Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

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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Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 28

The Costa Rican adventure has begun! On the very first day, while we waited for everyone to arrive we had the opportunity to explore and see the shopping mall. On the way to the Homebase, we enjoyed beautiful green landscapes and saw the famous Iguana bridge.

A long drive to the Homebase gave us the chance to catch up on some rest and get to know one another before we arrived at the Homebase for a traditional Costa Rican meal and settled into our rooms.

We had all celebrated Emma’s Birthday with some cake and a song before having a look out at the stars to see the meteor shower (it was a little cloudy we’ll try again tomorrow night)!

We’re all excited to grow our budding relationships and the adventures of the coming weeks.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 29

Written by Eva Bifone & Shayna Levy

Today we woke up and had a lovely breakfast made by the amazing staff. After breakfast, our group leaders walked us around the grounds and explained the safety rules. I was so amazed at the greenery and the picturesque view. After orientation, we had some fun icebreaker games in order to get to know one another a bit better. Right after the icebreaker games, we had lunch, my favourite part was the yucca and the salad. After lunch, our group leaders finished explaining the rules and the schedule for the next few days. Overall I feel like this program will test me in many ways which will help me grow as a person. I am so excited about the next few days.

In the afternoon we all went down to the lake to take our swim tests. The swim test consisted of swimming from one point to another, treading water, and floating on our backs. After we passed our swim tests we got to use kayaks if we wanted, some of us even jumped off a platform into the water! After the lake, we finished up our orientation and finished the night with a classic American burger dinner and an epic game of mafia. All in all, it was a great start to this adventure!

 

BLOG POST FOR JULY 30

We started our early day off with a delicious breakfast, before leaving to get our covid tests. We explored the center of a nice little town called La Fortuna and tried some local pastries and saw some artisan shops. We made a trip to the store to get some sports and lake things, some snacks and things we might have forgotten to pack. Once we arrived back at home we had a coffee talk with Alfredo, learning about the history of Costa Rican coffee, finishing up with a coffee taste test.

We then we did our very own leadership activity that we designed, being a human knot competition. Through this we learned about leadership and the importance of teamwork. We joined our mentor groups and had deep conversations about our personal goals for the year, and what types of leaders we might be. We finished the day off with spaghetti for dinner, and had time to make more personal connections with our peers.

Xoxo, Caroline Glidewell, Ella Cobb, and Annie Pardun

BLOG POST FOR JULY 31

London: Today we had a great experience with half the group tubing and half horseback riding. I did the tubing while my friend Trevor participated in horseback riding. I was told the horseback riding was a very peaceful experience in great contrast to the experience and thrill of the tubing. I can’t wait to participate in tomorrows activities as do all my new friends.

Trevor: Today, while London and the other group were tubing, I went with the horseback riding group. It was stunning to ride a horse through a rainforest and a river, and I never knew it could be so thrilling. It was great seeing the group improve on riding horses throughout the day, and I’m looking forward to tubing tomorrow.
Later we had other activities and lake time, and some students had some Costa Rican cultural time, trying the unusual combination of a special palm fruit (pejivalle) that they usually eat with mayonnaise and have with coffee.

London Bednarz and Trevor Nelson

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1

We started the day with our typical breakfast of gallo pinto and eggs followed by a downpour of rain. This led to a change of plans from our horseback riding/tubing excursion to our zip lining one! We ziplined above and through a jungle and by a volcano. A lot of us were excited and for some, it was an adrenaline rush to get over their fear of heights. On our way back we saw a sloth just chilling in a tree.

We then had lunch at one of the local schools near our home base to fundraise for building a new roof over their church. Our final activity for the day was a competitive volleyball tournament involving teams of roommates, followed by an exciting round of “speed dating” to get to know each other better. Today we learned how to organize and lead our group to be on time and participate in group activities.

As our indigenous Maleku amigos would say: Capi Capi!

-Bella and Megan D

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2

Today was another beautiful day in Costa Rica!

We started the morning early with a breakfast of Costa Rican tamales (they are in big banana leaves with a stew inside the masa). Once we were done eating, we departed from home base and began our boat ride.

On the boat ride, we were able to see many animals native to Costa Rica, such as Howler, Capuchin, and Spider Monkeys. Then, we returned to home base and gathered for a typical lunch. Shortly after, we got our dance shoes on and walked down to Casa Española for a dance class. We learned many traditional dances such as Bachata, Merengue, and Salsa. After a short dance break in the rain, we finished the class off with Zumba.

We returned to home base and prepared the leader of the day activity. Our activity was a scavenger hunt all around home base that was designed to help us work together and communicate as a group.

Following our leader of the day activity, we we were all excited for mentor groups and the shout out circle. We were happy to end the night with a filling dinner and get ready for another amazing day ahead.

P.S- Hi Mom! 🙂

Much love,
Rosie Martin and Mia McCauley

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3

What an amazing, eventful day!

Today was a day of service. We split into two groups to work at two schools in the area. One group went to a smaller school that is a short walk from Home Base. They re-painted outer walls, floors, and the flagpole base as part of a larger project to improve the facilities for local children.

The other group worked at a school that was a short drive away, and a bit bigger. That group power washed a covered gym area and painted the floor, as well as a shed in the front, a drain guard, and cleaned and began to paint soccer goal posts. Children in the community will better be able to use these common facilities once they’ve been restored!

After three and a half hours of meaningful work for the community, we all returned to Home Base for some lunch. We returned to our locations and continued where we left off.

We went to Casa Espanola for the leader of the day activity and a birthday surprise for Sara, one of our leaders. We played charades, had a cake eating contest, and played games in the pool. We returned to the Home Base for mentor groups, had dinner, and relaxed until it was time for bed.

