PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Buenos Días!

Emily here, ARVP’s International Director! We had students trickle in throughout the day, starting at 7am and ending at 8pm! We spent the day eating delicious vegan food at Lands in Love, playing get to know you games, and walking around the hotel.

Throughout the day, we got to know each other and learned about where each other is from. We can’t wait for an amazing two weeks in beautiful Costa Rica working with animals!!!

Pura Vida,
Emily

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

This is Adam and Toni writing to you about our amazing first day in Costa Rica with GLA! We had an amazing time at orientation where we learned about the exciting content of our trip. Then we enjoyed a fabulous vegan lunch, and took a tour of the gorgeous resort. We saw a wide variety of cute animals from dogs, to goats. Then we completed a swim test. We had a fun time playing all sorts of interesting games as a group. It was a great opportunity to get to know each other. After dinner we had an engaging presentation from Samantha where we learned about Costa Rica’s rich culture and heritage. It was a fabulous first day and we cannot wait for the rest of our trip!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Pura Vida from Costa Rica!

Today we started our first day of service at Lands in Love. The Dog group walked about 90+ dogs today and had fun with them in a field. The Cat group cleaned out the enclosures and got to have cuddle time. The Horse group cleaned out stables, fed, and washed the horses.

In addition, everyone played a game of soccer with the local kids (which we of course lost SPECTACULARLY) preceded by a trip to Walmart for some Costa Rican snacks!

Te amo,
Emery and Sofia

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Hola! It’s Lily and Isabella, today was very eventful. After a delicious breakfast of arroz con leche, we moved on to our service groups for today! After service we had another great meal before heading off to a local cooking class where we learned how to make tortillas and traditional empanadas filled with beans, both equally scrumptious. We then had some free time before dinner, once we finished, we had a lovely guest speaker called Samantha who talked about the Costa Rica biodiversity which was super interesting! We are going to go to sleep early in anticipation for the fun day of hot springs and chocolate tour tomorrow.

Pura vida!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Hey GLA families! Today was extremely fun and busy. We had a day off of service and were given a wonderful tour of a chocolate factory. There we were walked through the whole process and made our own delicious treats.

We then had lunch at the Baldi Hot Springs and had a blast at the various pools and water slides.

To finish off our day, we had a great dinner prepared by the Lands in Love chefs then celebrated Caz’s birthday with some chocolate cake and gifts. We then went to bed tired-out from a very fun dance lesson.

Mucho gusto,

Isa and Reagan!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Hi it’s Lila! Today we woke up early cleaning trails for Lands in Love. Halfway through the hike we were led to a super pretty and humongous waterfall!!! We had such a fun time exploring and taking awesome pictures. After we had a great breakfast and some fun free time hanging out spent playing many rounds of werewolf with the group. Then we had an interesting lesson about phone use right before lunch. Later, we had an amazing tour of all the animals with one of the very sweet founders of the rescue. We saw all of their special needs animals and learned all about how they rescued them and now care for them. We even got to meet some of the paralyzed dogs and hear about their recovery journeys. We ended the night with dinner and reflecting on the animals with our mentor groups. We can’t wait for the next half of the trip!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Hi, it’s Katia and Caitlyn, the leaders of the day today! We started out with an early breakfast before starting our 5 hour car ride to the next home base, Hotel Wilson. We ate lunch at an outdoor restaurant and had an orientation with the Vida team with expectations for the next few days of service. After lunch and orientation, we checked into the hotel and had free time where we could hang out in our rooms or by the pool. We returned to the same restaurant spot for dinner and enjoyed hamburgers and fries. After dinner, we drove to a church where we had a leadership activity about SMART goals. Finally, we walked backed to our hotel to get ready for our first day of service with Vida tomorrow.

Much love,
Caitlyn and Katia

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Hello everyone! Georgie and Katie here!

Today was an interesting and phenomenal day as we worked beside the vets, overlooking surgeries and helping with intake and recovery. We learned so much from watching the team up close. Later on, we had a debate about animal welfare, which opened our minds and led to some really passionate conversations.

In the evening, we wrapped up with a refreshing night swim, and now we’re feeling grateful and excited for service and a waterfall hike tomorrow!

Much love, Georgie and Katie

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Hola again!! This is Anna Kate and Abby reporting from Liberia. We started service around 8 this morning after a filling breakfast at the hotel. We watched surgeries, assisted with intake and helped animals in recovery. It was a hot and hard few hours, but like always, we enjoyed this opportunity to help animals in need. After lunch we went to a little waterfall and natural springs where we cooled off.

Tonight we went to a park after dinner where we participated in a few group discussions and explored the area. We can’t wait for another fun-filled day tomorrow!!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Hi everyone it’s London & Dexter!

Today we woke up pretty early, at around 5:30 AM. It turned out to be all worth it because we went out to sea on a boat with the GLA group. We had about an hour long boat drive to the first spot that we stopped and on the way we saw lots of dolphins. We went snorkeling and got to see lots of cool and fun sea creatures like starfish, pufferfish, and a sting ray.

After we were done with that we had lots of time to chill and have fun on the boat while driving back to shore. After we got back to where we were staying we had some down time. Then we got right back into it with an activity where we all draw about what a community looks like to us. After that we got ice cream which was super good. Then we went to bed and got a good nights rest after a super fun day!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Pura Vida from Ry & Caz!

We started our morning early with a yummy hotel breakfast before heading off to do service with Vida. We got to watch surgeries, help prep animals for their procedures, and support them through recovery, it was such an incredible experience.

After lunch, we visited another service site where we toured the grounds, met the animals, and learned so much. Then we helped clear leaves and sticks from the paths and enclosures to support the staff and keep things tidy.

To end the day, we grabbed a little treat from Starbucks, enjoyed a delicious dinner, and made our way back to the hotel. Can’t wait for another day of learning and service with Vida tomorrow!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

Hello from Costa Rica!

