Uncategorized - Part 22

December 24, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Italy: The Signature Experience (July 6 – July 15, 2024)

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program! In 2024, this program was offered through our sister provider, Teen Travel Network, however it has now moved to Global Leadership Adventures for the 2025 season and beyond.

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

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Greetings family and friends from rockin’ Rome!

We are so happy to have our group of travelers arrive safely and happily (if a bit jet-lagged) from all over the USA.

We are so excited to spend time together making pizza and pasta, learning about Italian culture, and soaking up the Mediterranean sun!

We will keep you all posted about our adventures around this beautiful country. Try not to be too gelosi del gelato 🍧 😜

Ciao for now,

Diana Gonzalez (International Director) and Ester Fraschia (Local Director)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Phew! Despite being a little jet lagged, we got moving bright and early to make sure we got the most out of our first full day in Italy! The hotel we’re staying at (Ibis Style!) has an AMAZING breakfast spread which helped power us up for the looooong day of walking to come.

From there we caught a bus to the Castle de Saint Angelo which was initially constructed between the years 123 and 139AD! Wow! We hiked to the tippity top of the castle for a gorgeous panoramic view.

Of course, a pre-pizza gelato was needed after that so we made a quick stop at a local favorite. After that we felt energized to do a pizza making class where we learned the Napalitano way of making pizza. Oh my gosh, SO MUCH FOOD! We discussed the “finer points” of Expedition Behavior over lunch and prepped for our walking tour of Rome!

From the Pantheon (so old!) to the beautifully sculpted Fontana Di Trevi (such Roman Gods!) to the historic Spanish steps (we sure met OUR step goals for the day) we explored and learned together.

We closed by taking our first Metro as a team (practiced navigating and figuring out which stop to get off at) and walked back to the hotel where we took a much needed break for self-care, either chilling in the pool with Lifeguard Diana or working out in the gym with Coach Ester.

Tomorrow we visit the archeological site of Pompeii!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Pompeii all day!

We got an early start and adventured many hours on train to see the ruins at Pompeii. We saw the great city that has been stuck in time after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius claimed many of the lives of its inhabitants due to asphyxiation from ash and toxic gas explosions. Although it is still an active volcano, we were safe exploring with our tour guide who showed us many remains, from how shops were maintained, temples and gardens where people played and prayed, and how nightlife was done by the pagan inhabitants.

We took a stroll through “little Pompeii” afterwards and some of us played a quick game of fútbol with some local kids!

We worked on an art activity where we explored creating our own “temple” and shared which morals and values act as the pillars to the foundations of our lives.

Eventually we made it home safe, sound, and absolutely ready for bed… with another early start tomorrow to visit the Vatican and many more amazing spots around Rome!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

🔥 🎶 Old Nero had a fiddle, he fiddled night and day, while Rome was burning, he just played away, he moved to Sorentino and then we heard him say “there’ll be a hot time in the old camp tonight” 🎶🔥

That old camp song was right in some parts and wrong in others, as we learned today (while it was so hot we felt like WE were burning!). Turns out we had some misconceptions about Rome that we shall correct for everyone here: Nero was framed, the emperor was kinder to gladiators than we thought (sort of), and the pope is only in the Vatican SOME of the times (he’s a busy Papa!)

We started the heavily hot day by visiting Vatican City. We had a guided tour inside the walls and tours of his monumental and intriguing city. Some chose to climb to the tippity top of the basilica, using rope and will power to challenge the narrowly winding path! We then had a healthy lunch (chilled on the pizza and pasta and cheese for a minute) and repowered for our 2nd tour of the day: The Colosseum and the Fori Romani archeological site. The stairs were plenty and the sun shining, we got another workout today! Thankfully we had a pool and air conditioning waiting for us back in the hotel.

Mama Ester even came through with homemade maritozzi for dessert to celebrate our last night in Rome!

We pack up tonight to head to Florence tomorrow for the next leg of our journey. Can’t believe it’s already half way through our adventure together!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Onwards to Florence and Pisa!

We said arrivederci to Rome and took off (after sleeping in, which was nice) via private bus and then train to our next destination.

The first half of today was mainly a travel day where we got to see idyllic Italian countryside. Later, we got to take some great photos during a walking tour of Pisa! Some of us braved the steps and went all the way to the top of the bell tower. Dizzying heights were seen as we wound around and around up the slippery marble staircase to view the breathtaking view from the top. We even watched someone get proposed to. She said yes!

More news tomorrow as we wake up bright and early to travel via foot, train, and most importantly boat to do some sea-fairing and daring as we visit Cinque Terra (literally meaning “five lands”) and have a relaxing beach day!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Beach and Cinque Terra Day!!! 🛥️ 🌊

With a bright and early (too early if you ask most of us 😴) start, we took off on train to catch our boat, which took us to the various locations of the “five lands”. A UNESCO work heritage site where each of the five towns is beautiful in its own way. We only viewed them from the boat though as we were on our way to our beach dayyy! We visited the pebble beaches of Monterosso al Mare and swam in the Mediterranean Sea (NOT an ocean!).

Mama Ester kept us plenty fed with snacks on the beach while we had some fun in the sun. Some practiced their ukulele skills, others caught some rays, and all of us returned home tired and ready for some pasta making class tomorrow!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Today was another proper Italian day! We started off with visiting the gorgeous and huge duomo of Santa Maria di Fiore. Some of us climbed the steep steps to the top for an amazing view while others opted for, you guessed it, a morning gelato! Both were a great way to beat the baking heat.

We were able to get a little shopping time in before our pasta making class. Florence has some cool vintage shops, art galleries, and of course souvenirs!

In our pasta making class we learned all about the ingredients, technique, and effort that go in to making homemade pasta! We made ravioli and tagliatelle with a delicious tiramisu for dessert.

We closed out our night by packing and prepping for our departure tomorrow from Florence to Venice. Our last leg of this journey!

December 24, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Europe: The STEAM Experience (July 1 – July 12, 2024)

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

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

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Hello Families and friends!