-Ava, Megan R and the GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4

Hi everyone!

Today was a very eventful day filled with many exciting activities.

First, we continued our service by working at two community schools, teaching children and painting the educational facilities. Some of the students even got to dress up in traditional Costa Rican dresses!

After a hard day of service, we came back to Home base for a home-cooked lunch consisting of traditional Costa Rican foods. We then took the bus to an Animal Rescue Center in which we saw numerous Costa Rican animals.

For example, we encountered, sloths, spider monkeys, parrots, etc, which were all very exciting to see!

At the end of the day, the leaders of the day (Adriana, Carla and Sarah) planned a leadership activity that consisted of communication and listening to teach students the importance of teamwork. Soon after we ate a delicious pasta dinner and headed to mentor groups.

Finally, we went to bed, exhausted, satisfied and relieved from our many adventures.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5

We started off the day with a lovely breakfast, and then we split up to visit two different schools for service.

At the small school we contributed to various aspects of community service, from painting the outdoor walls of the building, to playing soccer and hide and seek with the local kids.

Then after lunch some finished some last painting before heading back to Home Base. At the big school, we painted walkways and taught English to kids from the community. Overall at both schools we made great progress!

After service, some went on the lake, took a walk around the community or got to know their peers a little bit more. Then, Alfredo (owner of the house) gave us cooking lessons on how to make the custom Costa Rican dish, empanadas.

After cooking, we all got a nice break of free time which gave us time to rest up before heading to chow circle. For dinner we had delicious meal accompanied with the surprise of live music. This quickly turned into a fun dance party to end the night, where Sebby got to show us his musical talent!

-Semaya Mehta and Hannah Teagan

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 06

Hello!

We’ve had a jam-packed day full of pineapple and service.

This morning we headed off to each respective school for our service for the day. In the big school we painted the floors and walkways red. We also continued painting the gymnasium floor green and started adding lines around it. Some of us also got the opportunity to go into classrooms and work with kids from kindergarten to third grade. We taught them English through playing with toys and singing songs.

In the small school they finished the walkways and letters in the comedor. They also added finishing touches to the emblem out front. They also got to play an exciting and intense game of soccer with some of the school children.

We refueled after service with some tasty pasta and rice and beans before we headed off to our afternoon activity at the pineapple farm! There we were lead on a tour of how organic pineapple is grown, including the intricate steps of fertilization and development. Along the way we ate way, way, way, too much pineapple. It was epic. We ended with a cool (virgin) piña colada, dried pineapple, and pineapple jam.

Once we returned from our pineapple excursion, we lead our leader of the day activity of jeopardy. We customized our categories to include fun facts about Costa Rica, the group, and the mentors. We had a lot of fun and ended the night with chicken fingers and mentor groups.

Love you mom(s)!

-Julia Gallo and Celia Malone

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 07

Hello! Buenas Dias!

We rose with the sun to head off to our morning activity. We split into two groups to enjoy horseback riding and tubing through the rain forest. We were guided through the tropical rain forest aback adventurous horses and toured steep rocky trails and through a river. Our second group drifted through a scenic white water river and soaked in the views surrounding them. We observed wild sloths and monkeys along our tranquil journey.

After our morning excursion, we packed up and headed to La Fortuna for our final Covid test to allow us to reenter the U.S. We spend our extra time exploring around the central square/park, a pasteleria, souvenir shops, scouting out intricate, unique gifts and knickknacks. After completing our Covid test we headed back to Home Base.

There we enjoyed some chicken, life changing rice and beans, and salad. Post mid day meal, we had a longer break where some enjoyed naps and time in the lake kayaking and swimming. As evening time approached the leaders of the day gathered everyone for a game of hide and seek on the beautiful property to which exemplifies leadership. Later, that night the students refueled with Costa Rica’s finest Brangus burgers, and then drifted off into a much needed rest.

Much love,

Molly Kirkland and Iman Isaacs

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 08

Today was a special monthly event on the lunar calendar, the new moon! In honor of this symbol of new beginnings and fresh starts, we woke up at the break of dawn to do an hour of flow yoga and meditation by the scenic lake near our cabins. It was so peaceful and cathartic, where we could hear the birdsong and howls of the monkeys across the water. It was the start to a fantastic, nature-filled day!

Afterwards we came to the dining area, and to our surprise we found fresh pancakes along with pineapple and scones. Soon after, we got on the bus and made our way through the cloud forests up to a local national park. While there, we walked along a path where we saw and learned about local plants and fruits. We were than treated to a lunch at the Trout Farm, where we enjoyed variations of native foods.

Once back at home base, the mentors lead an appreciation circle. The campers were faced outside of the circle, while a few were selected to be inside. The selected campers would anonymously tap the shoulders of others whom they thought the appreciation statements applied. It was an activity meant to express gratitude towards our peers without vocalizing it.

We than ate a dinner of smoked ham, veggies and potatoes, with a vegetarian option of yucca. Shortly after dinner, many campers participated in the talent show, which took place around the bonfire. We saw different types of acts including singing, dancing and skits. Once the winners were awarded with prizes, we enjoyed s’mores and singing along to Ben’s guitar by the fire.

-Emma Arias, Claire Theobald, and Brielle Renzulli

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

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

---

 

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

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

---

**Please note – This blog will be for both the 14-day program and the 21-day program.**

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Safe and sound in our home-away-from-home!

A big first day for a big adventure. As we waited for our group to arrive throughout the day we had an opportunity to eat, relax, explore and take a peek at day-to-day Costa Rican life in a nearby mall.

