Time Capsule Letter

We can’t believe it has already been so long since our Costa Rica trip ended! I can still imagine the sound of the surf heard through Bahia Ballena and the delicious coconuts that we shared by the beach.

Often times, it seems like yesterday that we were laughing in the crashing waves, dancing in the rain, doing soccer drills with the locals, helping Lucia with the native tree and plastic projects, and learning about ourselves and role in our own communities back home. You’re probably back in school (or starting college!) but we wanted you to know that we are still thinking of you and the impact we made this summer together.

Our time spent together in Bahia Ballena truly did make an impact. Not only did you leave Costa Rica a better place than when you came, you left as changed individuals ready to make an impact in you home communities. Lucia’s tree nursery and plastic collection will continue to be a strengthening aspect of this community as more volunteers come to Semilla de Ballena and are able to continue to care for the trees in her farm and enjoy a plastic-free beach. Omar’s soccer team is strengthened for the children you met.

Hafet continues to pursue surfing with a stronger sense of confidence after your encouragement during lessons. And more importantly, the knowledge YOU gained on this trip we hope will serve you and the communities you go on to be in for the rest of your life! We now know how harmful plastic is to the environment, and some ways to REFUSE, reduce. and reuse it in order to lessen our impact on the environment.

Another thing I can’t forget is how much fun we had together here! You guys were a huge part of making this trip so fun by being a really close knit group. We tackled big challenges by learning to surf. We enjoyed a nice cool and rainy Costa Rican hike through the rain forest. We also got to explore Bahia Ballena and see the beautiful beach. And no one can forget the giddy feeling of laughter from rafting the rapids in Rio Savegre (Central America’s cleanest river) together in a group of friends that we will never forget!

We worked really hard and also had a blast together. Whether it was playing games at night, engaging with community members, pushing our comfort zones on the river and in the surf, sharing our stories of self, listening to Maia’s stories, or exploring new places together- it was that much fun because we got to share it with all you guys — the 2019 GLA Costa Rica Surf and Sustainable Service group! Thanks for helping to make these special memories in an amazing place.

Remember your individual OMG – “One Meaningful Goal” – that we created at the end of the session? We’ve attached a photo of each of your OMG papers as a reminder for the variety of goals we set. Some of you pledged to reduce as much plastic in your lives as possible and to encourage our friends, families, schools, and local communities to do the same.

Some of you set a goal to pursue surfing and the sustainable surf lifestyle. Some of you made more personal character goals to stay positive or increase the meaningful connection you make with other people. We would love to know how that is going! Have there been any changes in your selves, home, or even community?

Pura Vida,

Kiersten, Ellen, and the Bodhi Team

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Sunday June 16, 2019

Hello Families!

Our arrival to Costa Rica has been exciting and smooth! We enjoyed getting to know each other while munching on pizza and snacks at the hotel as students arrived throughout the morning and afternoon. Students played card games, checkers, and got to know each other with some icebreakers.

The group enjoyed Casados (traditional Costa Rican dish) for dinner consisting of rice, beans, salad, plantains, potatoes, and a choice between pork/chicken/beef/fish. As we sipped our fresh squeezed pineapple juice and the table buzzed with conversation, it became clear our cohesive group has seemingly already fallen into a nice groove. Many students also enjoyed taking this opportunity to practice their Spanish while interacting with the restaurant owners and staff.

After dinner we journaled and shared some of our hopes and fears for the program. The thirteen of us that arrived today (Maya, Liv, Olivia, Bella, Logan. Griffin, Virginia, Avery, Kylie, Kat, Ally, Sophia, and Grace) will head to the beach and Bahia Ballena with Kiersten (GLA Mentor) and Pilar (one of the co-owners of Bodhi Surf) first thing in the morning. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Maia and Hannah tomorrow who will travel to Bahia Ballena in the afternoon with Ellen (GLA International Director).

Pura vida!

Kiersten Brown – GLA Mentor

Thursday June 20, 2019

Hello GLA families!

These past few days consisted of community service, and adventures. On Wednesday specifically, we played soccer with the children from all around Uvita at an indoor soccer field. Right as we were about to head over, there was a rainstorm. The thunder roared right over our heads, and every ten seconds there was lightening! Everyone had a good scare at least once. As we arrived the little boys welcomed us into their warm-up: stretching and sprints.

After a couple of drills and games, we scrimmaged, and it was clear that their soccer skills were far superior to ours. We shared many laughs with the boys not only over our poor performance but also our attempts at speaking Spanish. After warmups we played on teams. Yellow, Blue, and Green. We all split into teams and if someone scored a goal the losing team would be out, or every 5 minutes you’d play rock, paper, scissors to switch teams.

High:

I think the whole group would come to the agreement that the best part of the day was when we received chocolate flavored popsicles. It was quite the treat after working with all the trees and paint. It began to rain too which was enjoyable to cool us all off.