The STEAM Program has started and we are happy to have all the kids ready to learn and have fun from every experience we will live in these next 12 days. We started our day Marie and I woke up very early to pick up our first traveller at the airport who was arriving at 7:30 in the morning, then the other 3 guys that we were expecting until noon arrived and we took them to the hostel to have lunch and rest a bit. With the guys that had already arrived we went for a walk around our hostel to stretch a bit and get to know the area better. Around 5:30 the other two guys that were missing finally arrived and joined the group!

Before leaving for dinner we started our orientation which consisted of giving them more information about the program and the activities we will be doing throughout the trip as well as explaining the rules and guidelines that this program includes. The place we went for the dinner was a typical London Pub with a beautiful view overlooking the river Thames, everything was very good.

Back to our hostel we had our “Nightly meeting” where we shared the highlights of the day and also it is an opportunity to announce the next day Traveler leader.

Each day we will update you with all of our adventures through this blog.

Stay tuned !

Jonathan & Marie (International Staff)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Today was the beginning of our Steam Experience adventure which began in London. The day prior we all arrived to London Heathrow airport and I actually flew with my boy Nico over from New York and we were exhausted. We met everyone as they flew in and came to our home base in London.

In the evening we had a commencing dinner to bond and get to know each other. However our morning met us with a loud atmosphere as we entered the lobby to go eat breakfast. At the same hostel there were multiple groups staying with us so it took us a bit but in the end we ate our first proper English breakfast which consisted of things like toast, eggs, hash browns etc.

Our adventure began as the squad leader (me) directed the group to the metro station of London to take the train, or as the people in England call it, the tube. This was a different experience for most of us, because me for example seeing the London metro station compared to the New York City subway station was a culture shock because of how different the system was. Nevertheless taking the tube was a good way to get to know about the public transport in London and we made our way to Westminster which is where a lot of famous landmarks and places were like the Birmingham Palace and the Big Ben.

When we arrived the first thing we went to go do was see the change of guards but unfortunately it wasn’t happening so instead we immediately left to go check out the Buckingham palace. It was a nice seeing for all of us and this is where we ended up meeting to discuss the Scavenger Hunt, the rules looked like this:

TTN LONDON SCAVENGER HUNT

List of Items:
● Buckingham Palace – The official residence of the British monarch.
○ Take a photo of your team acting/posing as the guards of the palace in one of the gates.
● St. James’s Park – A beautiful park with a lake and views of Buckingham Palace.
○ Take a photo of the Lake with the London eye in the background.
● The Cenotaph – A war memorial on Whitehall.
○ Record a short 15-30 sec video recreating a dramatic movie scene where you show respect for the national war memorial monument to the dead of the First and Second World Wars.
● 10 Downing Street – The official residence of the British Prime Minister.
○ Take a picture of the group posing at the gate.
● Big Ben – The iconic clock tower next to the Houses of Parliament.
○ Take a picture of big ben in perspective as if you were holding it with your fingertips. (or any other funny pose/perspective)
● Westminster Bridge – The famous bridge crossing the riverThames.
○ Take a photo of the group in one the street lamps.
More bonus points! Take a picture of:
● Making a call on a telephone typical telephone cabin.

Our directors Johnathan and Marie split our group into 2 groups of three, three for each director and we went on to do the scavenger hunt around town and it was really fun. Our goal was to try to get a better photo collage than the other group which was decided at the end of the day and will be shared at the end of this blog. After the scavenger hunt we went out again on the tube to go to a place called Hoop and Toy and we ate some nice lunch. I personally ate a big burger and finished it in probably about 20 seconds, but that 20 seconds was the best of my life.

After that tasty lunch we went on a short walk to the London Science Museum where there were multiple exhibits about different science subjects. We ended spending a lot of time in the power up section which included the history of video games but me and Aiden were more interested in catching a W in Fortnite which we ultimately did. Nico caught his first solos win and his aim was so good we thought he had aimbot. After that we went around the whole museum for another hour and then met up with the whole group to go back to the hotel. We took the tube the same way back and before we went back to the hotel, Matt made us stop at Starbucks because he thought it was going to be 50 % off everything, but it’s okay because we drank some good drinks. Including my caramel frappe 🤤🤤.

After we got back to the hotel we had some resting time and then we ate dinner which was chicken gyros and fries which wasn’t actually bad at all. To close the day we had our group activity/nightly meeting and we announced the winner of the scavenger hunt which was Marie’s group (not mine so not that interesting too be honest) and they got to pick some goodies and then we did. For tomorrow our squad leader is going to be Matt.

– Michael (leader of the day)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

We started the day off well rested with a later wake up time, and enjoyed a great typical European Breakfast! With Matt as the leader, we then strolled over to the metro for our first stop: Crime Scene Forensic Analysis! Presented with the dead body of Samuel King, a teacher on a field trip who fell out of a window at the Tower of London, we were tasked to find the perpetrator among a list of his colleagues on the trip with him. To visualize the story, Nico put on a great performance as his coworker Heather when she was being investigated. After a long debate over who the culprit might be, we learned to never use bias when framing someone.

His love-stricken colleague Heather had the most evidence pointed against her, including a bite mark on his hand! Yet, we failed to remember she was not at the scene when Samuel was pushed. It was rather our second most suspicious culprit, Greg, who had had a few too many drinks of beer while on the school trip. With that fun start to our morning, we then headed over to Byward Kitchen for a great Lunch before our trip to the Tower of London.

While some got a regular Chicken Sandwhich, Michael made sure to try the local favorite fish and chips. Remembering what happened during the investigation, we were cautious while being toured by a beefeater at the Tower of London! We learned about the many executions and residents at the area, including the current residents. With some free time to explore, we made sure to check out the Crowned Jules, Weaponry, and various picture-worthy sites.

Nolan, Aidan, and Liam even got tailed by the local raven birds. With the evening coming to a close, we made our way by metro again to a Pub where we enjoyed a big meal of pizza, wraps, and salads before the musical “Wicked.” We had perfectly centered seats to see the duo Glinda and Elphaba’s stories about their characters. We enjoyed a sweet ice cream treat and took a long bus ride back to home base. The gang was so sleepy, we went to bed immediately.