A long drive to the Homebase gave us the chance to catch up on some rest and get to know one another before we arrived at the Homebase for a traditional Costa Rican meal and settled into our rooms.

We’re all excited for the adventures of the coming weeks.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Today we woke up a little later than we would normally wake up. This was because we got back late from the airport the night before. The travel was long but very much worth it. Today we had orientation and our group leaders helped us understand the code of conduct and we went over the rules and regulations.

We then did a trust-building game and that was very cool to see how all of us can work together. Throughout the day we all have mingled and got to know each other better. I found out some things about people that I had never thought that they would do or like. It was really cool to be with people from all over the USA and the world. Today we got to see where we are doing community service. We are going to be painting schools and touching up areas that need to be fixed up so the children can have the best school experience that they can have.

So far this program has made me expand my horizons with food and with my comfort zone. I got to jump off a platform into a lake today! That was something I have never done before. After that we then played a game that i had proposed and it was a game to just get to know everyone better. I was the first person in the group, to become the leader of the day. I cannot wait to see what the next weeks have to offer me and to see what i can get out of it.

– Elah Block

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

With breakfast at 7, the group started the day off strong heading straight to our service project at the local school. Before working, we played “the camping game” where everyone had to think outside the box to figure out a pattern by deciphering what they can or can’t bring to the “camping trip”. At the school we focused on scrubbing and powerwashing the sidewalks in order to prepare for painting. After long hours work, many headed straight back to the lake too cool off and have some fun jumping off the platform. The lake was just what everyone needed to refresh our bodies and minds for the rest of the day.

Eventually, it was finally time for our long-awaited covid tests. On the way to the testing site, we stopped by a grocery store where students bought some treats to share and snack on. We also visited the breathtaking Arenal Volcano in Fortuna where students photographed the lush and georgous sight. After the tests, we were all so excited to hear that everyones came back negative! We immediately pushed our tables together so that we could all finally eat together.

-Kirya Wagner

BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

After pancake breakfast, we split into two groups, 6 of us went to the small school thst we have been in yesterday , and the 16 rest of us went to the bigger school. At both of the schools we where cleaning the walls and floors, and scraped off the old paint from the walls and painted over it, we also fixed the cracks on the walkways. It was hot weather but we enjoyed the service a lot.

After service and lunch, we had free time that we used for bonding together so we chatted and played cards together. After that we went to the nearby “Casa Española” , where Alfredo, our local leader, taught us about Costa Rican history and told us about the coffee history in Costa Rica. At the end we were lucky to have an opportunity to taste the original coffee that is naturally grown here in Costa Rica.

We then went to chill at the lake and after that we had the Leader Of The Day Activity. The activity included funny screaming game and then another two activities that made us understand that for truly understanding a person or a culture we need to get actually to get to know it and not just to look at it from outside.

At the end of the day we had dinner and meaningful mentor groups, and then we went to sleep, and that was the end of our 4th day.

-Casey Matushevsky 🙂

BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

After breakfast, we split into proportionate groups. More people go to the bigger school about 10 minutes away where we helped local cleaners with school renovation. Today, specifically, we power washed, deep cleaned classrooms, and finished painting the cafeteria.

After service and an early lunch, we went horseback riding with an amazing view of the Arenal volcano. The journey was about 3 hours and had amazing majestic views of Costa Rica. The cowboys led us on the road and through rocky trails. After that, we picked up some locally inspired snacks.

Before dinner, we did a fun, competitive, game that reinforced trust within the group and ignited a good laugh. Within partners, one was blindfolded and one had boundaries to stay outside of. The person with sight had to make sure their partner avoided obstacles on the course using their words.

After dinner, one of the mentors instructed a leadership activity focusing on traits leaders have and how they reinforce them in specific scenarios. This day was so fun and left everyone exhausted. Cheers to another great day in Costa Rica.

Best
Paige Wilson

BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Breakfast this morning was bright and early at 6:30 am! Everyone was pumped and ready for tubing down the river. We all loaded into the bus and headed to the tubing location. We all had an amazing time floating down the river, going on rapids and looking at the amazing wildlife around us. After tubing, we headed back to base for lunch.

Right after lunch, it was time for the leader of the day activity (me!) I loved planning this one it was so much fun. There were two teams of ten, the blue team and the green team. Each team was given a riddle to solve in order to find a location. Once the team made it to the location they would have to complete a task. The first team to make it back to me won, and by a close call, the red team made it back first with the green team not far behind. After the activity, we all went swimming in the lake and jumping off the dock, which seems to be everyone’s favorite activity during free time.

After swimming we all showered and got ready for cooking class. We cooked empanadas (they were so delicious) – our amazing cooking skills were put to the test. we all got to decorate and fry up our empanadas. Right after cooking class, we had more free time. Everyone learned a new card game from Lyla, Super fun! We played that in our free time.

Then we headed on to mentor groups! The most important part of the day. We got into our small groups with Clint and Sara and talked about different cultures. We learned through a game the whole group played together. We all had different “cultures” such as not making eye contact or taking a very long time to respond. Right after mentor groups, we had “chow circle” to give shout outs. Right now everyone is chilling and having a great time. Overall the day was amazing and fun-packed.

– Allen Douglas

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

This morning we got to have a later start than usual and ate breakfast at 8. Our plans had been uncertain due the chance of rain but we managed a 9 am departure to Pozo Verde, a small and tidy trout restaurant/trout farm with a beautiful 2-kilometre hike by Juan Castro National Park. On the way, we stopped at the local iguana lookout spot and shopped at the souvenir store and supermarket. After spending about 45 minutes there, we continued to Pozo Verde through thick fog and climbed about 2,000 kilometres in altitude. We passed many grazing cows and mountainside homes and about after an hour arrived at Pozo Verde.