Low:

Yesterday, we were also able to work more in the Tree Nursery with Lucia. As we made our way back to Bodhi, the storm came rolling in. We were unable to finish planting them and booked it back to Bodhi for safety. We’re hopeful we will get to plant them late this week.

Haha moment:

As we were doing our community service of gardening, Logan screamed, “Snake!” and everyone ran for the hills! It ended up being a small Boa Constrictor and we all had to keep our distance for our safety. Although, we were all able to get a good look at it! Travis took care of it, all of us crowding around him, and then we all resumed our work.

Ah-Ha moment:

Many of us were able to stand up on the surfboards. It definitely was not easy… a lot of patience, arm strength, and practice was involved. The waves were pretty big and the weather was nice. Everybody focused hard and took the Bodhi expert’s advice. It was a great day for learning how to surf.

Pura Vida!

-written by Maia, Ally, Sophia and Liv

   

Saturday June 21, 2019

Hello GLA families!

Short story:

Thursday and Friday were fun days! On Friday, we went white water rafting. We woke up, ate breakfast, and quickly rushed to get our swimsuits on! We boarded the vans and drove an hour to a local restaurant. We ordered our choice of vegetarian, chicken, fish, or steak casados, and then continued driving alongside the Rio Savegre river (the cleanest in Central America). Some of the crew members in the vans stopped at certain points, showing us natural leaves, cinnamon, and citrusberries.

Once we got to the site, the crew took the rafts off the top of the van and gave us safety instructions. Then we got on board and started going down the river. The rapids were fun for everyone as we enjoyed the beauty of the jungle surrounding us. After about an hour and a half of rafting, we stopped at a site to take pictures by a waterfall and have a delicious snack! After our break, we continued down the last 30 minutes of rapids. We re-boarded the vans and drove back to the restaurant to eat a well-deserved lunch. Everyone was exhausted from rafting and slept in the car ride back to home base!

High:

On Thursday, we went for our 3rd surfing lesson. On the way there, it started to lightly rain, which was a treat to cool down. Everyone worked on perfecting their skills in controlling their board and paddling out to catch the bigger waves. We were worried that the rain would turn into a lightning storm, which would prevent us from surfing, but nature was on our side. We spent the surf lesson in the rain, which was something super cool and new for most of us.

Low:

On Friday we went rafting. From the water we could see gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. The big, green, forests lacked civilization and they gave the experience of rafting a peaceful contrast to the turbulent water. However, we regretted that we forgot to bring go-pros or other devices to capture the views. It was nice to enjoy the scenery in the present moment, but it would have also been nice to have pictures to show our families.

Ha:

Ellen’s birthday was on Friday so some of the girls woke up before dawn to help Adrianne bake a carrot cake, Queen Ellen’s favorite, and make decorations for the common area. When the birthday girl walked down the stairs a couple hours later, it was funny to see her expression in response to all the decorations. Later that night at dinner we surprised her with the cake. It was delicious!

Ah-ha:

On Thursday, many of us had significant improvement in our surfing abilities. Everyone was able to stand up, as well as learning how to get over waves properly by using techniques such as planking and turtling. Once we mastered these techniques, it became easier to paddle out and catch the waves much easier!

Pura Vida!

~Maya, Virginia, & Avery

Monday June 24, 2019

Hello GLA Families!

Very sad that it is the last night in Costa Rica. We all wish we could shred the gnar one last time. Already missin rice n’ beans. Excited to continue all the new friendships.

High:

“Spenca” (Spencer one of our suf instructors and service guides) let us plant trees in his garden. We requested that he install a pergola. We wish we could stay longer to build the pergola, but we sadly had to go to San Jose.

Low:

On the second to last day, the waves were gnarly, but sadly, lightning was spotted and we were forced to find immediate shelter. We weren’t able to finish up our last surfing sesh.

Ha:

Maia (future comedian)

Ah-Ha:

Realization that we are all going to have to leave our good friends and that connection is important.

Peace Homies

~Kylie, Avery, Kat, Ally

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Monday July 22, 2019

Hola!

Today all of the chicos landed safe and sound. After arriving at our hotel in San José, the students had lunch and some time to relax before getting ready for their swim tests. In the afternoon everyone got to know each other through name games and other activities. Then we headed across the street for our first Tico dinner at a local restaurant. Yum!

*Jasmine arrived after dinner, so she is not pictured in the group photo. Here she is ready for a San José city tour at breakfast this morning!

Tuesday July 23 through Thursday July 25, 2019

Hola familias!

¡Todos nosotros estamos bien! Everyone is enjoying the busy, fulfilling days (which is why we haven’t posted on the blog in a while sorry)! On Tuesday we started off the trip bright and early with a traditional Costa Rican breakfast of gallo pinto (mixed rice and beans). Después, we headed out on a San José city tour led by one of our awesome mentors Luis Diego during which we found (and met) famous sculptor Jimenez Deredia. After about a two hour drive we arrived at the Pila de Dota coffee farm tour where we distinguished the difference between types of coffee and saw the process of growing coffee from cherry to exportation. Then we drove a bit more to our final destination Cedrela Ecolodge for orientation.

