Hola mis amigos!

“The real voyage of discovery consists not with seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” -Marcel Proust
My last hours at Hotel La Isla bring with them the opportunity to see this beautiful place with new eyes. I still flinch and slap at the bugs, inch closer to the breeze of the fan, and scrunch my nose at the smell of the sewer (someone must have flushed toilet paper again…).

I still gaze in astonishment at our beachfront backyard, laugh at the monkeys screeching at each other (and at us), and delight in the taste of fresh picked coconut. And yet the last hours also enable me to see novelties that I unfairly took for granted. I realize that a conversation with a friendly stranger along a dirt road is less likely once I leave. That closing my eyes to listen and feel the waves crashing on the shore won’t be mere stroll away from my room.

I know that upon returning home, you will use this experience to find new eyes in your own community. Your last day in Costa Rica was not the end of a journey; it was only the beginning. I challenge you to find unique ways to think critically and engage with different cultures. To see an issue within a community and engage in dialogue to create solutions. To be passionate and continue helping others.

I watched each and every one of you break out of your comfort zone to better yourselves and better the community which you came to serve. I urge you to continue stepping out of the comfort zone and into the courage zone. Become comfortable with being uncomfortable! Remember that you will only regret the things you don’t do, never the things you’ve done.

We made beautiful relationships while working with the people of Parrita, learning how to do service while following the lead of incredible people like Lulu and Mau. We examined views on international service that challenged our own to ensure that we left a positive impact on this community. And I am so proud to say that that is exactly what we left.

You guys built a garden table to supplement school lunches and increase government funding through the blue flag program. You joined forces with a woman’s group to reforest a riverbank and farm with unemployed community members, lead by one of the coolest Ticas known around these parts.

You painted beautiful murals for local schools, astonishing the teachers at your artistic talents and making the community proud. You constructed colorful tire playgrounds so enticing that the kids couldn’t even wait until they were finished to start jumping on them. And you combated the effects of climate change by working on a nursery to stop erosion on Isla Palo Seco.

‘Pura Vida’ has now been tattooed onto your hearts. Never forget that it is much more than simply a saying – it is a way of life. Farewell and good luck on your journey.

Some of my favorite memories:

~Mowing an entire soccer field at Isla Palo Seco

~The alarm piercing our ears while rain began to pour at Escuela Lourdes

~The MASSIVE rain storm on the last day flooding 3 students rooms (yes, you win the ‘Rainiest Session Award’)

~The story slam moving into students’ rooms on the last day
~Callie’s music playlist rendering her the coolest mentor

~The joyous emotions accompanying star power
~Eating fresh cut pineapple while tubing through the jungle down the cleanest river in Costa Rica (Rio Savagre) #CIRCLEOFCIRCLES

~Never forgetting to write it down: “plays loud music” #indirect

~Laughing at attempted techniques during bucket of dreams (maybe we should have called it ‘Box of Paper’ to be more accurate)

~FINDING YOUR PASSION FRUIT
-Jesse

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As the ocean waves wash our footprints away with each incoming tide, our memories fade with the passing of time. Let this letter serve as an encapsulation of moments from our time together at Beachside Service Adventure!

From crocodiles under the bridge to a day on the catamaran, this trip was packed with adventure from start to finish. A morning spent navigating white water rapids while clutching the arms of new friends, riding on horseback down jungle roads, ziplining high above the trees with a birds’ eye view of the world, each of you tried something that stretched the boundaries of your comfort zone.

Adrenaline-inducing adventures weren’t the only experiences that caused a leap into something new…I witnessed you trying on new perspectives, getting curious about the world and your role in it, and creating thought-provoking conversations that often led to more questions than answers. As you reflect back on your time in Costa Rica, what will you remember? Maybe you stood in front of your peers and told a story from the heart, or you got into the saddle even though you’re terrified of horses, or you stood bravely in a leadership role to get tires painted or trees planted, stepping into the unknown to be part of a team striving to make a positive impact in so little time.

Maybe you took the time to journal out your thoughts after a conversation that rocked your viewpoint, or you found yourself rocking on a hammock making new friendships that will last far into the future. Whichever memories stand out most about your time in Parrita, know that the trip wouldn’t have been the same without you.

