June 13, 2017

It was mutually agreed that the first day in Fiji felt drastically longer than a day. However, rather than feeling like time never seemed to pass, it feels more like we’ve been here for a while– like we’re all already friends, as cliché as it sounds. The first flights, including mine, landed a little after 5 am, which I’m sure is much earlier than any of us would normally be awake on a summer day. Though I got stuck in immigration (which it seems was not uncommon,) I was the first one to meet the GLA staff, and therefore had the pleasure of watching all the other students file out of the immigration and border control to meet most of us for the first time. It wasn’t hard to talk to anyone. We all have a commonality. Each and every one of us was brave enough to leave the luxury of comfort behind and to trek into something entirely uncomfortable and new. I think that’s a likely cause of instant relationships; nobody was afraid to share. We were all well beyond the point of fearing discomfort.

Our tour of our first location seems more like a vacation than a leadership trip. There’s a pool, incredible food, amazing staff members, and palm trees that allow streams of sunlight to hit the resort. It’s not something for us to mistake, though. Already today we’ve had multiple team building orientation activities to create the sense of comfort we left behind and to prepare us for, as we call it, “The Island.” From what I’ve been told, this island (where we will spend the duration of the trip) is the most remote location that GLA takes students to. Despite that, I was also told the “The Island” has everything we could ever want. A supposed one look at the environment has been enough to make the GLA staff abandon the want for technology and idealistic Western amenities. To put it simply, it’s gorgeous, I’m ecstatic to go, and from what I hear everyone else is, too.

We took a small trip away from our current Home Base to visit a nearby beach called Wailoaloa Beach, appropriately translated to “black water” beach. Though the main purpose was to allow us time to leave the grounds of the resort, it was interesting to look at the beach and quietly reflect on its condition. The water is dirty, polluted to the point where the waves are a dense gray color. Glass bottles and shards, cans, and even a CD riddle the shoreline. In a place known for being so beautiful and clean, this beach exists. It’s significant for all of us to look at and realize that where we are isn’t a vacation, but rather a place in which we can do our best to help. The beach may be beyond our help of 21 days, but we could at least encounter it with a positive attitude, doing more orientation exercises there and finding the beauty in smaller doses. Did you know that the tribal symbols found all over Fjii (and on the planes owned by Fijian Airlines) mimic nature? The tiny shells scattered across the sand each have distinct patterns that have become interpreted into the Fijian tribal print.

How could one immerse themselves into a culture without the language? We had the translation of the beach, and also took time to pick up a few more words. The most significant of those words is “Bula.” It’s used as an all around term, which I like to compare to “sup.” It’s a greeting, cheers, exclamation, and anything between. It’s a little something that allows us to become a little closer to who we’re living with, as when one says “Bula,” there is bound to be a reply. Not only that, but natives are quick to greet us with a smile, as we’re all just as eager to reply. It’s the little things that bring us closer together: the GLA students, staff, and Fijian people.

-Lilly Brada

Day 2

On the second day Sydney and Athena have been selected as leaders of the day which takes a role of leadership and responsibility. Being jet lagged had us up before the sun, which is unbelievable because most of us have not gotten up that early for school. After breakfast we all gathered for a cultural presentation that was presented by a local Fijian instructor. We all learned how this culture is a lot different historically and socially from our own. We were taught new words which included, good morning (Yandra), yes (io), and goodbye (mothe). After the presentation we all gathered as a group to discuss our group dynamic. Using a tree as a metaphor we used the roots as our names, truck as support, and the branches as our goals and what we hope to learn. Continuing in the discussion we dove deeper in knowing the construction of GLA. Exploring different food options in town, we went out to lunch and had fish and chips. Which we all say was amazing, including the ice cream and milk shakes we got.

Moving onto another life changing adventure, we had the opportunity to hike in the Sleeping Giant garden. Seeing orchids, ballerina flowers which look like ladies dancing, and trekking through mind-blowing trees eventually led us to an outlook of Nadi where we have been staying. Concluding the hike, our lovely guide, Howard, gave us a vibrant colored juice which had papaya, passion fruit, guava, and mango. Our next afternoon activity was a visit to the famous mud pools. Communally we enjoyed a little competition with potato sack races, partner balloon race, sprinting, freeze dance, and passing a ball to your team mates. We were led to buckets with mud and slathered it onto our bodied with help from others. We waited fifteen minutes for the mud to dry, and then jumped into a mud pool. We then went into another pool which was very warm and relaxing, slowly washing off the mud. The final pool was filled with minerals and big enough to swim around. Once we arrived back to home base, we finished the day with either playing cards, doing yoga, or just relaxing. Cannot wait for another day filled with Fijian smiles!

-Athena Mihalakakos and Sydney Ferris

Day 3:

Every day gets better and better I constantly fall in love with new colors, foods, and kitties. Today we visited a beautiful Indian village and we learned to make traditional foods, including curry, roti, and chutney  from scratch. We took turns flipping the roti and stirring the curry while others caught lots of frog as well as good vibes, love and happiness. While we consumed the fruits of our labor, we gained an inside view to the Indo-Fijian culture, which led to our very generous hosts letting us try on some of their traditional sarees.

