Dear Students,

It’s hard to believe it’s been so long since our Costa Rica trip has ended! Most of you are probably back in school, back to your regular lives. You’re probably missing your mid-morning empanada snacks and jugo.

By the time our session three students arrived, we finally had an idea of what we were doing and we were feeling like true Nosara locals ourselves, ready to share this amazing place with the students. Upon arrival, the majority of the students went to eat lunch near the airport while the final students landed. Upon arrival they pulled all the tables together so they could sit together and then after eating, they played cards and organized their own name game. Their high energy as a group after a long day of traveling was impressive to say the least!

From the very beginning the students continuously played a game called “assassin”, which they organized on their own and through which everyone bonded together especially during the first week. Sudden gasps could be heard throughout the day when students “assassinated” each other, whispering the words “you’re dead” in the ears of their targets at unexpected moments when no one else was listening.

Service at Santa Terecita was hot and dirty and hard, but the sense of accomplishment could be seen on the faces of our students. They worked hard together to get the massive cement blocks out of the ground, build a retaining wall, paint the salon, even the hill and floor behind the salon, put in benches alongside the soccer field, build and paint the playground, and rebuild a room for the teachers. The local kids always helped out with smiles and bonded with us through spontaneous tetherball games. Our hotel’s cleaning woman Marleni’s son named Josué would come regularly with a big smile. Certain local dogs including “Santos” also came and received lots of love from the students.

In addition to service, our days were packed with numerous cultural activities and adventure! From bread making workshops to traditional dances and cafecito with local families, we dove into the Costa Rican culture and learned a lot about the traditional ways of life for “ticos” in Nosara. Adventure days were filled with surf and paddleboard lessons, horseback riding, and zip lining all throughout the jungle. Our three-day trip up north to Rio Celeste included some wild hikes and whitewater rafting down the Tenorio river. Additionally milking a cow and a sweet tour of the trapiche (sugarcane) plantation were highlights of the trip.

Evenings were often time for mentor groups or free time for the students. One evening a leer snake about ten feet long was found behind the treehouse and I ran to rally the students to come check it out. A wide berth was given amidst gasps as we watched it slither up a tree.

We organized an “open mic night” for the students and gave them the opportunity to open up creatively to the group. The result was a spectacular night of performances that raised the roof off of the yoga pavilion. During any periods of free time, we could count on music bumping down below in the pavilion making the B&B sound alive at all times. Before bedtime, the students often sat out on the terraces of their rooms and would talk and share with each other.

The bonds and trust that were formed within this group could be seen on a daily basis, and most especially during their final capstone presentations. The students truly embraced the pura vida lifestyle here and bonded with true locals like Alvaro and Carla. These are just a few of the overall memories and moments that made this group a true tico family!

-Sergio Ryan

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

After all of our twenty-three students arrived in Liberia, we began the three-hour drive to home base. Rain poured and lightning ripped through the sky as we drove, making it an all around exciting welcome to Costa Rica. The next morning we were able to see and explore our home base, the Nosara B&B Retreat, in the daylight. Our orientation day was a long day and looking back later in the session, we would laugh at how everyone was “extra nice” to each other as we broke the ice and quickly became one big family.

At first everyone was freaking out at the billions of bugs and insects but after sharing our new home with them for a while, the students started to warm up. I remember a group of students passing a harmless but huge centipede from hand to hand, admiring it. Or at service when one of the girls put on a pair of thick work gloves and fearlessly picked up a scorpion to move it somewhere safe!

From our first day at service site we began digging massive meter-deep holes until we were filthy, sweaty, and feeling the burn. Pulling into the school at Esperanza every morning, the local boys Chino, Brandon, and Justin would come running up beside our bus to greet us. Even though it was early and also their days off from school, they were always up and ready to work beside us, and show off their skills throwing and picking up their spinning “string-top” toys.

We worked alongside Chacho and Ramon, local handymen who had actually went to school at Esperanza. They helped guide us with smiles and patience through difficult tasks like sealing cement to the sides of the drinking fountains and making support beams for the seats and tables. Our final day of service ended with a big soccer game with everyone on the field across the street from the school.