Con todo mi corazón,
Erica Wrona
International Director

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My dear Session III students,

I write to you by the pool at Hotel La Isla, with the beats of reggaeton echoing across the courtyard and the cicadas at full pitch. Tomorrow the students from Session IV fly out, and it is hard to believe you have been gone from here nearly two weeks.

By the time you read this, you will be deep inside your fall. Perhaps you will have forgotten some of our inside jokes, or gone on to another fabulous vacation. Perhaps you’ve been busy with college applications and athletics schedules. But in this Time Capsule, I want to call you back to Isla Palo Seco, to that furious shoreline, to bright hammocks and big ideas about leadership and service.

I want you to remember what it felt like the first time you finished watching Poverty Inc.: all of the questions you found yourself asking, and a few of the answers you moved towards. Remember the vibrant pink and turquoise houses of Parrita, what it feels like to sing reggaeton on a bus with your friends, and the joy of slicing through the waves after dolphins on a Catamaran. Remember your dinner conversations about Peace Corps, about AmeriCorps, about Teach for America and GLA’s Tanzania trip and gap year programs. Remember how big the world felt then, and how full of opportunity for you.

Remember all the moments work was hard at your site and you kept going, working with team members who became friends. Remember your clothing flecked with paint or sodden with mud. Remember the green gnarls of jungle at Manuel Antonio, and the warm, salty water at that beach, and how fries or milkshakes had never tasted so good. Remember the bravery of those who spoke at the Story Slam and the hilarity of some of the boys doing their dance at the end of the trip. Remember standing in one big circle with our elbows threaded, honoring the best in each other with props.

You were only in Costa Rica ten days, but I believe each of you took with you a bit of the pura vida life. In Costa Rica, you were brave and adventurous. You zipped through a forest canopy, tubed down a frothing river, and saddled up on a horse. You told your Story of Self to near-strangers and they became friends for life. You let someone lead you around with a bandanna across your eyes, trying to recapture a Bucket of your Dreams. And most of all, you examined what you had been told about the world and service. How would you answer that question now: What is development? Where are you seeing single stories around you? How will you be of service to the world in the future? What stories have you told about Costa Rica, and how can you keep telling them in ways that are meaningful and nuanced?

Have you become the change you want to see in the world?

We miss you here in Parrita, dear Session III, but we also want you out there, connecting with your home communities and planning your next travels. Go be your biggest selves—and please stay in touch if you need anything.

All our best,

Kati and the rest of the crew at Beachside Service Adventure

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Dear Beachside Service Alums,

I’m sitting at home base on Isla Palo Seco as my time in Parrita is coming to a close. I look around and am reminded of so many memories that we shared together during your time here, finally reaching 100 in the pool, sweating more than ever during the dance class, mentor groups huddled in circles debriefing the celebrations and challenges of the day, relaxing in the hammocks and watching the white-faced monkeys pass by, listening to the waves crash just steps away from it all, mixed in with the singing of so many birds, the scampering lizards, and of course, being completely covered in bug spray every moment of every day, but still getting eaten alive by the no-see-ums.

By now, you are most likely settled into a routine back in your normal life, with school, old friends, extracurriculars, and all the junk food you could possibly crave back at your fingertips, but I hope that there is also something a little bit different this time around. I hope that you remember your time here in Parrita, that you carry it with you, that it has become a part of you. I hope that it’s more than just new friendships and fun memories captured on gopros.

While those are great, they are incomplete from the time that we shared together. In whatever leadership positions you find yourself, both formal and informal, I hope you consider the best fit for the job, whether that requires direct, relational, or following leadership. I hope that you are continuing to challenge yourself to grow in the style that is the most unnatural for you. I hope that you continue to consider your values, what they mean to you and how they impact your decisions and actions. I hope that when faced with a conflict, you remember the discussion with your mentor group about how we respond to those moments and why. I hope you tell and consider multiple stories as you take in and respond to the world around you, remembering that people are more complex than we often realize. I hope you remember to analyze different perspectives and find the truths that can be held simultaneously from opposite sides. I hope that you are being your best self, living your biggest life in whatever way you can. I hope that you remember the people of Parrita, their resiliency, their hospitality, their pura vida, and the way that it inspired you.