Today we had our final day of VIDA service. At the end of our service, we were able to give away all of the extra snacks to the local children. We had our final goodbyes with the VIDA team.

In the afternoon, we had fun doing a zipline and rock climbing course and finished our day off by setting goals for the upcoming year and reflecting on all of our time spent here in Costa Rica.

Muchas Gracias,
Adam and Sofia

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Hey guys it’s Karie and Lila!

Today was our last day here in Costa Rica, but nevertheless one to remember. We started the day off by eating breakfast at the hotel before departing off to our new hotel near the airport. After a long 5 hour bus ride with a quick stop for ice cream and milk shakes, we finally made it to the hotel.

We then had lunch and fun leadership activities. We reflected on our trip by writing notes to each other and participating in an appreciation circle. After that, we all went back to our rooms and got ready for our farewell dinner.

During the farewell dinner, we had time to discuss our amazing experiences during the past two weeks. And after many tears and sad goodbyes, we headed back to our rooms to pack for our flights tomorrow. This final day revealed to us how close we all got to each other. We speak for everyone when we say we are all so so grateful for this experience that allowed us to make friends for life.

Love, Katie and Lila

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

---

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15

Buenos días from Costa Rica!

Emily here, the Animal Rescue Veterinary Project’s International Director! I am thrilled to report that our students have arrived in the beautiful country of Costa Rica! 🇨🇷

Mae, Ati, and Madison arrived early in the morning and spent the day with Ella, our program’s amazing mentor, walking around our amazing hotel called Lands in Love and creating welcome signs for the remaining students!

Emma, Ebin, Addie, Elizabeth, Lucy P, Ave, Zoe, Nina, Lucy B, and Caroline arrived later and on. When we arrived, everyone unpacked and we had a traditional Costa Rican dinner of rice, beans, plantains, and “chicken” (everything at Lands in Love is vegan, so we ate soy-based meat!).

After dinner, we played some games to learn each other’s names and get to know one another.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to orientation, swimming in the pool, and meeting some of the animals we will be working with!

Hasta mañana,
Emily!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16

Buenos Días! Emily here again!

Today we started off with breakfast and got straight into orientation! Over the course of the day, we talked about what to expect on the trip, guidelines to follow, and how to stay safe with discussions and games. After that, we toured the property and got to see where we will be working with the animals tomorrow! We saw dogs, cats, and even got to pet some horses and goats.

We also had some pool time and after that we spoke to Alón, one of the founding members of Lands in Love. Later on, we had dinner and had a guest speaker come and talk about the culture of Costa Rica!

We are so excited to start our community project tomorrow working with the dogs, cats, and horses!

Pura Vida,
Emily!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

Hi, it’s Caroline and Madison, today’s leaders of the day! Despite it raining all day, today was really fun! We started with breakfast, and then service with the dogs, cats and horses. The dog group woke up extra early to walk the dogs. The cat and horse groups helped clean cages, and do dishes. We then had lunch, then some free time.

After that we took a trip to downtown Costa Rica to buy some snacks! When we went back home for more free time, and then dinner! Yum! After that, we did a salsa dance class where we learned three different types of dances. Then we went to bed after a long day.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18

Hey guys it’s Mae and Lucy P here!

Today we started our day off with breakfast then went into 2 groups, one to walk dogs and the other to take care of horses. After service, we ate lunch and went to a cooking class and made empanadas! Que delicioso! We then drove back and saw parrots on the way, then ate dinner. When we got back, Stella had arrived, so happy she finally made it! After dinner, we had our second guess speaker and learned more about the ecosystem and biodiversity of Costa Rica. We’re quite excited to visit the hot springs and do a chocolate tour tomorrow!

Peace out,
Lucy and Mae

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

Hey! It’s Addie and Elizabeth here!

Today was a super fun day! We got up bright and early and had breakfast then headed on an excursion to a chocolate tour where we learned the process of how to make a chocolate bar and then we headed over to the hot springs! When we got back from our fun day out we had a delicious dinner, did a quick activity, and went to bed after a long day!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Hi, it’s Averie and Zoe here!

Today some of us started off with service for the cats, dogs, and horses at the shelter! Through helping clean the cat cages and playing with all the unique cats we were able to see some white face monkeys playing in the trees above us! The dog service group got to see the special needs unit for the dogs which was a really inspiring experience. Meanwhile, the washing horses group got lucky enough to get to wash Toby the sheep in addition to the horses!

Then we had our lunch which followed with lots of free time to socialize with each other, including swimming in the pool and playing water volleyball! We also did mentor groups and had a pulse check today. Finally we ended our laid back day in Costa Rica with our final vegan dinner and a special dessert before we head out tomorrow morning to Liberia!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21

Hi it’s Lucy and Nina – the leaders of the day! Today was very relaxed and leisurely. everybody woke up bright and early at 6:30am. We said our goodbyes to the Lands & Love staff, and headed on our way to Liberia. As we drove we made a few pit stops on our five hour drive. We finally made it to the Vida dining hall, got acquainted with the staff we will be working with for the remainder of the trip. Some of us relaxed in the pool and others unpacked in their rooms. We made our way to dinner, had a short Spanish lesson at the park, and then we split off into groups for those who wanted ice cream. We are getting rested and ready to work for tomorrow.

Buenas noches – Nina and Lucy!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Hi, it’s Ati and Stella here!

Today was our first day of service at our new clinic location in Liberia! We first started off our morning early at 6:30 am for breakfast, and left to the community at 7:00 am. At the clinic, we observed surgeries and helped prepare and monitor patients going in and out of operations. After our service we had lunch and lots of free time to relax after a long morning for work. We ended our day with a debate on animal rights and argued the different perspectives on political circumstances for obtaining pets.

Lots of love,
Ati and Stella

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23

Hello blog it’s Emma and Ebin!

