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 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

 

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 JUNE 28

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 11pm. 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 JUNE 29

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 at Caño Blanco, where we took a boat through the beautiful Parismina river. We made it to our Homebase just before 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.

Hasta mañana!

The team

 

BLOG FOR JUNE 30

Hola,

Today was our first full day at home base. We woke up to rain and monkeys, which was a warm welcome to Costa Rica. We enjoyed a nice breakfast and then participated in orientation activities, where we got to know both our peers and staff members better. After a couple of hours, we sat down to enjoy a delicious lunch, followed by a trip to the beach once the rainy weather had cleared. The water was very warm and relaxing, and everyone had a great time.

Once we all had showered and cleaned up, we had an informative presentation about the local turtle endangerment and what we would be doing to help over the next few days. After the presentation, we ate a unique dinner to fuel us for the night patrols that would follow.

All in all we had a great first day and are excited to see what the future holds.

Andrew, Nicholas Ho, Julie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Hola familia y amigos!

Today was filled with ocean and agricultural fun! After breakfast, our host Jason gave us a tour around his property, the Green Gold Ecolodge. We walked around the property trying passion fruit and other tropical fruits. On the way to the beach Jason used his famous machete to fend off howler monkeys from his precious fruits. He also fed his pet cayman, Juancho. We ended the tour trying different parts of a coconut tree.

After lunch we found ourselves at the beach filling up multiple bags of trash to prevent turtles from ingesting it. Afterwards we took a dip in the ocean and came back to the lodge to freshen up and bond with each other. Tonight we had cake in celebration of Sarah’s 17th birthday. Happy birthday!

We ended the night with a debate about conservation. We’re looking forward to our adventures tomorrow!

Leah, Edith, Douglas, and Blake

BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Hola!

This morning we tried a new tropical fruit, it was pretty good. Then we got ready for another adventure, the boat tour! On our way to the dock we saw white faced monkeys and a mamma sloth and her baby. Then we got picked up by the boats. Our guides for the tour were Jason and Jerry. They were very good at spotting camouflaged animals. We saw caymans, lots of birds, howler and spider monkeys, iguanas, basalisks, and butterflies. Overall the two hour tour was very educational and relaxing. When we got back we ate lunch and took siesta to get ready for our 3 hour night patrol.

Then we had beach clean up, we filled 2 bags today. We really learned about the effect of trash in the ocean and how to help. Then we took a quick swim and did a small game. After the beach we came back and showered to freshen up for dinner. Now we’re getting ready for patrol. It is going to be a late night!

Added note: we saw our first turtle during our patrol. It was a hawksbill, which is extremely rare to see!

Jae, Olivia, Lily, Santi

BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Hola from Parismina!

We started off our day with a delicious breakfast with banana bread. Later we rode in the back of trucks and drove to the local town where we got a tour of the village. After the tour of the village we took a cooking class where we learned to make empanadas. We ate lunch and had an arm wrestling tournament. The locals set up a market for us to shop around, like an art fair. After that we played soccer with the kids and let’s just say they were a lot better than us. It definitely made their day and it made ours too. That ended the day in the village and after some of us went to the beach. We have night patrol tonight and that will be a wrap for day 6.

Justine, Tatum, Ava, Ilan

BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Hola!

Today, some of us started off with morning yoga at Homebase. It was very fun and relaxing. Then we gathered for breakfast, which was so yummy. After breakfast we headed to the beach for our last beach day. The waves were very fun and the weather was extremely nice. The water was refreshing sand we spent a lot of time in the waves.

After the beach, we showered and played cards before lunch. Next, we played some group games and prepared for our dance in the afternoon. Once the dance teachers arrived we began dancing. We learned different dances including salsa, merengue, bachata, and the chacha slide. Dancing was a blast and we all had a lot of fun together. After dancing we searched the beach for sprouting coconuts during our forest reforestation project. We planted the coconuts near the beach so they had a better chance of surviving. They should be ready to eat in 4-6 years! It was really rewarding to plant the trees, and some of us got the opportunity to swim one last time. At dinner we ate empanadas and now we’re getting ready for our last night patrol.

Added note; on our last night patrol some of us were able to see another Hawksbill sea turtle, which was an awesome way to close our night patrol service in Parismina.

Lucie, Sarah L, Keira, Sarah O

BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Hola!

This morning we got COVID test for our trips back home at 6am. We then packed up our day bags, are breakfast and headed out on our white water adventure. We spent 4 hours rafting on the Pacuare river, the 3rd most beautiful river in the world. The river had world class rapids, beautiful scenery, wild life, slot canyon, and experienced guides. The weather was beautiful and sunny for the most part, with slight showers.

After lunch we headed back onto the water for one last big rapid and ended with a leisurely swim in a beautiful canyon. We then headed back to Homebase where we packed up for the trip back home and had one last leadership activity.

Audrey, Anna, Bella, Nikolas, Izzy

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

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. We then had an amazing cake to celebrate Leah’s birthday.

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

 

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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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16, 2021

Hola!

We’re finally here in the land of “Pura Vida” and our Costa Rica 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 6am to midnight. 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 (Thursday). And of course we’ll take our first group photo then.

