TIME CAPSULE LETTER
Written by John Dewald, International Director
Most wonderful GLA students,
How are you? How’s life been post-GLA? Things are good for me, but I miss Bali.The time we spent together was incredible. I have so many memories with all of you that I am going to hold on to for a very long time.
I’m writing this letter to help you remember all of the wonderful times we had together and to check in on how you’re doing with your goals. You went home with personal goals as well as the group goal of playing a larger role in your community and being a catalyst for inspiring others to get involved in service. In your words, you wanted to go home and “full send” things. You wanted to not overthink, to get things done, and to inspire others. I loved your goal.
How’s it going? I’m sure you’re doing a great job getting it done. If not, it’s never too late to start. Think of this as a little friendly reminder to keep staying after it. It’s a little nudge, nudge. Go get things done. Make the change in the world that I know all of you are capable of.
I want you to close your eyes for a second and think about your favorite memories from GLA this summer. Let yourself slip back into memories. I want you to feel like you are back in the moment. Remember what it looked like, what it sounded like. Was the sun on your face or the wind in your hair? Are your toes in the sand? Are there chirping birds or music playing in the background? Remember the moment as best as you can with as many details as possible. Make it
something you will carry with you forever.
Some of my favorite memories from the program are working with the medical students on the health checks, chow circles, karaoke, snorkeling and scuba diving in Amed, seeing monkeys, laughing with Beni, hanging out with Skylar, Clara, Ketut, and Dayu, surfing Bali, singing and dancing on the bus, delivering food to people in need at the dump, and just walking down the street in Bali as I listened to all of the sounds, smelled all of the smells, and marveled
at the beauty of the houses, temples, and shrines. I hope I can hang onto these moments forever. It is memories like these that make us feel alive.
When you finish reading this, I want you to send a message to a friend from the program that you haven’t talked to recently. Tell them you miss them, share your favorite memory with them, or laugh at John’s letter. The important thing is to make that connection. All of you made some great friends this summer, and I want those friendships to stay alive. Relationships matter, they are worth the work. You shared so many memories with each other that it would be a shame to let those friendships fade.
Remember Bali, remember your goals, and remember your friends. Go out and get things done. Remember, when in doubt, full send it. I hope all of you are making the most of life. Enjoy yourselves for me.
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
This blog is for the Bali split session starting July 2, 2023, which includes both the 14-day and the 21-day student groups.
Here are a few things you can expect:
- 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.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- 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.
Cell Phone Policy: The GLA cell phone policy is currently in place this summer to help foster meaningful connections between students. This means your student’s phone will be collected every day and returned to them after activities are completed to have with them through the night. Actual tech times and regularity will vary greatly by program location and time zones. During designated ‘tech time’, your student may use their phones as they wish. Please note that your student may not always choose to use this time to get a hold of their parents. If you are not hearing directly from your student each day, you can assume that no news is good news! We strongly recommend you follow the blog to follow your students’ experience without talking to them every day. If you are a parent and would like to get in touch with your student directly, you can call us at +1-619-758-3031 and we can set up a formal time for you to connect with your student.
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 JULY 2
It was a great day! It took some of us longer than others, but after a long day of travel, we all made it to homebase by last night to join the group and get settled into our beautiful homebase in Mas, a village just outside Ubud, Bali.
Being here is like living in a dream. The architecture is incredibly ornate. Everyone is always smiling. The air is filled with incense and the sounds of ceremonies. The food is delicious. Palm trees blow in the wind as kites soar overhead. The group is great. And I’ll say it one more time, the food is delicious.
Today we did both GLA and Bali Institute orientation then did a lesson in Bahasa and Balinese to help prepare us for interacting with the local community. After that, we went into town to do a scavenger hunt. It was so much fun interacting with locals and learning more about Balinese culture.
This evening we were invited to join a traditional Balinese ceremony for students to celebrate our arrival in Bali. We all wore sarongs and sashes and got a chance to go into the family temple. It was a once in a lifetime experience.