After a short informational talk from the owner of the restaurant/farm, we started on our hike. It was so peaceful and we crossed over three bridges over creeks and took tons of pictures in the rain. When we arrived back at the restaurant we all had trout fresh from the farm with coleslaw and rice which was super good. We stopped to explore a local town where we had ice cream and churros on the way home before my activity. My activity was a 3 legged relay race to fill up a bucket with water and whichever team won would get to dump their water on the program Direcctor, Ben. It ended up being a close call so we let one team dump the water on me and the other dumped theirs on Ben. It was so hot so we all jumped in the lake and had some free time before dinner.

After dinner we did a fun game where we had 3 minutes to get to know another person and then we would switch people so that we could all get to know each other better. It was super fun and I learned a lot about the others that I hadn’t known. In our mentor circles we talked about what we learned about each other and what surprised us. It is almost bed time and I would say the day was an overall success and super fun!

Jack Lugo

BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Today was a fun-filled day where we feel like we got a little mix of everything and really did the whole shabongal! We started the day with service where we got to meet all 11 kids for the very first time. They all go to the local school we have been fixing up throughout the week. It was really cool to meet the people we are directly impacting. After introducing ourselves we paired up with kids and helped them learn different English words by drawing and playing different games! After that we broke into groups and each planned lessons that we will be teaching them throughout the remainder of the trip. After the students went home, we continued to clean and repair the school.

We went right from service to the next fun thing! We threw on our suits and headed to a local natural hot spring where we relaxed, chatted, and learned more about Costa Rica. Just as we were leaving we got super lucky and the clouds finally moved out of the way so we could see the top of the volcano. On our bus ride back we took a quick pit stop at a local market and restocked our in-room snack cabinets!

After a long day of service and hot springing we headed back to homebase and did an activity planned by me! We kicked up our feet, relaxed our heads, and coated our faces with homemade facemasks. This really hit the spot because we have all been working so hard we needed some relaxation! Next we all sat down for dinner and recapped our eventful day. After dinner we split into mentor groups which is a way to sit down and really get to know each other deeper.

We all can not believe the experiences we are all having and the friends we are meeting. We all think about on a daily basis how lucky we are to be able to have this opportunity. We know how lucky we are and are soaking in every minute we have. Life is good and we can’t wait to keep making memories, laughing our brains out, and having the best times of our lives!

– Lyla Adelstein

BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

Today was filled with a lot of hard work. It was the first day we were able to be in the classroom teaching the students. The twenty of us were split into groups to plan different lessons. Two groups were able to teach in classrooms today while the third worked on a restoration project of the school benches.

After service we got the opportunity to visit a local dairy farm. Here we were able to learn about the production of dairy products up close and what the day to day life of a local farmer is like.

Once we got back to home base we were able to go swimming in the lake as a group. Before dinner a mentor led the group through an excersize to better understand the issues individuals face in agricultural export and pverty face. Then the group enjoyed a delicious pasta dinner, and played bonding game.

– Cammi Cooper

 

BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Today was another early wake up call for us, having to be at breakfast at 7. After we ate, we split into our groups and got ready to make our way to the schools, with the majority of us going to the big school, and the rest to the smaller school. We split our time there with half teaching and half working on cleaning or painting. Most of us were able to be introduced to a fresh set of half-covered faces when meeting the students. After our time at the school we made our way back to get ready for lunch.

After we finished eating, we got set up and began to play a game of capture the flag which lasted quite a while to say the least. This was immediately followed by a VERY intense workout disguised as dancing. These exhausting hours were followed by some time spent at the lake to cool off, swim and kayak. We were able to kayak right up to a family of howler monkeys in the trees along the shore. They are very loud and the baby monkey was very cute.

We ended our sweat inducing day with mentor groups at 6pm and then dinner at 7. We’re about to hit the half way point of our three weeks here and it’s safe to say that if the second half of our stay here was anywhere as good as the first, we’re bound to come back with more than enough memories to share at home.

– By Rohan Cheerla

BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Written by Avery Smith

Today was my birthday! After waking up to a beautifully decorated breakfast area, I was surprised with candles in my “pancake cake” to begin my day. Shortly after breakfast, we headed to the animal rescue sanctuary to get an up-close look at the wildlife surrounding us here in Costa Rica. To name a few, we got to see spider monkeys, ocelots, tapirs, many turtles, a couple of rabbits, tons of parrots, and a puma. It was very interesting to see these types of animals up close, and Alba was a great guide for helping us understand the importance of rescuing these animals. After, we headed to what seems to be everyone’s favorite place… the grocery store. Once everyone stocked up, we went back home for lunch.

We had some free time after our amazing lunch. Everyone took this opportunity to swim in the lake, call home, catch some rays, hang out with friends, and some even napped. Relaxing time was definitely needed after the very energetic and tiring day we had yesterday. Then, we got into mentor groups and talked about the difference in the knowledge of someone who is working on the farms vs someone who is just buying the foods that have been produced from them. A very important talk on knowledge of where your food is coming from came from this, with the perspective of the farmer and the consumer kept in mind. After, we all got ready for the big “surprise” pool party.

We all headed over to Casa Española to swim and celebrate my 18th! We swam in the pool until around 5:45 so that we had time to shower and get ready for a dressed-up dinner back at Casa Española. Everyone was told to wear their nicest clothing for our homemade Costa Rican “chipotle” dinner. Huge thanks to Lyla & Cammi for this idea, since they know how much we all love chipotle back at home. Once we created our own bowls/burritos and ate some delicious cake, we set out for a dance party. Alfredo let us use his huge speaker and we did our best model walks and dance moves, up until it was time to leave. Since we were very excited about the party, we had forgotten to do our “chow circle” and shout-outs… so we went back home to do those.

