To the grupo mas tuanis that has ever come to Providencia,

We hope all is well in your lives back in the states. Some time has passed and we are sure that the smell of compost has finally washed out of your clothes and the mud has dried on your boots. As some things have faded we hope that you still hold on to experiences you had here. Maybe you continue to do you morning stretches and practice being present. Maybe you still cook yourself rice and beans and make café, (all the while knowing that it will never be as good as Jauns).

With whatever actions you take we hope that your lives have been incorporated with sustainability. That you remember how precious water is. That you carry your water bottle with you wherever you go or you take shorter showers. That you eat less meat and shop consciously to find out where your food comes from. That you fight for the things you discovered you were passionate about. We encourage you to close your eyes. To breathe in deeply, to take yourself back to Tami. To the trees, to the river, to the waterfalls.  To remember the sound of the rain and how the catatrats sang you to sleep (of course after we sang you dormiditos).

We hope you continue to thank the Pacha Mama for everything she provides to you. We believe that each of you carry the ability to be leaders and that your time here was only the beginning of how your lives started to change. Do not let the world discourage you, it is overwhelmed with problems but that doesn’t mean your voice does not matter. Be the change and fight for what you know needs to change. You are strong, powerful beings and your lives make a difference. Connect to others that hold your passions and values, you were never meant to save this world alone. We continue in our own lives doing our part and we hope you are doing yours. We love you and miss you nuestros rats!

Con mucho amor,

-Hanita, Steph, Carlota, Jonathan

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Wow! What an experience. Two weeks in Costa Rica went by so quickly, yet it felt like we spent months getting to know each other. I can still remember seeing all of you coming out of the terminal, with a look of nervousness and excitement on your faces. Little did you all know that the next two weeks would be full of new friends, great stories and exciting adventures (not to mention the mud and cement). Two weeks in a remote town in Costa Rica really brought perspective to some of you, appreciations to others, and reflection to almost all.

Our time together here really had an impact on the community and within our group. It was amazing to see how our work really paid off after our time together. When we first got to San Pedro, the outdoor gym had half a sidewalk of cement leading to the courts. After two weeks, the sidewalk circled around the entire gym, and we completed the ramps as well. Not only were we impactful at the gym, but our work really contributed to the sustainability of ecological farms. Because of YOU all, Green Communities is able to demonstrate to the locals that ecological farming is not only possible, but that there can really be positive, long-lasting effects.

Another thing that is important to mention is how thankful the community is for your work. It’s important to remember that not all municipalities have funding for local projects. The work might’ve seemed like a small patch of cement or fertilization of some plants, but the reality is that you’ve all provided a safe means of transportation for local students, or weeks/months of hard work saved for the local farmers. They are now able to work on other projects.

Of course we can’t forget about the fun times as well. Who could forget the dance that the students at the school performed for us at the beginning of service? We also had a blast playing soccer with each other on several occasions. Personally, my favorite part was seeing how muddy you all got during the games, but how it didn’t affect you at all. Our time at the beach was also amazing. You all went all in with full energy and without any concerns of how silly you might’ve looked falling down. Lastly, we can’t forget the extreme forest park and how much screaming was involved. It was amazing seeing how brave you all were. Even for us who needed to close our eyes to jump off the Tarzan Swing or the Jungle Fly.

Some activities that were fun:

• Telephone dance
• Charades and Pictionary
• Captain American night
• Salsa night
• Morning boxing classes

Some impactful activities:

• Touch the shoulder (Appreciation taps)
• Daily journals
• Closing nights and appreciation notes

This was an amazing experience that I know many of you will take home and carry with you for a long time. Most of you might not realize it yet, but these two weeks will impact the way you look at your work, your habits and your lives for a long time.

-Christian Garcia

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

What an experience. Two weeks in Costa Rica went by so quickly, yet it felt like we spent months getting to know each other. I can still remember seeing all of you coming out of the terminal, with a look of nervousness and excitement on your faces. Little did you all know that the next two weeks would be full of new friends, great stories and exciting adventures (not to mention the mud and cement). Two weeks in a remote town in Costa Rica really brought perspective to some of you, appreciations to others, and reflection to almost all.

Our time together here really had an impact on the community and within our group. It was amazing to see how our work really paid off after our time together. When we first got to San Pedro, the outdoor gym had nothing but a small patch of cement coming from the side of the road. After two weeks, the sidewalk had almost circled around the entire gym. Not only were we impactful at the gym, but our work really contributed to the sustainability of ecological farms. Because of YOU all, Green Communities is able to demonstrate to the locals that ecological farming is not only possible, but that there can really be positive, long-lasting effects.