~Matthew Barrett

BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

We woke up this morning bright and early on a sunny London morning, and we headed down for breakfast in the hotel around 8:00, after that we gathered our things and went out for the day. The first thing we did was get on the train from our hotel to Paddington Station, where we then switched to a bigger train to Oxford. The ride took about an hour, and during that hour we decided that we should make a playlist where anyone could add anything they wanted; it ended up being a long, ‘interesting’ mix of songs (many of which were of different languages).

Once we arrived at Oxford, we met with our tour guide Ben (a pretty cool guy) and he took us around the city for about an hour, taking us all around the city, through the scenic historic streets, and the school campus, and showed us a couple of markets. They concluded in a covered market where we grabbed lunch at an amazing pizza place.

After lunch was over we were given free time to shop around the markets and the town, along with the opportunity to walk around the campus a little more in case there was anything we missed.

After making some amazing purchases, we then headed to the Natural History Museum in Oxford, where we walked around and saw all sorts of ancient artifacts and animals, ranging from dinosaur fossils to cutlery sets.

After spending about an hour there, we headed back to the train station for the ride back to London. During the ride, we played cards and listened to music, that was, before everyone fell asleep.

Once arriving back in London, we took another train back to the hotel where we ate dinner and packed all of our things to be ready to ride the train to Paris the next day.

– Nolan

Today was a travel and shopping day for the group. To start the morning we had breakfast at the hostel cafeteria. we then took all of our stuff to the metro and went to Paddington Station where we dropped our bags off and then went to Camden Market. We split up into 2 groups of 3 and went to look at all the shops.

After that, we got some lunch at one of the food places. Michael and I got Steak sandwiches which were super delicious! We then went back to the Station to get our bags. we went through security which was easy and simple. We found a seat and waited for around an hour for our train to board. We got on the train and pretty much all of us slept the whole time.

We arrived in Paris and got off the train, our driver was waiting and very nice. we the. drove through the city to the hotel. We checked in the quickly dropped our bags off in our rooms as we were late for dinner.

We wrapped up the day by eating at a great French restaurant. the food was amazing. Overall it was a jam-packed day of activities but very fun.

– Nico

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

We woke up at around 7:50 am, and headed down to breakfast at 8:00. Breakfast was a upgrade compared to London. Because it has crepes, Croissants, and overall a lot better. After breakfast at around 9:00 we headed down to the train station to head to Versailles.

Before going into the Palace, at around 10:30, we stopped into a nearby market to look around and some of us bought some stuff. Next we went to have lunch at a crepe themed spot. Food in France IS REALLY GOOD! No matter what you choose, their is nothing you can go wrong with.

We then did some group bonding and went back to get some of the best crepes ever. Most of us got Nutella filled crepes. After that, at around 1:30, we headed across the street to The Palace of Versailles. We toured though almost all of the open parts of the palace. Where we saw the Kings and Queens bedrooms. The palace had lots of open, long, indoor walkways. At around 4:00 we left the palace and made our way into an “Automobile” museum (carriage museum).

It was interesting to see the different types of carriages their were. After that we headed towards the train station to head to The Eiffel Tower. We arrived to The Eiffel Tower at around 5:30, it is way cooler in person than photos because it is really big. We then walked around, got some AMAZING macaroons, ate a snack.

Then went out to dinner, where we shared a charcuterie board which was extremely good then our main meals came and they were delicious. France currently has first for best food. After dinner we headed back to the Eiffel Tower at around 6:30 and went up the elevator to reach the top (would have used stairs but didn’t 😢). When we reached the top we had our own photo shoot by Johnathan who could become a professional photographer.
Some of us bought some stuff at the gif shops their. Later at 10:00 the sunset and we got some good photos, and later while we were waiting for the Tower to sparkle at 11:00, we went and got some food, and drinks. Then we watched the Tower sparkle which was cool.

After that we headed down. Most of us took the stairs down and the other took the elevator, the ones who took the stairs best the elevator by around 3 minutes (elevator takes like 1 min, and stairs took around 5). Sadly when we reached the ground the sparkling had finished but we still had a good view of the Tower. 11:30 we made our way to the train station where there was an obsurd line to get through. Got back to hotel at around 12:30 and now I am finishing this at 1:30 am.

-Liam

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Today we went to 2 very popular museums in the city of Paris. We also had some extremely tasty food at restaurants that were not French.

The first museum we went to was the biggest museum in the world, Le Louvre. Le Louvre has very famous statues and paintings like the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory. We were able to experience all of these beautiful masterpieces of art. We also had fun while doing it as we had a Scavenger Hunt as well.

This is the list of art we had to find in the museum.

1. **Find the Mona Lisa (La Joconde)**
– **Hint**: Look for the large crowd and the famous smile.

2. **Identify the Winged Victory of Samothrace**
– **Hint**: This statue depicts the Greek goddess Nike and is positioned at the top of a grand staircase.

3. **Locate the Venus de Milo**
– **Hint**: This ancient statue of the goddess Aphrodite is missing both arms.

4. **Discover the Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David**
– **Hint**: A grand painting depicting Napoleon crowning himself as emperor.

5. **Find the Code of Hammurabi**
– **Hint**: An ancient Babylonian stele inscribed with one of the earliest known sets of laws.

6. **Spot the Great Sphinx of Tanis**
– **Hint**: This ancient Egyptian statue is a large sphinx with a lion’s body and a human head.

7. **Identify the Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix**
– **Hint**: A painting commemorating the July Revolution of 1830 in France.

8. **Find the Apollo Gallery**
– **Hint**: A lavishly decorated gallery showcasing French crown jewels.

9. **Locate the Seated Scribe**
– **Hint**: An ancient Egyptian statue of a scribe in a seated position.

10. **Discover the Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault**
– **Hint**: A dramatic painting depicting the aftermath of a shipwreck.

There was 3 teams between the 6 of us so there was pairs. The pairs were based on your roommates in Paris. My roommate was Michael. The others were Nico and Liam, Nolan and Matthew. We had to take pictures of the art and you could get extra points if you had a silly picture of you with it. Some teams were not as good as others as some teams didn’t find everything. But me and Michael found everything. Besides the Scavenger Hunt and the art the buildings in Le Louvre were beautiful. Only downside of the artistic long hallways that we had to walk down.