On the bus ride to town the sense of community was strong as we all bonded over a mutual love of music from back home. When we arrived in downtown Fiji, we were introduced to even more welcoming people as we dove into life as a Fijian. We shopped for traditional Fijian Sulus and discovered some new and unusual foods in the supermarket. We all touched base in an internet cafe while trying Fijian beverages and desserts. The feeling of homesickness is hard to imagine because being on this island, we are so welcomed that it feels like we are at home.

Day 4-

The leaders of the day were Tessa and Evan. Now having spent a couple days on the island, we all awoke fairly energized and ready to take on the day. Our breakfast consisted of toast, fruit, cereal, and eggs… Yum! After breakfast we situated our luggage and prepared for the journey ahead to the port where we will depart for the island of Naviti. Upon the arrival to the port, we found a cafe and little shops to wait out the departure of the boat. During this time some of us shopped at the boutiques. Once we got on the boat we sat on the bow and watched as the beautiful islands went by– some being as small as a football field! The three hour boat ride flew by. Everyone was full of joy and had huge smiles as our island entered our view of the horizon. We were greeted on the beach by the staff singing and playing guitar. Giving the hugs, they gave us flower necklaces and coconuts with straw in them to drink. After, we were introduced to the amazing staff and went to our designated bungalows. Lunch was served and free time followed. It consisted of swimming and snorkeling. The reef here astonished many of us, We saw fish of every color and even a stingray! In the water, there is also an elevated platform that everyone jumped off. Once we finished out snorkeling, there was volleyball, soccer and tea time! After, we had a presentation on stereotypes and that there is always more than one story to something. We should not make any assumptions of people no matter where they come from. Dinner followed and was made up of fish soup, fish with sauce, veggies, mashed potatoes, and finished with pudding for dessert. After, we had mentor time, which is a time to discuss the day, our experiences, and life. Some of us laid out on the beach and stargazed. The night sky here is so surreal to all of us, After a long and exciting day, bedtime sounded great to all of us and we headed back to our bungalow looking forward to what the next few days hold.

Evan Mihalakakos

Tessa Salazar

June 16, 2017

Photos from Fiji:

June 17, 2017

On the morning of our first day in botaira we started off the day with a delicious, traditional Fijian breakfast prepared by the local staff of the resort; providing us with the energy to prepare us for the crazy fun adventures ahead.

We were separated into three groups, each given a different activity. In group one with Patrick, we went snorkeling in the beautiful Fijian coast to swim with manta rays, but unfortunately for us, there were none spotted in the area. So instead we helped relocate clams that were effected by the hurricane that occurred early last year to provide them with the sufficient sunlight they needed to grow.

In group 2 with Sam, we embarked on a nearly two hour hike up the center of the island, that led strait to the top of a mountain, parallel to another mountain to what the locals call the teddy bear. The hike took us to a small village where we bonded with each other and met several children of the island as well. They put on a little dance and had lunch with us. After the hike we took a boat back to enjoy some free time where we saw group 3 channeling their inner Fijian.

In group 3 with Lisa and Ms Tema, a leader in the Vinaka program, a published author, and an overall incredible and admirable woman– we dove deeper into their culture by learning some Fijian words and sentences that will later on help us during our service days in the village, and we were taught several different ways to tie a sulu–the traditional wrap worn by the Fijian people.

Our overall experiences these past five days have been absolutely breathtaking, and we are extremely grateful to have been welcomed into this amazing culture and given the opportunity to live like a real Fijian. We can’t wait to begin service on Monday to give back to this wonderful community.

Vinaka vaka Levu!

– Lu Gund and Macy McCormick

July 18, 2017

Lilly: My morning began with a lesson in Fijian language and proper tying of sulus after a healthy (and, of course, delicious) breakfast. The language is hard to get the hang of. Pronunciation is extremely difficult, especially with “g,” which, by the way, makes a “ng” sound. However, once one gets the hang of it, the language rolls right off the tongue. Midday was a marine adventure, in which my group and I dove deep into the coral reefs to search and take a tally of the sea creatures we spot. The water is incredible, absolutely beautiful and radiating with colors, just like the sunset we watched on the top of the island. I’ve taken two hikes in two days, walking and climbing to the to peaks, which are difficult, but completely worth while in the end.

Audrey: while Lilly was busy in her own group, I spent the day under water exploring the coral reef, we ran in to toothy needle fish and squishy sea cucumbers and a wide array of other sea creatures. After we took a lunch break, the rest of the afternoon was spent learning how to weave from native Fijians, we made jewelry and realized that all of the furniture we have been admiring is hand made and woven. After we had finished our jewelry, I got the opportunity to help out in the kitchen for tea time biscuits, the experience was wonderful and it felt so nice to be welcomed with open arms into their routine. The people here have and will continue to amaze me with their intense kindness and close knit community, I can’t wait to see what adventure we will go on next.