Today we did day 2 of VIDA service which was very successful and was the first day that we had a cat as one of our surgeries.

We also helped another dog who suffered an injury to the neck after being sliced by barbed wire and we sewed the cut shut and made sure he was happy and healthy. It was really interesting to see a surgery other than spays and neuters.

After completing that, we had lunch and went over to the waterfall. Though we weren’t able to swim because there was crocodile, the view was super pretty. On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at Starbucks!
We then got to the hotel, took showers, went to dinner, and finished the night off playing Uno.

Can’t wait for tomorrow!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24

Hey blog it’s Mae and Caroline!

Today we had a great day at the beach. We started early and drove to another town about an hour and half away. When we got to the beach we got on a catamaran, and drove farther out and snorkeled for a while. Then we had an amazing lunch on board. When we got back to land we went to a souvenir shop and then got some food! We had a great day and we are super excited for zip lining tomorrow!!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25

Hi from Costa Rica!! It’s Lucy and Lucy here.

We woke up bright and early for our daily veterinary service with Vida. We are so thankful that we got to help these cute dogs and cats. Afterward, we had a delicious lunch before heading off to a zip lining trip in the rainforest. We then had some to relax and hang out before enjoying our tasty dinner. In the evening, we did a reflection activity to reflect on how this trip has changed us and what we will do in the future to improve our actions. It was the perfect day, and we’re excited for tomorrow.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26

Hey it’s Addie and Avery and today we woke up and ate breakfast at the hotel, and then drove to service, which was a short service today. We neutered/spayed for cats and four dogs and dewormed four puppies, then went back to the hotel to change and get ready for the next service which we got a tour of a wildlife center and saw animals, such as parrots and wildcats, ocelots, and alligators. Then, we came back and went to Starbucks then drove to dinner and then we came back to the hotel to pack and get ready for tomorrow at the next hotel.

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

---

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 31

Hello Families!

Today, 13 of our 14 students arrived in beautiful, sunny Belize! After greeting everyone at the airport and having some delicious food, we set off for a 3ish hour van ride to Sarteneja. We made a quick stop at a local supermarket for last minute essentials and snacks.

First group to arrive at home base had the chance to enjoy their very first beautiful sunset together and then enjoy dinner at HB!

We look forward for orientation day, a tour of Sertaneja, and the chance to meet our first service partners tomorrow!

Buenas Noches,
Belize Staff – Dayana, Jema, Juli & Adela.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1 & 2

Hello families!

Yesterday, August 1st, we went through orientation where the code of conduct and other important messages were reviewed. After that we went on a tour of Sarteneja village, and learned about the history and culture while stopping at a few local stores with paintings, jewelry, and ice cream. We then went to the pier to complete our swim tests before having fun in the water for a while. As the sun set we gathered together in our first sunset circle to review the highlights and takeaways of the day, as well as bringing notice to helpful people. Finally, after dinner we were split into our two mentor groups and worked together to make a poster of our values and goals for this trip.

Today we took a boat tour down the New River, and learned about it’s history as a Mayan transport route and passageway.

We explored the mangrove’s benefits to reduce pollutants in the water and air, and planted some seedlings of our own! We then took a swim in the Corozal Bay to cool off after the long day, and headed back to our home base. After dinner we played a competitive game of Chalupa where the winners got delicious fruit, and learned more about our mentors! The day was finished when we celebrated the birthday of one of our mentors, Adela, and had a delicious cake.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3 & 4

On Sunday we started our morning early with a boat ride to the edge of a lagoon to pick sea grass for manatees. After a long while we hoped on the boat and headed back to home base for lunch and to change into appropriate attire to visit the wildtracks nature reserve. At the nature reserve we learned lots about manatees, spider monkeys, and howler monkeys. We got to witness the manatees kit and kat being bottle fed. Around the same time we put the sea grass in a PVC mechanism for the gentle giants to fead from. On the way home we got to enjoy some ice pops from local icecream shop. Our night activitie was watching a documentary about plastic pollution.

Today we started the day off with a beautiful boat ride to learn about fishing traps located in Sarteneja, then made our way to a local fisherman’s house to learn how to filet fish and crabs and eat it for lunch.

After lunch we learned all about lion fish, and got the opportunity to make lion fish jewelry. To wrap up the day we ended with a beautiful sunset swim where we told riddles and swam to a little pavilion near the pier.

Quinn & Gracie

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5 & 6

Hello Families and friends!

We are having lots of fun here in Belize.

Yesterday, we did a clean up for 2 hours around the community to accomplish more hours of service and stopped by a sweet shop and got great snacks! Then we prepared for the conservation camp with the local kids and ended the night with the movie zootopia!

Today we started the day off with omelets and toast and prepared for local kids to arrive for our conservation camp. While campers arrived, we played games including jellyfish, hunters, and turtles, rock paper scissors, and sharks/minnows. We presented our posters to the kids about sustainability, mangroves, manatees, and sea pollution. Then we made friendship bracelets and drew while watching The Wild Robot. We walked to a park and played soccer and volleyball. When the campers left, we went swimming in the bay/sunset circle and made tamales for dinner.

Nyla, Amalia and Jackson

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7 & 8

Hello families!!

We just came back from our overnight excursion to the most magical place we have been!

We started yesterday off bright and early with a 7am boat ride to Bacalar Chico Marine Preserve. Once we got there, we settled into our rooms had breakfast and explored their museum where we learned a lot of interesting facts about the protected species in the preserve and Mayan culture. After the tour, we got our safety briefing and got on the boat and drove through a Mayan canal to get to our snorkeling spot where we snorkeled for a while in beautiful water. We went home and had a delicious lunch and then swam and fished the rest of the day around the lodge before dinner.

Today we woke up early to a beautiful day and an excellent breakfast. We again grabbed our snorkeling gear and headed to Rocky Point, where the coral reef meets the coast (unique in the world). Here we helped find lionfish to spear and dissect to better understand what types of fish they eat and how they damage the coral reef.