Speaking of walking we had to walk to the metro to get to our next destination. Which was the other museum called Cité des Sciences et de L’industrie. But before we actually went to the museum we had lunch at an Italian restaurant that had très bien pasta.

After lunch we headed to the museum. The museum was pretty big and modern. It has a plant area to learn about different plants. It had a place to learn about robots and a place just for video games. Also, the museum had a whole submarine to go through although it was cramped and our group had a lot of tall people. At the end of our stay at the museum, we watched a movie of how it is to be in a spaceship. It was in a cool theater where the screen was all over the ceiling. Although I don’t remember much about the movie as I took a little nap and I think others did too.

After that, we went back to the hotel as everyone was tired. So for a couple of hours we just stayed at the hotel then we had dinner. The dinner was at an American restaurant called Indiana Cafe. They had multiple things like burgers, salads, and burritos. The food was pretty good and had great portions. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to end our day. It was a good day with many things to see and learn.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Today started off as a sleepy morning as all of us were really tired waking up for breakfast, especially for Liam and Nico who didn’t even wake up for breakfast with us and slept through it. Nevertheless, we all ended up waking up thankfully and we headed off to Montmartre on the metro. When we arrived in Montmartre we split into two groups to walk around and look around at the shops, artwork, and cafe.

My group (Michael) ended up sitting at a cafe and drinking coffee and tea which was a really calming experience. After this, we did some shopping on the hill and discovered some cool things. Then, we went down a long set of stairs to our lunch spot which was called Un Zebre a Montmartre. This was a really good lunch spot. A lot of us ended up getting a steak which was really delicious and the group enjoyed it a ton.

The waiter even had a cute kid following him around helping with the orders! Traveling by metro once again, we found ourselves amazed by the gigantic Arc de Triomphe! We got a rewarding view of the city after many flights of stairs to the top. Then, we made sure to check out the Champs-Élysées shopping street. With many designer stores, we had to make sure we didn’t spend too much! Nico and Liam were especially intrigued by the Rolex store.

After spending a big sum of money at Lululemon, Zara, and Citadium, *cough cough* $500, we took the metro to home base. Jonathan and Marie thought it was a good time to complete an activity where we talk about our first expectations and fears of the trip, and how we’ve overcome them. Finally, we ended the day off with many laughs from Matthew and company by visiting Villa Saint Jacques for dinner like we did the first night since it was our personal favorite. With our bellies full of Penne Carbonara, we headed off to bed early for our travels to Switzerland the next day!

-Matthew and Michael

BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

We woke up on our last morning in Paris, ate breakfast at the hotel, and quickly gathered our things to get ready for Switzerland. After that, we hopped on the Paris metro to the train station. At the train station, some decided to go grab a Starbucks before climbing aboard. The train was a solid three hours, and lunch was on the train; luckily Marie got us sandwiches, croissants, and cakes for the ride (which were amazing). Besides that, we got to watch the amazing scenery of the French countryside and the small part of the Switzerlands nature that is between the border and the city.

After arriving and getting off the train, we grabbed the tram to the hotel. Next, we checked into the hotel that had huge windows and tall ceilings. Not to mention the windows had blinds that would go down and close by itself. So we chilled in our hotels for an hour or two to rest. After those hours were up we headed to our next destination which was a chocolate shop.

The shop had a place in the back where you could make sweet chocolate. So we were there to make chocolate with the help of the owner of the shop. We all made chocolates that had different designs on them like our names. We also got to put things in the chocolates like raisins and hazelnuts. Most of the chocolates turned out well and we were able to keep them to eat. Overall it was a fun experience learning how to make chocolate. Since we had a couple hours after we decided to go to the beach of Lake Geneva, which is the biggest lake in western Europe. The lake was pretty with its light blue water and mountains in the background.

Although the beach was very crowded as it is a good place to relax. We went into the water to play and lay on the grass part of the beach since there were a lot of people. After the lake, we went over to dinner to have delicious crepes. The crepes were very good but also kind of expensive since Switzerland is a high-income country. Then after dinner, we headed back to the hotel to finish our day by sleeping. We had a fun day making chocolates, playing in the water, and I guess traveling on the train.

-Nolan and Eiden

BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Today we had to be up by 9:00 for breakfast, we then left at 9:45 to go shopping at nearby stores. After that we went into a church, where we walked it and got good photos at the top. We then at around 12:30 left for lunch, we had lunch at the Red Cross. It was a buffet styled which most of us liked.

After lunch we went to the UN and got a tour of all the cool landmarks we even got too see and listen to 2 assemblies that were in progress. Then we went to the beach and hung out there for a while where we swam, messed around, and tanned. Towards the end the day, we went to dinner where we had some amazing cheese fondue and other great french dishes. After that we went back to hotel and went to bed.

– Liam

December 24, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Europe: Mediterranean Wanderlust (June 22 – July 3, 2024)

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

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

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Greetings family and friends from beautiful and bouncing Barcelona!

We are so happy to have our group of travelers arrive safely and happily (if a bit jet-lagged) from all over the USA. We kicked off our first day after arrival and a little orientation at the Generator (a funky youth hostel in Gràcia) with an authentic paella making class from a local expert! It took a while, but just like with our flights, great things are worth the wait. Chef Carlos was the best! We head off on bike tomorrow to explore the sights, do a scavenger hunt in the Gothic Quarter that inspired so many amazing artists, and most importantly, keep eating the amazing Spanish cuisine!

Buenos Tardes y hasta pronto,

Diana Gonzalez (International Director) and Ester Fraschia (Local Director)

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23

They say that activity is a great way to fight jet lag, so we made sure to cover some ground today! Between biking through Barcelona and seeing iconic locations (such as the Sagrada Familia, the Arc de Triomf, and more original Gaudi architecture like the Casa Batllo) and working on completing a team scavenger hunt around the Gothic Quarter, we had an interactive and action packed day! Of course, had to have our first gelato stop, too!

There is a festival going on called the Feast of Sant Joan and it takes place starting on the 23rd. There are a LOT of fireworks! We could hear them beginning while we had our own feast on pizza while learning about Italian and Spanish culture, specifically in regard to food, from our local director Ester.

