7/1/2015

Greetings from Chiang Mai, Thailand! After making their way around the world on many very long flights, all 19 of our July 1st arrivals have safely made it to Thailand. After driving back to Joy’s House (our GLA Home Base and our home away from home for the next three weeks) students began to settle in and were given an opportunity to try some exotic Thai fruit before heading to their rooms for some much needed rest.

The GLA team at Joy’s House has been working hard preparing for the students’ arrival and trying to fine tune our schedule for the next couple weeks, and we are all very excited to have everyone here with us now. We will be going through an Orientation tomorrow morning after breakfast that will include an introduction to Thai culture, safety and security protocols, highlights of our service learning activities and adventure excursions, and a few other minor details (like staying hydrated in sunny Thailand!). After our orientation, we will be heading to the Sriri Panna Hotel for a lunch buffet full of delicious Thai food, which should be a fantastic introduction to the culinary delights Thailand has to offer.

Also, a quick note: we have included a few pictures from our airport greetings earlier today, but unfortunately with the differing arrival times we haven’t yet had a chance to take a large group photograph. Most of our students are pictured, but a few more either arrived when we did not have a camera with us or later when most other students were already in bed. We want to reassure everyone that our entire group has in fact arrived and they are safe and sound, and we will be sure to post a group picture with everyone pictured for tomorrow’s blog update.

We’ll be getting an early start tomorrow morning so we’ll wrap up this first blog post here. Future blog posts will be authored by our student leaders and will include pictures from our busy days as well so be sure to check back often for updates on all the amazing adventures we are having together in the Land of Smiles! As they say here in Thailand, Khob Khun Krap!

Author: Keith Wingeard (International Director)

CHANG!!! (ELEPHANT!!!)

Yesterday was super fun!! Everyone in our group specifically mentioned elephants as a reason for choosing to visit Thailand, so we were all quite excited. After breakfast at the hotel, we rode for about an hour to reach our destination, an elephant camp. We started off by riding elephants in a make shift seat atop the elephants in pairs. We rode the elephants, along with the mahout around the camp. Traditionally, a newborn elephant was paired with a young child, his mahout, or trainer. The two grow up together and become virtually inseparable. The trek included a walk through the forest on a hill, past the mahout’s homes and a wade through the river alongside rafters. We then switched places with the rafters, taking a turn on the bamboo rafts and being pushed along the brown river, almost close enough to touch the legs of the slow moving elephants. The raft ride, although very hot beneath the bright sun, was quite relaxing. We even got to wear traditional Vietnamese hats and take turns pushing the raft along with long bamboo poles. When the ride ended, we had lunch at the camp buffet.

After we ate, one of our guides for the day took us to an area where we learned how to make paper out of elephant poop. We then each got to take turns dipping mesh metal squares into poopy water, attempting to make a layer of poop that would become paper when it dried. That’s when we got to what we all considered the BEST part of the day, elephant bathing!!!!!!  Some of us got to ride the elephants down into the river. We then got to bathe the elephants alongside their mahouts. The baths got messy when the elephants sprayed water from their trunks into the air. We brushed them and splashed them (and each other) with the water. It was a marvelously unforgettable experience!!!!!! After the bath, we rode the elephants bareback back up out of the river. We then had another chance to take photos with the magnificent creatures. They were trained to carry people with their trunks, and to kiss and hug them. We were sad to have to leave, but when we went, it was with new and amazing memories.

Authors: Alaina Scott and Emily Alcaraz

Date Written: July 4, 2015

‘Murica

Happy Fourth of July everyone! After a long and windy journey, a few sick troopers, and 237 stairs, we finally arrived to our destination of the most famous temple of Chiang Mai, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. We were lucky enough to be blessed by monks, take a tour, receive our fortunes from Buddha, make wishes to a lucky elephant and see the most amazing view of Chiang Mai, from the mountaintops. So, although the journey was difficult it was worth it every step of the way as we were reminded of the spiritual story of why the temple was built there… the story is that monks placed small statues of Buddha on the backs of a few elephants and let them wander freely, stopping three times and then one last time at the top of the mountain where they stopped to die. The monks believed that this was a message from Buddha – that he had chosen this place for the most glorious temple of Chiang Mai. After trying the famous family recipe of one of our Thai mentors, Pee A, Khao Soi, we explored the hill tribe village where we were introduced to a unique culture and view as well as a vibrant garden as we sipped our ice coffees from the ‘Family Coffee Shop’. This name was truly fitting as we are truly becoming a family here. After the treacherous path back to base-camp, we celebrated the 4^th of July with an awesome pool party complete with fun games, American classics, root beer floats, soda, pizza, chicken nuggets, and fries. At the end of this already perfect day, we were surprised by our thoughtful mentors with fireworks and sparklers. Ironically, although we’re in Thailand, we can all agree that this 4^th of July was one of the best we’ve ever had!

Authors:  Mathilde Sarfas & Hannah Berzinis

Muay Market

Today we went to another Temple, which was called Wat Umong. Stairs led up to an ancient Pagoda and a beautiful view. One section had tunnels with multiple prayer sections. There was a lovely lake near the Pagoda where we were able to feed the catfish and pigeons, it was wild!!! Near the lake there was a legit sitting area where we saw hella turtles. Post lunch was Muay Thai Boxing. We got to punch the hands of strong men. We learned techniques such as left right punches, upper-cut, and kicks. Then Robert and Ally got in the ring with Pup, a boxer at the place, and they beat him to a pulp. Later that night we went to the Sunday market. Sunday is a very chill day for Thai. The market was swarming with people but we managed to scoop up some pretty cool souvenirs. We came home after a well spent day, participated in mentor groups, and then went to bed. Here are some pics below!! J

Authors:  Ally Ghizzone and Jacquelyn Lochner

Date Written: July 5, 2015

Fun Day – July 6, 2015

Hello everyone!

