The Young Leader

  • GLA Program Blogs
  • Gamechangers
  • Newsletters
  • About The Young Leader

June 20, 2016 by The Young Leader

Why THIS Summer is the Perfect Summer to Travel to Europe for Teens

blog-uk

For many of us, looking at Instagram photos and checking out Pinterest boards of European landmarks and food inspire us to one day travel to Europe. However, even though it seems that waiting till college to study abroad on the continent might be the way to go, in actuality, the summer of 2016 is shaping up to be the absolute best time to go to Europe in years.

Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at some of these facts:

Money

Though prices in Europe might always be a bit more expensive than their American counterparts, going to Europe now allows you to get more bang for your buck with the historically high return the dollar gets on European currencies. At the moment, 1 US dollar will fetch you .88 Euros and .69 British pounds. While that might not seem like a lot, the current exchange rate is the best it has been this decade and waiting to go to Europe might cause you to miss out.

In addition, though Europe has always been known for cheap domestic airlines such as RyanAir, new low cost carriers such as Norwegian and Icelandic Air not only allow you to travel across the pond at a fraction of the cost as legacy carriers, but with the stopovers sometimes built in, you might get to experience 2 countries for the price of 1 ticket.

Once In a Lifetime Events

The summer of 2016 is shaping up to an exciting one throughout the continent full of activities and festivals that are best experienced firsthand. For the political wonk, being in Britain while they vote on the Brexit will not only give you a firsthand perspective on a possible historical moment, but might also be the ideal topic of your college essay. And for the sports fan, how about joining in with other soccer junkies from around the world as the UEFA 2016 tournament looks to crown its new champion in France in July.

The Old Standbys of Western Europe

While Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, and London might always be there, what better way to get a head start on life then experiencing these cities while you are young. Studies have shown that traveling abroad before college improves maturity and open mindedness in students as well as enriches them culturally and intellectually.

Even if you are a year away from going away to school, having a summer full of reflection, contemplation, and most of all fun will allow you to return to high school better equipped to take on the year and a firsthand perspective for that AP European History or AP Art History class you just happened to sign up for.


 

Contributed by Matt Zonis

Filed Under: Latest Posts, VIVA

March 21, 2016 by The Young Leader

The Local Traveler: Aquarium of the Magnificent

Crocs-in-the-Water

I’ve lived in California all my life, and I’ll say it is an uplifting place that will have a person smiling by the end of their time spent there. There are tons of places in California that can have a newcomer excited, just as there are many pleasures to be found by locals who’ve lived their entire lives there.

Most people would look at the larger monuments as a special adventure worthy of their attention; however, my time at the Aquarium of Pacific in Long Beach, California was the most exciting time I’ve ever spent in my life. If you enjoy learning new things, love sea animals, and just want to have an amazing experience with wonderful people, then I would definitely recommend this incredible aquarium as a must-see if you’re in the area. Many locals never even make their way down!

I went on a Saturday afternoon, and the workers were very polite and I was given a manual about the activities and a handbook with facts about each and every animal that lives there in one of the tanks.

Then, as I was walking to each tank and the guide was explaining about the animal inside, other visitors began to engage in a conversation with me about the animal, opening up the learning experience from the pages of a manual, to the excitement of genuine mutual interest and interaction. We began to share the knowledge of what we were learning and how we can discover more. How cool is that?!

Another exciting part of the experience is being able to see divers go on a swim with the animals. You can watch them with whales and even sharks. I was so excited and scared to see the divers with the sharks, as we all know just how ‘friendly’ they seem to outsiders. I was hooked because seeing the animals and humans interact with one another was amazing.

After a couple of hours, I went off to look for then number one thing that everyone person has to do while having a very long day, and that is eating. The food that surrounds the aquarium is delicious. You can get burgers, hot dogs, nachos, pizza, pasta, or something healthy if that’s your style. Just as long as you don’t eat the fish!


Contributed by Tyler Dickerson

Filed Under: Latest Posts, VIVA

September 8, 2015 by The Young Leader

How to Use Instagram When You Travel

Ever wonder what it’s like to tell a story with photos instead of words?