I gave a big shoutout to everyone for making this birthday one of the best and expressed how grateful I am to have spent it here with all of my new friends. Then, it was time for a long-awaited talent show. As the judge, I can confidently say that all of the contestants did amazing. Whether it was a song from Lemonade Mouth, Ben on the guitar, a Kanye performance from Allen, an unexpected remix from Paige & Cammi, or the boys singing My Boo… they were all winners. The boys did come out on top though, with a score of 33 blowing away all their competition.

Today was the exact middle of our trip, and I can say that everything we have done and experienced has definitely passed any possible expectations we could’ve had before coming here. I’m excited to see where the second half takes us.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Today was a beautiful day like any other. Service was as gratifying and fun as always, we worked and played with the children and discovered how challenging it was to keep a classroom in check. I know we’ve all been able to empathize with our past teachers in the last couple of days.

For our outing today we went to an absolutely beautiful pineapple plantation. We learned about the trials and tribulations of growing Costa-Rican pineapples and even got to taste some picked right out of the fields. We finished off the tour with fresh (non-alcoholic) Pina Coladas.

To end our day we had a fashion show but with a twist: everyone had to dress up as members of our program. While obviously having fun we all learned the importance of hard work, community and leading with compassion.

– by Marley Marshall

BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

Today some of us woke up early and started the day right with a good workout. After breakfast, we headed off to go zipline through the rainforest. When we arrived at the ziplining site it began pouring rain but that didn’t stop us from having a good time. Once we were done ziplining we had the opportunity to rappel down a cliff which many of us took and really enjoyed.

When we got home, we ate lunch and had a dance competition for my leader of the day activity. After the dance competition, the mentors led a meeting where we discussed our goals whether they were big or small for the future. Later we had some free time which some spent in the lake and others playing games or listening to Ben play the guitar.

In the night we had a bonfire and participated in an appreciation circle. One takeaway from the appreciation circle was that sometimes we don’t realize how much we mean to other people and how we make a difference in one another’s life. Shortly after the appreciation circle ended, we had a hugging circle for Marley and Jack’s farewell.

– Sienna Robie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

We started today with a relaxing breakfast and then made four teams and headed over to the small school to play a soccer tournament. By the time the games were over, everyone was very hot so we headed straight for our lake for an hour. After that, time for lunch and then we drove to the Rio Frio/Caño Negro to take a long boat tour. Before we started, we drove a short distance to the Nicaragua border because we had some time and wanted to see it. From the boat we saw howler, capuchin and spider monkeys, so now we have seen all the local species. We also saw a sloth and other wildlife.

The drive back was long but relaxing because of the sunset and heavy rain during the night. Once we got back, we enjoyed dinner during a heavy rainstorm, prepared for someone’s birthday tomorrow, and headed to our rooms to journal and get an early night for service tomorrow.

-by Tate Secrest

BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

Today a group of us started our day off nice and early by decorating for Kirya’s birthday. We made her stay in her room and we all sat at the breakfast table and sang dancing queen by ABBA as she walked out of her room. Breakfast was a delicious pancake breakfast and, of course, served with rice, beans, and eggs as well.

After that, we headed out to service. We were back in our original groups and got to teach some new material. Those that didn’t teach were busy painting walls and benches. We were so focused and on task that we had no time to take photos during service. Then we headed home and enjoyed rice, beans, steak, salad, and avocados, for lunch. We then had to hurry over to a new hot spring. This one was very different from the last one. It was all man-made and had different temperature choices. A fan favorite was the cold pool that had two big slides. We spent a couple of hours soaking in the pools and then learned how they process cacao beans from a cool German guy.

We then drove home and quickly shifted to my LOD activity. While off to a rough start it quickly became a great lesson for us all. Soon dinner was ready, we walked up to Casa Espanola. A birthday request from Kirya was to have pizza for dinner, so Alfredo and Ivania made us delicious homemade pizza. Then we had some cake and did chow circle. After a busy day, we were all ready to go to bed, so we headed home and had a quick mentor group discussion before heading off to bed.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

Today we had a lot of opportunities to think about ourselves as leaders. We spent the first half of the day rafting on the Rio Balsa! We all had a great time in and out of the rafts, stopping along the way for a fruit picnic. We came back to home base for lunch and to hang out. After we ate we had some free time; some people went in the lake, some read, some napped, etc.
In the afternoon we had several leadership-based group activities. One involved thinking about how we each associate different things and situations in colour, and one about our time at GLA. Before dinner, we did an activity that allowed us to show our appreciation specifically to each person. During dinner, we got to listen to some live music in celebration of Leandro’s birthday!

Written by Piper

BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

Today we had breakfast at our regular time of 7 AM and prepared for our last day of service. Six of us made our way to the small school to teach an English lesson about food and work on painting the cafeteria and outer wall of the school. At the big school, half of us finished painting benches along with the box that supports the schools sign. The other half taught an English lesson about sports! We said one last goodbye and headed back to home base for lunch.

After lunch, we organized our things and began packing for our exciting overnight excursion to the beach. To get our energy up, we split into two teams and played a game of kickball! We even had two cheerleaders that helped motivate each team to play a respectful and competitive game. After many home runs, the red team claimed a well-deserved victory!

Following our tiring game of kickball, we all went and enjoyed one of our last lake days. There was a slightly rocky start considering two of our kayaks floated away. However, we did have a group of three brave people who took one of the two remaining kayaks and found the missing two. After a nice relaxing two hours on the lake, we all gathered around and chilled out until chow circle and an amazing homemade meal of taquitos and taco bowls. We finished off the night with a short mentor group session then headed to bed early, eager for our 6:30 departure the next morning.

