PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things to know and expect:
- Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
- We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.
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 post!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 12
Hello family and friends, We made it! Yes what a long trip but we are happy to inform that we arrived home safely, and we were warmly welcomed by our gla family!
We are tired, not gonna lie, but we are very excited for the new adventures yet to come!!
We had an amazing welcome dinner hosted by our very kind local staff, which allowed us to get a taste of Balinese food.
Terimakasi that means thank you in Indonesian! We will keep you updated!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 13
Day 2 was our first full day together in Bali. Our orientation session asked us to reflect upon why we are here and the expectations of the program.
After that, we delved into a session hosted by our local staff on Balinese culture! After a delicious lunch of “gado gado” at homebase, we had a language class to prepare us to interact with locals. We also identified our values and set a community agreement for our very own “banjar” – a term used to describe a community meeting space here in Bali.
Finally, we had a scavenger hunt around Ubud that had us interacting with locals. We ventured out into the local communities to get an idea of traditions and customs like the common ritual of leaving offerings. To top it all off, we had our welcome dinner which included a very special performance from traditional Balinese dancers.
What a day!! Tomorrow is an early start, so we’re getting some much needed rest.
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14
Hi Families!
We had an action packed day starting at 6:30 am! We took a short bus ride to see the rice paddies and went on a herbal walk to see lots of awesome plants! Then we went to the temple and participated in a water purification ceremony. Following that we had a yummy lunch at an all you can eat buffet (delish :))
We then all hopped back onto the bus and drove to a coffee plantation where we learned about how coffee is made and even got to sample some different coffees and teas. Finally we drove to the Blahbatuh Royal Palace where we were given a tour and learned about the families that live there. We then had a wonderful dinner with the princess who answered all of our questions and told us about what it’s like being part of royalty.
To end the night we stopped by the local market to pick up some of our favorite snacks before heading back to the home base for the evening!
Having so much fun
Liv!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15
Hey y’all!
We started off the day with a stroll over to the Banjar for a workshop! First, we got to learn how to play basic Balinese Gamelan music and how to perform the Balinese “welcome” dance. Then, we learned how to make two different designs of offerings and got to help carve our names on wooden plaques!
After heading back to the Homestay for lunch, we participated in a group activity where we discussed both the pros and cons of social media. We then learned about the danger of the “single story” and what solutions we have to offer.
Finally, we took a bus ride to the PKP Community Center where the founder shared with us her inspiring story, and we got a tour of the center and surrounding plant life. We then did guided meditation and yoga followed by a delicious dinner and performance of the center’s songs, which we then performed as well!
We had lots of laughs and so much fun!
-MJ
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16
Hi Families!
We began our day with a quick breakfast. We took a bus ride to visit the Magi Farm organization where we learned all about how maggots can be an environmentally clean way of decomposing food waste. Then we got to be a part of cooking meals for the hard working communities. Then we got to eat the extra food that we made for lunch. Following that we took a trip to the warehouse where we learned the process in which the maggots decompose the food waste.
We then all hopped back onto the bus and drove to the landfill where we learned about the harsh realities of the communities on the landfill. After we handed out the meals we made to the community. Next we drove back to homebase where we reflected on what we had seen and talked about what we can do to prevent this and take action. We then had an amazing dinner with a bunch of yummy foods.
Finally To end the night we drove to some futsal courts where we got to play soccer with each other. Then we headed to base for the night.
Super stoked to be here
Parker!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17
Greetings friends and family of GLA students,
Today was a day of firsts, first day at the beach, first day of service, and first time preparing to teach at the school. We visited the Mangroves in Bali where we picked up trash. Adventure was added through the stand-up paddle boards we used to maneuver around the many branches that garbage was clinging to. A few crabs attempted to grab a ride in the trash-collection baskets as well as on a few boards. After a somewhat tumultuous ride back to shore, we sorted plastic that infested the mangroves. It was tough to confront the reality of how big our trash problem is. We eventually got rewarded for our hard work with some well deserved free time on the beach. Some used it to shop, while others explored the beach’s options for alternative transportation. Soon after, we arrived back at home where we began preparing our future lessons for the upcoming service at the school. Dividing the workload amongst three groups, we diligently began to formulate fun and engaging lessons for our future classes. We rounded out the day with mentor groups that lead to two very different, very unconventional games of Headbands.
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18
Hi families!
Today we got up and had breakfast from 7-8 am before beginning our 3 hour bus ride to our new home stay. Along the way, we stopped at a beautiful temple surrounded by lake and had an hour to walk around and explore! We then walked across the street for lunch before finishing the last 2 hours of our drive to the new home stay.
Once we got to the home stay we had some time to organize our stuff and appreciate the air conditioned rooms along with a pretty cool outdoor shower/bathroom area, and then walked across the street to the beach for our swimming test which we all passed. After that, we had some time to hang on the beach where we did a leadership activity that had us reaching for water bottles together until our sunset boat ride at around 5:30 pm. We saw some breathtaking views along with the chance to jump in off the boat and swam for a while.