While we did that we swam and saw bunch of fishes, a sea turtle, manta ray, nurse shark and other marine life. After lunch, we returned to Sarteneja for our last sunset circle and a storytelling activity with Princess (local lady).

Andy

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 9 & 10

Yesterday we left Sarteneja, our homebase in Belize, to travel to the center of the country to our new home in TEC. During the trip, we stopped at the supermarket to buy some snacks and continued on to Altun Ha, a Mayan archaeological site, where we had a delicious lunch and our guide explained many interesting facts about this culture. We were able to climb the temples and see the entire complex from above. Upon arriving at TEC, some of us enjoyed the pool, and after dinner, we participated in a debate. based on tourism and fishing in Belize.

Today we embarked on a journey to Swallow key. We joined an amazing crew on a catamaran and went snorkelling for the last time in our trip. We saw an abundance of marine life in the reef and had lunch on the boat. We also saw many pods of dolphins and a manatee. I also saw two spotted eagles rays.

At the end of the day we worked on a leadership activity to create our OMG (one meaningful goal) as a group, where we committed to reduce plastic use (particularly single use).

Thanks for reading, we will keep you posted!

Suraya and Calvin

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 11 & 12

Hello families, we are about to finish this great adventure in Belize!

Yesterday was service day at the Zoo!

We woke up, had a quick breakfast, and headed off to the Belize Zoo for a tour with the animals. We saw lots of animals ranging from harpy eagles to a small river otter. We also encountered Belize’s national animal, which is the tapir. After lunch, we went to work on painting railing for the zoo as well as helping lay the rock foundations for a new white tailed deer and a tapir. We headed back to base for a quick swim and food before heading back to the zoo for a night tour. The night tour allowed us to see the nocturnal animals at the zoo such as jaguars, barn owls, and kinkajous. We had an amazing day and look forward to the last adventure day tomorrow!

We had a blast today doing zip lining and cave tubing!

After breakfast, we drove to the adventure spot and got ready with all our gear to start zip lining! Many of us dared to go upside down on the cables. We also did one that went over the river where later we will do cave tubing.

For cave tubing, we had to walk through the forest, learning more about Belize’s flora and fauna, as well as the importance of caves to the Mayans. After crossing the river and swimming in its crystal-clear waters, we floated inside the caves for about 40 minutes and then went downriver on our tubes! Being in the caves was amazing.

Then we had lunch and headed back to the road to our last stop, the Art Box, where many people bought their last souvenirs and delicious ice cream and frappuccinos. Back at TEC, we did some closing activities to acknowledge our new friendships and memories.

We are sad to go back home but happy for our time here in Belize!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

---

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Hello Friends and Family!

Today, 22 of our 24 students arrived in beautiful, sunny Belize (and we can’t wait to welcome our final 2 tomorrow!) After mostly smooth arrivals at the airport, our crew set off for a 3ish hour van ride to Sartaneja. We made a quick stop at a local supermarket for last minute essentials and snacks, and then our students were able to enjoy dinner and games together and start getting to know one another.

We look forward to having orientation, a tour of Sartaneja, and the chance to meet our first service partners tomorrow!

Buenas Noches,
Belize Staff – Dayana, Jema, Courtney, and AC

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Hey friends and family!

A quick update about yesterday, orientation day! We started our GLA experience with an orientation morning, going over rules and expectations, along with learning more about Belize and Belizean customs. We also played some games to start getting to know one another. Then, we got to take a short walking tour of Sartaneja, during which we visited a local artist and got to eat mango and coconuts straight from the trees. We ended the day watching the sunset from the pier, which was a highlight for the whole group.

Today, as leaders of the day, we were tasked with waking everybody up at 7:30 to get some delicioso breakfast including chicken quesadillas, tomato sauce, and papaya. After our breakfast we walked down to the pier to go on a 40 minute boat ride to the New River where we learned to identify mangrove trees. The most common mangrove tree we saw was the red mangrove.

After the river tour we took the boat to Warrie Bight, which is a site of our service partner, where we picked and planted mangrove propagules. While we were there, we also performed our swim test and had a scrumptious lunch including chicken, rice, and veggies. During the afternoon we were able to swim a lot in the salty and rocky water.

We then came back to the home base, rinsed off, and we went and had dinner at a local restaurant called Racquel’s. During the dinner we played a local bingo-style game called Chalupa. After dinner we came back to home base and got into mentor groups and got to know each other better in smaller groups, and now we are about to go enjoy free time before lights out.

—Evan, Harris, and Will

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 17 & 18

Day 4 started at 8am, and we were met with steaming fresh waffles, cheesy eggs, and watermelon.

After breakfast, we headed to the pier, and after a music-filled boat ride, we arrived at the site where seagrass is commonly found. There, we dropped the anchor and began collecting seagrass to feed manatees. While heading back to home base, we saw many bottlenose dolphin pods, creating a heartwarming experience that was just as impactful as it was spectacular.

After lunch, we rotated in two groups from mentoring to the WildTracks rehabilitation center. At the rehab center, we learned and appreciated how the lengthy process of conservation between manatees and primates is tiring but necessary. One of our highlights of the day was when we had the opportunity to feed the manatees with the seagrass that we harvested previously. We were also told several stories involving both the manatees and primates that WildTracks has rehabilitated. This experience increased our understanding of the critical thinking skills and problem solving necessary for successful rehabilitation efforts.

During our mentoring session, we talked about how to make SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely) goals. We each wrote several goals that specifically applied to ourselves and showed the lessons that we wanted to learn on this trip.

To finish off the night, we had dinner and played group-bonding games with each other. We particularly enjoyed playing a game involving getting to know our counselors better. Finally, tired from a day filled with meaningful service and learning, we ended our day with a good night’s sleep.