– Anna Temple

BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

This morning, we had an early start because we wanted to have the most time at the beach. The bus ride was about four hours, but we were all so tired that we slept most of the way there. We stopped halfway through at a popular local coffee stop before continuing our journey to the region of Guanacaste.

When we arrived, we separated into our rooms. Everyone was so excited because we got to room with different people than at the home base. After settling in, we had an hour of free time before lunch, so some of us checked out the beach while everyone else hung out by the pool. For lunch, we had the option of chicken, fish, or vegetarian with rice pudding and fruit for dessert.

At 2:30, we left for a different beach down the road for the remainder of the afternoon. As soon as we arrived, everyone ran to the water, but it was cold compared to the homebase lake. While some of us swam, others lounged on the sand to tan while a bunch of us played soccer with makeshift goals. Halfway through, a majority of us left the beach to go to the nearby market for snacks, while a few people stayed behind to explore the area around the beach. They went on a long walk down the beach and started to climb on the rocks. We stayed late on the beach to watch the sunset before returning to the resort for dinner. We had a little time before dinner, so we all jumped in the pool for a quick swim. We played a game to test how much we knew each other and then had chicken fights. After dinner, we had our chow circle and then headed to bed because we have another early morning tomorrow.

-Jaimee

 

BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

We woke up this morning in our beautiful hotel to the sun rise at 5:30 AM then had a quick breakfast and loaded onto the bus for our drive down the coast for snorkelling. We boarded the catamaran excitedly and quickly found square nets at the front to rest on while the boat sailed to the snorkelling sight. We were able to jump into the deep water which was fun. The crew members gave us maks, fins, and a pool noodle, and we jumped off the boat into the teal waters.

As we moved closer to some rocks near the shore, we saw dozens of colorful fish, coral, and a large group of sea urchins. We ate lunch on the boat and laid in the sun (lots of sunscreen was used per usual) and enjoyed the boat until we arrived back to the shore. Once there, the group split into 2, with one group going shopping at local stores, and the other spending more time on the beach. We joined up again to get on the bus and head back to homebase. After a long stormy journey to homebase we arrived for dinner.

After chowing down, the group moved inside to do my leadership activity, focussed on superlatives. We shared some laughs as everyone in the group received a “most likely to” that fit them best. At the end of the night, we tiredly made it to bed at and prepared for our last full day tomorrow 🙁

Lucy

BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

Today we woke up and we had toast and pastries for breakfast. After breakfast we went to La Fortuna and some of us had their covid tests done while the rest of us went shopping and explored the town, after they finished doing the others had covid tests they also went shopping and explored. Then we came back to the home base for lunch. We then had some free time then we did a leadership activity in which we made a Brazilian dessert called Brigadeiro. Finally we had tacos for dinner and packed our big bags and loaded them onto the bus. Then we saw a super cute presentation of photos that Sara, our mentor, made of the trip. We played a game where we shared all our memories of each other, it was fun.

Paloma and Lucia

 

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

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

---

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

Hola!

We’re all finally in the land of Pura Vida and our program couldn’t have started a better way. All our students landed in San José today and their luggage is here with them.

We had various arrival times throughout the day; from 10am to 9pm. Students had the opportunity to enjoy the swimming pool at the hotel (after successfully passing the swim test, of course), interact with each other, play cards, sleep, and rest.

We had some late arrivals so we’re looking forward to eating our first meal as a whole team tomorrow morning – and of course we’ll take our first group photo then.

We couldn’t take photos of everyone given the difference in arrival times but we promise we’ll take more photos tomorrow 😉

The team – Marco, Mag, Grae, Jason, and Luismi

 

BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

This morning we had our first meal together as a family and everyone enjoyed meeting the entire team.

The rain had started to slow down a bit, but the roads to the Caribbean and the access to our Home Base in Parismina are still closed. So we decided to spend one more day here in Alajuela.

We spent the morning at the hotel doing orientation. We played a series of team building games, got silly dancing and running, and overall had a great time.

We also created a community agreement, talked about safety and policies, and started to build the foundation for the program.

In the afternoon we visited an animal rescue center and got to see a lot of local wildlife!

Back at the hotel we got a COVID test and after dinner we watched a movie.

-The GLA Team

BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

Today we started off with breakfast at our hotel in San José – which we had to stay an extra night due to so much rain. We ate pancakes, fruit, hash browns, and rice and beans. It was delicious! Then we packed our bags to go to a new Homebase in Parrita. On our way we stopped to see the largest population of American Crocodiles. When we arrived in Parrita we had burritos for lunch and soon went to a cooking class where we helped to make chorreadas (cassava pancakes, a local delicacy). We headed to the pool to finish up swim tests and just hang out. We then dried off and went to listen to our speaker who was a marine biologist specializing in turtles. We went right down to the beach and we played in the waves. The beach is gorgeous and the water is so warm! For dinner we ate chicken and french fries with brownies for dessert. Now we are on our way to our first night patrol and we hope to see some turtles.

Check in soon!

Audrey, Eva, Emily

BLOG POST FOR JULY 26

Title: the one where we couldn’t stay dry

Today we woke up an and drove to Manuel Antonio park. We took a hike to the beach and saw sloths on the way. At the beach we saw monkeys and lots of crabs up close and personally. We got to spend about an hour floating and swimming in the ocean. Then we traveled back and got ice cream and coconuts on the way. It started to pour rain but that didn’t stop us from being outside. Mau, and environmental conservationist came and thought us how to dig up, move, and plant coconut trees. We also uprooted and planted almond sapplings to help combat erosion. We planted over 100 trees despite the weather. All in all it was a great day and we’re excited for tomorrow.

