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

Here are a few things you can 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

*Please note – Posts below are in order of most recent first.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 15

Blogs authors: Sara & Fares

Good morning, evening or afternoon everyone. I was today’s leader (August 15, 2024) and my name is Sara Alhabtari.

Today was our last full day before traveling back to Abu Dhabi. We started off our day at 7:30, and had breakfast before our 2 hour bus trip to Hang Múa. After arriving, we hiked to the top of a mountain that had around 500 steps. When finishing the hike, we explored the gorgeous lotus fields that were next to the mountain.

We left Hang Múa and had lunch at a restaurant nearby. After our meal, we went to Tam Coc. We had a very enjoyable boat ride, and in my opinion, was one of the highlights of the trip. The boat ride lasted for an hour and 30 minutes. During the ride, we saw various mountains and we even went through a small cave. These beautiful views were perfect for capturing amazing photos to show our family and friends.

We had another 2 hour long bus ride back to Hanoi, and rested at our hotel before having our daily evening Chow circle. After a long day, we had a delicious dinner at an Egyptian restaurant, then headed back to the hotel for a group activity.

That concludes our day, thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته بالجميع، انا اسمي فارس عمر، اليوم تم اختياري بأن اكون قائد المجموعة (٢٠٢٤-٨-١٥)

بدأت مغامرتنا بركوب الحافلة إلى هانغ موا، التي وصلنا إليها اخيرا على الساعه 10:40 بعد رحله في الباص امتدت لساعتين. انطلقنا مباشرة في رحلة المشي الى اعلى الجبل، التي رغم الحرارة الشديدة، كانت مجزية للغاية بسبب المناظر الخلابة. بعد الرحلة، استكشفنا كهفاً قريباً، وعلى الرغم من صغره، فقد كان يتمتع بنسيم منعش.

ثم أخذنا استراحة ضرورية في مقهى قبل أن نركب الحافلة مرة أخرى في الساعة 12:02 ظهراً لتناول الغداء. وصلنا إلى المطعم في الساعة 12:14 ظهراً، حيث استمتعنا بوجبة مغذية منحتنا الطاقة لبقية اليوم.

بعد الغداء، مشينا إلى ميناء مصغر وركبنا قارباً لجولة بحرية استمرت ساعة حول تام كوك. كانت المناظر مرة أخرى مذهلة وجميلة.

عدنا إلى هانوي بالحافلة، و بدأنا بالتحرك في حوالي الساعة 2:45 مساءً، ووصلنا إلى الفندق في الساعة 5:00 مساءً. كان لدينا وقت فراغ حتى الساعة 6:00 مساءً، وبعد ذلك تجمعنا لدائرة الحوار قبل أن نتوجه إلى العشاء. كانت وجبة العشاء اليوم أطباقاً مصرية، التي كانت لذيذة كما في المرة السابقة، بعد العشاء اتجهنا الى الفندق مجدداً لنُنهي اليوم بنشاط جماعي.

هذه كانت نهاية يومنا. شكراً لقراءتكم، ووداعاً!

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 14

Hello all readers, I’m today’s (Aug 14 2024) female leader Wadeema Zayed and I’ll be summarizing a little of what we did today.

We first started off the day with breakfast at 7:30-8:30 am at the Silk Path Hotel. Once we finished eating, we got onto the bus and drove towards the friendship village where we met with veterans of the Vietnamese war. We all individually prepared questions the night before to ask them during our chow circle. We took our questions along with us and had a thorough discussion where we were able to exchange stories, questions, and discuss some of their experiences during and after the war. It was super interesting to learn more about their stories and their experiences one-on-one.

Afterwards, we headed out to a pizza place and did some light shopping while around the mall. After an agreed time out, we gathered together and rode on the bus to go back to the friendship village to finish off our mural that we had previously been working on. During this time we met new volunteers who joined us in completing our mural. During this time we also hung out with the kids who came and visited us inside the movement room where we were working. Once we were done we said our final goodbyes to all the kids and workers at the friendship village and took a memorable goodbye picture of our group beside the mural.

