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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- 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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BLOG POST FOR APRIL 12
Happy Arrival Day!
The Liberia airport was quite busy today with all the people coming to Costa Rica for Spring Break. Emerson, Isaac, Eddie, Dylan, and Pearl were the first of our GLA group to arrive. After getting settled in to their rooms, we all went on a beach walk and enjoyed the sunset.
Everyone was excited for their first taste of Costa Rican food at dinner. We had delicious “casados de pollo,” which is the typical plate of rice, beans, salad, and grilled chicken. Mallory, Roxy, and Izzy made it just in time for dinner with our Local Director Juanca. (Ava will be joining us tomorrow to complete the group!)
After dinner we went over the schedule, discussed the guidelines for Home Base, and did some personal goal setting. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the week has in store for us.
Pura Vida! 🇨🇷🌴
Heather & Juanca (GLA Directors)
BLOG POST FOR APRIL 13
Good morning families & friends,
We had some early risers this morning! Our Local Director Juan Carlos and Izzy woke up at 5:30 am and went for a super awesome sunrise run, where they saw horses and walked on the beach afterward. We all started off our day at 8 am and had gallo pinto for breakfast with scrambled eggs, fresh fruit bowls, and yogurt. it was super yummy and we were all extremely full after. After that was orientation in the GLA office, where we took turns writing community agreements on the white board.
Our leaders of the day, Izzy and Emerson (the people writing this blog entry) went over the schedule for the day, as well as what we would need to pack for the day. We had some pool time and health check-ins. Then we went upstairs to the restaurant and had lunch, which was chicken tenders, french fries, and salad. Then it was beach time, we got in the bus and headed over to Playa Negra, where the sand was super hot! The waves were huge, and we played football in the water, followed by volleyball on the beach. Once we were done, we headed over to the beachfront restaurant and ordered some tropical smoothies.
As we were leaving the beach, we got word there would be a sea turtle release! So we drove over to the sea turtle hatchery and each received half of a giant hollowed out nut that looked like a coconut but apparently wasn’t a coconut. We drove over to where the eggs were originally laid in order to not mess up the turtles’ instincts, as turtles will return to where they were born to lay their own eggs. We each got to use our hollow nuts to hold a baby turtle, and release them onto the sand, where they then took off towards the ocean. It was adorable. Before dinner, we went to the beach to watch the sunset and talk about the ups and downs of our day.
Finally, we had a dinner of cerdo y ensalada y pure de papas. Fue muy delicioso. Tomorrow will include a long day of environmental service, so we need to get a lot of very good sleep. Emerson forgot to mention the UNREAL sunset that we saw. Most probably the best sunset any of us have ever seen.
Leaders of the Day – Emerson and Izzy
BLOG POST FOR APRIL 14
Hey everyone! Today is Monday, April 14th. Today we had a very full day. We woke up at 6:30, and had breakfast at the restaurant around 7:00. We had pancakes, sausage, yogurt, and gallo pinto. Afterwards, we headed over to the Guanacaste Water Center where we did a lot of service work. We mixed compost, raked dry leaves for the compost and to allow the water to pass to the ground, and collected guanacaste tree seeds.
After around 2 hours or so of work we took a lunch break and tasted different types of honeys. Each was from a different type of bee, flower, and all were unique flavors. We did a scavenger hunt to learn about the different impacts that the center had on the community and why our work was important. We also learned about the origin of the Guanacaste region’s name: “gua” originated from the native Nawal peoples’ language, meaning tree. Each different type of tree starts with “gua,” hence the Guanacaste tree.
After our break, we made our own soil mix, mixing different types of minerals and dirt, to later be used for planting. We also tasted the cashew fruits, which had an earthy/odd taste, that may not have been a fan favorite. After a long day of work, we had a wrap-up discussion and popsicles. We headed onto the bus and visited a local supermarket, or what the locals call “el chino” to buy local snacks and drinks. We then rested for an hour while some went in the pool or showered, and had dinner afterwards (pasta and garlic bread, and salad) and received a Cultural Talk from our local director, Juan Carlos. We also told eachother scary stories, and our own variations of the classic “La Llorona” legend. Overall it was a long day of hard work, but we all feel fulfilled and cleansed. See you all tomorrow!