To start, we went to the community leader’s site. While there we watched a short video on the background of his community.  Next, we fed cat fish and went into a goat pen. We all held baby goats that were really cute and took tons of pictures. Soon after, we learned how to make traditional Thai crafts from Thai elders. To do this, we split into four stations with a different craft at each. The first craft was making a flower bouquet out of banana leaves. Then we learned how to make beautiful paper jellyfish from different pieces of tissue paper. Thirdly, we made a baby fish toy called ‘pla’ out of coconut leaves. Lastly, we made little booklets out of elephant poop paper.

All the elders were very kind and helpful. For lunch we went to P’ Aey’s grandmother’s restaurant and the food was delicious, especially the spring rolls. Then we went to the orphanage to paint two different buildings, a girls’ dorm and a common area. Although we had a lack of organization and supplies, we still had fun and are continuing the work this week.  After that we went to dinner at Joy’s House where the food was good and as always the boy band was fun to watch. Thank you for reading our blog post!

-Camryn Borman and Jessie Serbee

Title: A Day Full of Smiles (July 7th)

To start the day off we went to meet the children at the local school we will soon be teaching at. We got to witness their morning routine which included: a student band singing and playing the National Anthem, reciting and learning English and Chinese vocabulary, and the younger students respecting the older students. Then we went on a school tour and had the opportunity to talk with some of the kids.
After lunch we returned back to the orphanage to continue our paint job from the previous day. We all agreed we made more progress today than yesterday by being more organized and efficient.

Three hours of painting later the children came home from school delighted to see the work we had accomplished. We had the privilege of being able to spend an hour and a half to bond with the kids living there by playing games such as soccer and badminton. The children were so excited to spend time with us, we felt the same. Everyone feels like we connected with the children and were able to start friendships. We can’t wait for the next time we get to spend time with the wonderful children we met.
It was a great day and we are all excited for many more!

Authors: Reagan Harrigan and Livi Plesent

Title: Crafts & Friends (July 8th)

Today, we went to see elephant sculptures at the Baan Jaang Nak. The elephants were intricately carved and beautiful. It was a great opportunity to see such amazing work happen right before our eyes. On top of all that, there was a cute gift shop that allowed us to purchase things such as the carved elephants that we had seen earlier. They were perfect gifts in many ways.

Next we went to the Borsang Umbrella center where we got a tour of the process that goes into making the umbrellas. We learned that it was a fourteen step process with many small details that would take a lot of skill that many of us could never imagine having. After the tour, we got to paint our own mini umbrellas and got the chance to have our phone cases or shirts painted by skillful and talented locals. We sat VIP for lunch and had delicious food.

Finally, we had the humbling experience of painting an orphanage which has progressed drastically since the first day we arrived. While painting we were able to learn more about one another and bond through sweat and laughter. We are excited to see the final product of the orphanages and the smiles on the orphans’ faces when they see it! J

Authors: Erin Resciniti & Mizuki Ihara

Title: Hill Tribe and Painting (July 9th)

Here is what was on the docket for today: visiting our second hill tribe village and our fourth day of painting at the orphanage.
The hill tribe village was an Akha village. The Akha people are one of the many groups of indigenous people in Northern Thailand. Many of the people who lived in the village were so indigenous they didn’t even consider themselves Thai; they were descendants of Tibetan immigrants from generations ago. They lived a very simple and quiet life up in the serene Thai mountains. They all lived in small wooden, straw and sometimes metal huts that housed up to ten family members in a given period. Growing and harvesting opium was the main source of income for the Akha people for many years, but, as it has been outlawed by Thai government, is no longer a major part of Akha culture. We discovered that the wealth of a given Akha man was not measured in his amount of opium but rather how much salt he had. After our tour of the village, we had a traditional Akha meal at the house of our tour guide, Nitti’s, mother. We ate on massive banana leaves on the floor and had banana flower soup, rice, and an Akha version of pico de gallo.

After this, we went to the Asia’s Hope Foundation Nimit House to continue painting the girls’ dorm and common house. The weather provided optimal painting conditions as it was very cool and slightly rainy. We worked from 1 to 4 p.m. and were able to greet the kids home after a full day of school. We can’t wait to finish our work and play with the kids tomorrow.

Authors: Natalie D’Amico and Canning Malkin

7/10/2015

Title: Strong Friendships

Today, we visited Chiang Mai’s first market located in the old city where we tasted different Thai delicacies in crowded, narrow streets. Though we woke up quite late, the variety of scents at the market were quite overwhelming and we were particularly surprised when we saw turtles and birds being sold! We enjoyed the mango sticky rice and coconut dumplings, a Thai favorite.

After a tiring morning, we headed to a small mall for a quick lunch before continuing our service at Nimit Foundation. Today, our highlights were completing both the houses with a full coat of yellow paint, which we were extremely proud of. It was a very productive afternoon, and our reward was reuniting with the children from the orphanage that we had bonded with. The happiness and genuine joy on their faces made us proud of our impact on the community and we felt accomplished. We have created strong relationships with these children and even though we may live across the globe, kilometers away from each other, they have a very special place in our hearts. Although it was heartbreaking to say goodbyes, and we wished we had been given more time to play with them, we will cherish these memories. This has helped inspire us to volunteer in the future.

Authors: Avisya Kumar and QiJia Zeng

7/11/2015

Title: Bittersweet Goodbyes

Today was full of mixed emotions for us all. We started the morning off at Baan Mon Fai (a Thai cultural museum) with thirty-eight of the Nimit Foundation children. There we learned about ancient Thailand and the once thriving Lanna Kingdom. We got the opportunity to try on traditional Thai dress that ranged from various periods of Thai history. We happily sampled Thai appetizers in a market style setting and bonded with our “buddies” from the orphanage. Our snacking was followed by a traditional Thai dance lesson and meal. We ate cultural foods on the floor around circular tables in our authentic garments. Many of us then purchased fruit smoothies and Thai teas from a coffee shop in the museum.