On day 5, waking up to yet another beautiful Belizean morning, we were met downstairs with fresh and steamy hot pancakes, juicy local watermelon, and sausage. After a quick debrief of the day, we headed to the pier, where we met local fishermen who took us to one of their beautiful fishing sites and showed us a traditional Belizean fishing method. There we watched as the fishermen collected their haul. It ranged from small indigenous fish, to large Barracudas, and…wait for it…AN ACTUAL SALTWATER CROCODILE! After taking an infinite amount of group photos with the beast, we said our goodbyes to the fishermen and headed back to Sartaneja where we had the opportunity to fillet the fresh fish that was just caught, and fry them. And boom, lunch served: rice and beans, onions, lime, watermelon, cantaloupe, and freshly caught fish…yummm!

After lunch, it started to rain pretty heavy, but we couldn’t let that stop us. We played basketball in the rain, with one of our peers yelling “Come on everyone! How many times will you be able to play basketball in the rain in Belize!” After that we went for a generous snack run at the local mini Mart. Everyone got chips and candy in preparation for tomorrow, you’ll understand tomorrow 🙂 The leader of the days Isaac and Enzo had other plans though. After buying some vegetable oil, three eggs, and some cake mix, we headed over to the generous SACD Manager, Diveana’s home where we met her mother, a local baker, who helped us out with the baking. While waiting for the cake to finish in the oven, Diviana showed us some locally harvested mangos, (literally the best we’ve ever had no cap). After having our fill of mangos and leaving with the freshly baked cake, we arrived back at home base, meeting the rest of our peers who were having their fill of some free time.

We then made some Lion fish jewelry with the help of a local Belizean Jewelry company. We had dinner— tender chicken, mashed potatoes and fresh cucumber salad. After a hilarious sunset circle (parents, your kids will tell you all about it) we ended the day with some mentor groups, basketball (not in the rain this time), and fun free time. Isaac and Enzo then wrote today’s blog post and called it a day.

Leaders of Days 4 & 5 — Ben, Isaac, Logan, Nico, and Zain

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 19 & 20

We started Day 6 with an early 6:30 wake up in Sarteneja and took a boat over to Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve, changing to Mexico time on the way. A delicious breakfast of ham and cheese sandwiches (often called johnny cakes in belize) and fresh fruit waited for us there. Shortly after another boat took us through a man-made Mayan canal for a snorkeling adventure on the world’s largest natural barrier reef. We saw many tropical fish, a sting ray, and a large nerf shark. When we arrived back, we were treated delicious chicken nachos. Following lunch we had enough free time to go back and play in the ocean and also explore the reserve. Before a dinner of homemade chicken and tortillas, we took a scenic group photo on the pier. We closed off our day by telling stories over a large bonfire.

-Nico and Thomas

Today (day 7) we woke up bright and early at Bacalar Chico in our cabins and tents, with some students choosing to watch the sunrise. We had a yummy breakfast of eggs, beans, fruits, bacon, and fresh tortillas.

Shortly after the students hopped on to the boats to go snorkeling and find the invasive species of lion fish. After catching five lion fish, the students watched a live dissection and got to see what a lion fish eat. This was followed by packing before making over way back via boat to Sarteneja Village where they headed to a local’s house to learn how to make tamales. After finishing the tamales, the students went back to home base for some free time followed by ‘Chow Circle’ and then headed back to the local’s house for a delicious dinner to try what they made. Then they returned to the hotel where they played a few rounds of speed friending and then got free time. Finally, they went to bed.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 21 & 22

On Day 8, the students woke up bright and early to some delicious breakfast. They proceeded to head out to the local village in Sarteneja and cleaned up trash. After the service, the students got some downtime where they made friendship bracelets and played guitar. Following lunch, they met up with SACD to plan for the conservation camp with the kids. They broke into groups, creating posters and designing fun games for the children to play the following day. The students got more downtime to hang out before a yummy dinner!

-Jasmine and Josie

Today (day 9) we woke up, ate a great breakfast and got prepared for a day of fun in the sun with the kids at camp. We had gotten to the park and started setting up when some bees started swarming so we had to go back to homebase. After everything was sorted out, we resumed our activity with the local kids. We split up into groups and played classic outdoor games with them, such as freeze tag, which the kids called, “hunters and manatees”, hide and seek, and they even told us scary stories. At around twelve thirty we had lunch, and then reassembled back into our groups to present the sustainability posters that we made the previous day. The kids loved them and said that they learned a lot.

Sadly, at three o’clock, they had to leave, so we took a group photo and said goodbye. Then we had some free time, and some of the guys played a tournament style basketball game. We also had the option to go swimming in the ocean that afternoon. Later, we had dinner, and then had a campfire that we told stories around. The counselors even gave us an extra fifteen minutes to stay up to enjoy the bonfire.

-Josh and Noah

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

Today, we started out the day around 8:30 with a breakfast of omelettes and fresh fruit. After breakfast we had a long day of traveling. We said goodbye to our home for the last 10 days and set on the road for Central Belize, where we will stay for the last four days of our trip. After 2 hours, we stopped for a quick supermarket stop to pick up a couple of snacks for the last few days.

Then, we got back in the bus and drove to a Mayan archeological site, Altun Ha. We grabbed lunch, hot chicken and rice, while some of the students bought mangos and drank some coconut water. The site was breathtaking and we learned so much about the Mayan culture while we climbed to the top of the temples. We also shopped at some artisanal markets next to the site before hopping back on the bus.

At 6 PM, we finally arrived at the Tropical Education Center, our home for the last four days in Belize. We had a spectacular meal— fajitas with beans, lettuce, chicken, and cheese.

After some rest after dinner, we all gathered for a friendly debate. We were split up into four teams with three students acting as the mediators. We were given a packet which detailed our role, either as the Belizean government, Local Fishermen, a Non-profit environmental organization, or a tourist program. With the facts given in the packet, and our experience in Belize, we debated several questions to reach a group consensus of helping Belize as much as possible. We all had so much fun recounting the memories and facts we learned over our trip. To finish the night, we split off into our own rooms and went to bed.