With a local musician Alex Piedra visiting Nosara, we were able to have our own private concert one night. The rhythms hit home and Alex sang a number of Costa Rican classics in addition to his own jams. Our adventure days near home base consisted of horseback rides along the beach and through the jungle, learning to surf on some of the best waves that Costa Rica has to offer at Playa Guiones, and zip lining through the sky above the jungle canopy of the surrounding mountains.

Around our two-week mark, we hit the road north and made our way up to Rio Celeste. The first day we stretched our legs and hiked the hanging bridges, where we were able to spot a sloth lounging in a tree! The next day we milked a cow, hiked through Tenorio National Park to the waterfall, the blue lagoon, the hot spring, and the junction of the river. During the hike, the students walking with me gave every passer-by a fist bump saying “pura vida mae!” which always brought out a big smile and laugh.

The water was truly a celeste blue color, which our guide described to us saying: “After God painted the sky, he washed his brush in the river here.” We then went on a tour of the trapiche (sugarcane) farm, where we tried out the machines, sampled sugar in several forms, and heard the grandmother of the family tell us her story and the adversity she overcame as a single woman to keep and work the land there.

After our service in the mornings, our afternoons were filled with activities. We made bread at a local family’s home, while a man played guitar, his daughters sang, and everyone danced. We had a snake presentation from a local firefighter, visited the recycle center with Alvaro, had a cafécito at a local home, had a dance class with Willy and a cooking class with Lisbia, rode in an oxcart with Quinco, and experienced the traditional baile folklorico. All in all, our students embraced the Costa Rican culture with open hearts.

Our group was able to experience the holiday, el Día de Guanacaste on July 25th. The school at Esperanza was packed with locals. We participated with the community through the traditional activities of Guanacaste such as splitting wood, making tortillas, baile flokorico, and a marimba concert. We also presented the children of the school with a memory game our students made for them and taught them how to play it.

After our final dinner, which included an incredible cake from the of our chef Kim’s bakery, we descended to the yoga pavilion. The moment we came close the lights flashed on and a marimba started to play. Everyone flooded the area and started to dance. Then out of nowhere, Chacho and Ramon appeared. With the band consisting of three brothers all playing the marimba together, everyone was up and we all danced the night away after three weeks of living la pura vida.

-Sergio Ryan

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

As we hopped on the bus for our first of many three-hour rides to Liberia airport, we were anxious to meet our first 23 session one students! The steady stream of blue shirts started to flow through the arrivals gate and the students began to exchange greetings and chat amongst themselves, not knowing how close they would grow to each other in 21 days and the tearful goodbyes that would happen in that same spot three weeks later. Once all 23 students had arrived, we loaded onto the bus and the students met our beloved driver, Steven, for the first time. After a traditional lunch at a nearby soda, we began the bumpy three-hour ride back to our home base in Nosara. There was a lot of energy on the bus and very few moments of silence the whole way to home base. When we were about 30 minutes away, the students asked Sergio “how much longer?” “About five more minutes!” he replied. This was the moment we all learned not to ask Serg for timeframes. After covering some basic health and safety tips, including all things poop-related, we arrived at home base and were greeted by Kim and Junior, our fabulous chefs that cooked delicious meals for us during our stay at the B&B.

Our first days in Nosara were filled with orientation activities and town tours. On orientation day, we covered health and safety talks and took a short walk to the beach to go over beach safety. Our natural born actors had a chance to shine when we acted out our code of conduct skits. The group then came together to make a “team flag.” All of us traced our hands onto paper and cut them out, writing five things we value on the fingers and posting them all on our flag, creating a sense of unity and connectedness. Our first beach day was the day students really bonded and got to know each other while enjoying the sun and swimming together. Fortunately, there were no rip tides this day. Those would come later. On our third day, we headed over to the school in the nearby town of Santa Marta for an orientation to learn about the service work we would be doing. This is the first day we met Alvaro, our local service coordinator, who would become a dear friend to many of us and one of the most tearful goodbyes on the final night. Alvaro showed us around the school and salon, or community center, and we realized we would need to work hard to get everything done in three weeks! By the end of our three weeks of service we had created beautiful murals, re-painted the majority of the school, and updated the school’s playground. We sanded and painted (3 times!) many tables in the community center, painted signs to hang around the school, created a game of memory for the kids, and completed numerous updates around the soccer field. Our hard work paid off as we finished all of our tasks just in time on the final service day. An epic service celebration followed, complete with face paint, lots of food, and a piñata! We have a lot to be proud of!