We departed from the museum and headed off to the Nimit foundation where we spent our last moments with our new found friends. It was a bittersweet feeling for all nineteen of us. Watching the children run around and play in their newly painted home brought smiles to all of our faces. However, these smiles soon turned into frowns as we said farewell and drove back to home base. It was difficult to watch the children run up to our vans in smiles unaware that this would be our final goodbye. Leaving the children we got so attached to was upsetting, but when put into perspective, worthwhile. The project brought a sense of emotional growth to many of us, realizing luck was the only thing that prevented us from being in their shoes.

The night took a more uplifting turn. We gathered in the library and played birdie on a perch and the Thai wedding game. We concluded with an epic karaoke/dance party and headed to bed after our long day.
Although it was difficult to see light in the darkness we felt, we concluded that the emotional strains were only results of our personal growth through service and the unbreakable bonds we formed.

Authors: Jess Gedallovich and Canning Malkin

7/12/2015

Title: Peace Out

Unlike most days, today started off an hour later which gave us the extra hour to recuperate from the past two weeks. Jumping right into our day we headed off to an adventure quite different from the rest…zip lining, rope courses and even fast-paced repelling. Half way through when we thought the end was near, we were faced with another challenge to overcome. The rain didn’t stop us there. The other half way back, soaking wet, was a pleasant gift considering the heat. After landing from the death-defying 40 meter drop, tree planting with thorns and needles awaited. Although painful at times, it was an experience worth having. After planting a forest of trees, the rest of our day continued back at home base where we then learned many pleasant facts about our wonderful mentors and director. Learning things we may not have known broadened our horizons for upcoming experiences we may have. Although today was more chill than most, it allowed us to become closer to our peers as well as take the time needed for our mental well-being. To end the day with such heat, our pool party was much needed while then planning our English lessons for the next day/week to come.
The End+

Authors: Erin Resciniti and Anna Kosirog

7/13/2015

Title: Pain and Pleasure

The past two weeks in Thailand have been an amazing experience, and today brought another new and, exciting adventure for us: Teaching English! All of us were very nervous and anxious to teach; as we have never done so before. After preparing lessons, making proper corrections, and practicing countlessly; we put our minds to the test and taught for the first time today. There were three sessions throughout the school day, each an hour long. Two sessions were going at one time, while the rest of the students observed their peers, or took a break in the teacher’s lounge. The grades taught were first through sixth. Directly after the third session, we breaked for lunch. We conversed and shared our experience teaching the Thai student’s, and while doing so, learned new tips to improve our skills. We left the school and drove to the “Art In Paradise” museum in Chiang Mai, where we took pictures in the three-dimensional sets. It was a unique and creative experience that no one has ever been to before! We left the museum to have an authentic Thai massage! Many of us shared strong opinions on the experience, varying from relaxation to ultimate pain… but it was an opportunity that will never be forgotten. We came back to the home base to have dinner at Joy’s House, and then finished with mentor groups. All in all, the day was filled with fun and, pain for some, but it doesn’t beat the fact that we’re in Thailand!! All of us are excited to continue teaching tomorrow, and see where the remaining days take us in this beautiful country.

Authors: Emily Alcaraz and Robert Thomas

7/14/2015

Title: Touch of ‘Murica

This morning we had our second day of teaching. Like yesterday, it was a great experience. In some of our classes, we taught subjects such as weather, countries, numbers, colors, ABC’s and etc. It’s amazing how quick the children catch onto the material including the littlest of kids. After the teaching, we went to a Thai museum. While there, we learned about what makes Thailand how it is. Next, we went to an American restaurant called Duke’s. This was our touch of America J. We loved it! Some of the foods included pizza, ribs, Caesar salad, mac ‘n’ cheese, and Buffalo wings. The desert was amazing. It included a brownie with vanilla ice cream on top with whip cream and of course a cherry on top ;). After this, we had an hour in the night bazaar which was full of adventure. Some of us got our feet eaten by the little fish which is illegal in the United States. Others had a full on shopping spree. Watch out parents: we might not have any money when we come home!! To end the night, we had a surprise party for Alyssa and Jacquelyn as it was Alyssa’s birthday and earlier in the trip Jacquelyn’s. It was a lot of fun and the cake was delicious!
Thanks for reading our blog post J
Much love,

Authors: Hannah Berzinis and Camryn Borman

7/15/2015

Title: Monk Chat

Today was our third day of teaching. Overall we felt like we all had improved as teachers and leaders. Everyone spent time observing other classes and giving feedback so we could all improve. We all have made great bonds with the children and will be sad on the last day of teaching. This experience has inspired many of us to consider this as a career. After a tasty lunch we headed to a monk university with a really long name that was hard to pronounce. We got to spend time chatting with the Monk and asking him questions. We learned that the Monks are very accepting and you can become a monk even if you are a woman, or were once married. After learning tons about Monks we got to have a nice day in the park. There was exercise equipment that we all enjoyed using and realizing that we aren’t that fit. There was also a basketball court where some of us played ball. Then we got a taste of a fruit named durian. The locals love it but most of us hated it. We were lied to about the fruit. We were told that it just smelled bad, but that was not the case. It also tasted bad. Only two people in our group thought it was alright. Anyways, we are all super excited for our next day of teaching. Thanks America. Bye.

Authors: Avisya Kumar and Jacquelyn Lochner

7/16/2015

Today was our fourth day of teaching. We each taught our own classes for an hour, and audited another class for an hour. We were all sad because it was one of our last days of teaching, but were excited for the cultural exchange later. After lunch, we went to Prince Royal’s College and met many high school students there. We all sat together and shared our name, ages and where we were from. Then, some Thai students showed us a traditional Thai dance. We showed them a powerpoint on where we were from, and each gave a fact on our state/country. We also sang ‘This Land is Your Land”, and showed them the Cha Cha Slide, getting many involved. Then they introduced us to a game called Snake which is a huge game of rock paper scissors. We had a blast!