Celina, Margaret, Audra, Penelope, Sammi

BLOG POST FOR JULY 27

Title: Coast to coast

Today we traveled from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast in Parismina. We started our day off with delicious pancakes and hashbrowns before hitting the road for our 9hr journey. During the ride, in a technology-free environment, we’ve made friendship bracelets, read books, and bonded while admiring the beautiful landscape. We drove from places ranging from mountains to the city. We’ve also made a few stops where we’ve discovered authentic Costa Rican delicacies. We also had the chance to purchase souvenirs to remind us of our adventures. For the final leg of the journey, we’ve experienced a safari-like river boat ride, witnessing spider monkeys, tropical birds, and even a baby crocodile. This took us to our final Homebase: Green Gold Ecolodge. Before going on our night patrol we ate dinner and admired the garden, the beach and the abundance of colorful hammocks.

Yiwen, Amanda, Mallory, Cat, Skye, Grayson

BLOG POST FOR JULY 28

Title: the adventure continues

Hola from our eco lodge in Parismina. It was our first full day here and we didn’t waste a minute. We started with an early morning yoga session to stretch and wake up with the sun, followed by a nutritious breakfast. After we filled our stomachs, we embarked on a farm tour led by our host Jason and his dog, Lacy.

Farm tour? Oops, we meant survival course! We learned life changing skills such as using lemon grass to repel mosquitoes, collecting plantains and lemons, opening coconuts, eating termites, and befriending Jim, the cayman (small croc).

Later in the day we relaxed and hung out, including hammocking, playing games, and making friendship bracelets. After this break we were well rested for our dance class / party led by Maya. To cool off we took a trip to the beach, a mere two minute walk from our lodge. We then picked up 6 large bags worth of garbage that had accumulated on the sand. We ate dinner and prepared for night patrol, dressed in all black.

Fingers crossed for a turtle sighting tonight and sending love from Costa Rica.

Caroline, Abbi, Madison, and Julia

BLOG POST FOR JULY 29

Title: Parismina Adventura

After a long night of thunder and rain, we woke up to the sounds of cows, monkeys, and chirping birds. With the sun shining, we ate eggs, toast, fresh fruit, and a rice-bean combo.

Our first activity was an insightful boat tour along the Costa Rican canals. Spider monkeys, crocodiles, herons, and geckos all greeted us along the banks. We arrived at the Parismina port and started our tour of the town. Village dogs greeted us while we learned about the town of Parismina. Local townspeople made us refreshing smoothies on this hot, humid day. Flavors ranged from mango, pineapple, soursop, and guava. Then, we made our way to the turtle hatchery: ASTOP, where we had delicious chicken and bean burgers. After our tummies were full, we supported local artists at the arts and crafts fair where we bought necklaces, bracelets, and gifts for our families. We got a closer look at the hatchery and learned they hatch over 7000 eggs there!

We had a quick boat ride back to Homebase, where we saw a baby sloth in the almond trees. Siesta time and beach time occurred until dinner where we had a home favorite: Mac and cheese. Our friend Malia turned 18 today so we celebrated with cake and sang happy birthday in different languages we knew. Now we’re getting ready for our last night patrol! Wish us luck!

Mia, Andrea, Mahaila, Brayden, Karolina

BLOG POST FOR JULY 30

Title: rafting adventure

We started off the morning with COVID testing and arepas, which is like fried dough. Testing was very thorough – some people cried. We then got ready bright and early for an exciting day of rafting. We had a lengthy bus ride and stopped at a local grocery store to get snacks. The flooding moved us to a new river, an adventure for all involved. Once we got to the river, we got all suited up in helmets and life jackets. Before we took off on the water, we got the total rundown on how to paddle and commands they used.

We had an exciting two and a half hours with people falling in and out of the boat. Everyone had fun and after we finished we stopped at a local house and enjoyed lunch with fresh fruit. We drove back to Homebase and had free time to hang out with friends before dinner. We ate empanadas and pickled stuff. We finished off the day with our “be the change” leadership activity and went to bed.

Emma, Jemima, Malia, Lily, Xam

BLOG POST FOR JULY 31

Our adventures in Costa Rica have sadly come to an end. But our last day here couldn’t have been better. We left our Homebase early in the morning on our usual boat ride and then drove for a couple of hours to our Zipline location. After gearing up we embarked on a beautiful journey of adrenaline through the rainforest. Everyone faced their fears and had a great time.

After lunch we continued our drive to San José. At dinner we celebrated Skye’s birthday with cake and lots of singing. After that we had a very emotional closing ceremony which got a few of us in tears. We all said goodbye to each other and went to bed.

GLA team

 

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

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

---

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Hola!

We’re all finally in the land of Pura Vida and our program couldn’t have started a better way. All our students landed in San José today and their luggage is here with them.

We had various arrival times throughout the day; from 10am to 9pm. Students had the opportunity to enjoy the swimming pool at the hotel (after successfully passing the swim test, of course), interact with each other, play cards, sleep, and rest.

We had some late arrivals so we’re looking forward to eating our first meal as a whole team tomorrow morning – and of course we’ll take our first group photo then.

We couldn’t take photos of everyone given the difference in arrival times but we promise we’ll take more photos tomorrow 😉

We’re all excited for our early start tomorrow morning to travel to our Homebase in Parismina. We’ll stop somewhere along the way and go ziplining, so we’re also looking forward to that!

The team – Marco, Mag, Grae, Jason, and Luismi

BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Hola!!