Tomorrow we explore Park Guel, enter the Sagrada Familia, and see a flamenco show! Then we close it all out with a fancy Spanish dinner and say adios to our favorite new country as we travel onwards to Paris!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24

Today was all about saying howdy to Gaudí!

We started at the beautiful Park Guell. We learned about how the park was initially created to be a private, high-end, residential neighborhood but between expenses and availability, the creators thought it was better fit for public enjoyment. Some of the houses are still there!

Gaudi was influenced by nature and religion, which is reflected in his work. While in the park, we did a personal reflection activity in which we discussed which morals have laid the foundation for our future success (ex: compassion), what action steps we can take to reach our goals, and what our protective / resiliency factors are. Plus, we shared what our “power animals” or the “gargoyles of our life” are (some favs were octopus, cats, dogs, and more!)

We then had lunch on a lovely terrace on the restaurant Picasso, where we had some authentic local cuisine while listening to street artists playing accordion, ate paella, and looked at the majestic Sagrada Familia where we later toured. Our tour guide was full of info as we toured the inside of this magnificent church and learned about the multiple artists and the all of the time and effort that went into this church that started in the 1920’s and won’t reach completion until around 2030!

We completed our time in Barcelona with a little more shopping, gelato (always!), and a flamenco show! Finishing our night, we learned about the history of flamenco over more great food (hummus was a hit!)

¡Olè! 💃🏻

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26

Bonjour, Paris!

We’ve made it to our second country! We had a perfectly Parisian day. 🇫🇷

We got to see the Eiffel Tower all decked out for the Olympics! We lounged while on a beautiful boat tour from the Seine River, where we passed under over 20 bridges and saw famous monuments such as the Norte Dame!

We then practiced navigating the Metro to get to the famous world-class Louvre museum where we got to see the Mona Lisa up close and personal! We’re still not sure if she is smiling or frowning, but there sure were a lot of people excited to see her in her tiny frame.

From there we did a little retail therapy and strolled the streets of Paris looking for an original fit with some flare. Some of us went to book stores, others vintage shops, and all came home tired and hot!

We had an easy and early night in order to get some rest before our big bike tour tomorrow where we’ll check out some street art, see the pantheon, and MAYBE eat some escargot 🐌 if we are feeling très Parisian!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27

Paris, je t’aime!

Another amazing day spent exploring the great city of Paris!

First we went to the Pantheon, where locals recommend going for the staggering, 360 degree, view of Paris. You can see so much from the top! We also then descended down, down, and more down into the crypts. There we paid our respects to famous dwellers such as Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, and Josephine Baker.

We also got to taste some French cuisine and by that we mean snails and fancy cheese! The overall agreement was that the escargot was garlicky and tasted ok but the texture was… different.

From there we hopped on our bikes for a guided tour of street art around Paris. We got to exercise both our bodies and our knowledge of art! Most importantly we stopped for macarons for a much needed sugar boost!

Tomorrow we plan to participate in a facilitated debate about the Paris Olympics. There are important questions to explore, like “what are the ethics and impacts of big events such as this on large cities and their inhabitants?” And more! Then onwards to tour the Palace of Versailles and enjoy some last time in this beautiful city.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28

Crêpes, palaces, and towers: oh my!

We traveled to Versailles today to have another fabulously French day.

We started with the best crepes we’ve ever had! We were able to sample two: one savory and one sweet. It was tres Fantastique!

From there we explored the decadent decorations at the Palace of Versailles. Macarons, velvet, and gold were everywhere!

We closed out the day with a hike to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower where got some some amazing sunset photos.

Tomorrow will be even more olfactory and culinary adventures!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Buongiorno principess!

After working very hard to journey out of France, we made it to Venice, Italy!

We spent our first full day in Italy properly. Eating pizza, drinking arronciata, zipping around on private boats, and island hopping from Murano (where they are famous for their glass blowing. We got to see custom glass pieces blown right in front of us) and colorful Burano (known for their artisienal lace art). We closed out our day with a taking a gondola ride through the canals of Venice!

Made sure to have an early night because tomorrow is our last action packed day, complete with more boats, Venetian mask-making, palace-visits, and beaches!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

What an amazing Italian day!

We walked to the train station, where we met Ester who had our train tickets. We traveled to the docks where we took our private boat taxi to San Marco. From there we met with Nicoletta, our private tour guide, who showed us around the windy roads of this medieval city. We even did a Virtual Reality tour (IRL!) that showed us what this city looked like about 400+ years ago.

We had a pasta-tastic last lunch together and then took ANOTHER private boat taxi to our Venetian mask making class. Everyone made their own personalized mask which, despite masking our faces, allowed us to show our inner selves! We then got some much needed beach time at Lido Beach.

We went straight to dinner, took the train home (Club TTN got their own private carriage where we bumped some jams and had a dance party), and then walked/skipped/frolicked back to the hotel where we shed some tears over our closing activity where we shared our appreciation for each team member that made this trip so impactful.

With memories to last a lifetime, we head out tomorrow to the airport to return to our regular lives. As we know at Teen Travel Network, “travel changes everything”. We return more experienced, full of laughter filled memories, and maybe a little bit sunburnt.

Ciao for now and enjoy the rest of your summer!

December 24, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Costa Rica: The Ultimate Adventure (June 10 – June 23, 2024)

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

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

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 10

Hello families and friends from our amazing travelers!!

Day 1-2 has started and we are very exited for all the adventures ahead from the zip line day to the night hike! Arrival day went very smooth our travelers got the chance to try their fort Costa Rican food “Casado” a really delicious meal, some fried sweet plantains and fresh fruits juice.

We played some games at the end of the afternoon in order to get to know each other better and get more comfortable with this new adventure.

Today we are heading to our first destination “Monte verde” and there will have the chance to have an immersive experience.

Keep tuned for more pics and details about our upcoming days !

Pura Vida!!!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 11

Today was our first full day. We started it with a traditional Costa Rican Breakfast before getting on the bus. During the drive, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a beachside view, played games in the bus, and went to a store in town to buy snacks. We landed in a beautiful eco-friendly lodge in Monteverde, passing our first emerald toucanet in the late afternoon before learning a bit more about our trip. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update!