We then got a tour of certain parts of the school, which was extremely nice in some parts. It was interesting to see the difference between the school we taught at, and PRC. The school we taught at had minimal supplies, and couldn’t finish building a library due to insufficient funds. But some GLA students donated money to help finish the library, while PRC had a huge planetarium, excessive amounts of supplies and a media center.

When we got home, we ate dinner at Joy’s house, and played a game with their staff. It was a fun but tiring day in which we formed many friendships and memories.

Authors: Jessie Serbee and Alaina Scott

7/20/2015

“The End of our ‘Thaime’ Together”

After a late night of partying, we prepared ourselves for our last day together. We spent the morning at a lake, finishing up our Olympic Games, laughing and screaming. To relax after such a crazy morning, we went to a mall for lunch to eat our emotions (and our own body weight in ice cream), play at an arcade, and indulged in some retail therapy.

After some sad Thai commercials and videos, we had our final mentor groups. Here, we shared our last highs and lows of the day and the trip, telling each other how much we appreciated one another and our time together. We all put on our best clothes, did each other’s hair and make-up and went to our farewell dinner at a beautiful Thai restaurant. After endless pictures and photo-shoots, we gave each other face-massages because our cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

After an awesome dinner of memory-recalling, story-telling and plan-making, we headed back to the home base for final group activities. We played dancing games, cried watching a slideshow of all of our photos from these past weeks, made each other feel good playing a statement game where we anonymously tell each other how we feel about one another and shared final words about our experiences.

Filled with laughter, tears, sweat, hugs, today was our last day together and although we are sad to leave Thailand and each other, we leave knowing that we all have grown into more mature, open-minded, independent leaders.

Thank-you to our awesome mentors, Keith, Ryan and Martyna, and GLA, for an amazing and life-changing experience.

-Mathilde Sarfas, QiJia Zeng

7/28/2015

7 of our 10 students arrived in Quito! We’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of the rest of the crew.

7/29/2015

Everyone has made it safely!

Students get acquainted with one another during Orientation Morning. A quick round of “Magnetic Feet” gets the group smiling as they have to make it to a certain point without letting their feet become disconnected! The afternoon was spent exploring the colonial district of Quito and learning a bit about the beautiful Andean city’s history.

7/31/2015

– Alexa Wing:

Today was our first day going to work with the tortoises at Campo Duro Eco-lodge. After getting an orientation of the facility we began work in the enclosure by moving rocks, shoveling soil and rearranging the materials to create a lagoon for the tortoises.

After work we played soccer with our tour guide and then went on an afternoon bike ride.

We saw lots of wildlife and some amazing views! I think everyone had a really awesome first day on Isabela Island.

8/1/2015

– Ben Winslow

To start off the day our GLA group worked extremely hard to finish the lagoon at the tortoise center. It looks amazing!

After our morning work our group got to experience the incredible wildlife of the Galapagos by snorkeling and kayaking. Overall it was a satisfying and breathtaking day!

8/2/2015

– Olivia Muscella,

We had a very challenging day today, hiking 10 miles up a volcano. We also saw flamingos and visited a tortoise breeding center. Overall we had a very fun and challenging but rewarding day.

8/3/2015

Today was a travel day from Isabela to Cristobal so we spent a fair amount of time on the water, mostly sleeping.
The last couple of days on Isabela have been filled with service work and fun activities like improv and charades.
Tomorrow starts the next chapter of the adventure!
Ninja!

8/4/2015

Today was our last full day on Isabela island. We helped a school create a natural fence and played soccer with the students.

After we went to Campo Duro to make marmalade and bid our farewells.

We had at fun at the beach with another group of students from Wilderness Adventures.

We cooked dinner and prepared for the day.

– Ryan Wong

8/5/2015

The “killer hill” we faced this morning wasn’t the biggest challenge of the day- the 3 hours we spent removing mora and guaranteed plants were even more exhausting.

After a delicious lunch back at the hacienda we went to Tijaretas to snorkel with sea lions, sea turtles and hundreds of fish.

When we were completely exhausted we checked out the Galapagos interpretation center to learn more about the islands’ history.

– Hannah Maluth

Coming soon…

6/24/2015

Hey parents and friends, we’ve made it to our home base in Garza. Today was a long day of travelling and meeting new friends. Claire and I (Emmy) were the first to land here in Costa Rica and enjoyed welcoming all the other students as they arrived. After all of the students from the first group were here, we went to Café Cristina and ate a delicious authentic meal. After that we started on the trek to our home base. We went through mountains and down bumpy roads to make it to our homey pura vida style hotel, only a minutes’ walk from the beach. Can’t wait to see what the next 21 days have in store.

Best,

Jen, International Director

We are waiting for 6 more to come in from the airport… But we have their door signs!

6/25/2015

When most people woke up at what they thought was about 9, it varied in between 4:30 and 6am. The sun was bright and was ready for us to conquer the day. As everyone slowly started to show up, we all came together and had a nice American breakfast buffet, then we had orientation 1.0 and talked about the program and did some ice breaking games to get to know each other. After that we went swimming for a little just before lunch, then we had lunch and we met with our mentors and headed down to the gorgeous beach. We body surfed the waves, got covered in sand, and had fun together. Then we headed back and had orientation 2.0 in the pool and went into detail about what we were going to do each day. Then we had presentation over the Nosara Animal Care and what they did, and they told us what we will be working with high school students at the NAC house. Then after that we had about two hours to chill and do whatever. We played some card games, talked with each other, and went for a walk to see the pretty sunset. And when I say pretty, I mean it!! Then we came back and had some dinner and we had our last orientation and got to try some new Costa Rican snacks. Now everyone is just relaxing and talking with each other and getting ready for bed. Can’t wait to see what these next 3 weeks bring! Pura Vida!!