This morning we woke up pretty early to get breakfast and left the comfort of our hotel in Alajuela. After a couple of hours we arrived at our Zipline location.

We all got a great rush of adrenaline as we descended through 10 different cables – some of them were so long you couldn’t even see the end! The group faced their fears and supported each other to overcome this challenge.

A few more hours of driving and we arrived in Siquirres where we took a COVID test and bought some snacks. Then we kept going to Caño Blanco, where we took a boat through the beautiful Parismina river. We made it to our Homebase just after the sun set, settled into our new rooms, enjoyed a delicious dinner, showered, and played a game which allowed us to start bonding with our Mentor Groups.

At night we also celebrated Dani’s birthday with a cake!

Hasta mañana!

The GLA Team

BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

We started the day with yoga and a run with our mentors. Then had a delicious breakfast of eggs and toast. Orientation was well organized and we shared some great memories. After orientation we had lunch, which was also great. Then we had a siesta, which is a time of rest during the hottest point of the day. We were able to all get to know each other and do quiet activities such as journaling and card games. After the down time we got ready to go to the beach. The water was nice, we got to play volleyball, made sand castles, and went boogie boarding. After we got to drink water right out of a coconut. We took refreshing cool showers. We had a presentation for the turtle conservation. After we had dinner and now we are getting ready for our first patrol.

Caelan, Isabelle, Rae, and Dani

BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Hola,

We started off our day with a two hour boat tour. Our guide showed us many different animals such as a cayman, iguanas, different types of monkeys and a pink spoonbill. Then we came back to Homebase and had a lunch of rice and vegetable and meat stew. After lunch we had siesta where a lot of us made friendship bracelets and hung out in hammocks.

Once siesta was over we headed to the beach for a clean up. We walked the beach for an hour or so picking up trash. Then we got to go in the water in our Mentor Groups. After that we had an intense volleyball tournament. We played a big volleyball game after the tournament and headed back for dinner. For dinner we had Mac and cheese and rice with veggies. We ended the day with night patrols on the beach and sadly we didn’t find any turtles.

Olivia, Zakaria, Grace, Giorgio, Lydie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Day 5 (the day Jack kissed a crab)

Hola!

We started off our day with a farm tour around the home base. We saw banana trees, plantains, pineapple trees, and lots of monkeys. We ate termites and a lot of coconuts. This was the hottest day of the trip so far.

After the tour we had lunch and enjoyed an extra long siesta. We then went to the beach and frolicked through the mystical waves. We cracked open wild coconuts on a log and enjoyed the fruits of mother nature. We slothed our way down the beach picking up plastics. We filled 3 gigantic bags. When we got back we had dinner as well as some scrumptious carrot cake. Lastly, we finished off the night with a conservation debate that inspired everyone.

Louisa, Maddy, Drew, Jack

BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Today we started our day taking a bumpy but scenic drive to the Parismina village. Right when we arrived we were ushered to the beach to witness baby leatherback turtles being released to the ocean after being raised at the local hatchery. After witnessing that incredible moment we started our tour through the quaint town with only 480 Ticos (Costa Ricans). After seeing a school, church, and homes, we made cheese and bean empanadas in our cooking class. We then got fruit smoothies which cooled us off after the first sip. We had a variety of smoothies, from mango to pineapple to soursop, a local favorite.

Then we had chicken and veg burgers for lunch and went to the craft fair. We bought handmade paintings, wood carvings, and jewelry. Afterwards we played soccer and volleyball with the local kids. The kids sadly beat us at soccer and we just passed around the volleyball. After a rough ride back home through a runway and back roads, we came back home for dinner and our third night patrol, in which we got to see our first turtle of the program, a green turtle!

Katie, Connor, Emily, Max, Henry, Mia

BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

Today we started off with us all taking a COVID test. It was pouring outside and we didn’t think we were going to leave Homebase. For breakfast we had arepas. Afterwards, we hung out at Homebase and read, wrote in our journals, and made friendship bracelets. Each group made three signs from recycled trash to hang in the community. We used the trash we collected from the beach clean up. Then we had rice, beans, chicken, and salad for lunch. After lunch we listened to music and hung out around Homebase. At around 3pm Maya came to give us dance lessons. We learned many dances including the salsa, the merengue, the cupid shuffle and others. By that point we were all tired and sweaty and we’re excited to go to the beach. Most people went swimming, others played volleyball, football, and made sand castles. We ate dinner when we came back and had empanadas and salad. We also had our last night patrol tonight and are excited to go rafting tomorrow!

Adi, Abbey, Cassie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

Today we started off with a long trip to the Pacuare river. After arriving we were given instructions from Gustavo, one of our guides. After, we were given a chance to swim. After gearing up we embarked on our 3 hour rafting journey through the jungle. The first half started off with a warm up, eventually leading to the intense level 3 and level 4 rapids. Luckily everyone made it safely to lunch. While guides prepared lunch we relaxed near the river bank. Despite the second half not including many rapids, the most beautiful views of the whole trip were included. We were able to swim in the beautiful canyon while rain drizzled, enhancing the moment. Eventually we sadly had to say goodbye to the guides, river, and scenery, as we departed back to home base.

Tyler, Amaya, JP, Alejandro

BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

Hi!

Today we had our last breakfast at the Homebase. Then we traveled and stopped for lunch at a place where we ate casado and bought some traditional sweets to bring as souvenirs. We then continued our trek to Alajuela where we had dinner.

At night we had a closing ceremony where we showed each other appreciation for all the experiences we shared together this week.

We wished everyone safe travels back home and got ready for the early departures tomorrow.

-the GLA team