-Alexis and Kaylee C.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 24 & 25

Our group woke up early today before a yummy breakfast of pancakes! We hopped in the bus and drove from our hotel in Central Belize to Belize City to get onto a catamaran boat, where we played cards, soaked up the sun and listened to music.

Then we arrived at the Barrier Reef, where we got the opportunity to snorkel. After spotting 2 eels, a nurse shark and sting rays, we enjoyed a hearty lunch of chicken rice and beans and a fresh salad on the water. Then, we headed back to our homebase, stopped at a local ice cream stop to pick up a delicious icy treat, and relaxed in the pool playing fun games.

We later had sunset circle, deciding our highlight of the day before heading to a delicious dinner, which was followed by mentor groups. In mentor groups, we looked back on our trip and created a motto that describes our goals. The motto was “Take action in your community whenever is possible”. After mentor groups, we enjoyed some much-needed free time before going to bed.

—Maggie and Maverick

Today (day 12) we woke up to some rainy weather in Central Belize. We quickly cheered up with a warm breakfast of eggs, sausage and pancakes. We then headed over to the Belize Zoo where we split into two groups and toured the area. Our group was able to see spider monkeys, crocodiles, otters, snakes, birds and more.

We then stopped by the foodcourt for lunch and a rest before doing service work. After lunch, we returned to our groups and did various acts of service from around 1:00-3:30 PM. These activities included raking leaves and cleaning railings within the zoo.

We then went back to homebase to have free time followed by sunset circle. After a delicious dinner of pork chops, potatoes and assorted vegetables, we got to return to the zoo for the night tour. We saw many nocturnal animals and our group got to even feed a jaguar and tapir. We then returned to home base and shortly after went to sleep.

-Grace and Hollen

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 26

Today, our last full day, we had an early morning, getting up at 7:30 for breakfast sandwiches and an assortment of fruit. After breakfast, we hopped on the bus for a short drive to the zip line park! We started by getting our harnesses on, and then we set off for the lines. We did 6 in total, some of which we were allowed to go upside down on!

After an exhilarating time on the zip lines, we took a calming 30 minute hike to the river to go cave tubing. The water was a bit chilly, but very refreshing after the tropical heat. Our tubes were tied together as we drifted down the river through the cave.

When we reached the end of the river, we all got changed for lunch, a wonderful spread of chicken, coleslaw, and beans with a side of tortilla. Then, we took the bus to a souvenir store / cafe where some students got gifts for home, played games in the foyer, ate ice cream, and discussed the fun events of the day!

Finally, we returned back to home base and some students went swimming for the last time in the pool. Everyone then showered and dressed up in fancy clothes as a celebration for our last night. It also happened to be one of our fellow students birthdays so we celebrated with a piñata! (happy birthday Zain!) Next came one of our favorite activities throughout the trip, appreciation circle. We all gathered in a circle and one by one anonymously tapped the others on the shoulder, depending on the prompt, like: “who was a good leader on this trip” or “who did you get good advice from”.

To conclude the night, we had a bonfire, roasted marshmallows, and signed papers for each other expressing how much we all mean to one another.

Thank you so much for all the memories everyone!

-Chloe and Kaylee C.

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 10

Hello from Belize!

Eleven of our students arrived today in the beautiful country of Belize! For our early arrivals, we spent some time at the airport getting to know each other and reading about the wonderful places the group will be visiting over the next two weeks. After snacking and eating lunch, we hopped in the van and kept our eyes peeled for any wildlife wandering near the roads, such as toucans, jaguars, and green iguanas. We also played some fun games in the car and solved some brain twisting riddles. The van arrived at Belizima just in time for a delicious fresh caught barracuda fillets as our first dinner together!

The group settled down for the night, getting a good rest before tomorrow’s activities! We can’t wait for our Belize adventure to begin!

Sincerely,

GLA Staff Leah Doyle

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 12

Hi again!

Our final student arrived on day 2! We started the morning off with a delicious breakfast and then began student orientation. We made rule-making fun by acting out skits and brainstorming new guidelines with fellow GLA students. After lunch, we ventured out into Sarteneja and learned about the impact of fishing on the town’s culture and economy. To cool off after our tour, we took a dip in the Corozal Bay and took our swim test (WE ALL PASSED!). It was pretty hard, but we managed. We played games in the water, bonding together as a wonderful family. We ended the night with our first chow circle (shout-outs for the day), a beautiful sunset, and a delicious dinner at home base. We went to bed early to get good rest for a big day of service!

Day 3 began with a run for some people while everyone else slept in and enjoyed the sea breeze. We left HB (home base) shortly after breakfast and took a boat ride to a freshwater sinkhole where we saw a manatee! Soon after, we traveled through the New River and learned about the impacts of mangroves on the environment and how to differentiate the three types of mangroves. It was so fascinating because the mangroves were HUGE! They were the biggest ones we’ve ever seen.

Following our river tour, we headed to Warrie Bight, where we played games and had lunch. Then we got to work collecting mangrove seeds from the coastline and planting them in their new homes. We were all very hot, so we took a refreshing swim in the bay. The rain showers took us by surprise, but only added to the fun of our adventure!

We hopped back into the boat and rode back to HB, where we washed off the sand and got ready for dinner at Raquel’s. We had such a great time playing Chalupa and dancing with Princess (one of the workers at Raquel’s). Day 3 was such a blast, and we can’t wait for tomorrow’s adventure!

Adios & au revoir from your leaders of the day,

Kenzie and Ella

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 13

Back again!