– Charlotte

1st breakfast with everyone! @ Playa Garza

6/26/2015

First day of service, woo! We had an early start at 6:00am and journeyed to our service site at 7:00am. We were placed in the middle of a soon-to-be school, a music school to be exact, and were given the tasks that needed to be done. We were going to be painting a mural on the side of the school along with the logo and creating a beautiful garden to be appreciated by the community. To gain knowledge of what the people of Guanacaste wanted on the building, we turned directly to them. We ventured out into the community and asked for their advice. Upon walking around and soaking in the culture, we were met with smiling faces and accepting families who welcomed us directly into their homes without hesitation. A young boy was incredibly excited to show a group of us around his school where we will be working at during our stay as well. Soon after, we all met back at the school and shared what we had learned. Through teamwork and creative brainstorming, we came up with many ideas for each of our projects and everyone is super excited to start. Tomorrow begins our first labor day of service at the Nosara Animal Clinic and couldn’t be more excited! It’s bedtime here soon and then another early start tomorrow. Pura Vida!!

– Sara

6/27/2015

Another early morning! We left the home base at 7:00am eager to start our service at Nosara Animal Care. Upon arrival we anxiously waited to meet the adorable puppies along with the local Tico high school students. Even though not everything went as planned (Costa Rican style) everyone pushed through and the results were epic! From seeing the dense forest turn to a beautiful dog walking path, and the shabby walls of the NAC “casa” be transformed with a coat of pain was truly amazing! After a hard days work, we had a great lunch at Olga’s Beach Café with our newfound Tico friends. Many of the group bought wonderful souvenirs from a local vendor, and then we went back to work for a couple of hours. All together we immersed ourselves in Costa Rican culture, practiced our Spanish skills with members of the community, and felt accomplished as the hot sun set on Playa Garza. As a group we look forward to another rewarding day in this beautiful country! Pura Vida!!

~Lauren and Maddy – Leaders of the Day

6/28/2015

Today was our final day of service at Nosara Animal Care, painting the house walls with beautiful white paint. Also finishing up the path from the drive way all the way back of the house. The trail was completely cleared out from woods, plants, and dirt to nice little white rocks and gravel and a border around it with huge white rocks. Really cool how it came down to the drive way connecting with the trail path and also a very little path to the dog house on the left. Going up the stairs and really looking of how beautiful it turned out to be and comparing it with how it looked before, it’s just mind blowing. Same with the trail just awesome to walk through it and seeing all of the hard work put in it. The most cool thing was that we got to work with some of the local students and being able to talk with them and really getting them to be part of our group. Hard work really pays off at the end. After the service we went to eat lunch at Olga’s Beach Café and had great food that some of us never tried before also having the local students with us , giving them a chance to open up to us and really talk to one another, and for most of us we got a chance to practice our Spanish with them and getting to know them.

After finishing that good lunch , we headed to a church to watch a documentary about the local turtles and how important it is to the Costa Ricans . Finishing up with a wonderful walk at the beach and trying to see where the turtles lay their eggs . A really great day with awesome team work and everyone putting in their best effort and strength to which ever job they were going. We are all ready for the Adventure Weekend that starts tomorrow, everyone can’t wait! PURA VIDA !!

Fearless mentor Chris drinking a turtle egg.

The House is finished!

The trail is finished!

With the team from Nosara high school and ADI Ostiona

– Leaders of the day: Laert and Meriam

6/29/2015

Today was a great day!! For the first time since we landed in Costa Rica we had WiFi (which really contributed to the greatness of the day). Aside from the WiFi though, today was great because we had adventure time. We started the day off by having breakfast at a cafe and then spending almost two hours at Playa Pelada playing in the ocean and tanning. Then, we got lunch at an amazing restaurant named Rancho Tico and we had WiFi there too!!!

After lunch, The group got to participate in various activities such as paddle boarding, surfing and horseback riding. During this time, everyone of us got to experience different parts of Costa Rica while still exploring our passions. Looking back on the day, we all agreed that although we participated in different activities, we all believe that Costa Rica is a plentiful country that has endless opportunities for exploration and learning. ¡Pura Vida!

-Christian and Claire, Leaders of the Day

6/29/2015 (Photos)

Internet, coffee and smoothies

Beach morning

Surf training

SUP through the mangroves

6/30/2015

So today we got to sleep in… until 6:30… which was amazing! We started the day off with breakfast at the hotel and then headed out to a nature reserve hike and spilt into mentor groups at the Boca. Salchicha Ballers started off with the hike, while the Savage Patch Kids sat at the Boca and told their stories of self to those in their mentor group. After an hour we switched. While hiking the SPK saw monkeys, baby iguanas, and some really creepy scary big spiders. With laughter and tears, the stories of self really brought everyone closer together within their mentor groups. We then proceeded to lunch at Soda Vanessa. After a great lunch we took off for our afternoon adventures. While Charlotte, I, and many others went ziplining, others had private surfing and stand up paddle boarding lessons. While we hung upside down cruising through the trees the guides sure made sure we all had fun, while making us laugh and giving us plant tattoos. We then got to come home to showers and an amazing homemade pasta dish by Guido. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings while we start service once again.

– Leaders of the Day; Charlotte and Nat

Today was day 8 of our Costa Rican Adventure

We started it off with service and then later headed toward cultural activities. Everyone was a bit laggy in the morning but soon we were able to get out the door and head to our service site. We were split off into 3 different groups; mural painters, Spanish-english teachers and playground sanders. Throughout the process flexibility was key, Spanish/English teachers were almost postponed but then did end up teaching. The kids were a handful and there was of course the couple who got into mischief; however over all it was a good experience. Then post teaching the teachers joined the sand crew and which overall went well and got a lot done. Meanwhile the mural painters were also learning that things never go according to plan in Costa Rica, but we also learned to appreciate the Pura Vida spirit. We had originally figured out a design for the mural but when we began the process of translating our design to the wall, the locals in charge of the music school and program had other ideas about what the mural should look like. We ended up having to change our design quite a bit, which was a bit challenging to deal with initially, but the end result was an awesome idea that incorporated parts of our original design and the Chorotega (local culture) elements the community leaders really wanted to display. Then later on through the day we were able to experience and participate in the making of hand-made bread which turned out amazingly delicious if I do say so myself as well as learn or attempt to learn to play the marimba (the instrument of Guanacaste, CR).  In the end it was a good day we got a lot done and had a amazing dinner kudos to our totally rad Italian hosts and cannot wait to see what tomorrow will bring with the  Costa Rican Pura Vida Spirit.