We have a great day planned for tomorrow, and we can’t wait to tell you about it in the next blog. We will be posting blogs every couple of days, so keep your eyes peeled for the next update.
Terima Kasih!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Written by Mentors, Skye & Clara
Hi everyone!
After three unforgiving days of torrential rain, the students woke up at 6am to sunshine! For our first group excursion, we took an herbal walking tour through Ubud’s picturesque rice paddies, and learned about the medicinal properties of native plants like turmeric and coconut. We visited an herbal store afterwards where students loaded up on natural creams, teas, and soaps… so expect some awesome late Fathers/Mother’s Day gifts! We then toured the infamous Tirta Empul Water Temple and learned how families from all over Bali use this temple’s natural spring water for all their ceremonies. Lunch was a delicious Balinese buffet overlooking Mount Batur! After, we went to a Luwak Coffee Farm where students had the chance to taste 15 different teas and coffees— including the iconic Luwak coffee!
After our amazing coffee tour, we headed back to homebase and had some free time to relax for a bit before going to our royal palace tour!!
We wore our sarong and sashes where we headed to one of the royal palaces in Ubud where we got a tour and also had dinner with the king and princess. We were welcomed with an amazing iced drink and cassava and coconut snack. The tour around the palace was absolutely stunning. We even had a chance to take some photos around the different quarters of the palace. After, we had a fantastic dinner with the princess and King that consisted of chicken skewers, corn fritters, lumpia, green beans, soup, and rice. After eating, we had a chance to ask questions to the princess and King! After, we took a group photo and had a chance to personally interact with the king and princess.
After the amazing dinner and tour at the royal palace, we had mentor groups for the first time. We also presented leaders of the day: Lia and Sydney! Woohoo!
Overall, we had a great day exploring Ubud and cannot wait for the rest of the trip!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Written by Sydney & Lia
Today we started off our day visiting the banjar (a community meeting place close to our homestay) and learned how to dance, play an instrument, make an offering, and carve our names in wood. We then learned the health issues of Indonesia and bettered our understanding of what we can do as volunteers in this country and how we can implement what we learned here, to better our communities at home. We met the medical students that we will be working with for the next few days for our service project and wrapped up our time exchanging silly dances and a rigorous game of rock paper scissors. We are looking forward to our first day of service tomorrow!!
Apologies for small photos, we will try to update with the full size versions!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Written by Hannah and Lizzie
Today we started our morning at home-base with breakfast and music before heading out to explore the natural birthing clinic. We had the opportunity to speak to the founder of the Bumi Sehat organization Robin Lyn and get an inside perspective on the natural practices the clinic provides for the community. This includes, acupuncture, maternal healthcare, as well as support for mother throughout the entire pregnancy all for free. We had a very interesting discussion about the US health care system and it’s effect on expecting mothers and babies.
Next we came back to home-base for a delicious lunch and soon embarked on our next journey; our first service day with the Balinese medical students, where we ventured into homes in the community and had the privilege to connect with locals and provide healthcare. We took blood pressure, checked their water for mosquito larvae to alleviate the threat of dengue, and practiced our Bahasa. After service we had dinner, showered, changed, and ventured into downtown Ubud see a cultural Legong dance performance. It was a great day and we are looking forward to our next day of service!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Written by Leaders of the Day: Penelope & Ruthie
Today we woke up to a beautiful rainy morning and got ourselves ready for a packed day. We first visited an NGO that provides a boarding school for children with disabilities, trying to destigmatize disabilities in the Balinese community, and helping empower these people to take charge of their lives. The residents of the boarding school led us in a drum circle where we laughed, learned how to unite as a group through music, and played simple but fun rhythms. We toured the facility and then left to get ready for service.