-Amelia

BLOG POST JUNE 12

Today we went zip lining in the rain forest, there were 13 zip lines and a Tarzan swing, one of them was even a mile long. We walked on 8 hanging bridges over the jungle canopy, the highest one being 34 meters high. After lunch at the zip line place we went and learned about the forest preservation. Last we went on a cool night hike and saw many animals like spiders, frogs, sloths, snakes, and a few colorful birds and bugs.

-Greyson

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 13

We started the day with breakfast at about 7, and then we waited around either relaxing or packing our bags for the day with our W.I.T.S (water, insect repellent, tp, and water) and left at 9 am. Once on the bus we left for the coffee farm and got a tour from a guide. She explained a lot about coffee and some of the cool facts around it like the fact that arabica beans are the most common bean around the world.

We had lunch there and then left on the bus again, this time headed for a local community. We met up with some of the students there (and a couple of young kids) and were talking amongst us, both trying to speak in Spanish or English. We had a lot of fun, participated in a soccer game, and planted some trees. We headed back to home base after a bit and had supper. After supper we had our TTN activity and it was musical chairs today.

-Ava

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14

Today we packed up from the beautiful cloud mountain we rode a ferry over arenal lake it was an amazing view of the volcano and mountains got to new home base feasted then took a small hike to a feild played some games found some manzanas de agua (water apples) had some free time then for dinner we tried ceviche and ended the night playing pictionary.

-Miah

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15

Today in Costa Rica, we had a spectacular day. We started our morning with a delightful breakfast. For the first half of the day, we went on a cacao tour in the jungles of Costa Rica. We learned all about the wonders and magic of the cacao bean/fruit. We then have the opportunity to make our own authentic chocolate, not like those fake Hershey bars.

We went through the entire process of making chocolate from scratch and tasted it at each step of the chocolate process. We went to luxurious hot springs for the second half of the day. We got to relax and unwind in the hot water and also got on some extravagant waterslides. We ended our day off by playing a game as a group.

-Sophie

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16

Today we went to a waterfall in the rain forest, we all walked down a very long stair case. We then swam around the waterfall for about 1 hour or so. After the waterfall we traveled to Lunch where we made quesadillas. We ate their own cultural food and watched 2 school kids do their own cultural dance. We all also danced for a bit as well.

After lunch we went to go shopping at a souvenir shop and a supermarket. We also went for a bit of ice cream as well. After we went, we came back to the hotel and had dinner. And at last we did our TTN activity.

– Addison

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

The group rose bright and early today at 5:00AM to board the bus at 5:30 AM to go to white water rafting. At 10AM, we set sail on the rapid river navigating through the rocky waters. We took a quick stop to hike to a small creek to swim in. We then rafted to our hotel with the clothes and food for our one night stay.

We then ate lunch and chilled around our new home base for a few hours. We then did a mid-trip reflection activity painting our favorite trip memories so far. We then learned a little about Costa Rican culture (s/o Fernanda for the presentation.)

Then, we hung out around home base hanging in some hammocks and talking together. Then, we ate dinner together and for a little treat we had a group campfire and roasted some s’mores. Overall, another great adventurous day in CR!

-Hayden

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18

Today we woke up real to start a new day in the jungle! We arrived yesterday afternoon after completing the first part of our water rafting tour and we stayed the night in the hotel that is in the middle of the jungle. The place has amazing views and you can perceive the peace that surrounds the area, there are also other groups of students on a trip in CR and we played Mafia for a bit with them and it was fun.

We get ready to start the day for our second day of rafting, we make a stop in the middle of the tour to have a picnic style on one side of the river. it took some effort to complete the tour but the experience was worth it was so much much.

Taking pictures was difficult due to not having our phones during the rafting but the experience is what matters.

We ended the tour and took our bus to get to our next home base when we arrived we rested for a bit and then we went out for dinner. We finished our day with our nightly meeting to share our roses about the amazing day we had.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

Today’s adventure with the Teen Tour Network in Costa Rica was a perfect blend of exploration and cultural immersion. We started our day early, hitting the trails for a scenic hike through Costa Rica’s breathtaking landscapes. The trail led us through dense rainforests teeming with wildlife and ended at a beach where we cooled off and snapped countless photos.

After our hike, we headed to a local supermarket, eager to experience everyday life in Costa Rica. We got a lot of ice cream and ice tea that we all drank then headed back to our accommodations to cook a traditional Costa Rican dinner together thats was a traditional rice and bean recipe. The process of preparing the delicious food, with its aromatic blend of flavors, connected us even more deeply with Costa Rican culture, making today a truly memorable experience for all of us on this Teen Tour adventure

-Connor

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Today we woke up early and started the day at 7:00am, we had an early breakfast to start the day at 7:30am. At 8:45am we left on the tour bus, and at 9:30am we arrived at the Bri Bri tribe. In the tribe, all of us explored for a while, around 12:00 we had some lunch. Then, the cool bus driver Roy drove us to the waterfall, all of us explored the waterfall and had a nice swim.

After all of that we drove back to the hotel which then went to the ocean pool to have a nice swim and see the beautiful water. After that we took another swim in the pool. All of us then went out to a nice dinner and had some food and then we walked back. For the end of the day, we picked out a new leader and then finally went to sleep.

-Harrison

October 17, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Atmosphere Academy Custom Group – Japan (October 15 – October 24, 2024)

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

Here are a few things you can expect:

We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

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 OCTOBER 15

Kon’nichiwa everyone!

Welcome to Japan! GLA staff arrived safely to Japan and we have been training for three days to give Atmosphere Academy the best travel experience. We are ecstatic to be leading a group of ambitious students through Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo. Today, October 15th, all students and staff arrived safely. We greeted them at the airport and headed to dinner where we indulged in our first Japanese meal. GLA staff did an introduction and we went through our orientation where we talked about expectations, the code of conduct, Japanese culture & customs, and safety. After dinner, we headed to our hotel to finally rest and try to beat jet lag. We can’t wait until to start exploring Japan together!