  Today was our first day of service! Last night, we were split into three groups: education, marine, and sustainably. As leader of the day, it was my responsibility to ensure that everybody was ready for their day of service. (This, however, was mainly just making sure that everyone had eaten their breakfast).

  To travel to the village of Gunu, we took a thirty minute boat ride, and were greeted upon arrival by the mayor of Gunu. Subsequent to this, we spilt into our groups–of which I was in marine–and began our service work.

  In the marine group, it was our responsibility to count certain fish, invertebrates, and coral reefs. Though the weather was windy and overcast, everyone in the group maintained a positive attitude, regardless of how chilly it got.

  Upon returning to home base, we had some free time to hang out and also play volleyball with the Fijian staff. We had a fun lesson about how to wash our undergarments by hand (we are now confident in doing this on our own for the rest of our time here). As the day came to a close, we broke into mentor groups and reflected on our day of service. Everyone was full of excitement for what is to come–despite whatever weather comes our way!

-Lilli Nilsson

Day 8

Today was our second day of service at the village and our second session with the kids at the primary school. We continued communicating with the children in English to further expand their knowledge. The children today were so motivated and engaged whilst reading and writing in their notebooks. In the sustainability group we poured hand made cement and attached the gutter to the house for our rain catchment system. Over all it was a very productive day of service for everyone involved.

P.S I love you mom ~Caden and Emily

Yet another day in paradise, also known as Botaira resort, we shared a meal gazing at the clear blue waters of Fiji and then set sail for our third and final day of our rotation of service! We took part in aiding in the further learning of English for grades 5-8. It was a magnificent experience growing a connection to the local children in the school and out and about the village. We ate yet another delicious meal prepared by the chief himself and the other local villagers. After lunch it was back to work and every team completed their service projects on time and with good hearts! It was back to Botaira for some much deserved relaxation on the sandy beaches of Naviti. At sunset our team engaged in a self journal session while watching the sun dip behind the horizon. Then yet another dinner was eaten together on the deck of the resort. After dinner we ambitiously discussed the upcoming service project the new groups will begin tomorrow! Now as we go back to our rooms with thoughts of helping others dancing through our minds we fall asleep to the lullaby of the ocean and all is well in paradise. 🏾️🇫🇯

Written by Sofia and Emma 

Today was the start of our new service rotation project. We dove into the different work projects with full force! Our groups are split into seven students in each group. The education program worked one on one with children (and shoutout to my parents Chrissy and Mark who helped me learn English to be able to now teach other kids). On the other 🤚 the sustainability team outlined the plastic and the gravel in preparation to place a new water tank. Last but never least, the marine team observed and collected data about the . We finally arrived home and played the Patty G (the spicy version) of telephone ️. In the middle of telephone, Seru came in and lit our worlds on fire because it was the first day of winter ️. Our concluding preparations ended with an amazing dinner and the movie Moana. Bless everyone and have an amazing night !!!

By Anouk and Claire N

It’s day five of our service projects in Gunu Village. The sustainability crew mixed and poured the concrete base of our second rain catchment system, and already started attaching the gutters to the roof. The education team got to spend the morning teaching the same kids as yesterday, only increasing the bonds between each volunteer and student. The marine team planted a record number of mangroves, reaching a total of 835 for the day. Although we haven’t known the locals long, they already seem like family. While the students at the school were busy playing sports in the afternoon, the education team got a special surprise, and helped Tema teach the kindergarteners.

Our boat ride back was much more eventful than usual. Halfway through, the engine gave out and we broke down all together. However, we were rescued very quickly by another boat and just ended up getting back to Botaira a little late (Fiji time). The rest of the afternoon was spent with lots of swimming and volleyball games. We wrapped up the day with a new meaning of the word leadership.

Written by Frances

After an exciting weekend full of adventures we are ready to bring it in and start service again. We had a great start to a new week! Today we did are last day of service in the previous groups. The sustainability group spent the day putting finishing touches on the water tank they built. With the start of drug awareness week the education group set off in there blue attire to teach new kids as well as old.  Meanwhile the marine kids Surveyed the amount of sea grapes in a given area as well as Watched while gabby caught a fish off the end of the boat. We all arrived back at Botaira after a long hour and 15 minute ride crammed in the small boat. Although the ride was long we finished the day with good spirits and the happy birthday song drilled into our heads. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANOUK‼️ -Sophia P. and Tessa S.

 

The day started with everyone at breakfast enjoying some cereal,  vegetables, and freshly picked fruit. After eating, we boarded the boat and headed towards our service location. Although there was a small hiccup with the boat engine dying halfway through the trip, we all persevered and got another boat to take us the rest of the way. Today was the first day of our 3rd and last rotation of service groups. The marine group did an outstanding job relocating nearly 1,300 mangroves, amazing! The sustainability group made a wooden frame and collected all the materials for the cement platform they will be making tomorrow. As for my and Macy’s group, which was education, we had the opportunity to meet some inspiring children that we had the privilege to teach and will continue teaching for 2 more days! After service concluded, we headed back to home base and had a leadership activity that challenged and bettered our communication and ability to cope with frustration. Dinner was served soon after consisting of freshly caught fish, chicken, veggies, and fruit. Mentor time followed, where various topics were discussed, and we all headed back to our bures, calling it day. Looking forward to what tomorrow holds for us!