Another thing that is important to mention is how thankful the community is for your work. It’s important to remember that not all municipalities have funding for local projects. The work might’ve seemed like a small patch of cement or fertilization of some plants, but the reality is that you’ve all provided a safe means of transportation for local students, or weeks/months of hard work for the local farmers.

Of course we can’t forget about the fun times as well. Who could forget the dance that the students performed for us at the beginning of service? We also had a blast playing soccer with each other on several occasions. Personally, my favorite part was seeing how muddy you all got during the game, but how it didn’t affect you at all. Our time at the beach was also amazing. You all went all in with full energy and without any concerns of how silly you might’ve looked falling down. Lastly, we can’t forget the extreme forest park and how much screaming was involved. It was amazing seeing how brave you all were. Even for us who needed to close our eyes to jump off the Tarzan Swing or the Jungle Fly.

Some activities that were fun:

• Telephone dance
• Charades and Pictionary
• Captain American night
• Salsa night
• Morning boxing classes

Some impactful activities:

• Touch the shoulder (Appreciation taps)
• Daily journals
• Closing nights and appreciation notes

This was an amazing experience that I know many of you will take home and carry with you for a long time.

-Christian Garcia

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Hi everyone!

We hope your school years are off to a great start, and you are still filled with fond memories of summer days in Gandoca, Costa Rica! It was such a joy to share part of our summer with each of you! What an awesome time we had together!

We loved exploring the biodiversity of Costa Rica on the Caribbean coast with you. From seeing sloths and monkeys in the wild to night patrols with starry skies (and lots of mud!) to looking at strange bugs while waiting in line for zip lining to fresh fruit juices at each meal, we hope that each of you walked away from the summer with a new eye for nature and ideas about how you can live more sustainably every day.

Thanks for the energy and curiosity each of you brought to our service and our adventures! You each have unique gifts that will allow you to impact the world in meaningful ways. We hope this trip has inspired a passion for travel and service!

Here are some specific memories of our time together that we hope will make you smile:

-Watermelon and banana tshirts in Puerto Viejo

-Painting signs (and sometimes each other) for turtle conservation and beach protection

-Making our own hot chocolate from cacao on the organic farm tour (no, it wasn’t a mango…)

-Cooking lunch together—patacones and picadillo!

-Learning to surf—Hang Ten!

-Assassin, mafia, and “Baloney Sandwich” games during free time

-Dog count: 107

-How many days without a nosebleed?

-Costa Rican cookies in the first aid kit and cake for Danielle’s birthday on the last night

-Playing “pato pato ganzo” with students at the local school

-Sports day beating the British

Thank you for a great program! And of course, PURA VIDA!

-The Costa Rica Sea Turtle Staff (Clint, JP, and Remy)

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Hi everyone!

We hope your school years are off to a great start, and you are still filled with fond memories of summer days in Gandoca, Costa Rica! It was such a joy to share part of our summer with each of you! What an awesome time we had together!

We loved exploring the biodiversity of Costa Rica on the Caribbean coast with you. It was a special treat to see a hawksbill turtle and use what we had learned in our turtle conservation talk to protect 169 eggs on our first night patrol. From seeing sloths and monkeys at the animal rescue center to picking yucca and feeding the chickens to learning about mangroves and planting mangrove seeds to fresh fruit juices at each meal, we hope that each of you walked away from the summer with a new eye for nature and ideas about how you can live more sustainably every day.

Thanks for the energy and curiosity each of you brought to our service and our adventures! You each have unique gifts that will allow you to impact the world in meaningful ways. We hope this trip has inspired a passion for travel and service!

Here are some specific memories of our time together that we hope will make you smile:

-Touring Alejuela with JP on arrival day and trying to convince people to break dance in the park

-Seeing if Canadian money really does smell like maple syrup and saying “out and about” at every chance

-Nature Girl

-Drinking coconuts on the beach on snorkeling day

-Making our own hot chocolate from cacao on the organic farm tour

-Cooking lunch together—patacones and picadillo!

-Learning to surf—Hang Ten!

-Sack races, spoon pass, and a volleyball tournament between mentor groups

-The huge storm that knocked out the power during packing on the last night at Home Base

 

Thank you for a great program! And of course, PURA VIDA!

-The Costa Rica Sea Turtle Staff (Clint, JP, Remy, and Erin)

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.