-Rudy, Ila, Luismi, Madison, Suzi and Yuri

BLOG POST FOR OCTOBER 16

Good Morning Families! Today was day 2 of our Japan Explorers Trip. Students and staff started the day with a great breakfast and introduction to our schedule. Breakfast included rice, octopus balls, Japanese noodles and fruits. After breakfast, we boarded our first bus to the Bullet Train Station to get to Hiroshima.

Once we arrived in Hiroshima, we boarded another bus to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. This Museum was very touching as we learned all about Atomic bomb effect on Japanese Families. We heard from a speaker who shared the story of a survivor and left us thinking on how to create peace for the future. We then took a tour of the park and saw the exhibits to understand the way that the Japanese people viewed and were affected by the bombing. After this, we made our way back to the train station where we went to a restaurant and took a cooking class. The cooking was class was so much fun and everyone cheered, laughed and practiced our cooking skills to make a Japanese style pancake. It was delicious and at the end, the restaurant staff gave us all a picture of us!

The day ended with us taking the Bullet Train back to Osaka. This was an amazing first full day in Japan, full of history, culture and food. See you tomorrow!

– Steven, Mia, Jelianny & Matthew

BLOG POST FOR OCTOBER 17

Good Morning Families!

Today our group went on an interesting adventure filled with funny experiences and great views. We went to the historical landmark Nara Park. When we first got there, we saw the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, where we were able to make a wish to the gods, if we wanted to. We then split up into groups to complete a six-part scavenger hunt with our group. During this scavenger hunt, we were able to feed the wandering deer, where we leaned that respect goes both ways between humans and animals. For example, if you bow down to the deer, they will bow down to you as well. We were also able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Nara Park. After the scavenger hunt, we met as a group again to have lunch in three different restaurants, depending on our preference. After lunch, we walked to the Todai-ji Temple and went inside the Great Buddha Hall to see all of the religious statues inside.

We then left Nara Park and went to a skyscraper, Umeda Sky Building. During this experience, we were able to see Osaka from above and take in its enchanting views. On our way out, we stumbled upon a gift shop, so some of you may have souvenirs coming your way. We then got on the bus headed to a hot pot restaurant to enjoy amazing food and we had a memorable experience bonding with each other. We sang karaoke at the restaurant and enjoyed our food together like a family and it’s great to cherish these things and afterwards we had a great ending to our day. During this bonding experience of creating a new experience, we became closer to each other.

Kimberly, Olivia, Kenneth, Dylan, Melissa

BLOG POST FOR OCTOBER 18

Hi again!

We started with a balanced breakfast, keeping good energy for our travel to the city of Kyoto. Our first activity after traveling was our visit to The Bamboo Forest, where we walked together through the beautiful views and experienced the culture as we passed a multitude of shops and stores revolving around Japanese culture.

As we continued the day we visited the Bamboo forest as we made a loop around it admiring the beauty of the Plants. Afterward, we visited temples such as the Kenyru-Ji Temple and the Dharma Hall, where the cloud dragon’s eyes follow you wherever you go, furthering admiring the culture of Kyoto.

In the afternoon, we hiked up a steep hill to visit Arashiyama Monkey Park, where, instead of watching behind cages, we would experience the free movement and interactions of monkeys in their habitats.

For dinner we ate at a buffet with good food, the had a green drink that was hella sweet and I won’t drink again then we celebrated Janeisy’s birthday as she turned 17 the Sunday of the trip. We gave her a good happy birthday song with a nice cake that she shared.

Afterwards, we headed to the Gion show where we were immersed into various Japanese entertainment cultures with different genres ranging from cultural dances that goes back to the 17th century along with comedy plays. Finally, after a long day we headed back to our hotel to prepare for our next adventure!

Caleb, Hani, Michelle, Lindsay, Brandom

BLOG POST FOR OCTOBER 19

Good morning from Kyoto! Today is day 5 and our buffet style breakfast consisted of a mixture of western and eastern dishes. Some of us ate rice, meat balls, kimchi and dragon fruit. After we visited Kiyomizu Dera Temple that overlooked Kyoto. The architecture was beautiful and there was a 3 story pagoda next to the temple. It started to rain but that didn’t stop us from we buying souvenirs and having a group lunch with our friends.

After lunch, we went to the manga museum where everyone was interested in the hundreds of books waiting to be discovered. Some students went to the claw machine trying to get a prize, while many others found interesting books, and many went to the gift shop to buy a souvenir. Some students tried their hand at drawing and even people who were not as familiar with anime and manga took interest in the history and cultural impact in Japan.

Then we had a very exciting activity where we participated in a calligraphy class. We learned to paint different Japanese characters from our teacher and in the end practiced writing LOVE in Japanese, alongside our names in Japanese! While half took the calligraphy class, the other half went to a traditional coffee house to talk about our experiences on this trip over some tea and brownies. Finally we had some dinner which consisted of shrimp & veggie tempura and sushi, which reminded me of dinner at home because we had to take our shoes off at the entrance. What a day! See you tomorrow!

Dorian, Lyla, Giselle and Aileen

BLOG POST FOR OCTOBER 20

We’re baaaack. Another day, another blessing in which we had the wake up time at 6:00 am and had to be downstairs at breakfast at 6:20. While this was crazy early, it was still 100 percent worth it, not only because we were taking a bullet train, but also because we were going to go to the city we all been waiting for – Tokyo. But before that, we had a wonderful breakfast provided at the hotel, mainly those little croissants they had. After breakfast, we quickly rushed back to our rooms to grab our bag and head to the lobby to take the bullet train and that experience was indescribable. To put it in simple words, that train moves like flash and the best part was being able to see the other cities and the view on the train’s window.

Upon our arrival, we boarded a bus to the Asakusa district, a historic area famous for its traditional shops and street food. We were given a drop-off location and a budget, which allowed us to explore and shop for souvenirs while also experiencing the diversities of Tokyo. Everywhere you turned was a shop offering a piece of Asian culture. The area was very crowded and full of energy. There were a variety of things you could buy, spanning from clothes, food, accessories, and cosmetics making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Tokyo. We all separated into groups and like the independent queens that we are, the girls walked all over the place. We tried cultural foods like miso ramen, tanghulu, and a matcha latte. We then entered all the local shops and purchased some items that reminded us of Tokyo that we could keep forever.