-Leaders of the Day: Laura and Claudia

Day 9, Lookin Fine!

It started off with our tummies full of delicious banana pancakes and our hearts ready to start Day 2 of Service at the local school and music center. Seven of us worked on painting the playground and giving it a fresh look while 8 of us got to run around and play fun games like, “Pato Pato Ganso” with the school children. The rest of us stayed at the music center to paint the mural and logo. At the music center we started the logo and on the large mural we did this super cool transition of colors to represent a sunset (More is to come!)  We loved seeing all of the positive energy and it’s nice to know that the community is appreciating our work! After service we headed back to home base to enjoy a delicious meal of shrimp with rice and french fries… mm mm mm My Favorite! After lunch we walked over to the school right next to us. We were really excited because in a previous day they waved and talked to us through the fence. Que Lindo! We played a game of Futbol on the beach. Everyone enjoyed the time of hula-hooping and jump roping as well. Several of the kids came by later to ask us if we would like to hang out tomorrow. After activities we had a mentor group meeting led by us (The LODS).  We both enjoy the challenging and heartfelt conversations in mentor groups. Go Salchiacha Ballers and Savage Patch Kids! (director note: parents, the students created these names… haha!) After we had amazing tuna and cooked veggies for dinner. We then talked about our day and are now enjoying fellowship with each other. What a great day of service!

Leaders of the Day: Jordan Yutan & Miranda Santiago J

7/5/2015

We started off our day at 6:00 this morning by prepping for our trip to Rio Celeste in the mountains of Costa Rica. After having our usual delicious breakfast of fruit and coffee, we piled all our duffels into the bus and headed out on the 4 hour drive.

After making several pit stops for snacks and bathroom breaks, we arrived at Heliconias Lodge to walk a trail to the beautiful hanging bridges in the middle of the rainforest. We spent 2 hours hiking and then enjoyed coffee and snacks.

After the scenic break, we loaded back up on the bus and finished our drive to our cabanas in the middle of the mountains. All the rooms came in different shapes and sizes, and everyone is excited for the next two nights in their new home.

We then finished off our day with a dinner of rice and fish, and plan on getting lots of sleep for the next couple of busy days in the amazing Rio Celeste 🙂

7/3/2015

A wake up call including “Here Comes the Sun”, started off another successful and hot day in Nosara, Costa Rica.  We began the day with breakfast at the usual time. Sleepy eyes and bed heads appeared at the breakfast table before we drove off to our service site.  Upon arrival, one group continued to paint the mural at La Escuela de Musica. The rest of the group went to the local school to put in some work for the welfare of the kids. A playground was painted while students ran around laughing with children on their backs, playing local games and joining the Fiesta de Salida. The Fiesta de Salida is a fiesta for the kids before they leave for winter vacation (!!), so both the groups at the school were entertained by energetic, Spanish music the whole morning.

At noon, we came back to home base and had lunch. Though weary, everyone was looking forward to taking showers. As shower time came to a close, we prepared for “Cafecito”, with the local families of Nosara. We enjoyed the hospitality of two loving, Costa Rican families who welcomed us in their homes with home made tortillas, cheese and the delightful Costa Rican coffee. In the conversations with the families, moving information was shared, such as growing up with no electricity, giving birth at home, and living a primitive lifestyle.

A perfect day was ended by pizza made by our own handsome chef Guido, just like the Italian ones.

Best wishes to all the Americans ( I miss you mom and dad ) , French and Norwegian (hei mampap <3) families and friends out there following us on this great journey.

-Lexia and Thea

7/5/2015

A day late but here it is, yesterday we continued service at the mural and school. We made a lot of progress, and are really proud of the work we got done. After service we got surprise gelato and had lunch! After, we had a well deserved siesta time and then we went to a cooking class where we made arroz con pollo and ate what we made! Later on, we packed for Rio Celeste and watched a movie. The day as a whole was a lot of fun and a great success!
-Eliana and Michelle

At our cooking class w Lisbia

7/7/2015

Today was day 13, and like every other day, we woke up at 6 am. We had a lovely breakfast at Cabinas Piuri which included eggs, rice and fruits. After a short bus ride, we arrived near a field where we got the chance to milk a cow and then drink the fresh milk with some cocoa. It was really exciting and the milk was surprisingly good ! Then we went to the National Park Tenorio where we hiked for 3hrs under the pouring rain and on very muddy paths. It was worth it when we saw the beautiful blue lagoon and waterfall ! After lunch we headed to a sugar cane field where we were taught the ancient methods of sugar cane making and ate many varieties of sugar cane goods ( sugar cane juice, prestiños , and sweet hot tea…). We headed home, took showers and had siesta time before heading to dinner and eating a delicious beef stew with pineapple and rice. We then finished with the leader of the day feedback and around 8 pm everyone headed to their rooms to get ready for bed. Today was an awesome day filled with new discoveries and fun adventure.

Bonne nuit,

Chloe and Julie 🙂

Milking the cows with Pau before the hike

Rio Celeste

Working one of the sugar cane mills

Eating prestiños

Blog Note

Our apologies for the technical issues on this page, in regards to the improperly displayed photos. They should be aligned in the right direction now. Enjoy!

