, and Surprises: Students Take on the Beach Tournament
The day began with sunshine and excitement as we headed to the first beach for a refreshing morning swim and some much-needed relaxation. With the ocean breeze and warm sand, the group enjoyed free time splashing in the waves and hanging out together. Later, we strolled into town, where some students picked up snacks and treats while exploring the local shops.
After a return to base and a quick lunch, the second half of the day kicked off with spirited beach games at a second beach location. Students teamed up and competed in fun games against each other, creating memories filled with teamwork and friendly rivalry.
As the sun set, everyone gathered for dinner—and just when we thought the day was winding down, a surprise music artist lit up the evening. A local singer energized the group with live music, while students danced and celebrated under the stars, ending the beach tournament day with rhythm, joy, and a lot of laughter.
Pura Vida from your leaders of the day!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Today the group was moving to our new home base. We began by waking up early for our ride to the ferry! On the way we played lots of uppity and positive music like reggae to make the ride better. On the ferry lots of us including myself enjoyed card games like slap jack. Almost everyone played and it made the hour long ferry feel like nothing. In the afternoon we had lunch at the “crocodile cafe,” and then we got to walk on the nearby bridge to see the crocodiles. We saw three huge ones right beneath us!!! Then we drove for what felt like forever to our next HB in Parrita. Our new HB is beautiful with hammocks under plam trees and the ocean right across the road! We ended the day with a delicious meal made by the staff here and met with our mentor groups. Then we ended the day with some epic karaoke(especially by Ryan- the international director) and went to bed after a long day of travel.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
This morning started bright and early with breakfast at 7. By 8, we were on the bus and headed out for our service project—about an hour away. Once we arrived, we split into two groups to help prepare the beach for sea turtle nesting season.
One group got to work cleaning up the sand and clearing trash to make sure the turtles have a safe and clean place to lay their eggs. The other group tackled the tougher job: pulling weeds and digging up huge spiky plants to help make room for the hatchery.
After about an hour of work, we took a quick snack break before switching tasks. Everyone got a chance to try both jobs, and even though it was hot and the plants were intense, we all pushed through and made a lot of progress.
We wrapped up around 11:30 and headed back to base just in time for lunch.
Once back at our base, we had lunch, followed by an informative session led by Ryan (the international director) about the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Since many of us were not familiar with these goals, the activity raised our awareness of just how crucial each one is and helped us see the importance of the work we are doing. We then had some free time, which most of us spent in the pool. After dinner, we came together for a sunset circle and then met with our mentor groups to practice for the upcoming talent show. To finish off the day, many of us enjoyed karaoke, smoothies, and foosball!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
This morning we started our day bright and early with a zip lining adventure. After arriving at the park, we got fitted into our harnesses and hiked about 10 minutes through the forest to reach the first line. Along the hike we saw sugar cane, soursop trees, vanilla bean and pepper corn.
In addition to the many lines we also swung on a Tarzan swing that launched us forward like a jungle rope swing. Many of us chose to do the Super Man line, flying over a river in a full-body harness.
After the Super Man, we all met back at the restaurant for lunch. We enjoyed fresh star fruit, guava juice, and lunch with chicken and rice.
After lunch, we headed back and jumped straight into a high-energy Latin dance class. We learned the basics of bachata, salsa, and merengue, lots of laughs, a few missteps, and some serious rhythm from people we didn’t expect!
Following the class, we had some well-deserved free time to relax, recharge, and reflect on the day’s adventures. Then, we regrouped for dinner, where the food—and the company—was just what we needed before the night’s big event.
To cap off the evening, we held a fun and friendly talent show. Everyone brought their A-game, showcasing everything from singing and dancing to skits and surprising hidden talents. Afterward, we had a mentor group competition, where each group performed a choreographed dance. The Fishes took the win with an unforgettable performance and are now leading in the mentor group challenge!
We ended the night on a sweet note, singing happy birthday to one of our fellow students before hanging out and winding down together. Lights were out by 10:30, but the memories from today will definitely stick with us for a long time.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Today we had breakfast at 7 and immediately after went to our service at the beach where we cleared land for turtle hatcheries. Everyone worked really hard even though the hot sun was tiring all of us. At 11:30 we went back to the hotel but had a stop in the middle where everyone got some delicious ice cream to get our energy back after the hard work! At lunch we had rice, beans and chicken. Afterwards, we got ready and headed to cooking class where we had fun making tortillas and picadillo de papaya. We got back and had a little bit of free time before dinner. We then had our sunset circle before ryan taught us some Scottish dancing and it was so much fun. after that we all hung out before it was time for bed.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Today we woke up bright and early to make and pack our breakfast for the day, and later quickly headed out on an hour drive to Manuel Antonio National Park!
At the park we went on a guided tour and had the chance to look through a special telescope to see all the animals and plants native to Costa Rica up close and personal, sloths, crabs, snakes, birds, and more! Following the tour, we made a quick stop at a concession stand for some snacks and drinks as we headed to the beach to play games and swim in the cool waters.
For lunch we walked to a local restaurant and enjoyed delicious meals like chicken curry and chicken fajitas that we had picked the day before. As we finished our meals we split into three groups with each of our mentors/directors to go explore town and do a little shopping.
Afterwards we had lunch outside of manuel antonio, we headed back to home base and rested for a bit. after that some of us got dressed up and took pictures by the lobby and outside. then we ate dinner, and headed to sunset circle. we played a quick game, and did our last leadership activity. during this activity we reflected on the SMART goals we had made earlier in the trip and how we succeeded or worked towards them throughout our time in costa rica. after we shared some of our personal goals, the group came up with a SMART goal that as a group we would like to work towards once we leave. our group discussed and realized we wanted to focus on sustainable consumption in terms of water. we spoke specifically about taking shorter showers, avoiding single use bottled water, and overall being mindful about our water usage. we ended the night with our second-to-last sunset circle and went to bed to prepare for our last day of service that we have the next day.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
Heyo 🙂
Today we woke up at 7am again to have a breakfast of a ham omelet and bread. Soon after, we all hopped on the buses to go to our final service activity, though most of that time was spent playing catch the bacon and shopping at the small market there, instead of playing games with kids as we planned.
After we went back to the hotel, we spent another hour finishing packing our bags and grabbing our final drinks at the bar. The lunch of the day was a taco salad sort of meal with a big tortilla chip with layers of beans, sauce, meat/pork, lettuce, sour cream, and other small ingredients. Immediately after eating our final meal at the hotel, we hopped on the buses again and said goodbye to parrita.
Our ride to the final hotel was long, and I mean really really long. After maybe 2 hours of driving, we made it to the massive souvenir shop, El Jardin, which was filled with magnets, clothes, and various other touristy items.
We finished the night by arriving at the new home base, settling in and having our final mentor group activity.
We closed the night out with our appreciation circle. Where we reminisced the trip we had to close out our 2-week GLA experience!