We then travelled back to the hotel and rested until 5:50pm when we came down for for our nightly chow circle and brought down our laundry for the last time on this trip! We then visited a new Egyptian restaurant which we enjoyed and did not expect to be as tasty as it was. Later we ended our day with optional shopping for those who wanted to get some extra souvenirs for family and friends.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. 🐙

معكم موسى البلوشي ، طالب مشارك في رحلة ADEK إلى فيتنام. اليوم هو اليوم الأخير لنا في “قرية الصداقة”. في بداية اليوم، تحدثنا مع الجنود الذين حاربوا ضد أمريكا، حيث شاركونا قصصًا عن الصعوبات والتحديات التي واجهوها. كان هناك موقف طريف عندما كان أحد الجنود مختبئًا تحت الأشجار، وقد وضع على جسده أشياء لكي لا يستطيع الكلب التعرف عليه. لكن الكلب صعد على ظهره وأزال الأوساخ عنه، مما جعل الموقف مرعبًا ومضحكًا في نفس الوقت.

بعد ذلك، توجهنا إلى مول قريب، حيث تناولنا وجبة البيتزا وحصلنا على بضع دقائق للتسوق. ثم عدنا إلى “قرية الصداقة” لنكمل رسمتنا على الجدار. وبعد يوم مليء بالنشاطات، ذهبنا للعب مع الأطفال في القرية، حيث شاركناهم في مباراة كرة القدم.

عندما عدنا إلى الفندق، أخذنا قسطًا من الراحة، ثم خرجنا للعشاء في مطعم لبناني. في نهاية اليوم، زرنا أكبر مول في العاصمة، وبعدها عدنا إلى الفندق لنختم يومنا.

شكرًا لكم.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 13

Blog’s authors: Fares

Hello, dear readers. My name is Fares Omar, and I served as today’s group leader on August 13, 2024.

My day began at 7:30 AM as we prepared to visit Vung Vieng village, a picturesque settlement nestled above the water. Upon arrival, we embarked on fishing boats for a captivating ride through the mountainous scenery. The boat ride, lasting nearly 45 minutes, was a highlight of the trip. After returning to our starting point, we learned about pearl cultivation from the locals. We discovered that there are three types of pearls, each varying in size and price.

Following our time in Vung Vieng village, we returned to the main boat to pack our bags and check out. We enjoyed a magnificent brunch at 10:10 AM, which was a delightful and generous meal.

After a memorable boat ride and an excellent brunch, we docked at the harbor and boarded a bus for a 3-4 hour journey to Hanoi. We arrived at our hotel around 3:20 PM and took a well-deserved break until 5:30 PM. During this time, we discussed cultural exchange topics and brainstormed questions for the veterans.

In the evening, we gathered for the chow circle and then went out for a well needed nourishing meal since we didn’t have anything to eat since the brunch.
After dinner we had a light night stroll.

That concludes our day. Thank you for reading, and farewell.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 12

Blog’s authors: Sara & Mohammed

Good morning, good evening and good afternoon everyone. I am captain Sara Alshkeili, the appointed queen of the pirates and the leader of my crews first day of our voyage at sea on the 12th.

Our morning started with a light breakfast to fuel us for the following four hour bus trip to the eastern coast of Vietnam, Ha Long Bay. Midway, we made a stop at a highway station where we refilled our snack stocks.

Upon arrival to the Bay Area, we boarded our private cruise ship where we were greeted by the accommodating and friendly staff. Hank, our tour guide, introduced us to the itinerary and geological and cultural features of the bay.

Lunch time came by before we could comprehend the beauty of the sea and sky around us. We traveling east bound on the way to a minute island infested with caves that formed over millennia’s. There we entered a cave which displayed the architectural lithology. Afterwards we took a stroll under the heat vibrations of the sun on the beach of the island. Large stumps littered the sand and made for great climbing rocks as I and other students and mentors discovered. There we had a great photoshoot, enjoyed the subtlety fishy air and the sound of waves breaking ashore.

This night was one of the busiest, with a not so productive fishing session, social media detox, horror movie and games night.

Ha Long Bay really did bring us all back to the nature where we belong and marked the highlight of not only mine but many other friends trip to Vietnam.

مرحبًا أيها القراء! أنا محمد، قائد المجموعة في رحلتنا إلى خليج ها لونغ، فيتنام، بتاريخ 12 أغسطس 2024.

بدأ صباحنا بإفطار خفيف لنتزود بالطاقة لرحلتنا التي تستغرق أربع ساعات بالحافلة إلى الساحل الشرقي لفيتنام، حيث يقع خليج ها لونغ. في منتصف الطريق، توقفنا في محطة على الطريق السريع، وقمنا بإعادة تعبئة مخزوننا من الوجبات الخفيفة.