In addition to service, our days were packed with numerous cultural activities and adventure! From bread making workshops to traditional dances and (exhilarating) ox cart rides, we dove into the Costa Rican culture and learned a lot about traditional ways of life for Ticos in Nosara. Adventure days were filled with surf and paddleboard lessons, horseback riding, zip lining, and whitewater rafting down the Tenorio river. Evenings were often time for mentor groups, where we connected deeper and had a space to share our experiences in a smaller group setting. Some evenings even ended with a lights-out rap lullaby and many ended with late night chats. Highlights included our open mic night and capstone presentations. It was so inspiring to listen to each student share their lives with the group and share how their time in Costa Rica had changed them.

By our last day of service, the school at Santa Marta, specifically the kindergarten classroom, had been transformed. It wasn’t just the school that had transformed though; each of our lives had changed being here in Costa Rica as we learned to embrace and love the Pura Vida way of life. The culture, the friendships, and the hard work we put in transformed us and impacted our lives in ways we never could have imagined. This group bonded like a family and the memories of these three special weeks spent together in Costa Rica are sure to live on for years to come!

From beautiful ocean breezes in the pavilion to kale chips and bleached clothes, we admittedly knew nothing in the beginning but had the most amazing time with our session one trial run 😉 Mom, Dad, and Tio Gio will never forget you guys! Lots of love and Pura Vida!

Ava H – Our humanitarian. Your spirit of service was inspiring as well as your plan to take home what you’ve learned and make a difference in your own community

Ava G— YOOOO. Your sarcasm brightened my days. As a matter of fact, it was…exhilarating

Caleigh – Our hottest tamale. You were always singing and dancing and making sure everyone was having fun!

Carly – You will forever hold the title of Alpha of the Apes and Elephant Rats. Just remember, “don’t be a crab raiser if you’re not going to raise them right!”

Christina – You truly learned the meaning of how to live the Pura Vida lifestyle. I see a lot of surfing in your future!

Bella – Mujer. 70. Deborah. OG of the salon. Our bus DJ, our line dancer. Remember the Alamo.

Izzy – Our most athletic. Showing off your soccer skills on one of the first days of service as you slid on the field and ended up covered in mud was quite a moment to remember!

Jacob – Our favorite break dancer. We will never forget the red hair. Can’t wait to see your upcoming TED talk after that Capstone!

Madison – Our best storyteller. You were the first one to arrive at the airport on Day 1. I will always be laughing when I see Bienvenidos signs, because… Bienvendos. I hope your Welome home was everything you hoped and more.

Natalia – Our best dancer. You seemed a little shy in the beginning, but we knew there was more to it when you started dancing at Lisbia’s dinner party!

Sophia – You are so sweet and thoughtful and you were always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed help. You were a shining example of servant leadership!

Adeline – Our best silent laugh. I will never forget our impromptu Shoop rap in the middle of dance lessons with Willy! #momentintime

Caroline – Our most genuine. You always had a smile on your face and encouraged those around you. I hope to see you again soon when you return to Costa Rica!

Kenzie – Our most inspiring. Thank you for inspiring us all by sharing your amazing poetry! I look forward to hearing more of it in the future!

Isabel – aka Magic Michelle. Dancer. Model. Surfer. Thanks for always laughing at my dumb jokes!

Julia – Sassy pants! We loved all your witty one-liners. I hope you’re still working on bettering your ugly selfie game. I still don’t think you are actually capable of taking one ☺

Marianna – Our most artistic. Your brainchild mural came to life beautifully with the help of all the other students. Your other sketch has now become a permanent reality too… frijoles forever!

Liv (or Liz?) – Our entertainer. You have quite a bit to add to your acting resume now, from a rip tide to Scooby Doo, you obviously have a bright future in acting! I have a case of anti-humectant if you’re ever in need. Oh and Chika says hi.

Sanaya – Our coolest cucumber. I will never forget the ox cart ride and the “souvenir” you got to take back with you on your leg!

Sasha – Our best smile. You always had a smile on your face and that smile was contagious! Don’t forget to throw down those peace signs. Anytime. Anywhere.