-Evan and Macy

 

Date: July 24^th

Author: Alex Sanchez-International Director

Our last Sports Service Adventure group arrived in the Dominican Republic today! After picking everyone up from the airport, we traveled to Las Canas to get settled in to Home Base and took our first team picture on the beach. Dinner was a traditional Dominican meal of chicken, rice, beans and delicious fruits and veggies. We continued the evening with orientation to the program and some free time before bed. Looking forward to a challenging but fun hike tomorrow in Brison!

Date: July 25th

Authors: Cole & Racquel

Today we woke up to the great smell of eggs, toast, bacon, fruit, and homemade juice.  At 8:30 we took an excursion to Brison. We enjoyed a hike to the top of a very steep mountain, and halfway through, we met a lady selling limoncillos. In case you are unfamiliar, limoncillos are fruits that have a hard green casing. Once you break through the shell of the fruit there is a slimy seed covered with a fruit that tastes like grapefruit and lemon.  As we continued to walk up the mountain, we saw clay/rock terrain and the people of Brison.  We learned that kids walk 3 miles up a mountain every day to get to school.  After reaching the top of the mountain, a family provided us with fresh chicken and vegetables.  Once we finished, we took a photo atop the mountain and started back downhill to the.  We learned about the reforestation project that 7 Elements is implementing along the way.  Once we got to the bus, we took another long and hot ride back to our beautiful camp.

One we got back to home base, we went to the beach and got our first dip in the insane 75 degree ocean water.  In the water, we body surfed and found sand dollars. Although the beach was a great bonding experience, going back to the camp afterwards was even more rewarding.  We ate dinner and had some exquisite fried fish, lemonade, potatoes, and locally grown fruit.  Afterwards, our mentors read us our guardian angels. Guardian Angel is an exercise we do each day to provide positive reinforcement to each other.  We finished today with free time and team bonding around a bonfire at the lodge. This day was a surreal experience for all of us!!!

Date: July 27th

Authors: Lauren and Ethan

This morning we woke up to the sound of roosters and the fresh aroma of local food. After the delicious breakfast, everyone applied sunscreen and bug spray as we prepared to go to Caño Dulce.  At the service site we spent hours mixing concrete and finishing the rebound wall from the previous day of work. We dripped of sweat and hard work. As the service day was coming to an end, we had fun playing sports with the locals such as basketball and baseball. This included playing on the new basketball court that the previous GLA groups built. After working we came back, ate lunch and prepared for the water sports activities that soon followed. Our first activity was surfing where we shredded some gnarly waves. In particular, Ethan was able to get the wave of the day. Then we practiced some kite surfing with local instructors. Afterwards we cooled off in the pool before dinner. For dinner we had a traditional Dominican meal with a chicken and rice stew. Following dinner we had a great leadership lecture and identified our personal leadership qualities. After the lecture we enjoyed some free time and went star gazing with our personal photographer Mike.

Date: July 28th

Authors: Griffin and Jordyn

Right from the start, we embraced the day. From the get go, kids went out to enjoy the sunrise and surf the awesome Dominican water (shred the gnar). During this time, Mia and Jordyn accomplished the ever so difficult Wave of the Day™. We then devoured the delicious pancakes with honey from the local bee farm. Included with our lovely pancakes, we enjoyed fresh fruit and loveable bacon. We then lathered on our sunscreen and bug spray and set out to Caño Dulce. At the service site we finished almost all of the panels of our wall we have been working on to protect one man’s land from the neighborhood basketball court. Many kids played with the members of Caño Dulce community and enjoyed a game of basketball. Peter’s squad, including Jose, won against the powerful team of Zeke, Samuel, Edwin, Ethan, and Griffin. We then took a quick bus ride back to the home base to scarf down some grub (spaghetti, plantains, potatoes, and luxurious fruit). After, we went to the beautiful beach, swam in the crystal clear water and continued to learn how to kite surf. After the learning experience, we made our way back to the lodge and ate seasoned fish, rice, potato salad, ripe fruit, and avocados. Then a group of us went to watch the exquisite and beautiful stars. And now we write this eloquent blog post.

Date: July 30th

Authors: Mia and Payton

This morning we woke up to hot sunny side-up eggs, potatoes and fruit. Next, we headed down to the beach for surfing. The sound waves were calm, the sun was out all morning and a fantastic opportunity to get a tan. We went back to the lodge for a pre-lunch swim. For lunch we had chicken wings, broccoli and more potatoes. Then, we hopped on the bus to drive over to Caño Dulce. At Caño Dulce we finished the wall by the basketball court and threw cement on it. Some of us played basketball on the court with the local children. We came back after service for some down time and smelled the cooks preparing dinner. Dinner consisted of mushroom sauce chicken, mac and cheese, plantains and fruit.  Soon we read our guardian angel messages and listened to Walner’s life story. We ended the night with a nice walk on the beach under the stars.