عند وصولنا إلى منطقة الخليج، صعدنا على متن سفينتنا السياحية الخاصة، حيث استقبلنا الموظفون الودودون والمتعاونون. قدّم لنا مرشدنا السياحي، هانك، تفاصيل خط سير الرحلة، وأطلعنا على السمات الجيولوجية والثقافية للخليج.

قبل أن نتأمل جمال البحر والسماء المحيطة بنا بشكل كامل، جاء وقت الغداء. توجهنا شرقًا نحو جزيرة صغيرة تحتوي على كهوف تشكلت على مدى آلاف السنين. دخلنا كهفًا يعرض روائع التكوينات الحجرية المعمارية. بعد ذلك، قمنا بنزهة تحت أشعة الشمس الحارة على شاطئ الجزيرة. كانت هناك جذوع كبيرة متناثرة على الرمال، شكلت صخورًا رائعة للتسلق، واستمتعنا أنا والطلاب والموجهين الآخرين بهذه التجربة. هناك، أقمنا جلسة تصوير رائعة، واستمتعنا بنسيم البحر العليل وصوت الأمواج المتكسرة على الشاطئ.

كانت تلك الليلة واحدة من أكثر الليالي حيوية، حيث قمنا بجلسة صيد، رغم أنها لم تكن منتجة، ثم استمتعنا بإزالة السموم من وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي، وشاهدنا أفلام الرعب، وأقمنا ليلة ألعاب ممتعة.

أعادنا خليج ها لونغ حقًا إلى الطبيعة التي ننتمي إليها، وكان هذا هو أبرز ما في رحلتي والعديد من أصدقائي.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 11

Blog’s authors: Maitha & Easa

Good morning, evening or afternoon everyone, a very warm welcome to all present here, respected mentors, parents and students. As for August 11th, Iwill be one the leaders of the day and go into our day.

We started off our by going back to early mornings and having breakfast
in the lounge at our usual spot. We followed up by having a morning meeting to conclude the mark of being halfway done with our trip and had a little game to play of being honest with ourselves by writing answers on a paper.

We then headed out to Duong Lam at 9AM and had a long drive to reach our destination. We first went around and saw the different landscapes and one of the oldest villages left behind with no sudden disaster. We painted on some clay tiles and shaped clay to fit onto or makeshift canvas with beautiful designs. I personally made my friends sign them off with them imprinting their thumbs onto my painting.

Lunch was rather interesting because it included different dishes that we wouldn’t usually combine however it was splendid because we ended it off with watermelon.

Ending the evening, we went to a peanut candy store and assisted in creating the candies as well as grabbing some to take back home.

We got back at around 5 PM and chilled up until 6 where we had our chow circle and then headed out for dinner that featured Indonesian cuisine. And then we went out to grab some snacks and end the night by going back to our rooms.

اليوم ذهبنا الي احدى القرى الوحيده في فيتنام التي لمتدمرت بسبب الهجومات الجوية التي اطلقتها الولايات المتحدة على فيتنام في الحرب الفيتنامي، حيث صارعة هذا القرية لتبتعد عن الحرب وفي عام 2006 تم إعلانها ارضاً تراثين للشعب الفيتنامي.

وعندما دخلنا القرية راينا مجتمعا يدمج بين الماضي والحاضر في كل أساليب الحياة وتعلمنا اكثر عن تاريخ فيتنام واسططعنا ان نتكلم مع احد السامين في القرية ليكتب لنا أبيات شعرن لنا وذكرى هذه الرحله.

و في ختام زيارتنا قمنا بصنع بعض الحلويات الشعبية في فيتنام وكيف تصنع وتعرفنا على صاحبين المحل الذين عملوا على صناعة الحلويات وكانوا جزا من عائلة عملت على الحلويات التقليدية لأجيال، وبعد ذالك عدنا إلى الفندق واسترحنا وتناولنا العشاء

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 10

Blog’s authors: Mousa & Sara

Hello, dear readers. My name is Mousa Alblooshi, and I was today’s (August 10, 2024) group leader.