On day 3 we all helped to make concrete and build sidewalks. In the end we were able to successfully make a sidewalk. It was very fun and we talked to a lot of local teens.

On day 4 we did service again and then played games with the local teens again in Spanish. After dinner we celebrated Christina’s late birthday and had a discussion about consumption.

Pura vida!

Friday July 26 through Saturday July 27, 2019

Hola!

On day 5 we did service in the morning and finished up the sidewalks we’ve been working on this whole week. Then we had lunch at the community center in San Pedro and played games with the locals. Then we had coffee and did our Spanish lesson in San Pedro. We got to choose our night activity so we played cards.

On day 6 we spent the morning painting the bleachers and fence of the local soccer ball field. We also began to start making new eco bricks (recycled water bottles filled with up to 1lb of single use plastic). The afternoon was filled with activities with the Young Dreamers (the teenagers who volunteer with Green Communities, the organization we are doing service with).

Tomorrow we are off bright and early to go river rafting!

Sunday July 28 and Monday July 29, 2019

Hola familias! On Day 7 went white water rafting. We had an early morning wake up and a beautiful breakfast at the rafting location. We spent a total hours of 5 hours on the Pacuare River, where we went through rapids ranging from level 1 to 4. Halfway through the water trip we pulled over onto a rock bed and had burritos and juice for lunch. We ended the day by driving to our hotel, where we ate dinner and got a good nights sleep.

On Day 8 we left the hotel and drove one and a half hours to go see the Irazu Volcano. After we drove a little longer to Cartago (the original capital of Costa Rica) where Luis Diego gave us a tour of the city. We saw the first church in Costa Rica, watched men and women dance outside the local church as part of the Virgen De Los Angeles celebration, and visited some small stores. We then headed back to the eco lodge and ended the day with a movie.

Thursday August 1, 2019

Hola familias!

Today we shoveled compost into bags for service. We broke the record for most bags filled in a day with over 415.

We then had discussion with Jonathon, head of Green Communities, about our goals and expectations for the rest of the trip.

Afterwards we had a dancing lesson. Despite lack of skills on the guys’ behalf, we learnt to dance in the styles of bachata, salsa and merengue with members of the local community, including the Young Dreamers.

To end the day, we had a Spanish lesson and a discussion about tourism.

Tomorrow, we are going to the beach. ¡Vamos a la playa!

Friday August 2 and Saturday August 3, 2019

Hallo everybody!

We started our Friday off with a three hour cross country journey to the beach. Ish. We road in the back of four wheel drive trucks! Before we went to the beach, we went to Manuel Antonio National Park where we saw monkeys, bugs, and a sloth. At the end of the tour, we went to the beach then to lunch. After lunch we headed to the hotel to swim and relax. We then had discussion and dinner where we ended the day.

On Saturday, we went souvenir shopping. The surfing lesson changed from 12:30 to 11:30, so we got get out on the water a little earlier. After that, we had a delicious lunch at a restaurant called Coco (coconut) and went back to the hotel, where we stayed for the rest of the day enjoying the pool and relaxing. In the evening we had a discussion about tourism.

Pura vida!

Sunday August 4 and Monday August 5, 2019

On Sunday, we spent most of the morning returning from the beach. When we returned, we broke up into our mentor groups and planned a vacation for an activity. After dinner, we shared stories of self, which were stories/moments that were important to us.

On Monday, we went to service at a coffee farm. Two people shoveled compost into buckets, while everyone else moved the compost to Álvaro (a member of the local community, San Pedro, who helps us during service). Álvaro dumped the compost onto the coffee plants to fertilize them. Afterwards, we played soccer because we finished early. On our way home from San Pedro, we stopped in Santa Maria to have a scavenger hunt. When we returned to Cedrela, we recorded videos to present for our Spanish class.

Wednesday August 7 and Thursday August 8, 2019

Wednesday we had our final day of service. It consisted of working on the coffee farm and finishing up an eco-brick bench. We then had a few hours to ourselves to hangout or chill for the rest of the day.

On Thursday, we went on a tour to see quetzales, the national bird of Guatemala. Afterwards, we had lunch at Valle Verde Hotel in Santa Maria. When all was said and done, we had a brief discussion over how the trip had gone, ate dinner, and headed on to bed.

Friday August 9 and Saturday August 10, 2019

On Friday we went on a hiking trail in Cedrela. When we reached a certain point, we sat down and reflected on our goals. After that, we played ninja to decide which one of our mentor groups won the most activities. That ended in a tie, so after dinner we played Jeopardy, with Ariel’s mentor group the winning team. In the afternoon we had a cooking class with Leo, the manager of Cedrela, where we learned how to make “chorreadas” — Costa Rican corn pancakes!