Our traveling author did, and with Instagram as his only tool, he shared his.

IN01

IN02

IN03

IN04

IN05

IN06

IN07

IN08

IN09

IN10

IN11

IN12


Contributed by Nick Fochtman

Filed Under: Latest Posts, VIVA

July 14, 2015 by The Young Leader

5 Reasons to Follow Your Favorite Brands on Instagram

IMG_4929

It may seem odd to follow your favorite brands on Instagram (unless it’s @glateens, of course). I already follow them on Facebook and Twitter, you say. What do they have to offer me on Instagram? Good question. And here are some answers:

Obviously, following your favorite stores will give you an up-to-date look at the new styles being offered and big sales.

Following your favorite restaurant not only gets you pictures of new food dishes, but sometimes creative ways of presenting the food (or the condiments). See @tacobell, for example.

Instagram can also be a useful way to get an inside look at the companies you most enjoy and care about. From pictures of employees in the midst of their daily grind to pictures of company parties, get an inside look at your favorite companies’ work style.

Don’t forget you can always follow your favorite sports team on Instagram as well.

Interact! The @starbucks account mainly posts pictures of their products taken by followers. I wonder if a free coffee comes with that. It’s a great opportunity to interact with the company.

There are many reasons to follow your favorite brands and companies on Instagram. Ultimately, getting an inside look at the organization can be far more illuminating than reading their posts on Facebook and Twitter.


Contributed by William Pate

 

Filed Under: Latest Posts, VIVA

July 11, 2015 by The Young Leader

Seven Reasons to Get Your Friends to Follow @GLATEENS this Summer

You probably already know that Global Leadership Adventures has an Instagram account (I know, we’re hipsters), especially if you’ve already traveled through GLA. And if you do know that, then you probably already know how awesome the GLA feed is! So why not tell your friends about it? I’ll help you out. Here are seven fantastic reasons to get your friends to follow @glateens on Instagram this summer!

gla9

  1. Learn about upcoming trip openings. You and your friends can stay informed about GLA trips that still have openings, and you can see what some of the latest travel and volunteer opportunities are, all while you scroll through your Instagram feed!
  2. Learn about important events. Not that long ago, we announced a sweet webinar with information about applying to travel with GLA. Plus, there was an awesome scholarship linked with the webinar! While this opportunity has passed, you and your friends can catch future events that you won’t want to miss by (you guessed it) following @glateens. Don’t miss out!
  3. Catch the wanderlust bug, if you don’t already have it. It’s sort of an understatement to say that @glateens has some beautiful pictures of people and places all over the world. Plus, most of the snapshots were captured by teens who have volunteered through GLA. Seeing the vivid colors of India, the pointed peaks of Peru, and the beautiful smiles of loving friends make it hard to want to stay at home.
  4. Get inspired by other teens’ adventures. Teens who journeyed the world with GLA use the hashtag #myGLA on Instagram to describe their unforgettable experience. Through their stories, your friends will be inspired to travel and come back with not only some awesome stories about snorkeling and bathing elephants, but also a changed worldview.
  5. Be a part of the fun and enter our contest! If your friends have traveled with GLA before, get them in on the action. Share their amazing memories through the GLA photo and video contests on Instagram using the #myGLA hashtag, and you and your friends could win an Amazon gift card for posting!
  6. Find some answers. Do you or your friends have questions about a GLA program? On our Instagram page, you can post your question in the comment section of a picture, and @glateens will post back an answer with helpful advice and web links. Talk about convenient!
  7. Be inspired to make a difference. Teens really can make a difference in the world, and @glateens will inspire your friends to better themselves and the lives of others through creating much-needed change.

gla10

So, have you told your friends to follow @glateens yet? If not, share these seven reasons for why they should follow us on Instagram, and before long, they’ll be posting and sharing under the #myGLA hashtag, too! And share below what your favorite post is from our Instagram feed. We want to hear from you!


Contributed by Addie Davis

Filed Under: #myGLA, Latest Posts, VIVA

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • Next Page »

Brought to you by

Copyright © 2025 · Executive Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in