7/7/2015

Our last morning at Rio Celeste was bittersweet. Leaving this beautiful place that we had just begun to explore was countered by the excitement of returning to our Costa Rican home, Playa Garza. The morning consisted of an hour-long scenic bus ride to the river Tenorio, that we then whitewater rafted. This was an exciting and challenging adventure. The name of the rapid, “Everybody swims,” was explained when several rafts flipped. This thrilling ride was the talk of the lunch tables as we then ate at the Rafting Company’s restaurant. After a satisfying lunch we made our way to our next adventure.

After lunch, a bus of exhausted GLA students headed to a puma rescue center. We were delighted to see all of the adorable rescued birds and animals. A few of us got to witness a curious cow escape its pin. After forty-five minutes we left the rescue center and proceeded on our three-and-a-half hour long journey home. After a super fun and exciting day in Rio Celeste we were all ready to be “home” and everyone immediately ran to their rooms with huge smiles.

Besides the few raft-flipping incidents today was a grand success, full of experiences we will remember forever.

~ Lauren & Madison J

P.S. Hi Momma and Daddy Musshorn and hi Mommy and Daddy (from Madison)

Artisan jewelry workshop

Costa Rican adventure!

7/8/2015

We began our day with a little sleeping in as we woke up at 7:00 am WOOHOO!

From there we had a breakfast of champions- thanks Nat- (made by the one and only GUIDO!) that consisted of rice, beans and eggs the typical Gallo pinto commonly found in Costa Rica. From there we began our 3 and ½  hours of service where we split up into groups of 3, 1 group for the mural of la escuela de musica- directed by Sara- the next group worked on painting Serapio Lopez’ Cafeteria and- directed by Nat and finally my  group was working on painting the playground of Serapio Lopez.

From there we came home for a lunch of shrimp salad and mashed potatoes with amazing bread – shout out to Guido and Juri and Michela-  and then we spent a half hour at the beach and lastly we ended our day with making jewelry with Susan and a few of her friends. Nat and I had an epic leader of the day battle and I won- Nat just thinks I won by a cheap shot ok- and I knocked her in the pool then I got knocked in by Eliana – also cheapshot. After that we had dinner consisting of another typical Costa Rican dish of fish, rice, beans and salad.

To end off our night we have an hour of Pura Vida time  and that is all. Time for shout outs: s/o to college board for not correcting their mistakes with getting me my AP scores on time I’m also looking at you act.org. hey mom hey dad its marwa can you check if my scores are out yet sos I’m dying also I have like 5 bucks left send a PayPal ASAP!!!

~ Marwa, Sara, and Nat

7/9/2015 (Day 16)

Painting w Rustin at the mural today. He’s was one of the kids we interviewed to see what HE wanted on the mural. Check out the progress of the mural!

Local Coordinator, Susan with her son Saul, future music school attendee and GLA employee

Dance class with Willy

Spirit fingers

Burgers for dinner–they were happy!

***

“1738 I’m like hey whats up hello” is what everyone woke up to as we blasted it through the speakers.

Per usual Miranda hogged all the pineapple at breakfast, while the rest of us had our typical Costa Rican breakfast. Then we headed to service and split into our 3 groups. Maddy took on the mural despite her rafting soreness, Miranda was in the cafeteria painting tables and benches, while I (Charlotte) was on the playground making a lot of progress. We worked for 3 hours and then headed to the “world renowned” SUPER NOSARA!! It’s so “world renowned” that Christian even made up a song about it.

After getting all our food and drink necessities, we came back home and ate penne pasta with red sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan for lunch. Next we headed to much needed beach time. Vamos a la playa!!!!! After the relaxing vibes and big waves we had some chill time to shower and hang at the pool. Our leadership talk started afterward. Expect some big things Estados Unidos and Norway! We are coming for ya! Next we started an intense dance class. I may be Puerto Rican but I have learned that I cannot dance (Miranda). After having an amazing time with our dance instructor, Willy, and learning sweet new moves, IT WAS DINNER TIME. The long requested Cheeseburgers finally arrived, WE GOT THEM.

You blog readers should have seen everyone’s excited expressions. Man, Guido can cook anything! To wrap up the day we are having some nice and relaxing chill time. See ya in 5 days amigos and padres!

Hey fam, Maddy here. Note to Daddy: don’t feel like you need to hop on a plane to “save me” I’m loving it here. I’m in paradise working hard! Keep painting mamma, say love ya to Liz for me!

Hey mummy, daddy, and the twinnos, I miss you guys a lot and am so ready to see you, but I know for sure it won’t be easy leaving here. We’ve done amazing things and I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it. See you in 5 days, love ya! –Charlie

Mom, Dad, and my twin I miss you but it may be hard for me to leave. I think you’re gonna have to come get me 😉  – Miranda

-Charlotte, Miranda, and Maddy

7/10/2015

Painting with Maya

Saul distracting us

Stopped by the pipa stand for some refreshing coconut water

A visit to the Nosara recycling center to here about the progress, the challenges and the goals… Then off to gelato and beach time!

7/11/2015

The kids came out to paint on the mural today!!!

Sunset in Guiones

As usual, we started our day with a 6am wake-up and ate a great breakfast of pancakes, bacon, Gallo pinto, and an array of fruit. While we finished breakfast we began to prep for our usual bus ride to the four hours of service split among us. Half of us a Serapio Lopez and the other half at Escuela de Musica Sinem-Nosara. After our service today we completed the playground painting and the cafeteria with just the mural left to finish. From there we went shopping for souvenirs and other things to spend the last of our money on.

I (Marwa) bought a hammock and a purse, and before this I had already bought multiple gifts for friends! I’m homesick but I will truly miss it here.

I (Laura) worked at the playground and enjoyed getting to see the project almost done and did also spend my share of money on souvenirs.