We started our day with a visit to the mall at 10:00 AM, where we picked up souvenirs for our parents and enjoyed some light shopping. Afterward, we had lunch at a pizza restaurant, which was a nice break from the usual cuisine. To add some fun, we decided to do a Secret Santa gift exchange, where each of us gave a gift to another person chosen at random.

Following lunch, we returned to the hotel for a short rest. Once refreshed, we visited the Thay Pagoda, a serene and historic site that offered us a deep sense of cultural and spiritual connection. The peaceful atmosphere made it a highlight of our trip.

We ended the day with the Tonkin show, a mesmerizing cultural performance that blended history, poetry, music, and water puppetry. It beautifully showcased Vietnamese spirituality and folklore, making it the perfect end to our day.

That wraps up our beautiful and eventful day. Thank you all for reading and farewell.

مرحبا ‎،أعزائي القراء. اسمي سارة الشكيلي، وكنت قائدةُ المجموعة اليوم (10 أغسطس 2024).

‎بدأنا يومنا بزيارةٍ إلى المركز التجاري الساعة 10:00 صباحاً، حيث اشترينا تذكارات لأهلنا واستمتعنا ببعض التسوق الخفيف. بعد ذلك، تناولنا الغداء في مطعم بيتزا، وهو استراحة لطيفة من المأكولات المعتادة. ولإضافة بعض المرح، قررنا إجراء فعالية تهادوا تحابوا، حيث قدم كل واحد منا هدية لشخص آخر تم اختياره عشوائياً.

‎بعد الغداء، عدنا إلى الفندق لأخذ قسط من الراحة. بعد أن انتعشنا، زرنا معبد ثاي، وهو موقع هادئ وتاريخي منحنا إحساساً عميقاً بالاتصال الثقافي والروحي. الجو السلمي جعلها من أبرز معالم رحلتنا.

‎أنهينا اليوم بعرض تونكين، وهو عرض ثقافي ساحر يمزج بين التاريخ والشعر والموسيقى وعروض الدمى المائية. عرض بشكل جميل الروحانية والفولكلور الفيتنامي، مما جعله نهاية مثالية لنهارنا.

‎وهكذا نكون قد أنهينا يومنا الجميل والمليء بالأحداث. شكراً لكم جميعاً على القراءة، وإلى اللقاء.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 9

Blogs authors: Fares & Fatima

Hello, dear readers. My name is Fares Omar, and I was today’s (August 9, 2024) group leader.

Since it’s Friday, we began the day with a visit to the mosque for Jumma prayer, and did a bit of shopping on our way there. After the prayer, we had lunch at a fascinating restaurant offering Indonesian and Asian cuisine. The food was quite different from the Indian cuisine we’re used to, providing a refreshing change.

Following lunch, we returned to the Friendship Village to continue our volunteering. Our task involved painting murals in the movement room, where we mostly corrected previous mistakes and added a sea with fish beneath the shapes.

After our volunteering session, we went back to the hotel for a much-needed half-hour rest. Once refreshed, we gathered for the chow circle and then enjoyed a dinner featuring Lebanese cuisine, which marked the first Arab cuisine of our trip.

Post-dinner, we explored a local “Night Market,” which turned out to be a highlight of the day. Many people in the group ended up buying a lot of things.

That wraps up our beautiful and eventful day. Thank you all for reading and farewell.

السلام عليكم أيها القارئون، معكم المبتعثة فاطمة المازمي، كنت اليوم قائدةَ الفريق. ٢٠٢٤/٨/٩

لقد أتممنا يومنا السادس في عاصمة فيتنام (هانوي). بدأنا اليوم بالذهاب إلى التسوق في سوق الحي القديم لهانوي حيث رأينا العديد من بضاعة الزينة و التعاليق تجهيزاً ليوم الاستقلال الذي يقام في تاريخ ٢ سمبتمبر سنوياً. و بعدها ذهبنا إلى المسجد لأداة فريضة الجمعة.

على تمام الساعة ١:٠٠ مساءً توجهنا فوراً إلى المطعم لتناول وجبة الغداء الذي كان يحتوي على المأكولات الأندونيسية و الماليزية. واصلنا رحلتنا إلى القرية الصداقة لمواصلة الرسم الجداري في غرفة الحركة حيث أننا رسمنا على الجدار بعض الرسومات البسيطة و المريحة للأعين كالأزهار و القطط و أيضاً شجيرات الفراولة.