Date: July 31st 

Authors: Rocky and Payton

This morning several of the GLA students went out to catch some gnarly waves and watch the sunrise while the others stayed asleep. For breakfast, we had eggs and Frosted Flakes (which Zeke argued weren’t actual “Frosted Flakes”). After breakfast, we loaded into the bus to continue our work in Caño Dulce. Once we arrived we began to sift sand so that we could put a finishing coat on the wall we had been building. While certain students worked on that project others began painting a new backboard for the basketball court. After a long day of work, we went back to the camp so that we could fill our tummies with grub before heading to play baseball with some of the locals. Two hours of bad bat swinging, lizard bites and laughter there was a torrential down pour. Those of us that had enough energy ran back to the camp while others walked in the rain. When we got back to the lodge we had the option to get our hair put in cornrows by a woman and her daughter who had been working in the area. Not only the girls looked cute with their braids but Kyle and Luis rocked their individual cornrow as well. After dinner and a lecture, the photographer who had been capturing our memories this past week came to say his fair wells as he gave a heartwarming speech which brought tears to our eyes. In conclusion to our great day we walked along the beach and gazed upon the stars.

 

Date: August 3rd

Authors: Zeke and Kyle

Today we started with a flash of home, with pancakes straight from the cooks’ pan. Then we returned to Caño Dulce and finished cementing our wall. While we were gone the local mason came and installed the backboard that we painted. One on the local men also bought a net to attach to the rim, and the court was finished. We are looking JUAN MARICHAL forward to tomorrow, which will be our last day in the town when we will be painting the wall and then playing basketball for the last time with the locals. We also took our last turn at kite surfing, another reminder that our trip is coming to an end soon. After a dinner of rice and chicken, we piled some of the wood that we have been gathering and had a bonfire so that we could mix with some of the other groups staying in our compound. After the fire burned out we split up back to our areas to get ready for bed.

All students in our group have made it safely to the lodge! They are getting settled in to life in the Dominican Republic, and looking forward to our nature walk tomorrow up Brison mountain!

Day 2

Sup parents,
Today we hiked Mt. Brison in the flaming hot sun. It was humid and muddy, but we set the record of reaching the peak at an hour and a half, faster than any other group. On the way up, we walked through different communities, saw a rooster fighting arena, and purchased multi-color wristbands. Once we got to the top, we shared lunch with a local family and enjoyed a beautiful view. Overall, it was a sweaty day, but we became closer as a group.

Lindsey and Josh

Day 4

Today we started off with pancakes for breakfast, I think many people were surprised to find that they gave us honey instead of syrup, but it was really good. After breakfast, we took two buses to the service site… we really enjoyed being the first bus to leave. Building the bottle wall for the basketball court in the hot sun was hard work but ultimately rewarding. Half of the group got engaged in a game of basketball with some of the local kids, it was great to see how people from two different cultures with two different languages could still interact with each other and have a friendly game of trash can basketball. It was also interesting to see how creative the local kids were, using a trash can as a basketball hoop since we were working on the basketball court. In the afternoon we enjoyed rice, beans and chicken… big surprise. It was so much fun when our kite-boarding plans fell through because of the wind, or lack there of. We chose to get tossed around by the waves instead. Day 4: a more successful day than the day 3 of success.

Your LODs,

Trevor and Laura

Day 5

Today we started the day off with the not so healthy coco puffs cereal. Alongside it we enjoyed fresh eggs and fruit. After breakfast, we went straight to service in Cano Dulce. We had so much fun getting our hands dirty in the cement while mixing it and putting it on the wall. It was so cool to see the Dominicans willingly get involved to help us help their community. Our other service we did today was painting the floor of the cabana. However, we may have to save that one for another day because of the pouring rain. This rain led us to the bee keeper where we learned about his bee hives and got to taste fresh honey. We all enjoyed playing basketball with some of the local children. After we got home from the tiring day of hard work, we all jumped into the warm ocean except for Carly, Finlay, Cade, Bridget, and Laura who got gnarly cornrows from the wonderful locals. Today was also special because we celebrated Jovanni’s birthday! We all signed a wonderful card for him and sang happy birthday at the bon fire. Overall, it was another fantastic day in the Dominican!
XOXO,
Abbie, Bridget and Duke

Day 6

Today we went to Dudu lagoon after a hardy breakfast. There, we were immediately greeted by a zip line which ended in a 35 foot jump. Everyone had a great time, even though a go-pro was lost and there were a few minor injuries. Other than this, we all had fun. We also went to another gorgeous lagoon and a cave that used to be a nightclub. We had lunch, which included the best chicken we had all trip. After we left the lagoon, we continued the adventure by going to a beautiful white sand beach where we purchased jewelry and enjoyed our pineapple drinks. Everyone was worn out after this adventurous day and we all hit the hay after dinner and a lecture. Everyone had so much fun taking a day off for cliff-jumping and beautiful beaches!