Service left us soaked but we persevered! We walked along Ubud in the rain, assisting Balinese medical students in health checks on locals. We learned how to check blood pressure and got to exercise our Bahasa language skills with the friendly locals. It was very exciting to be practicing medicine, even if on a minimal scale, in the real world. Taking part in the service for the second day definitely challenged us, but it also strengthened our passions for playing a role in the medical field and helping those in need.
We then had mentor groups where we journaled and reflected on our day. After, we had another delicious dinner which consisted of noodles, chicken skewers, veggies, and chips. We were then surprised with our evening activity, futsal! Futsal is a game similar to soccer. We went to an indoor futsal field where we had a fun tournament. Beni, our local director also surprised us with boba!
Overall, we had a great day and cannot wait for tomorrow.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Written by Nico & Makenzi
This morning some of us started out the day with a run with beni, where we really experienced a tour of the neighborhoods of ubud. with the rain sprinkling on us for most of the morning, we stayed cool and energized. afterwards, everyone met for breakfast at the home base. our group activity was a debate, which helped us learn each other’s leadership skills. after watching a brief presentation about balinese healers, we took buses to a local healer’s home. she shared her experience in becoming a healer, and her role entails. a small group of us were even able to have a one on one sit down with the healer, which was really amazing! then, we stopped for coffee at local cafes. after returning to home base, we ate lunch together and got ready for service. today was our last day, which was such a bummer since we all enjoyed working with the medical students and helping the locals. when we got back, we checked the medical bags and i outed our data from the patients into a computer base. we finished off the day by having dinner, packing up for amed, and watching a movie on plastic waste and it’s harm to the ocean, so that we can be conscience tourists at the beach in Amed.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Written by Connor & Charlize
Today we left Ubud, and drove to Amed to stay at a resort which was a 2 hour drive. The first part was about 1 hour, stopping at the Tirta Gangga Water Palace to explore some incredible scenery and have spectacular lunch consisting of rice, noodles, and even a hint of some American food.. french fries! The scenery was beautiful with crystal clear waters and high mountains with many trees.
The next and final stop was Amed Beach, and on the way there we had amazing views of the ocean and mountains. When we got to Amed, we did swim checks in the pool and we were able to get into the beach for a couple hours to have some fun! We then got fitted for snorkeling gear and prepare for our sunrise boat ride and snorkeling tomorrow, and had dinner which was wonderful!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Written by Zeke and Avery
Today was one of the most relaxing but rigorous yet. The day was full of adventure, curiosity, and service. We started the day off at 5:45 am with a beautiful sunrise boat tour. Groups of three people got in one of the most unique and smallest boats. We watched as the sun rose over the horizon and the majestic volcano was lit by the sun. We then arrived at our snorkeling destination. We all got geared up and eagerly jumped in. Immediately swarms of fish and heads of coral surrounded us and left us breathless, and that’s why we had snorkels. Some of us swam down and saw spectacular purple starfish. Some people were stung by jellyfish tentacles floating around in the water but the beauty outweighed the pain.
We jumped on the boats and headed back to our home stay. What followed was the most relaxing hours we’ve had on the trip. Some people laid by the pool and soaked up the sun while others went to get coffee.
Soon after lunch we went to a Balinese elementary school and taught them about hygiene, exercise, and nutrition. We previously made posters and presented the posters followed with games and activities. The children were all welcoming and excited. The school was very different from what we were use to and reminded how blessed we are to have the facilities that we have at home. We then provided them with some school supplies and headed back to the hotel.
We ate dinner at a new Thai restaurant close to the hotel. We then came back to do chow circle. Chow circle was immediately followed by relaxing pool time and games with the whole group.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Written by Leaders of the Day: Emma & Evie Mar
Today was an event full day full of fun and relaxation, most importantly we went scuba diving! This was an impactful but safe way to test the depths of our comfort zones and push us to try new things. For many of us this was our first time, no matter the outcome each of us found a lot of enjoyment. Many groups saw turtles, fish and even a few sharks! We starts with a training in the pool and went into the ocean next. This gave us a chance to build up our confidence and test out all of the gear needed for diving. We then went to two different spots, some more experienced divers even had the opportunity to swim through a ship wreck. We all enjoyed see the variety of coral and underwater plants.