عند انتهائنا من التلوين و الرسم توجهنا مباشرةً إلى الفندق لنأخذ قسطاً قليلاً من الراحة لمدة نصف ساعة. ٦:١٥ مساءً تجمعنا جميعاً في الطابق الأول (غرفة البيانو) للقيام بدائرة تشاو ثم استقلنا الحافلة للذهاب إلى مطعم لبناني لتناول وجبة العشاء. ٧:٣٠ مساءً ذهبنا للتسوق في السوق المحلي الليلي وبحلول الساعة ١٠:٠٠ وصلنا إلى الفندق.

هنا اختم يومنا الجميل، بالقول إلى اللقاء و نراكم في حينٍ آخر. اتمنى لكم قراءةً ممتعة.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 8

Blogs authors: Wadeema & Easa

Good day, afternoon, or night to all that may read this! My name is Wadeema Zayed and I was today’s leader (Aug 8 2024) for the group. (I’m very humbled to have been picked :)) Today we revisited the friendship village which we were introduced to yesterday and had the pleasure to apply our creativity and work together collectively to paint a huge mural in the movement room that the kids at the friendship village often use.

We then sat with director Mr. Phuong and learnt more about Agent Orange, a lethal chemical that drastically affected Vietnam and the vietnamese veterans for generations onward including their offspring. We had the ability to see the selfless spirit of the staff at friendship village and the growing inclusivity Vietnam has shown toward children affected by agent orange. It was super fun watching the children welcome us and showing us around the village. I think we can all admire their kindness and talent for a variety of skills like cooking, drawing, embroidery, etc.

Afterwards, we returned to our base and had the fortunate opportunity to try halal pho and interact with the muslim owners and learn more about the motivation behind the restaurant. All in all, today was a great time and I can truly attest for the beautiful welcoming and friendly nature of Vietnam.

————

(Day Leader Easa)

Today we had the great opportunity to meet some of the children in the friendship village and help them to learn how to draw and colour, we also helped some of the students with their health by participating in their physical education class and playing with some of the kids in badminton.

After the exciting job we did in the Friendship Village, we had a lecture about agent orange and the horrific situation it has created in the past that still persists today in both America and Vietnam. It has destroyed generations of children from both countries and the veterans who fought in that horrific war who survived and had to see their loved ones die to the horrendous gas of death.

We also had the great honor to help paint a classroom in the friendship village, and after long consideration we decided to combine both artistic and educational design where we drew and wrote the names of shapes, while incorporating a floral design underneath

اليوم ذهبنا الى قرية الصداقة (Friendship Village) وحصلنا على الفرصة لنتعرف على الأطفال الذين يدرسون بين جدرانها بسبب الهمم، وخلال فترت بقائنا ساعدنا العديد من الاطفال في حصصهم من الفن إلى الرياضة وتعفنا عليهم وعلا حياتهم.

وبعد العمل المذهل الذي قمنا به في قرية الصداقة ذهبنا وتكلمنا مع الاستاذ فنق (phung) عن الغاز البرتقالي الذي دمر حياة جنود الامريكيه و الفيتنامية وآثاره على اجيال من الأطفال في كلا الدولتين إلى الجنود الذين عاشوا عذاب الحرب وصمدوا وهم يرون الاصدقائهم وأحبائهم لهذا الغاز.

ونحن حصلنا ايضاً على آلفرحه لنثمن غرفتا في قرية الصداقة، وبعد تفكيرين عميق قررنا ان نصممه للعملية وفن حيث رسمنا روسومات للورد حولين النافذة ورسمنا الأشكال وكتبنا اسمائهم بل الفيتنامي والانقليزي لمساعدت الطلاب في تفريق بين الأشكال.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7

Blogs authors: Mohammed & Sara

Hello readers! I am the group leader of August 7th, 2024, in our trip to Hanoi, Vietnam. My name is “Sara”. Today we woke up early in the morning to have breakfast, before leaving to head to the Friendship Village.

The village was founded by an American veteran, and its main purpose is to retreat veterans and students who were affected by the chemical Agent Orange. Agent Orange was dropped by American soldiers during war in hopes to remove trees that provided enemy cover. Although not known at the time, Agent Orange was a toxic chemical that affected many veterans and citizens of Vietnam. The affected victims had damaged immune systems. Children of war veterans also had birth defects, such as different mental and physical disabilities, due to Agent Orange.