Your LODs,
Bridget and Eliot

Today was a great day full of sports! We started the day with a pancake breakfast topped with honey, we are started to get used to that flavor instead of the traditional syrup. Then we made our way down to the beach to get started surfing. Our surf instructor, Colin, taught us how the ways of the surf board. Meanwhile, others had fun playing in the ocean, whether that was body surfing waves in, or just chilling in the shallow end. After lunch, we were supposed to go down to the beach again to have our second lesson in kitesurfing. Unfortunately, the winds were not sufficient for optimal kitesurfing. Instead, we had a free day at the beach where some tried to improve their surfing skills while others enjoyed a nice soccer game on the beach. In the evening, all the GLA students gathered around to watch a documentary about the struggles of making it to the MLB for people of the Dominican Republic. It was very interesting to see how they persevered through their hard times and provided much money for their families.

Your LODs,

Caden and Christina

July 16, 2017

On this ridiculously humid summer morning in the Dominican Republic, we fueled our bodies with white eggs and cheese. We loaded into the bus to begin our full day of service. Where we continued to build the wall, and paint an obstacle course. We mixed more cement and continued to create bonds with the locals. While we were hard at work, a bell rang. It turned out it was the ice cream man!! We cooled off with our helado and headed back to work. At around 12 we broke for lunch. Which consisted of rice, beans, and chicken…again. When we finished out work, we came back to the lodge and went down to the beach to have more kite surfing lessons. We also had a competitive game of soccer. Today was Laura’s 18^th birthday. We celebrated with a hot and sweaty dance party and snacks. Can’t wait for the many more memories that are going to be made!

Your LODs,

Carly and Owen

Day 10

Day 10 started off with a morning surf adventure that was accompanied by an amazing sunrise. After the surfing journey, we arrived back to home base where we were welcomed with some flavor bread and eggs. Following breakfast, we marched back to the beach where we were forced to paddle out in the overly beautiful waters once more. After the exhausting, treacherous swim we went play to play baseball at a local pasture. Unfortunately, Mac mislead his teammates on his ability to play the sport “baseball” and became the worst player on the field. Then we attempted to fly a kite but then there was no wind so our plans of kiteboarding today were diminished. As the sad souls of the GLA camper once more headed back to the lodge, Camper Ethan lightened the mood by performing multiple belly flops as the others watched in awe and some confusion. Attached are some pictures of camper Ethan trying to kite board.

Your LODS,

Luke and Finlay

Day 11 also started off with some surfing early in the am. Not such an amazing sunrise due to the extreme clouds, but the surfing was just as good. After breakfast, we had a great two hour hot bus ride with hardly any room to move. We arrived at 27 Charcos and rode down only 12 because the other 15 were dried out ☹. Then we switched it up and ate at an actual restaurant that served the same things we’ve been eating for the past 11 days. Highlight of the day had to be restocking on our snacks. Huge grocery store with all the right goods. Overall still gonna give this day an A++.

Your LODs

Zoe and Cade

Day 11

Day 11 started off with a healthy and delicious breakfast consisting of cereal, eggs, bacon and fruit. Shortly after breakfast, we loaded on to the bus to Cano Dulce. Today was our last day in the community and we made the most of it: our portion of the wall was finished and relationships between us and the locals grew even stronger. After a sad goodbye, we headed back to the home base where we ate succulent fried chicken and veggies. We then went down to the beach for an afternoon of kitesurfing and tanning. We even had a soccer game going where Walner…obviously lost. As our trip comes to an end, we are especially grateful for the relationships made with the locals and our small yet influential impact on Cano Dulce.

Your LODS,

Carson and Olivier

Wednesday, July 19, 2017,

Started with an alarm clock at 5:26 in the morning. You may have heard about other kids waking up early to go surfing, but my reason was much different.  I grabbed the massive dung beetle hiding in our cabin safe, and I set out for the cabin of boys next door… Before I ran over, I made sure the dogs, Ernie, Terny, and Berny were off duty. Once I confirmed I was not going to have to go on a early morning chase down con los perros, I sprinted over to cabin. I meticulously opened the creaky cabin door with the assistance of my cameraman, Josh. I snuck over to Dukes bed and gently placed the palm sized sucker onto his baggy cargo shorts. I bolted out of the room with the growing urge to break out laughing.  This may seem like a stupid and mean prank, but what comes around goes around. Karma bit duke on the butt this time.

At 8 we had a special meal. Instead of having rice we ate beans. Man I love those beans. After breakfast, we relocated towards the beach. Colin created a team obstacle course, our team took a heavy loss. After defeat, I tried to surf in tough ocean conditions. That ended in a defeat as well. Getting smacked in the face before even attempting to stand up drains persistence and dedication. At least I tried. We hung out on the beach until lunch came around. Lunch is like Christmas. The parents usually give more presents than they receive. I always end up in the back of the lunch line for whatever reason, and I am always forced to clear and put away everyone’s plates! Later in the day, the group went kite surfing. I finally learned how to stand up!!! (barely)  Beach life is hard. The sun is hot and leaves something called sunburns on gringos who forget to put on sunscreen. In agonizing pain, I ran home and spent the next thirty minutes lathering myself in Josh’s aloe. I worship aloe and so does Jonathan in his bible studies. Well today was a great day, well how could it not be? We are in a beautiful country and I am surrounded with 22 newish friends. I often realize how near the end is. We will keep in touch after this memorable trip. Well gotta scat, I think I hear dinner calling my name. I heard we will be having rice and chicken!