The time that we shared in Costa Rica was short, just 10 days, but it was so full, so deep, and it was real. We had so much fun together, worked really hard on community projects that are still being utilized, and also faced a myriad of challenges that forced us to think and grow. Remember it all, and continue to let it impact you as you adventure onward.

Some of my favorite memories from the trip:

• Working alongside of the students from Escuela Finca Nicoya to paint their fence, building pride and taking a load off the directors plate. Participating in the bingo fundraiser and seeing the community in action.
• Breaking ground for the beginnings of the wren nursery to create a lasting impact fighting climate change for the sake of the people of Isla Palo Seco.
• Painting the dogs at Escuela Isla Palo Seco, and creating a mural to help make the garden more sustainable.
• Building a sustainable garden for the students at Escuela Palo Seco to increase food production and further their involvement in the blue flag program, and wearing a vestido de queso to the final meal.
• Kicking off the tire playground project at Escuela La Costanera. We don’t get tired! Juan Carlos says hello!
• Planting over 200 trees alongside the incredible women of Ave Fenix to help rescue the natural habitat of the Scarlet Macaw and other birds of the tropical forest.
• Did I mention how much we sweat during the dance class? The instructor was so full of life!
• Lourdes showing us her ways in the cooking class, and getting to taste the traditional corn dishes at the end.
• The photo/video scavenger hunt, spelling GLA with our bodies, opening a coconut, mannequin challenges, and synchronized swimming!
• Swim Test turned week-long challenge to make it to 100 with the volleyball in the pool!
• Jumping off the top of the catamaran and spending the morning laying in the sun on the nets! (hello sunburn!)
• Zip lining through the jungle and getting dropped in the water at the end.
• Tubing down the river, holding on to friends for dear life with the most beautiful mountain views.
• The adventure of horseback riding, biting horses, slow horses, fast horses, and the cool, refreshing mist of the waterfall in the middle.
• Body surfing in Manuel Antonio national park.
• Bargaining for the best prices in the market and stuffing faces with tacos and french fries
• Bus rides full of Me Rehúso and any song by Nicky Jam or Enrique Iglesias.
• The laughter, deep talks, and sheer joy of new friendships that will be treasured for a lifetime.

Keep in touch with us as you continue on. We are so proud of the work that you accomplished and the growth that you experienced. You were such a crucial part of the relationship that GLA is building with the community of Parrita. Know that we are cheering you on as you go.

¡Pura Vida!

-Callie

Dear Animal Rescue Project Session 2 students,

We hope this message finds you well. By this time you are back at home, settled into the routine of school and sports and work, likely stressing about your college applications. We hope you can take the next minute or two to read this letter and be transported back to Nosara, Costa Rica.

Oh what a time we had. Your group was amazing. We hope you are still in contact with the friends you made on the trip. Not only did you make lasting connections, but you also served the animals of Nosara. Whether they were the monkeys at SIBU or Refuge for Wildlife, or the dogs at the hotel, it was truly inspiring to see you all interact with so many different critters.

Remember that day when we castrated 65 animals?? Think of the lasting impact that will have on this community- fewer street dogs, fewer accidental litters with no one to feed them, and fewer territorial male dogs. You truly supported the mission of Nosara Animal Care. Additionally, you served the animals here by doing outreach with Safari Vet. You helped to count and document all of the animals in parts of Nosara by doing a census. You helped to build a greenhouse that will eventually offset thousands of dollars in costs for Nosara Refuge for Wildlife. You educated and entertained families with a play that will improve the treatment of animals in the community of Nosara.

But we can’t forget all the fun we had- from swimming in the river on our Rio Celeste trip, to splashing around on Guiones Beach, to surfing, zipping, and horseback riding, or just sharing a meal together at Dos Lorenas. Thank you for joining us on this adventure. We loved getting to know you and seeing you grow. We hope you continue to serve animals and your communities wherever life takes you. Remember to travel sustainably, support local businesses, and consider your environmental impact.

With all our love,

-Jane, Kate, and Gabriel
Your International Team

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