At our time at the village, we had a tour of the area. We saw students engaging in different sewing and embroidery classes. After the tour, we met with the director which answered any questions we had about the place.

We later left and had Indian food for lunch! Vụn Art, was our next destination where we created artwork with recycled materials, such as silk. Citizens who had Autism at the place, helped us create our pieces. Vụn art and Friendship village gave us a better understanding of children of determination. We had a rest at the hotel, before heading out to dinner.

مرحبًا أيها القراء! أنا قائد المجموعة ليوم 7 أغسطس 2024 في رحلتنا إلى هانوي، فيتنام. اسمي “محمد”. اليوم استيقظنا مبكرًا لتناول الإفطار قبل أن نغادر إلى قرية الصداقة.

تأسست القرية على يد أحد المحاربين الأمريكيين، وهدفها الرئيسي هو إعادة تأهيل المحاربين والطلاب الذين تأثروا بمادة “العامل البرتقالي”. “العامل البرتقالي” كان قد سقط من قبل الجنود الأمريكيين خلال الحرب بهدف إزالة الأشجار التي توفر تغطية للعدو. وعلى الرغم من عدم معرفتهم في ذلك الوقت، فإن “العامل البرتقالي” كان مادة سامة أثرت على العديد من المحاربين والمواطنين في فيتنام. الضحايا المتأثرون كانوا يعانون من ضعف في جهاز المناعة. كما عانى أطفال المحاربين من تشوهات خلقية، مثل إعاقات ذهنية وجسدية مختلفة، نتيجةً للعامل البرتقالي.

خلال زيارتنا للقرية، قمنا بجولة في المنطقة. شاهدنا الطلاب يشاركون في دروس الخياطة والتطريز المختلفة. بعد الجولة، التقينا بالمدير الذي أجاب على أي أسئلة كانت لدينا عن المكان.

في وقت لاحق، غادرنا وتناولنا طعامًا هنديًا على الغداء! كانت وجهتنا التالية “فن الفُقع”، حيث أنشأنا أعمالًا فنية باستخدام المواد المعاد تدويرها، مثل الحرير. ساعدنا المواطنون المصابون بالتوحد في إنشاء قطعنا الفنية. قدمت لنا كل من “فن الفُقع” و”قرية الصداقة” فهمًا أفضل للأطفال ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة. بعد ذلك، استرحنا في الفندق قبل أن نخرج لتناول العشاء.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6

Blogs authors: Maitha & Abdulla

Greetings, cherished readers As the group leader for August 6th, I am “Maitha.” Today, we began our day by eating breakfast and relaxing before heading to the “Ho Chi Minh Museum,” where we learned about the life and legacy of the country’s founder—a very modest man who lived in harmony with the civilian population, giving the impression that he was still an ordinary person.The “Ho Chi Minh Museum” helped us discover that it was devoted to the life and founding father of Vietnam, a very modest man who coexisted peacefully with citizens and tried to maintain his appearance as a regular person.

One of his fondest memories were him having kids greet him on special days and socializing with him. We were accompanied by amazing tour guides and civilians who were fascinated by our different appearances and snapped multiple pictures together.

Following our visit to the museum, our amazing tour guides escorted us back to the hotel to ensure that we had enough time to attend to our daily prayers. This allowed us to enjoy lunch at a really unusual buffet that included various foods that we had never had before.

The food was different and rather interesting which had us feeling stuffed and right to the next museum which was the “Ethnology Museum” where we learned about their history and interesting information as well as sightseeing rural and urban trees,huts and different living spaces which we’d never witnessed or seen before and made us feel very familiar with the country and down to Earth. And after that, we went right back to the hotel where a couple of us went back out to explore and walk around the busy streets which we’d grown accustomed to and saw different parlors and well as meeting locals who were extremely friendly and polite.

We arrived back at the hotel at precisely six o’clock, where we relaxed with the other participants and played a variety of games that let us relate to and react to the people in the friendship village.

We ended our meeting by picking new leaders for the follow day as well as having our chow circle and then started to head out to eat an amazing dinner where we basically all ordered pizza and gobbled it right up. Of course we ended the night by coming back to the hotel and thanking our esteemed guides and mentors who were the most helpful and supportive people as well as spend the last couple minutes together as well as writing the blog and end the night with a final goodbye.