See you soon mom,

Ethan Baram

June 22, 2017

Everyone is here and happy at the beach! Tomorrow is our first full of service and we can’t wait!

Day 2

The first day of service was an unfamiliar, yet interesting experience. Although work was difficult, seeing the smiles on the local children’s faces made it worth while. We made great progress on the refinishing of the community’s basketball court, met new Dominican friends, and saw the process of making local honey. We had to wake up at 8:00AM which was hard to adjust to in a unfamiliar time zone, then tried new food like fried cheese for breakfast, learned how to mix concrete, sweat bullets in the hot sun and humidity, learned how to communicate with a language barrier, swam in the refreshing ocean, and learned about the importance of human security. We learned the importance of teamwork, to be open minded, and the feeling of accomplishment after a day of hard work.

Day 4

Today, we carried numerous bags of cement, sand, and water to the basketball court the second we got to the community. We created the cement and finished paving the basketball court. We came back to base camp for a lunch of pork, fruit, and rice and beans. After lunch we split up into groups to learn how to surf and kite surf. The surf group learned how to mount a surf board in one of the pools, well the kite surf group practiced safety procedures and learned how to maneuver the kite/parachute. Then the groups switched. After this we enjoyed some time relaxing by the pool followed by an American dinner of chicken tenders and french fries. Then we discussed key qualities of a leader and what qualities we possess.

DAY 4

Today, we finished the basketball court for the Caño Dulce community and painted the lines. We also painted an obstacle course for the little children of the community. During this experience we really bonded with the kids. We played stick ball (their form of baseball) with them. We were all sad to say goodbye. ​After that, we continued our training for kite-surfing and surfing. Some of us were even able to stand up on the surf board! This took about 5 hours. Tonight, we learned two cultural dances called marengue and bachata with two local teachers. We had a ton of fun and are looking forward to tomorrow.

June 27, 2017

Today we went to Dudu lagoon, about an hour drive away. Almost everyone chose to participate in a thirty foot high zip line, dropping into the water. It was so fun! We also played volleyball and soccer at the lagoon, and explored an old cave bar. We then drove to a beautiful beach, Playa Presciosa, with smaller waves, and less of a current than the beach near the lodge. We drank pineapple smoothies on this beach, and they were very yummy. We had a blast today!

Day 8

Hello parents and guardians,

Today we had a fantastic time surfing in the morning and kitesurfing for a little bit in the afternoon due to the thunderstorms that rolled in around three. The surf this morning was great and nearly everyone was able to catch a wave, but before we begun to surf we of course had to have a fun relay! The mix of both counselors and students participating in the race provided an entertaining and very close finish to a fun morning. We look forward to exploring the waterfalls tomorrow after having such a fun day today!

Day 9

Today was very exciting! We had a little bit of an earlier morning, waking up at 7:00 am. We promptly ate and got on the bus for a two-hour bus ride to 27 charcos! This means 27 waterfalls. Once we got there, we got our life jackets and helmets, walked on a short hike, and then jumped and slid down waterfalls! It was incredible! On the way home, we saw a long line of college or high school (it was undetermined) graduates who all looked absolutely beautiful. We all clapped and cheered for them and most of them smiled. We then made it to the grocery store, bought some candy and food, and went back to the lodge. After some funny guardian angels (it was opened up so anyone could write any to anyone) Michaela had an amazing lecture about poverty. Hope your day was as fantastic as ours! Unfortunately we could not take any pictures due to the adventurous nature of our day!

Charlotte

July 2, 2017

Dear parents,

This morning we woke up 8am with breakfast at 8:30am. This morning we got to play on the finished basketball court against the locals. I’m pretty sure the locals won most of the games that were played but it was all smiles all morning. In the afternoon, we went kitesurfing. The wind was good and strong, a couple people even got up on the boards for the first time!  Overall we had a really great day!

Clara

Introduction

GLA’s Global Health Initiative program is a primer for studying medicine or public health in the developing world. A university-level program, it’s designed to give a progressive experience— challenging preconceptions of health with new experiences, and guidance from attending medical and public health professionals working in the field.

Global Health Initiative Itinerary

Please note: Activities may happen on different days due to weather or community needs. This is a tentative itinerary.

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Blog Updates

After arriving at the airport in Santo Domingo, we gathered with our GLA peers and staff and ate some food. With our new friends and mentors, we boarded a bus and traveled to La Zona Colonial where we stayed at Hostal Primaveral. We took a trip to a pizzeria and walked through the colonial zone and visited the plaza to conclude our night.