Once we got back to the honestly we had dinner and then walked to a nearby market for some snacks then came back and went to bed. We have an early day tomorrow!
-Shailee
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19
Hi friends and family,
Today we had an early wake up. We met at the Sudi Guest House base at 6:45 am, gathered our bags, reviewed the schedule, then headed to the bus at 7:00 am. Today was our first service day at the Biosphere center where we had a lot of service and adventure planned.
To begin the day Biosphere greeted us with a yummy breakfast which then carried on into a short presentation teaching us about the reef to ridge ideology. It was then time to pile back into the bus which then drove us to shrimp and salt flats. We were taught that these have negative effects in the ecosystem. We toured the sight and learned about how the mangroves are a key part of Bali’s overall protection to habits, erosion, and prevent the intrusion of saltwater into our aquifers
Next we had time to rest and many of us took that as an opportunity to nap, and eat snacks. Following this we headed into the “forest” where we cut bushes and leaves to make compost. The Biosphere staff operated the machine while we piled and watered the compost. We were given time to wash our hands, and rest some more before we embarked on our hiking journey. We saw beautiful landscapes, but were also cut up by one or two thorns.
Finally we all gathered for a buffet dinner, and learned some more while we watched a short documentary regarding Biosphere, and how it has been utilized in the past.
Having a blast,
-Ev
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20
We started our day at the Biosphere Foundation with a yummy breakfast. We then began our service by identifying & uprooting invasive species, this was followed by helping Biosphere dig swales. After our hard work, the chefs treated us to steamed brownies and lunch! We never go hungry here!
After a bit we traveled to the beach and listened to a presentation from BioRock, a non profit organization focusing on coral restoration. We learned that coral is an animal, among other things. After the presentation we got to see the coral in action, snorkeling through it; as well as star fish, urchins, and a great variety of fish!
Following our sea adventure, we went to a restaurant on the beach. Everyone was craving some American food, so we got burgers, pasta, fries, etc.
We then walked back to home base and everyone took a very much needed shower, and we ate some more!
After our second dinner we finished prepping for our teaching tomorrow. The kids are in for a very colorful, marine oriented, and most importantly fun day!!
Alanna
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21
Hello friends and family!
Hopefully you are still surviving without us. Day 10 was full of fun! We started the day off at an intro to diving. To prepare for our Discover Scuba adventure, we tried on our wet suits, goggles, fins, and vests. We can’t wait to go into the under water world. Some even said “they hope to see some turtles!”.
Speaking of the turtles, we then headed over to the turtle hatchery where we enjoyed some breakfast. After eating our food we had the opportunity to meet the original Chris Brown. He told us many stories about his life and what lead him to starting a turtle hatchery in Bali, Indonesia after growing up in Sydney, Australia. We all enjoyed looking at the beautiful baby turtles as well as the adult. The place even had a little shop where some of us bought some souvenirs! We then made our way back to the homestay to take some time to finalize our teaching prep as well as enjoy some lunch.
After lunch we made our way to the school! We were all super excited to spend some time with the kids. After taking a lot of time to prep we finally got to be in action. We split the kids into three groups. Shailee, Mary Jane, and Parker taught the kids some sports and games. They played football, red light green light, and much more. Olivia, Alanna, and Julia got to teach the kids how to make fish puppets in art class.
Lastly, Karri, Evelynn and I got to teach the kids english. We learned how to say greetings, express emotions, and the YMCA dance! We headed back to the homestay for some dinner and a group game of uno. After a day full of fun we ended the day enjoying some treats from the ice cream shop and some mentor group time. We can’t wait for the other adventures that are coming in the last few days!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22
Hi friends and families!
We had an amazing day today for our last day in Pemuteran. We started our stay bright and early when we learned some basic scuba diving skills in a pool before heading to the beach for the real deal. We dove right off the beach and explored the amazing Biorock artificial reef structures. The reef was so alive and beautiful and some of us even saw turtles, sting rays, lion fish, and so much more.
After our underwater adventure, we relaxed on the beach and had a great lunch on the sand. We had some fun free time where we got to swim around and rest for a bit. Some of us headed over to a near by restaurant to grab a drink and enjoyed the company of adorable puppies!
We then headed back to home base for a GLA session where we got to understand more about ourselves and our leadership habits. After that we got some downtime before heading to dinner. Dinner was at a lovely restaurant right on the beach where we enjoyed delicious Balinese food and finished the night dancing to the live music under the full moon.
Having so much fun!
-Julia
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25
Hello Dear Families,
Today was departure day! Time to say goodbye to this beautiful land we called home for the last two weeks.
The past few days were memorable, we ended our session with a beautiful waterfall excursion, karaoke night, surf and a breathwork session (which many of us fell in love with).
Our closing ceremony asked us to reflect and understand as a group how powerful our BANJAR MOLA MOLA was, and how we were committed to reaching our common goal. And it goes without saying that we all had a life changing experience! We are leaving Bali with a big smile, unforgettble memories and a new group of friends we won’t ever forget.
We are going back home with a completely new perspective on our daily choices, and a more connected and spiritual soul.