-Leaders of the Day
Dylan & Roxy
BLOG POST FOR APRIL 15
Buenos días! This morning of our GLA adventure, we woke up bright and early ready to go eat breakfast. Once breakfast was over we got ready to go zip lining, the people were really helpful and we even saw a monkey! After zip lining was over, we enjoyed a delicious picnic meal supplied by the amazing restaurant owners here at Tides resort.
We then visited the grocery store which was very fun and interesting with all their local snacks and fresh fruits. When getting back to home base, everyone took a dip in the pool to cool off from the heat, before preparing for dance class. The instructor was very passionate with his positive energy, and great teaching style that made it so enjoyable. Learning the native Guanacaste dances as well as salsa, gave us a better understanding of the culture of Costa Rica. Having chow circle was also very interesting in seeing how everyone’s day went!
We then ended off the day with some delicious stir fry for dinner and some cold ice cream for dessert. Following, we played team group activities to get to know each other and connect better, even knowing the smallest things about someone like their dream pet, can help create a better dynamic! Before bed everyone ate some delicious, freshly cut mango, and some played a round of corn-hole by the pool. Then it was lights out and time to sleep!
Written by Leaders of the Day: Isaac & Pearl
BLOG POST FOR APRIL 16
Hola! This morning was another early rise service day with breakfast at 7 am once again. Today french toast and gallo pinto was in the menu and after that we got ready and walked down to the beach towards the Verdiazul Sea Turtle Hatchery. We met Valerie and her amazing team and Zoey taught us about the four types of sea turtles that lay eggs in guanacaste.
After, we helped prepare new holes for the nests and helped clean up the beach. It was a hot and tiring morning of work so by lunch time we were all ready to jump into the ocean, fully clothed haha, for a quick refresher before we went back up to the hotel for some delicious picadillo for lunch. From there we had some time to relax and chill at the pool before we were on the road again and headed to a traditional empanada cooking class which taught us to make the dough out of fresh grown corn and water just as the indigenous people did.
After some delicious empanadas we went across the street to play a competitive game of soccer with the children of the neighborhood and met a small puppy. After being beat in soccer we headed back to the hotel to eat tacos for dinner (which was a fan favorite!) Lastly we all came together to learn about responsible travel, Costa Rica’s economy and the impact hotels have on the local communities.
LODs: Ava & Mallory
BLOG POST FOR APRIL 17
Today was our last full day in Costa Rica! We woke up extra early, and raced onto the bus. We had empanadas on the bus. Some people slept on the way there, and some people ate on the bus. Once we got to Flamingo bay, we hopped on a small motorboat, which then took us to the bigger boat. The bigger boat was a catamaran, which was super duper cool! The amazing staff offered us fountain drinks, juice, and water, as we enjoyed lounging and taking photos on the front of the boat on our way to an island.
When we arrived to the island, one staff member guided us on a snorkelling tour! In the aqua blue water, we saw hundreds of fish, sea urchins, and beautiful coral! After that, we swam to the island and discovered a hermit crab nest under a tree, and declared the island, NCtopia (nonchalant), with the hermit crabs as our citizens. We then explored on the rocks and found many hermit crab babies and shells. As beautiful as they were, we weren’t allowed to take any shells home, as it is against Costa Rican law and would cost a fine. We hopped back on the boat and ate delicious burritos and pasta salad.
On the way back, we stopped at a souvenir shop where we bought shirts, necklaces, and other touristy charms. We got back to home base to apply aloe, shower, and pack up our items to go home. We then took final photos of the sunset on the beach, had a very deep final chow circle, and a delicious hamburger and fries dinner, where we laughed and laughed. We then finished off the day by reflecting on our goals from the beginning of this week and making a goal for the next year. We then had an appreciation circle (a GLA staple!) where we are given prompts like “tap someone who inspires you” and anonymously elect people. We then wrote each other notes and filled out a feedback survey. This was such an unforgettable trip where everyone formed such close bonds!
LODs – Eddie & Izzy