Trudie – Life of the Party. From your crazy party tricks to your caffeine overload, you really came out of your shell and became quite a legend. I’m still waiting for the Trudielofe YouTube channel to become a reality…

Ethan – The other OG of the salon. You always had such a positive attitude in whatever you were doing. Without you and your hammer skills, our (3 times over) renovated tables wouldn’t be the same. You also have some pretty sick dance moves.

Zoe —Our future outdoor camp counselor. You spirit for adventure was evident in all you did. You always had a smile on your face and a positive attitude to go with it!

– Kelly (Mom)

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Yoyoyo! Yo wassup!

I can’t believe you guys are now officially GLA Alumni!! I write this letter with a heavy heart because I miss you guys so much! Your energy, your positivity, your “what are the odds” shenanigans, your laughs, your smiles, and most importantly those big ol hearts you guys have that you used to connect and serve los niños de Costa Rica with!  It seems like yesterday where we were all hanging and jumping off the dock at our lake, or riding around Costa Rica while listening to Mongos impressive impersonations of a howler monkey. You’re probably back in school (or starting college!) but we wanted you to know that here in our finca in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica we are still thinking of you and the impact we made this summer together.

We write to you with the hopes of taking a walk down memory lane. Why? Because it wasn’t that long ago that you arrived in Costa Rica, where you and twenty two of your peers gathered to learn what it means to serve, to be immersed within a new culture, and most importantly to develop lifelong memories and relationships that we hope will continue to shape you as you grow into tomorrow’s future leaders within the United States, Canada, Spain, and beyond.

So let’s start at day one: airport pickup day! Do you remember  your excitement when you realized you were boarding an international flight by yourself for the first time?  You may have only felt overwhelmed and exhausted, but you were, at that precise moment, growing immensely. It was that day when you met some of your closest friends, you just didn’t know it yet… Later, after a long day followed by a bus ride lead us to our first ever dinner together as we ate quietly around a table awaiting pizza at the Iguana Loca. We are sure that you will never forget just how uncomfortable you felt that first day; “Will I make any friends? What have I gotten myself into?”, were surely some thoughts that poured through everyone’s mind that night. However, you were only looking around the table at some of your closest friends.

Let’s fast forward a bit to one of the biggest decisions you ever made; who was going to be the birdy, and who was going to be the perch, or how about if you were going to go for a third serving of Alfredo’s pancakes? Through planning out star talk, horse back riding, screaming Katy Perry on the bus on the way back from zip-lining in the jungle, all of those moments brought us closer. Whether, you were having a blast or stepping out of your comfort zone, you were not only growing closer to those around you but you were learning to grow close to the children that you served so passionately. Whether you were at San Jorge with Aileen, Caheta with Casey, or Santa Teresa with James, you all managed to grow close to your students. You used each others’ energy and passion for children to reach beyond language and cultural barriers to make an impact on the students that they will never forget.

Finally, we take this walk down memory road to remind you of that deep bonds that you all formed with your GLA family. Around a fire we learned that if you knew each other you would know that your peers were hilarious, and had amazing stories to tell,  but if as you really  knew each other you began to learn just how complex, deep, and amazing each of you really were. Bonded by the fact that despite our individual struggles, we were the few  with the  opportunity to step far outside of our comfort zones, to not be held back by anything in order to use our talents, passions, and empathy to give back to our fellow humans. We realized that when we opened up, and we shared our true selves with each other and with the children of our schools, we began to recognize those formally strange faces not just as close friends, but as family: all in it together.

While it may have been hard to say goodbye, especially on our final days of camp, it’s important to recognize that the tears we shared for our kids and for each other were a sign of the timeless bonds that you all developed. So now, as the months have passed, take the time to reach out to your GLA family, and the kids from near the finca and rekindle those memories of your first one minute stare-down, left-over-right while screaming, “Alfredo!!!!”, hearing your kids greet you with excitement each morning, finding kittens after a long hike. Remember to keep the energy and passion that you had for the children in Costa Rica, and strive to always impact the world both near and far.

So, as we write to after so many months, we’d like to really emphasize and remind you all that while it may seem that you were waiting for this experience, all along, it was really waiting for you. Each and every one of you made this experience what it was, before you it was just an idea. You dreamed big, you had courage, you took initiative, you were accountable for your actions, and you inspired each other to become better friends, better humans and better leaders. We hope that this is reminder of the steps that you took to become stronger, wiser leaders. Sharing and listening to one another’s stories, learning to give and receive feedback and effectively communicate to envision a better world as talented, compassionate global leaders who are equipped with the tools you need to continue to inspire action and change lives.