Please Note: We couldn’t take photos of everyone yet given the difference in arrival times on Day 1, but we promise we’ll take more photos tomorrow and share them with the next blog update. So if you don’t see a familiar face yet, don’t worry – everyone is here.

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

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days.

-Mag, Grae, Jason, Marco, and Luismi (the GLA team!)

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17, 2021

Hola!

This morning we woke up pretty early to get breakfast and left the comfort of our hotel in Alajuela.

Today was the start of something exciting and challenging…

After a couple of hours we arrived at our zipline location for our first incredible adventure expedition.

We all got a great rush of adrenaline as we descended.

We descended through 10 different cables throughout the experience.

Some were so long you couldn’t even see the end!

The group faced their fears.

We all supported each other to overcome this breathtaking challenge.

A few more hours of driving and we arrived at Caño Blanco.

This is where we took a boat through the beautiful Parismina river.

We made it to our Home Base just before the sun set, settled into our new rooms, enjoyed a delicious dinner.

Then we showered and got into bed quite early as we were all exhausted from the long and exciting day.

Hasta mañana!

-The GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18, 2021

Hola!

Today we woke up early and were met by a Costa Rican doctor providing COVID tests. After a delicious breakfast we partook in team building exercises and an orientation of the grounds. Afterwards we had a guest speaker from the ASTOP foundation who educated us on the species of turtles and ASTOP’s mission.

A short hike later we were met with volcanic shores stretching as far as the eye could see into the fog. We found a few coconuts on the ground that happened to be ripe and through the power of teamwork we managed to de-husk and split open the coconuts for a delicious snack. The Caribbean sea was a perfect temperature and we enjoyed swimming in the waves.

Later tonight we’ll have our first night patrol and we plan to complete our mission of protecting and conserving the sea turtle population of Parismina.

Pura vida!

-Alisa, Neil, Reid, and Martin

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19, 2021

Buenos días!

We started our day with a breakfast of fresh fruit and eggs. We then left for a farm tour of the surrounding property and wildlife. This tour was led by the Ecolodge owner, Jason. We spotted a sloth and its baby and got to hold baby iguanas.

We cut open coconuts and had the opportunity to taste the water and fresh coconut meat. We followed with lunch before heading to the beach.

At the beach we all took part in a friendly beach clean-up competition and took in the incredible views all around. Afterwards, we enjoyed the warm waves of Costa Rica. We then came back to our Home Base to enjoy dinner and take part in leadership activities. And after another day of service and adventure, we finally headed to bed.

-Sam, Isabella, Skyler, Willa, Cassidy Johnson and the GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20, 2021

Buenos días!

We started the day off at 8:00am with breakfast.

Then, we played a leadership game that got everyone involved in a fun way. It was then time to take a boat tour at the surrounding land near Home Base.

We were amazed to see howler monkeys and spider monkeys! We alos spotted a cayman and some exotic birds along the way.

Afterwards, we came back to Home Base and accumulated three bags of trash on the beach during our beach clean-up project.

Then we had time to cool off and swim in the ocean surrounded by black sand and enjoying the tropical warm water.

Finally, we came back from our swim and prepared for our night patrol with great enthusiasm.

-Cayden, Kendall, Shannon and the GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21, 2021

Hola!

Today we got up an and ate breakfast before getting in the vehicle for a ride to town.

Once we arrived in town we took a tour. We learned all about the incredible history and culture of Parismina.

We got fruit smoothies and then it started pouring rain for a bit. Fortunately, this was right around lunchtime so we went inside to eat lunch.

Afterwards we were able to go to the local craft fair to support the community and buy souvenirs from our trip.

They had handmade keychains, necklaces, paintings and hair wraps among other items to choose from.

We later saw a sloth on our way to the sea turtle hatchery.

At the hatchery we got to see two baby turtles waddle into the ocean to be put into the wild.

The baby sea turtles struggled at first to enter the water and kept getting washed up.

When we got back we did another night patrol at the beach.

-Gabby, Rosie, Ben, Cleo and the GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23, 2021

Hola familia!

We started our day with an early breakfast and made our way to the boats to meet the buses. We then had a two hour long bus ride to get to the Pacuare River for a day of whitewater rafting!

Once we got to the river we were met by a team of guides who equipped us with helmets, life jackets and a safety demonstration. Our group divided into six boats and started down the scenic river. Each raft went down class 2, 3, and 4 rapids then stopped for a river side lunch. The guides prepared a lunch of fresh fruit and a burrito buffet.

After lunch our teams continued down the river. Each raft eventually reached a beautiful canyon where many of us jumped out to swim. After a few more rapids we reached the end of our journey and headed back to the Home Base.

Back at home base we packed our bags and ended the day with a filling dinner. Over all it was a great adventure with beautiful scenery and loads of fun!

-Brooke, Mara, Lucy, Julia, and the GLA Team

P.S. Here are some more photos from our recent program experiences for you to enjoy!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24-25, 2021

Hi everyone!

Today we had our last breakfast at the Home Base ecolodge.

Then we traveled and stopped for lunch at a buffet place. We then continued our trek to Alajuela where we had dinner and a goodbye ceremony.

As we wrapped up our program, we wished everyone safe travels and the best of luck after an unforgettable experience together here in Costa Rica!

-Emily, Marian, Mylie and the GLA Team

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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

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