Yesterday, we went to the extreme forest park. The activities there were: Jungle Swing, Tarzan Jump, Canopy (a zipline), Tree Tower, Monkey Bridge, and Slack-lining. We ate lunch in a nearby lodge and returned to Cedrela. We had some free time to pack and relax. After dinner, we roasted marshmallows on a fire and had an appreciation circle.

Time Capsule Letter

Hola todos!

We hope that this letter finds you happy, healthy, and helping the environment!

It feels like just yesterday that we were dancing in Tami Lodge blasting “Dynamite!” or “Party in the USA” cause let’s admit it, as much as we love the DREAMER kids, we won that song battle for sureeeee, right? Or if I close my eyes, I could still hear the sound of the waterfall and river running through Providencia putting us fast to sleep.

With just a little prompting, I can remember floating through the canyons of the Pacuare River. Do you remember how peaceful it was between the rapids? And throwing up our paddles after successfully keeping our rafts afloat? PURA VIDA! …what a way to end our first week of servicio. Over 1000 coffee trees fertilized is no small feat… Neither was mixing that compost with its steam and stench wafting out… and let’s face it: we weren’t exactly coocoo for caca puffs if you catch my drift. (<< Brian wrote that line… however, admittedly, Christina co-signed) But we did it… we caca-onquered it! You know what else we did? We shed blood sweat and tears constructing part of Providencia’s main road. We bonded over delicious pinto gallo, ensalada, huevos, gallo, pasta, carne made by Juan and Johanna. Who misses Jonny and Gustavo? Cause we do! I wonder how Chico and Pig Dog are doing? Is anyone breaking “rule 8” and petting furry, fuzzy, feathered friends over there? …and rule 6? Any wedding bells ringing between y’all? If so, we better be invited! I mean, all of us have an undeniable life-long bond having spent those 21 days in the beautiful rain forest of Costa Rica. Part of me actually misses hanging up and hanging out. Wasn’t it nice to be disconnected the way we were? It felt so peaceful literally out there in the clouds – in El Corazon de Las Nubes. I hope Jorgito and his family are doing well. Speaking of the cool people we met in Providencia, who has kept in contact with David?! Can someone confirm that he still has his red bracelet tied around his wrist? I can’t believe how much we learned from that man in 21 days! Anyway, until next time, maes!! PURA VIDA!!! Abrazos from your mentors, Brian, Christina, and Ferney

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Sunday June 16, 2019

Hi everyone,

This is how our Spanish Service Adventure students look like after a day full of different feelings. Nervousness about flying to another country all by their own as full grown ups. Excitement for being in Costa Rica committed to do a high-impact work to benefit a community.

And happiness towards the fact that they will make it to help others while improving their leadership powers and enjoying not only the culture but also the adventure activities. Hands together for this group that promises a very fun and productive program to be developed.

Monday June 17, 2019

Hola Amigos y familia! Today was our first full day in Costa Rica and it was Busy! We started our day with a tour around San Jose, which was lead by our local Director, David. Soon after the hour long tour around a market and local exploration sites in San Jose, all 15 students boarded the bus. The ride was roughly 3 hours long.

We stopped in the middle at the market (we tried some really cool food at this stop!) 30 minutes into the second half of the bus journey, we turned onto a dirt road. We traveled on this road for a while, taking photos of the Montañas or mountains that were rising up around us- I now know why they call it “the cloud forest- we literally drove through the fluffy white clouds! After unloading all of our luggage, we got to our rooms and headed to Tami Lodge.

Tami is the word for the “Spirit of the mountain”, a title that perfectly describes the eco-friendly cabins nestled into the lush ecosystem. Around 2 PM we started a tour of the sustainable farm for coffee-which tastes AMAZING! We conclude our day with the traditional Costa Rican meal and a trip orientation. The most interesting part of Costa Rica is the saying ”Pura Vida” which stands for any and everything positive! it is used to say hello and goodbye or just used as encouragement! So, until the next blog, “Pura Vida!”

-written by Sophia Gledhill

Thursday June 20, 2019

Hola amigos y familia!

Pura vida!

Tuesday was our first day of community service, and let me tell you: it was rough. From the dozens of trips up and down the side of the mountain, to the continuous rounds of buckets being passed throughout the assembly line, the day was very challenging. Not to mention – we accidentally climbed up the wrong mountain once. Drawbacks aside, the day was also very inspiring! In the morning, we learned about ecological coffee farms, and how by using compost instead of pesticides, the local farmers can produce a more organic product while also saving the environment we’re so reliant on.

Over the last few days we also met a lot of important people in the community of Providencia, like Juan and Gerardo who trusted Green Communities enough to agree to invest time, money, and land to their mission.