The next day we ate breakfast and enjoyed some naturally made jams and juices! We began our journey to our home base in Barahona, this took about 4 hours, but we stopped at a local restaurant in Azua and ate some delicious rice, fried chicken, yucca, and fruit. Upon arrival at El Hotel Quemaito, we settled into our rooms and ate a phenomenal dinner. We had orientation and concluded with our mentor group.

To begin Day 3, we ate eggs, pancakes, bread, jam, mango juice, and scrumptious fruit. Afterwards we gathered our tools and headed to Cachon to help in creating a laboratory for the clinic in the community. Our work consisted of cementing the roof and walls. Along with our hard work we interacted with the children from the neighborhood. After departing to the home base, we had free time and some of the staff took us to the beach. The beach was surreal and very blue! Then, we were introduced to the 7 elements of human security by Jonathan and learned about global health with Chelsea. These lessons will greatly enhance our learning and understanding throughout the program!

By: Maria and Ani

Today was our Medical Orientation Day training. We had breakfast: oat meal, fried cheese, ham, toast and mango. At 9:00 am, we set out for the clinic: Los Patos. We drove through beautiful scenery of crystal blue water and beaches. We spoke to a nurse and two doctors about the healthcare in the Dominican Republic and the programs the clinics offer. They were very welcoming and happy we were there. We headed back to our beachside hotel and ate Pastelón de Plátano Maduro. It was by far a favorite. We began clinical training with a lecture followed by a clinical simulation presented by Doctor Thomas. We practiced our medical brigade, had some free time, then ate dinner. After that, we watched Poverty Inc. and discussed our ideas on the topics presented in the film. Needless to say, it was an amazing day!

Date: 8/12/2017

Today we got the opportunity to go to the Haitian-Dominican Center. There, we helped construct a multi-purpose room to the building, and played with the local community members. People who were on construction were mixing cement and spreading it on the walls. The people playing with the kids were doing activities like playing volleyball to running around with the children to having dance lessons. The Haitian- Dominican center is a refuge for Dominicans of Haitian descent or Haitian immigrants. This place helps them obtain information about their rights and resources. Michelle is the leader of the center and advocates for all people who enter the center. He is an amazing man and got to learn a lot from him in our Q&A session. We learned about the prejudice Haitians face in this country an how people like Michelle are helping them. After this, we got to go to the beach by our hotel and participate in a leadership activity which taught us about active listening. We had to figure out how to interpret information from people using limited information and come up with creative ways to communicate. Overall it was a great and eventful day!

>Authors: Christina Martin & Sophia Adeghe

 Date: 8/13/2017

This morning we woke up to a power outage that was caused by a tropical storm that was hitting the southern coast of the DR. We didn’t let this stop us from enjoying our adventure day! After yet another delicious breakfast, we headed out to the manroe river. To get to this river, we had to hike up a very challenging, steep hill. When we arrived at the river we were all super excited to jump into the crystal clear water. We took many pictures in our “traje de banos muy bonitos” and explored the rocks and area around us.
For lunch, we went back to the hotel and ate chicken and pasta. Then, we headed back out to the city of Barahona for an exciting scavenger hunt around the city. For this scavenger hunt we had to try local ice cream, find out information about local drinks, and learn more about the city. We truly enjoyed the Dominical culture and the authenticity of local life. After we had a fulfilling grocery shopping experience where we got to load up on snacks. We ended this fun excursion day with dinner and a movie- Another great day in the DR!

Authors: Jane Coghlan and Yue (Alex) Yin

We started our day with breakfast of Fruit Loops and fresh pineapple, and then departed to renovate a lab in the community “Cachon”. First, we worked by sifting through a pile of sand to pull out rocks to refine the sand, then mixed it with cement and water to make the cement a toothpaste consistency. After we started to paint the walls of the lab with the newly made cement. While others were mixing cement, the others were playing soccer with the local kids. Another group scraped off the excess hardened cement on the roof of the lab. Then, at 12:00PM we had lunch, which consisted of pork, rice, beans and salad. Afterwards, the groups switched and we continued work on the lab. Once we were done working, we packed up and road home with DJ Suvar playing music in the bus all the way back to home base. When we arrived, there was a group of merchants that was selling a local rock unique to the Dominican Republic called Larimar. It came in various forms, such as bracelets, necklaces and earrings. They also sold paintings and T-shirts. Dinner time soon arrived which consisted of salad, fruit, tostones and vegetables. Then, we started a lesson on a dance called “Merengue”, which is a traditional Latin American dance. This lesson turned into a miniature dance party, topped of with Keah’s birthday celebration where we ate cake and danced. Finally, we broke off into mentor groups to discuss our day and our general thoughts on the trip so far.

Authors:Kennedy Allan and Jonathan Buckner
Date written: 8/13/17

**Hello, family and friends! DR is receiving severe rain causing the internet to be down. The staff is having a hard time getting blog posts updated! The kids are safe and having fun. Please stay tuned for more updates soon.**