Day four started at 8:00 a.m., and we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by our cooks. After filling our stomachs with amazing food, we grabbed everything we would need for the morning. We had an eventful morning on the boat with our Captain Raynel, Mike, and local Belize expert Leo. We helped out people from Sartanja who were stranded in their boat and towed them to the dock. While on the boat in the morning after helping out the people, we spotted many bottlenose dolphins, but sadly didn’t see any spinner dolphins or spotted dolphins. Hopefully, we will see them later this week during more service.

Continuing, we had a lesson on how to collect seagrass properly for manatees and went diving into the water to retrieve a bucket full. We had a wonderful time swimming and pulling sea grass from the Shipstern Caye. Then, we headed to home base, changed, and ate once again a delicious meal. Afterwards, we headed to Wildtracks and the amazing owner/leader Zoe led us through a delightful tour of their property with the manatees and primates (monkeys).

Zoe also gave a wonderful PowerPoint on the goals and accomplishments of Wildtracks. Although we had to part ways with Wildtracks, we had a blast in the afternoon with Zoe and her volunteers. Following our departure from Wildtracks, we made our way home and had a delectable meal for dinner. We reviewed tomorrow’s schedule and selected JP and Finn as tomorrow’s leaders of the day. We got our phones after dinner and chilled before karaoke. Finally, entertainment filled our night with lively karaoke that was hosted by Camila, Nanate, and Ian.

Saying of the day: Ayuda a las personas necesitadas! English Translation: Always help the people in need!

Dannica and Mailanna

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14

Hello from Belize!

This morning, we had pancakes for breakfast and left quickly for a morning tour of the historic fish traps of Belize. We had so much fun as our guides showed us how they’d collect fish and which ones they would throw back. After that, we went to the SACD headquarters and learned about the invasive Lionfish, as well as made lionfish jewelry. It was so fun to make and turned out really well! After that, we went back to our home base and held our student debate to model the real-life problems Belize as a growing country faces, trying to balance Economy, Culture, and Ecosystem. It was so much fun, and everyone was very passionate.

After that, we had a free period. Lots of swimming, reading, and relaxing on the beach happened along with a little bit of volleyball. Last, but definitely not least, we had a very special dinner celebrating the birthday of Dannica! The chefs specially prepared three different types of pizza, wings, and even a birthday cake! We all sang Happy Birthday as loud as we could and beat up a piñata together. All together another great day in GLA Belize!

Thanks for reading,

Finn and J.P.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15

Hola from Belize!

Today was an amazing day, with a slight change of plans due to some weather, we headed to BCMR (Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve). We left home base at around 9.00 am and arrived at around 10.

We then took a short boat ride through a canal, enclosed by mangroves and shared by Mexico and Belize, to our snorkeling destination. The Mesoamerican Reef is the second-largest barrier reef in the world. Fortunately, we had an amazing guide named Celso, who is currently attending the University of Belize to get his bachelor’s in marine life. When we snorkeled, we got to see an array of fish and so many conch shells, and afterwards we were also able to freedive.

We then went back to BCMR, rinsed off, and had an amazing lunch consisting of barbeque chicken, pasta salad, tortilla chips, and fresh fruit punch. We all toured the museum inside BCMR and learned some amazing facts.

When we arrived at home base at around 4:00 pm, we had 2 visitors who helped us brainstorm ideas for our student conservation camp tomorrow. After a couple of hours of brainstorming our ideas, we called it quits and settled down for dinner. Dinner was so delicious tonight! We had a taco fiesta with carnitas, rice, and toppings. We ended the day with A LOT of laughs at the dinner table. That’s all for today!

See you tomorrow,

Lila and Lizzie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16

Good morning from Belize!

We started by sleeping in and having both toast with avocado and new homemade raisin bread that was delicious. After breakfast had ceased, we drove over to town and found our way to Nazarene Primary School. We were divided into four groups with kids aged up to 12. We started with just ice breakers until moving up to doing the “manatee race”, where we were put in sacks and raced against the other teams.

After that activity, we presented our topics using posters and fun activities to a rotating group of kids. We had pollution, mangroves, manatees, and sustainability, and we each added games to the topics to keep the kids engaged. Later, we stopped for a lunch break, which included chicken with rice and beans. For our last activity with the kids, we played soccer against different groups.

We went back to the cabins for an hour before leaving to make tamales at the very friendly locals’ house. We each had a different role in making these tasty treats, and then waited an hour before returning for munching. Not only tamales, but we were provided with delectable fruits, including fresh mangoes and pineapples. To keep us hydrated, we had watermelon juice, which we all found very refreshing. Finally, we departed after thanking our friends and filling our stomachs.

Catch you on the flip side,

Grigs and Allison

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

Hey from Belize!

We started the morning off with a breakfast of fry jacks, beans, and locally grown apple bananas. After a thorough pulse check (a rating of community service, leadership activities, and friendships done midway through the program) we gathered our belongings and headed off for our morning service activity: a beautification project in Sarteneja.

When we arrived, we put on our gloves, gathered our trash bags, and split off into groups to collect trash along the shore of Corozal Bay. After walking through the coastline, going up and down the streets of Sarteneja, and taking our time at a children’s park, we collected 7 bags of trash! We took a break by getting some snacks at a local market, and visited ‘Chuys’, a local artist, before heading off to home base for lunch.

After enjoying some bean burritos, we headed off for a presentation, as well as an opportunity for more service at SACD at 1:15pm. At SACD we learned about the younger people working in conservation and their different job positions. Then we headed back to homebase and did a Let’s Get Smart activity, which helped us learn the importance of communication and then we set goals using the SMART acronym!

After that we had free time and people spent their time playing card games, volleyball, and swimming. We then all gathered up and did our chow circle where we did a rose, thorn, and bud activity to share about our day. For dinner we had tortilla chips, cheese, chicken, and tomatoes to make your own nachos! We then did a “guess who” mentor group activity that focused on how, as leaders, it’s important remember that everyone has their own life story.