The first day, we unloaded 68 bags of fertilizer, the second: 97, and today 115!!!!!!!
We are really bonding and working together as a group. Some of us even cooked a traditional Costa Rican dish – olla de carne – for our peers. We can’t wait until we challenge ourselves some more on the white water rafts this weekend.

Hasta el próximo blog!

Written by: Teddy Raven
Photographers: Zoe Steele and Lilly Lyon

Monday June 24, 2019

Hola amigos y familia! Pura vida! Friday was the end of our first week of service here in Providencia and we ended it with a bang! Trust me when I say that was the worst part of the day. In the first section we had to manually mix the components of the compost which consisted mostly of chicken and rabbit manure, leaves, coffee shells, molases, and decomposers like bacteria and cockroaches. The smell itself was… inexplicable; all I’m going to say is that it’s worse than human feces( The heat due to the bacterial process doesn’t help). The other two steps weren’t as bad, just shoveling into the bags or stacking them. Later the day we had “adopt a gringo”, were the students got the chance to visit Costa Rican families and speak with them, it was a one of a lifetime opportunity to be able to bond with the families that we are helping and are helping us. After dinner and stories we ended the day early to prepare for Saturday’s White Water Rafting!

We woke up at 4:30 and left Tami Lodge at 5 o clock, we arrived around 10am. After arriving and eating breakfast we were off again to the river of Pacuarey. After getting our groups at the river, our rafting aventure began! Some of us faced our fears, experienced rafting for the first time, and we all had fun! Then we went to our hotel where we stayed for a night and morning. We started to drive back to Providencia at 10am and arrived to our home around 3pm. Our first week here in Costa Rica was fast and incredible:) Until the next blog, Pura Vida!

-by Jaime Jr Mondragon

Monday June 24 through Wednesday June 26

Hola amigos y familia!

We have been working hard since the last update, sorry for the delay!

On Monday we started working with concrete in order to improve access to the valley we are staying in: Providencia de Dota. Right after breakfast, we had an important conversation with David about water usage and how we can work against the waste of natural resources in our every day lives. After this influential and moving conversation, we got to work on the roads. We had to use pickaxes to dig away the existing dirt and rocks before pouring in the cement. The first day was pretty fun, (and we all got cement facials…) but we only completed two piles of cement mixture. The next day we stepped up our game and finished ten piles, and thirteen on the last day! We completed almost all of the main intersection that we were working on.

We had extra time on the third day, so we had the chance to swim in the natural pool beneath a gorgeous waterfall right near our lodging! We all jumped in to the cyan water, but none of us realized just how cold it would be! After we gained back the feeling of our numb feet, we enjoyed swimming in the pool and sunbathing on the rocks around the stream. Our second work week in Costa Rica was tiring but rewarding. The roads we built will greatly help the community around us, and it’s important to show that volunteers like us are willing to give our time for the benefit of the valley.

Thursday morning we woke up at 5:30am for a 6:30am breakfast where Juan spoiled us again with a delicious meal (Juan is the chef here at Tamí Lodge). At 7:00am we departed on our three hour bus ride to Dominical where we took a surfing lesson. But before we took our surfing lesson, we stopped at a natural pool with a large waterfall pouring into it. At that pool, we found a rope swing hanging from a massive tree. We used this swing to jump into the pool! After this, we traveled to the beach to learn to surf from the experts of Costa Rica. After our lesson, we can all say that we want to do it again! We spent the next day on a hike through the forest learning about the wildlife looking at monkeys, sloths and bats. Then spending the rest of the day on the beach!

After traveling home on Saturday, we played futbol with locals students in Providencia. The futbol match was so much fun and we all walked away with new friends.

We are looking forward to our final week of service, our 4th of July celebration, and adventure!
Until the next blog! ¡Pura Vida!

– By Zoë Steele and Bailey Wright

Thursday July 4, 2019

Hola, todos!

We had a crazy busy, crazy fun week!

We finished our last day of service right at our home base of Tamì lodge. We helped to build a bio jardinera that will absorb gray water waste. We celebrated finishing our service by splashing around in the catarata. That day we also had to say goodbye to the moms of Providencia who had cooked us la comida sabrosa throughout the program. Though we were the ones thanking them, they baked us all cupcakes. Later that day we also finished learning with our Spanish teachers Esteban and Diego. ¡Gracias a nuestros maestros!
The next day we went on a hike… David tried to prepare us for it beforehand, but we were in way over our heads! For him, it was just another Wednesday.

The journey was rigorous, being steep, slippery, and, to be be frank: scary. Part of the thrill happened to be meeting Marco: the hand-sized tarantula. As we reached the waterfall after climbing14,000 steps and 163 flights, we were honored to learn that we were the first foreign group to ever visit and were given the privilege of naming the waterfall. With much collaboration, we settled on the name “El Corazón de las Nubes” or “the Heart of the Clouds.”