I (Nat) have been working on the comedor, since that particular project began and today I was able to see it completed. Yay! I also bought a hammock which matches Marwa’s. We are looking forward to tomorrow and completing our service projects.

-Marwa, Laura, and Nat

7/11/15

Today we started off another early morning basking in the Costa Rican warmth. The warmth carried over into service hours which made the work harder, but more rewarding. We accomplished a lot at the school and mural despite the overwhelming warmth. After service, we beat the warmth with cool AGUA DE PIPA. Afterwards we had a great lunch that inspired warmth in our hearts.

We received a welcome that left us with a feeling of warmth when we visited Nosara’s recycling center. Even in the warmth of the nearby dump, it was very rewarding and inspiring to hear and see all the good things the workers are doing to change the ecological footprint of Nosara and make it better.

When we left the wonderful recycling center that smelled of the finest biodegradable materials, we again encountered the warmth of the day with delicious GELATO. Then we attempted to feel the warmth of a sunset, but we were sadly surprised when rain started to pour.

The warmth of our sunset was never felt, and when we returned to Playa Garza we were met with PIZZA. Now we sit here in the warmth of the Costa Rican nights and we reminisce on the awesomeness of the day. We will always remember our trip here and the warmth of the Costa Rican sun.

Xoxo

Gossip Girl

( JK it’s actually Lauren Jordan and Michelle 😀 )

7/12/2015

Our final day is coming upon us and although we’re all a bit worn out, we managed to wake up and do some great work today. The morning started off with Here Comes the Sun playing through Chris’s speakers, and some more delicious banana pancakes. After we munched, Eliana and her new group embarked on a new adventure: service at Garza! They made a lot of progress, successfully painting tires, goalposts, and raking leaves. With her caring, iron fist Thea and her group stormed the mural site and got a ton of work done (she’s pretty sick of detailed paint work now…). Claudia accidentally drenched herself and her team in a bucket of blue tinted paint thinner, in the process of finishing up the playground, caterpillar, and cleaning the cafeteria. But on the bright side, we’re all finished with the playground and it looks awesome!! After lunch and being knocked out in the sun for an hour we went to Neno and Carrie’s house to learn about river fishing. We met some pretty cool goats and dogs and a giant pig named Sancho, and many of us got to try our hand at fishing. Then we went home and ate some burritos for dinner, and are super ready for our bonfire (with s’mores!!) tonight. Overall it was a productive day and though we look forward to finishing up our projects tomorrow, there’s a bittersweet feeling among our group regarding the end of the program.

With love, Thea, Eliana, and Claudia (LODs)

7/13/2015

Goodbye group at Garza beach

Surprise marimba at our last dinner!

7/14/2015

All student have checked through security and are on their way home!

7/18/2015

Hi this is Mila, Larkin, and Dagny

Today in group A we took a nature hike through the beautiful Osa Rainforest. We learned about all of the vegetation surrounding us from our two guides, Pilo and Enrique, who were extremely knowledgeable. It was breathtaking but extremely humid. Then once we got to the service area, we threw our stuff down, picked up our rakes and went to work. We worked hard for 30 minutes cleaning the path then explored the stream and area with us. Soon after, we started the track home, where a delicious lunch was waiting for us.

Today in group B with Mila we worked in the library helped paint and organize the new books that were just donated! We also helped finish the world map that is in the school and start the map of Costa Rica.

Group C worked on recycling today. We walked up and down the street picking up trash on the side of the road. It started raining, so we made out way to the local school and painted signs and recycling bins with bright colors and labels. It was a lot of fun! When we finished our jobs, some of the kids played soccer with the local children, who were much better than most of us. Lunch follows and then we had an hour break to relax.

After our volunteer hours we had lunch then we had Spanish class!! After Spanish class we went on a tour of Sandro’s farm! We saw a very big variety of fruit and vegetables that are all 100% organically grown we got to have fresh coconut milk and the. Went to the coco tree and were able to try the gooey stuff around the coca seed… Soooo good!!! Then we got to have fresh hot chocolate and made coco masks!! After we went and took sugar cane and squeezed the juice out of the and then we got to chew on it.

Over all today was a HUGE success!!!

7/20/2015

In the morning we did our service for the community. Laguna went on the hiking path in the rainforest and carved out a set of stairs. Verde painted the town library. Finally, Jaguar helped the town with its recycling program.

-Miles, Livia, and Nick

7/21/2015

Hi this is Emmi, Jane and Ana! Today we went on three tours. We saw tepezquintles, butterflies, and watched a husband and wife process sugar cane. We finished off the day by painting recycling signs, the soccer bleachers, and the map of Costa Rica. We can’t wait for our trip tomorrow!!
¡Adios!

7/23/2015

7/23/2015

Hi this is Mollie, Francesca, and Abby. For the past two days the group went to Drake Bay, which is about about 45 minutes away from Rancho Quemado. On Wednesday we arrived and took a boat to an uninhabited island known for its flora and fauna. Everyone was able to explore the beach, snorkel, and hike through the Corcovado national park. We relaxed in the evening at a hotel not far from the island. The next day we woke to the sounds of monkeys, a beautiful view, and a pancake breakfast. After a short hike, we began a canoe journey up a river through the rainforest, where we swam, jumped off rocks, and hiked up waterfalls. We swam back downstream and explored the souvenir shops, before departing for Rancho Quemado. We were happy to arrive to clean sheets and a home cooked dinner. With four service days left, we are all eager to see what the rest of our trip has in store.

7/24/2015

This is Miranda, Jane, and Rebecka. This morning after breakfast we went to a dairy farm to milk cows, watch the cheese making process, learn about the history of Rancho Quemado from the founder, and try fresh cheese. After we watched the children’s Guanacaste celebration and played with them on the field which was adorable. For service today we worked with a bio digester project, painted a mural outside the school, and taught English to the children. We’re loving Rancho Quemado and are so sad we only have a few days left.

7/29/2015

Everyone is past security from our second session!

Aman