The rest of our day was filled with relaxation. Between the beach and the pool there are many spots to lay and talk with friends. Some of us were even able to get a 7$ massage at the hotel! This rest was much needed after the scuba diving. We ended our day enjoying the night with our friends and spending our last night in Amed. Tomorrow we are off, back to Ubud!
See you soon!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Written by Leaders of the Day Tereza & Alana
Our day began with eager anticipation as we prepared to return to our home base in Ubud. Before departing at 8:30 am, we enjoyed a delightful final breakfast in Amed. As we embarked on the bus, our journey was filled with joyous moments of singing, dancing, and much-needed rest. Along the way, we made a captivating stop for our main activity of the day: an awe-inspiring hike through Bali’s lush tropical forests and scenic rice paths.
After a thrilling hike that left us with cherished memories, we reached an indigenous village. There, we savored a delicious lunch and had the opportunity to learn intriguing facts about a culture that sadly faces the risk of fading away as the years pass. Immersed in the experience of the hike and the indigenous village, we spent a few hours exploring and made a pit stop at Indomart for snacks.
Finally, we arrived at our familiar and beloved home base, which instantly felt like home. We settled in and engaged in several leadership activities tailored to our unique personalities and leadership styles. To conclude the day, we participated in a moving dance party, creating memories that will be cherished forever.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
Written by Giuliano and Sophia
Today we started our day with some optional exercise lead by our mentor Clara. We then had breakfast and talked to one another. Yesterday was our mentor Beni’s birthday so today we surprised him by performing a dance and giving him a handmade card. Afterward we learned more about our mentor John’s NGO called “Full Belly Brazil“ and how it applied to our service today.
For service today we packed and prepped a variety of ingredients in order to create meals for people who lived in a land-field. The meal that we created included white rice, chicken, vegetables (peas and carrots), tempeh, egg, and tofu. After we packaged the meal through the assembly line we then drove to the land field and distributed the meals to the individuals who were located there. We then later had a discussion about the service we did and how we felt about the service. After that we decided to go to a cafe that wasn’t too far from home base and we chilled and relaxed there.
We then went back to home base for dinner and preformed chow circle. After chow circle we ate pizza that we shared with each other for dinner. After dinner we went to our evening activity which was….KARAOKE! We had a blast singing and celebrating our mentor Beni’s birthday. After that we went home and on the way home we kept singing.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Written by Leaders of the Day: Jackie & Evelin
Today was such a bitter sweet day and for some of us, our last full day of this GLA adventure. We began our day early in the morning with a nutritious breakfast with a side of the nervous surfing jitters. As soon as everyone had their things together, we loaded the buses and headed to our destination, Legian Beach.
After a long drive, we were met with rapid waves and a sandy beach. We were divided into two groups for surfing, Group A and Group B. While some of us suited up for surfing, the rest enjoyed the comfortable seating and refreshing drinks of the beach. To mention, it was the first time for A LOT of us, but we rode those waves (despite many dunks in the water).
Following our many surfing attempts and successes, we had an incredible lunch and then enjoyed some more relaxing time on the beach. Next, we went subvenir shopping to get all of our family members some fun gifts.
Then, what awaited us was some delicious gelato with very unique flavors. Once everyone enjoyed their treat, we walked together to the beach. Our mentors led us through an appreciation circle. With the anonymous tap of our peers on the shoulder, we were able to show our appreciation for one another and our lasting goodbye for our two-weekers.
Finally, we ended off with an incredible dinner filled with laughter and singing. We will miss you Kenzi, Brooklyn, Lauren, Paulina, Tereza, Connor, & Hannah!!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Written by Leaders of the Day: Georgia & Gia
Our day started with another round of optional workout by one of our mentors – Clara. After, we had a refreshing breakfast filled with fruit and banana pancakes. Our first activity of the day was a service project where we were tasked to create a presentation of hygiene, nutrition or exercise and teach elementary aged kids about the subjects. It was certainly an amazing opportunity to interact with and learn about kids and Balinese schools!