That brings us to the 4th of July: celebration time! The morning started with an all American breakfast of pancakes and eggs. The afternoon culminated with work on the program’s capstone project in which we had to design and plan to execute a change in our communities. After another patriotic meal of hamburgers and hotdogs, we had the opportunity to share and critique each others’ ideas. We finished the night with a movie and dance party. Today is the final adventure: the extreme forest park high ropes course.

¡Nos vemos pronto!

Time Capsule Letter

Dear students of Spanish Immersion in Providencia,

It has been a while since we have seen each other, and by now, I am sure many of you are
in the thick of the school year. Before we begin to remember all the fun, learning, and growth we
shared, perhaps we can allocate a bit of time to some of our students/peers: Congratulations to
those who are graduating, are applying/applied to colleges, and to those got in to college (very
exciting)!

Let’s jump right in to the first day we all, mostly, met (sorry Jerry). It was a fairly cold
day in San Jose at the Best Western, making the swim test particularly interesting as we all got
experience hyperthermia together—good times! Later that day when everyone (mostly. Sorry
again, Jerry) had arrived we played games in the laundry room. It was there that we developed
some fan favorites: the hand game, contact, and, of course, awkward silence. We wrapped up
San Jose with some fruit tasting/market tours, A LOT of walking, and some Costa Rican
hisTEAory.

The first few days were pretty amazing. We got to meet David, Arturo, Juan, the Spanish
teachers, AND JERRY. We were able to check out their HQ, seeing where they keep all their
sh-tuff for the coffee plantations. And, in those first four days of service, we learned what life might be like if were mountain goats.

Towering over the valleys of Providence, we stood nearly vertical in an assembly line, yelling for people to SPREAD OUT, and throwing the manure/worm/compost concoction on the Coffee Trees. We minorly slipped here and there, lost some buckets, but all in all it was a pretty fun experience—especially being able to chuck our fruits into the vast open range (except for Ruby who somehow only got it about 6 inches in front of her).

***Prepare the water works*** The first week we also had to say goodbye to our dear
Lindsay. A GLA HQ head who came to bestow us with her wisdom but who was ripped from
our grasp just days before we were to embark on our greatest journey: Manuel Antonio. But in
her place, we were given the sweet, even more HQ head, Mary. At Manuel Antonio, we got to
see MONKEYS (all of them, every kind), SLOTHS (all of them, every age), and THE REST OF
THE ANIMALS (like toucans, lizards, insects…other stuff). Kevin doesn’t do water, so she
stoically and without distraction, watched over all your things as you all body surfed in the
pristine, crystal like waters of Costa Rica’s most visited National Park.

(To the parents: Lindsay is safe and alive, but she had to go to the States for an Emergency).
The second week came and went before we knew it. We did some stellar and back
breaking work at the home of Luis and Patricia. In creating the bio-garden—a filtration system
intended to remove hygienic chemicals, organic waste, and other byproducts from water, so that
the runoff doesn’t contribute to soil contamination or algae blooms—we carried hundreds of
rocks varying from the size of our hands to the size of our waists, dug a whole as deep as David
is tall, and slipped countless times in the mud. When it was finally done, we were able to bask in the beauty of our work—as the plants atop the pebbles dramatically heightened the aesthetic. We can’t forget about that FIRE cake made by Patricia and Kevin almost eating a wasp larva.

When the program was reaching its end, we were able to look back fondly on all the
topics discussed: life after high school, responsible photography, poetry, dynamics in leadership:

strength and weaknesses, values and curating space. Also, our Capstone: COMPOSTING!
How are we doing? Do we all have gardens? Maybe we started a club or program at our school?
I hope none of us forgot!

Well, to wrap this up, thank you all so much for being Rock Stars and doing what you
could to be the best participant in this space. Everyone is sending their love and support! We
can’t wait to see all that you accomplish!

Sincerely,

You GLA Family in Providencia, Chicago, New York, and North Carolina

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Friday July 26, 2019

¡Hola familias!

Our students made it to a safe arrival and they got straight into business by immediately bonding with their peers from several parts of The United States.

Some of them had a very loooong day at different airports and they were absolutely drained but it wasn’t a barrier to get to Costa Rica and get in contact right away with the feelings of a Pura Vida lifestyle.

One of the best ways to know about any culture is trying its food and this crew was delighted with their first official traditional-Tico buffet.

Parents, this team is rocking it already and they will keep you posted of their adventures.
¡Hasta pronto!

Ps: Jerry, we will update this picture with you tomorrow!

Tuesday July 30, 2019

Hello families!

We’ve been spending the past couple of days enjoying the cool, crisp mornings surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges. The internet connection has been in and out as we are far outin the mountains, but we’ve been enjoying our time off our phones and in the moment.

Our group started the day learning about the difference between ecological and conventional coffee farms. We learned how herbicides and pesticides affect not only the coffee plants but the ecosystem around them.