Then we visited the Odaiba Waterfront in Aqua City. We were surprised with a mini New York vibe. It had its own Statue of Liberty (that was 1/7 of the size) and a beautiful river with a great white bridge. We walked into the park and found a huge Transformer robot. It didn’t move while we were there but it was still pretty cool. The scenery was beautiful and we made some local friends, and also had some nice shout-outs of appreciation.

On our way to dinner, we stopped at Daiso, the Japanese dollar store. It was fun seeing all the products and getting cheap deals. Then we went to have shabu-shabu hot pot at an all-you-can-eat restaurant. We saw meat being delivered to tables by a robot waiter, which was crazy. We ate a lot of meat and veggies, along with ice cream and shaved ice.

Then we checked into our Tokyo hotel, where we’ll stay through the end of our trip. We’re excited to finally be in the capital city and to go to a local school tomorrow!

See you soon,

Fermín, Jaslene, Joel, Luz

BLOG POST FOR OCTOBER 21

The day began with us attending breakfast in order to arrive at the Sumo Experience. When we arrived, we saw a video elaborating on the cultural beginnings of sumo wrestling. The students were able to understand that sumo wrestling was a sport made in the Edo period as a form of entertainment for royalty. The sport possessed sacred meanings of purification of the soul and from prayer and that cultural experience is an adventure we got to indulge in.

After learning the history of sumo wrestling, the wrestlers gave a demonstration of an actual match as well as moves that are prohibited and winning moves. Once the demonstration was over, students were able to wrestle against the sumo wrestlers. Apparently they felt like soft pillows that were also like walls.

In the afternoon, we were on our way to school and our first start was meeting the first group of students (10 individual groups, each with Japanese students joining us) and participating in a activity to understand Japanese but to also help the students to understand English language and for every word we got right we would get a flag from another country. The second activity was taking trick pictures where we would do funny poses to make each other seem smaller and created fun photos to work and grow together and it helped to create memories of each other throughout the experience.

After the photo challenge, we all went to a home room class to help clean up their classroom, which is a unique part of the culture. We swept the floors, cleaned the chalkboards and moved desks.

Later in the day we split up into different activities in the school, that students do for their club activities: tea ceremony, volleyball, calligraphy, kendo and band. We participated in the tea ceremony. We got to try a Japanese desert and we got to make matcha. It was a good experience because we got to learn about some of the things that people eat in Japan on the regular and how to make these kinds of foods and drinks. The kendo group learned about a martial art that uses a bamboo sword, and got to learn several different moves and footwork, as well as watch a trial match between the students. The volleyball group enjoyed competing in teams and the calligraphy group took home paintings of their names and spent much of the time just chatting with their new Japanese friends. The band group got to play some instruments with the students and had so much fun making music.

At the end of the day, we learned a new version of rock, paper, scissors and then were presented a friendship flag from the school. It was such an incredible day and we all asked if we could come back tomorrow.

BLOG POST FOR OCTOBER 22

Today was a calm yet beautiful day since after breakfast we took a two hour bus ride to Hakone. Hakone is a a region in the mountains famous for views of Mt. Fuji. When we arrived, we were met with a powerful odor that came from underground through the vents in the Earth. Sulphurous gas was steaming out, coming from the volcano nearby. We were introduced to a black egg that is boiled in the hot springs & sulfur and is supposed to bring 7 extra years of life if you eat it. Some of us tried it and it was okay – it just tasted like a regular hard-boiled egg.

From the top of the mountain, we took a cable car to a lake where we got on a scenic cruise ride on Lake Ashi. Before we knew it, the sky cleared and we got to see Mount Fuji! It was breathtaking. Around 1pm we transitioned into lunch and got to eat at some local restaurants nearby.

When we arrived back to Tokyo, we were given some free time to relax in our rooms and get ready for dinner. Today’s dinner consisted of all you can eat Japanese BBQ and it was delicious. We ate a lot! Dinner was fun as we were enjoying each other’s company. We were all exhausted, so we ended our day a bit early, although a few of us took a detour to take some photos on the way home.

We’re excited but also sad for our final full day in Tokyo tomorrow. See you then!

Angel, Juliana, Khaled & Armarys

BLOG POST FOR OCTOBER 23

Happy second to last day of the program!

This morning started early when we left the hotel at eight. We visited Hama-Rikyu Gardens and took part in a bonding activity. We shared what we appreciated about each other, expressing our gratitude and helping everyone feel cared for. This experience brought us closer and made us all feel valued. It was a great way to end our trip, highlighting the importance of gratitude in our experiences.

We then headed out for a surprise newly-added adventure: taking the Tokyo metro to see Tokyo Tower. We split into four groups and each went on our own (with a chaperone & GLA staff) to compare the metro here with back home and check out an iconic Tokyo landmark modeled after the Eiffel Tower. The metro was very easy and veryyyy quiet. We took lots of photos and checked out the souvenir shop, of course.

After riding the metro to compare the differences between New York and Japan’s train stations, we arrived at our destination and headed to Tokyo Character Street. It was nothing like what I had imagined. When you hear Character Street, you normally envision a big road lined with buildings that are dedicated to your favorite characters from movies and TV shows. But in reality, it was a specific section tucked inside the train station, filled with small shops. These shops were packed with souvenirs and merchandise that featured famous characters from various TV shows. Despite the interesting setup, I absolutely loved it. We had plenty of time to browse, and I couldn’t resist buying a bunch of items. We also tried some new desserts, which were amazing. By the time we all gathered at the designated meet-up spot, everyone was proudly showing off their purchases and it was clear that we all had a fantastic time.

After a delicious dinner of sushi (which we made ourselves, nagiri style!) and chicken, we took a little 30-minute walk through the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Little did we know how memorable it would be. It felt like we all bonded for pictures that might literally stick with us forever. It was a surreal feeling. We had to absorb in every emotion knowing that today is our last day. I can talk for the whole group by saying that these past 10 days have been very special and life changing. It has been fun and culturally immersive and it was a great and active experience. Thanks GLA 🙂

Keanny, Gabriel, Rosemary, Trinity & Madison Bernard