-Sophie and Nikol (Leaders of the Day)

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18

Greetings from Belize!

We started off our morning with an amazing breakfast from our cooks. After we ate, we went to a boat builders house and learned about how traditional boat building has been passed down from generations. After, we had a “Rain or No Rain activity” which was ice cream! We went to a local shop, and they opened early for us :).

Then, we went back to Home Base and had lunch. After lunch we had a surprise of going to the Shipstern Conservation Area. We learned about endangered and protected animals and plants, including the elusive jaguar. We went back to Home Base and did a leadership activity called “Social Sync”, which was when Leah asked us questions debating our opinions on phone usage and other social media related things.

Following, we had time to pack, up our things to move home bases. For dinner we went to Raquel’s for dinner and met Princess there. We had hotdogs and fresh fruits. After we ate we had a campfire and roasted marshmallows. We listened to Princess, who told us about her own adventures and other Mayan folktales. We had an amazing time dancing and playing Chalupa, a fun game. Finally, we went back to HomeBase and finished packing, so we can go to the Tropical Education Center tomorrow morning.

From,
Milanna and Ella

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

Hola from Belize!

Some people started at the crack of dawn at 5:30 am for a morning swim. We watched the beautiful sunrise for our last day at Belizima. Everyone else started their day bright and early at 8am because we had to leave Belizema (first home base) for a three hour drive to the Tropical Education Center (TEC, our new home base). We drove and hour and a half before making our first bathroom and snack break. Then, we hopped back into the car and drove an hour and made our second stop at The Crystal Skull and met the owner Mampis for lunch. We relished the delicious meal that was provided for us.

After lunch, we went to Altun Ha, an archeological spot in Central Belize, and saw ancient Mayan ruins! We got a history lesson about the ruins and had a blast climbing them. Once we finished climbing the ruins, we shopped around the booths before driving our last 30 minutes to TEC.

When we arrived, we got our new room assignments and settled in to our new home base. We got a quick orientation and tour from Juan Carlos who is the communication director at TEC. We then ate some delicious fajitas and frosted banana cake for dinner. Following that, we did a quick leadership activity where we all did a 2-3 minute speech on the things that we were passionate about. We got to hear about cats, true crime, the military, and so much more. We headed back to the dorms and got ready for bed before hitting the hay!

Sayonara!
Dannica and Lizzie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Hi again!!

We had an early morning today in prep for an excursion! After a delicious breakfast, we hopped in the van and headed to the pier to go on a catamaran.

On our boat ride to Swallow Caye, we saw two manatees, a mom and her baby! Then, after a rainy boat ride, we arrived to our snorkeling spot, Swallow Caye. We were all eager to hop in the 80 degree water and after diving in, we began our snorkel tour. Within the first few minutes of swimming around the reef, we saw a green moray eel. It swam right up to Jema! After moving on from the eel, we continued to be amazed by diverse marine life like squirrel fish and stingrays. After we finished snorkeling, we had rice and beans, chicken, and salad for lunch. Then it was about an hour boat ride to go back to the pier and then followed by an hour car ride to get back to TEC.

At home base we had a bit of chill time for showers and naps before dinner. Dinner consisted of pork chops, potatoes, and a delicious coconut dessert. Post dinner we brainstormed O.M.G (one meaningful goal) that we would strive to achieve even after the trip. Then after we finished our goals, we all ran back to our cabins to avoid the downpour. We all then had a great nights rest!

Peace out,

Kenzie and Sophie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21

Hola!

We started the morning off with a delicious breakfast, getting ready for a busy day at the Belize Zoo, consisting of pancakes, eggs, and bacon at 8:00am. We headed out of home base at 9:00am, excited to spend the day amongst Belizes’s native animals.

We began with a thorough tour of the zoo; we saw parrots, crocodiles, tapirs, jaguars, ocelots, and many more. We spent some time buying souvenirs and t-shirts at the gift shop before we cooled off with a lunch of our choice: chicken fingers, hot dogs, quesadillas, etc., and engaged in a fun game of “yeehaw” before heading off to service at 1:00pm.

For today’s service, we put on our gloves, grabbed our rakes, and split into groups of four. In order to take care of the zoo animals and their safety, we raked dead leaves around their enclosures. This is a key aspect of zoo upkeeping; although it is currently rainy season in Belize, when these leaves dry, they serve as potential fuel for fires hazardous to the zoo’s animals. After service, we headed back to home base at 4:00pm. After that, we had some time to nap or swim with Leah as a volunteer lifeguard. Dinner was at 6 with rice and curry chicken along with a side of refried beans and flan for dessert. At 7, we planned to do our night tour of the zoo but it was canceled due to unusual circumstances. We all left sadly, but stopped by the GIANT leaf cutter ant colony on our way back to the cabins. Once we settled in, most people used the extra time to get some extra rest for our activities tomorrow!

– Nikol and Grigs

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Good morning!

Today we started out day with breakfast. Breakfast included cinnamon rolls, sausages, oats and fruit. After breakfast, the group headed towards their next activity! We ziplined over trees and a river. Everyone enjoyed the activity.

Next, we went cave tubing. We had to walk for about 30 minutes to reach the cave’s entrance. The weather was sunny with clouds which was perfect for our activity. We went into the caves, looking at the rock formations. We passed by a sinkhole and a small waterfall. After leaving the cave, we headed to lunch. Lunch consisted of chicken, beans, tortillas and coleslaw.

After some packing and some downtime, we had some farewell activities including the appreciation circle and receiving hand-painted frames. Then we had time to give eachother notes to cherish forever. We had some dinner afterwards, which was delicious as usual. We then revisited the zoo for a night tour! We saw a bunch of the nocturnal animals such as owls, pumas, jaguars, hairy porcupines, and so much more! After this fun excursion, we headed back to home base to hang out for our last night together.

We will all cherish our memories from Belize.

– Allison & Lila