We then started our service by shoveling compost into buckets and creating a line down the coffee plantation to fertilize the coffee plants. We then helped transport liquid fertilizerto another plantation.

After the service we enjoyed a delicious lunch made by the local mothers and learned about the process of making raw sugar. The process consisted of grinding the sugar plant, boiling the juice, and molding the finished product. We had a chance to try the agua y azúcar.

After that we had our Spanish class and practiced vocabulary. We then worked on our skits for our final project that we perform at the end of the program. For break time we had coffee and tea and finished up our Spanish class.

At the end of our day we have a delicious dinner served by the Tamí lodge restaurant and then reflected on our day with our mentor group.

We have learned so much these past couple of days and we are excited for more to come! Adiós!

-Jasmine Villavicencio

Saturday August 3, 2019

Hola familias!

Our students have been up to several activities these days, like visiting waterfals, surfing, hiking, cooking classes, Spanish classes among others. Here, Seth and Olivia, share with you one exciting activity.

“The day began as we boarded the bus and headed toward Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most beautiful and dramatic landscapes in Costa Rica known for the diverse and exotic array of species that live in its rainforest. Along our tour through the forest, we saw sloths, three types of monkeys, black iguanas, and lizards that can walk on water!
It was amazing seeing so many of these animals up close in their natural habitat.

After the tour and grabbing a snack, we arrived at the white sand beaches of the national park. We played in the waves of the warm, blue water and hiked along the rocks out onto the peninsula.

When we were all done at the beach, we packed up, washed the sand of our feet, and headed to a nearby restaurant that overlooked the ocean.

The rest of the day, we relaxed at the hotel, went swimming, napped, and enjoyed the afternoon rain.

Later that night, we drove into town for a delicious dinner. To end the night, we walked onto the beach behind the restaurant and were amazed by the lightning which lit up the ocean. This sight was a majestic end to a long but unforgettable day”.

Our internet connection is very fluctuating plus our students have been very engaged in the activities, so our number of blogs are reduced in number compared to other GLA programs.

We hope you enjoy the pics!

Time Capsule Letter

Hola todos!

We hope that this letter finds you happy, healthy, and helping the environment!

It feels like just yesterday that we were dancing in Tami Lodge dancing salsa, bachata, and merengue, doesn’t it? That was such a great day learning more about the culture of coffee farming and the differences between conventional, ecological, and organic farming.

If I close my eyes, I could still hear the sound of the waterfall and river running through Providencia putting us fast to sleep. One thing we’ll never forget is when some of y’all climbed that waterfall and jumped into that icy water. That was after a day of literally swinging through the bosque lluvioso at the Extreme Adventure Park.

You know what else we did? We fertilized so many ecological coffee plants. Remember that at first we were so grossed out with the compost? But a few days in, we all accepted that it was just dirt… with a few cockroaches. We shed blood, sweat, and tears constructing part of
Providencia’s main road.

We bonded over delicious pinto gallo, ensalada, huevos, gallo, pasta, carne made by Juan and Johanna. Who misses Jonny and Gustavo? Cause we do! Is anyone breaking “rule 8” and petting furry, fuzzy, feathered friends over there? …and rule 6? Any wedding bells ringing between y’all? If so, we better be invited!

I mean, all of us have an undeniable life-long bond having spent those 14 days in the beautiful rain forest of Costa Rica. Part of me actually misses hanging up and hanging out. Wasn’t it nice to be disconnected the way we were? It felt so peaceful literally out there in the clouds.

Speaking of the cool people we met in Providencia, who has kept in contact with David?! I can’t believe how much we learned from that man in 14 days!

Anyway, until next time, maes!! PURA VIDA!!!

Abrazos from your mentors,

Brian, Christina, and Ferney

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Tuesday July 9, 2019

¡PURA VIDA!

That is what you hear everywhere in Costa Rica and that is one of the first things that our team is learning, not only to say it very often but also to understand it by actually living it.
Pura Vida means ¡hola! / ¿cómo estás? / ¡muy bien! / ¡Gracias! And many more things. At the same time it means – “yes, I’m tired but I’m loving it” ; it means – “I had a loooong day, but it was definitely worth it” and it also means “I’m excited about this trip and enjoying it since day one”.

Parents, our team is safe and happy! Here is proof of it! 😎

¡PURA VIDA! (Here it means, ¡adiós!)

-GLA Staff

Wednesday July 10 through Sunday July 14, 2019

¡Hola chicos!

It has been officially five days since we have arrived in Costa Rica and to be honest, it has felt like weeks! But I say that in the best way possible since we have done so much already and all of us have gotten so close.

Since arriving to the BEAUTIFUL Tamí Lodge here in Providencia, we have experienced multiple gorgeous sunrises, crazy daily torrential downpours, and incredible clear night skies. Thankfully it’s not too hot or humid here, and if anything we are colder than expected!