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Yoyoyo! Yo wassup!!!!!

I can’t believe you guys are now officially GLA Alumni!! I write this letter with a heavy heart because I miss you guys so much! Your energy, your positivity, your “what are the odds” shenanigans, your laughs, your smiles, and most importantly those big ol hearts you guys have that you used to connect and serve los niños de Costa Rica with!  It seems like yesterday where we were all hanging and jumping off the dock at our lake, or riding around Costa Rica while listening to Mongos impressive impersonations of a howler monkey. You’re probably back in school (or starting college!) but we wanted you to know that here in our finca in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica we are still thinking of you and the impact we made this summer together.

We write to you with the hopes of taking a walk down memory lane. Why? Because it wasn’t that long ago that you arrived in Costa Rica, where you and twenty three of your peers gathered to learn what it means to serve, to be immersed within a new culture, and most importantly to develop lifelong memories and relationships that we hope will continue to shape you as you grow into tomorrow’s future leaders within the United States and beyond.

So let’s start at day one: airport pickup day! Do you remember your excitement when you realized you were boarding an international flight by yourself for the first time?  You may have only felt overwhelmed and exhausted, but you were, at that precise moment, growing immensely. It was that day when you met some of your closest friends, you just didn’t know it yet… Later, after a late night and a long bus ride lead us to our first ever dinner together as we ate quietly around a table awaiting pizza from the Iguana Loca. We are sure you will never forget just how uncomfortable you felt that first day; “Will I make any friends? What have I gotten myself into?” were surely some thoughts that poured through everyone’s mind that night. However, you were only looking around the table at some of your closest friends.

Let’s fast forward a bit to one of the biggest decisions you ever made; who was going to be the birdy, and who was going to be the perch, or how about if you were going to go for a third serving of Alfredo sauce? Through selfies with butterflies, horseback riding, singing (screaming) together on the bus on the way back from zip-lining in the jungle, all of moments, big and small, brought us closer. Whether, you were having a blast or stepping out of your comfort zone, you were not only growing closer to those around you but you were learning to grow close to the children that you served so passionately. Whether you were organizing a soccer camp, teaching tae kwon do, or trying to motivate the boys to embrace the Muana soundtrack. .. You used each other’s’ energy and passion for children to reach beyond language and cultural barriers to make an impact on the students that they will never forget.

Finally, we take this walk down memory road to remind you of that deep bonds that you all formed with your GLA family. Around a fire we learned that if you knew each other you would know that your peers were hilarious, and had amazing stories to tell, but if as you really knew each other you began to learn just how complex, deep, and amazing each of you really were. Bonded by the fact that despite our individual struggles, we were the few with the  opportunity to step far outside of our comfort zones, to not be held back by anything in order to use our talents, passions, and empathy to give back to our fellow humans. We realized that when we opened up, and we shared our true selves with each other and with the children of our schools, we began to recognize those formally strange faces not just as close friends, but as family: all in it together.

While it may have been hard to say goodbye, especially on our final days of camp, it’s important to recognize that the tears we shared for our kids and for each other were a sign of the timeless bonds that you all developed. So now, as the months have passed, take the time to reach out to your GLA family, and the kids from near the finca and rekindle those memories of your first one minute stare-down, left-over-right while screaming, “Alfredo!!!!”, hearing your kids greet you with excitement each morning, or a well-done, “Yo whats up!!!!”. Remember to keep the energy and passion that you had for the children in Costa Rica, and strive to always impact the world both near and far.

So, as we write to after so many months, we’d like to really emphasize and remind you all that while it may seem that you were waiting for this experience, all along, it was really waiting for you. Each and every one of you made this experience what it was, before you it was just an idea. You dreamed big, you had courage, you took initiative, you were accountable for your actions, and you inspired each other to become better friends, better humans and better leaders. We hope that this is reminder of the steps that you took to become stronger, wiser leaders. Sharing and listening to one another’s stories, learning to give and receive feedback and effectively communicate to envision a better world as talented, compassionate global leaders who are equipped with the tools you need to continue to inspire action and change lives.

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.