Unfortunately, today we had to say goodbye to our two weekers, and we all shared our last moments appreciating how much we’ve grown together.
Following that we had free time and a filling lunch that consisted of rice, eggs, Tempe, tuna, spinach and corn! Not much longer after we got ready and headed to another compound where we learned traditional cooking and enjoyed a wonderful meal together.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 16
Written by leaders of the day: Penelope & Ava
Today was a relaxing day of fun in the water and reflection on the past two weeks. This morning we started out bright and early with some white water rafting! We set out for the jungle, which looked remarkably like the set of Jurassic World. We rafted through water falls and rocky passes, bouncing around in our rafts. Some people even fell out of the raft, but we all got soaked in water and had a blast. After a delicious lunch at the rafting place, we headed back to our Homestay in Ubud where we met with our mentor groups to reflect on the past two weeks. We have been going nonstop and have had so many great experiences, so it was nice to take a pause and process all of these experiences in smaller groups. After dinner, we packed and got ready for tomorrow, where we are heading to the beach for more adventures.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 17
Written by leaders of the day: Evelin & Georgia
Our day started bright and early with another workout from our mentor Clara. The ones who chose to do the workout had a lovely early breakfast and soon headed for a walk while the rest ate breakfast.
Today was the day we were headed North to Pemuteran where we are going to stay for the next 3 days! On the way we stopped at a beautiful water temple where we had a chance to explore some amazing views. Some of us even got croissants and one got to feed some bunnies!
Next, we headed to a restaurant to eat some yummy lunch accompanied by complimentary ice cream. Afterwards, we headed back on the road before stopping and Indomart for some snacks.
Before we knew it we arrived to our new home and and finished off the day with dinner, free time and a dive in the resort’s pool!
See you tomorrow!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 18
Written by Ruthie & Charlize
Om swastiastu!
This morning we woke up and had our first breakfast at our hotel in Pemuteran. It was a clear day, birds were singing, and we are stoked to get out an explore West Bali National Park. We prepared for service for an hour before heading off for the hike nearby. It was lead by a friendly local named Putu who taught us all about the mangroves that we pasted by. Half way through the hike we stopped and planted some baby mangroves on the beach. Then we stopped and had some lunch while watching monkeys run by. The view was stunning.
Next we went back to home base and a took a quick swim before getting ready to go on our last day of service. Groups gathered their posters and props then we headed down the street to a school. Students welcomed us with lots of high fives and smiles. We each taught our hygiene, nutrition, and exercise classes and handed out water and some snacks to all of the students. Each student also got a notebook, pencil, and pen.
To wrap up the day we headed back to home base and walked down the beach to a very nice restaurant. We ate, sang, and enjoyed some ice cream before heading back for a night swim. Our day was long and fun and everyone will definitely be sleeping good tonight.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
Written by Leaders of the Day: Lia & Sydney
Today we started of our morning with a nice breakfast and dip in the pool before we walked on the beach to our first activity of the day. We went to an NGO called BioRock where we learned about their efforts in coral reef restoration. This NGO has worked to create electrode structures that over time uses electricity to form limestone and new coral that will make a lasting new habitat for marine life. We were so moved with their work that we gathered up the money to donate and have GLA.2023 written on one of the structures. Shoutout to Lia for organizing this!!
We then got to go snorkeling in a guided tour from the NGO that let us see their amazing underwater structures first hand. We ate lunch on the beach and enjoyed a few hours of free time before we got on our next Bali adventure. We went on a sunrise boat tour and enjoyed ice cold sprite and watermelon. We danced as the sun set and even taught each other some new dance moves. Finally we ended the night with dinner back at the hotel and an evening activity.