Our first morning of service consisted of scooping compost fertilizer into bags and packaging them for transport, after having a lesson about ecological farming techniques vs. conventional farming techniques. It was so amazing to be up in the mountains, see the incredible views and work on the farm. After our delicious lunch cooked by local moms, we had some free time to shower and chill with each other.

That afternoon we had our first Spanish class with Esteban and Diego which was super fun! Juan, the incredible chef and owner of Tamí lodge cooked us dinner. Each night we do something different. The first night we had our mentor groups where we talked about some real world issues. The next couple of nights we played games: card games, charades, etc.

Each day follows the same schedule for the most part. One memorable moment was when we were working in the coffee plantation on day two and it started down pouring. Because everything was so muddy and the hill was steep, people were slipping and falling all over the place. We got drenched, super dirty but had the best time.

Today also we had a great, once in a lifetime experience called “adopt a gringo”. This is where a group of two or three of us went to a local family’s home and conversed with them in Spanish for a couple of hours. It was incredible to learn about their life and to simply be in their homes and spend time with them.

We are all so excited to do it again next week!

-By Olivia Licata

Wednesday July 17, 2019

Hola todos!

These past few days have been unforgettable. On Sunday, we worked on the coffee plantation once again, to help fertilize the plants. That night, we had a dance party! We sang along and danced to our favorite hits. We all had so much fun; it really was a night to remember.

The next morning, we all woke up early to begin the three-hour bus trip to Dominical. We arrived at the beach just in time for our surf lessons! We all had a blast learning how to ride the waves in the warm Pacific water. We enjoyed fresh pineapple on the beach following our lessons.

After rinsing off, we walked along the beach to pick up some souvenirs, including unique handmade bracelets, art, and wooden sculptures. We came across an adorable puppy during our souvenir searching- only two months old! After eating a delicious lunch, we went to a gorgeous waterfall. We swung on a rope swing into the water, and cooled off under the waterfall. Soon after, we left for the hotel. There, some of us enjoyed the gorgeous pool.

Yesterday, we went to Manuel Antonio Park, where we came across dozens of exotic creatures. We saw helmet lizards, a huge grasshopper, an iguana, and the single most venomous snake in all of Costa Rica. My personal favorites: we saw five sloths and a whole troupe of monkeys. It was so surreal to see these beautiful animals in their natural habitats. It was an incredible experience.

After seeing all the animals, we cooled off in the ocean. We had a ton of fun in the clear blue water and enjoyed the Costa Rican sun. We shopped for more souvenirs before returning to the hotel. It was wonderful to take a mini-vacation from our “vacation.”

We’ve all become closer during these past few days of exploring, surfing, and swimming. This morning, we returned to Providencia. Though we were sad to leave the beautiful Dominical, it’s great being back in the mountains. We’ll be back in a few days for our next entry! Adios!

Sunday July 21, 2019

¡Hola todos!

These past few days have been what I would say our best, most fun, and exciting days.

We started off Friday with our last day of service. We finished off the gutter with concrete and had a powerful talk about water consumption. Following our wonderful experience, we graduated spanish class with a salsa lesson led by one group and a song presented by the other. Lastly, we had our second take of “Adopte un Gringo” which went extremely well. Everyone came back wanting more!

We got to sleep in Saturday morning and headed off to the adventure park for a fun filled day. Many of us tried the very special 120 ft tree climb and repel followed by a Tarzan swing, zipline, two slackline type activities, and lastly my favorite, the flying squirrel. Everyone had fun and tried something new! The afternoon was much quieter and we had time to relax while also visiting a waterfall with a fun cliff jumping site. Many of our own tried this and faced their fears and we couldn’t be prouder! We ended the night with two hours dedicated solely to working on our capstone presentations and posters.

We all woke up sad on Sunday knowing it was our last day, but it was definitely one we won’t forget. We started the morning off with a coffee tour and tasting that really highlighted the differences between ecological and conventional coffee and put all of our work into perspective in regards to the world and economy. Following this, we were given the opportunity to spend time with locals. During this time, we had a delicious lunch, played soccer and capture the flag, and ended the afternoon with a dance class that got everyone laughing and out of their comfort zones.

We finished the evening off with our capstone presentations that allowed us to really think deeply about our actions and how we want to return home as different and better people. Lastly, we had a fantastic dinner made by Juan and his family and a closing program. I just want to say thank you to everyone for being their most authentic selves on this program and allowing everyone to grow and learn from each other. We will all cherish the bonds and friendships made here and we wish the best of luck to everyone in their future endeavors.

Have a safe flight home and good luck for the individuals who will be doing the homestay. Thank you to all the staff who made this trip possible and most importantly, Brian, Christina, Ferney, and David. I can’t wait to see how all of you inspiring individuals change the world one step at a time.