تحياتي، أيها القراء الأعزاء بصفتي قائد المجموعة في 6 أغسطس، أنا “عبد الله” اليوم، بدأنا يومنا بتناول الإفطار والاسترخاء قبل التوجه إلى “متحف هو تشي مينه”، حيث تعلمنا عن حياة وإرث مؤسس البلاد – وهو رجل متواضع للغاية عاش في وئام مع السكان المدنيين، مما أعطى الانطباع بأنه لا يزال شخصا عاديا. ساعدنا “متحف هو تشي مينه” على اكتشاف أنه مكرس لحياة الأب المؤسس لفيتنام، وهو رجل متواضع جدا تعايش بسلام مع المواطنين وحاول الحفاظ على مظهره شخص عادي.

كانت إحدى أعز ذكرياته هي أنه كان لديه أطفال يحيونه في أيام خاصة ويتواصلون معه. رافقنا مرشدون سياحيون ومدنيون مذهلون كانوا مفتونين بمظاهرنا المختلفة والتقطوا صورا متعددة معا.

بعد زيارتنا للمتحف، رافقنا مرشدونا السياحيون المذهلون إلى الفندق للتأكد من أن لدينا ما يكفي من الوقت لحضور صلواتنا اليومية. سمح لنا هذا بالاستمتاع بالغداء في بوفيه غير عادي حقا تضمن العديد من الأطعمة التي لم نتناولها من قبل.

كان الطعام مختلفا ومثيرا للاهتمام إلى حد ما مما جعلنا نشعر بالحشو والحق في المتحف التالي الذي كان “متحف الإثنولوجيا” حيث تعلمنا عن تاريخهم ومعلومات مثيرة للاهتمام بالإضافة إلى مشاهدة المعالم السياحية والأشجار الريفية والحضرية والأكواخ ومساحات المعيشة المختلفة التي لم نشهدها أو نرها من قبل وجعلنا نشعر بأننا على دراية كبيرة بالبلد وصولا إلى الأرض. وبعد ذلك، عدنا مباشرة إلى الفندق حيث عاد اثنان منا للاستكشاف والتجول في الشوارع المزدحمة التي اعتدنا عليها ورأينا صالونات مختلفة وكذلك مقابلة السكان المحليين الذين كانوا ودودين ومهذبين للغاية.

عدنا إلى الفندق في الساعة السادسة بالضبط، حيث استرخينا مع المشاركين الآخرين ولعبنا مجموعة متنوعة من الألعاب التي تسمح لنا بالتواصل مع الناس في قرية الصداقة والتفاعل معهم.

أنهينا اجتماعنا باختيار قادة جدد لليوم التالي بالإضافة إلى وجود دائرة تشاو الخاصة بنا ثم بدأنا في الخروج لتناول عشاء مذهل حيث طلبنا جميعا البيتزا وتناولناها مباشرة. بالطبع أنهينا الليلة بالعودة إلى الفندق وشكر مرشدينا وموجهينا الكرام الذين كانوا أكثر الأشخاص مساعدة ودعما بالإضافة إلى قضاء الدقائق القليلة الماضية معا بالإضافة إلى كتابة المدونة وإنهاء الليلة بوداع نهائي.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5

Feeling refreshed after a proper night’s sleep, our group was up early this morning, ready to learn more about Hanoi history and Vietnamese culture!

We kicked the day off with activities for students to get to know each other, and to share what they are most excited for. We introduced everyone to the mission of GLA and vision for building young leadership potential, and the importance of service work within the communities we are lucky enough to be guests of. One of the highlights of the morning was Thuy leading us through a cultural session about the key do’s and don’ts whilst in the country.

Later we were greeted by Phuong, the founder of Volunteers for Peace, an organisation that specialises in ethical service learning and volunteering opportunities for foreign volunteers – he and his team are instrumental in facilitating our cultural activities and enriching connections with the Friendship Village that we will be visiting.

With our morning finished, we went to a local restaurant to try delicious Vietnamese food, followed by a visit to the famous Hoa Lo Prison, run in the centre of Hanoi by French colonialists until the country gained independence. After returning back to the hotel, Queyn taught us a brilliant language lesson, and everyone had fun practising their new vocabulary and pronunciation skills!

We’ll officially be handing over to the student Leaders of the Day from tomorrow! They’ll be taking charge of coordinating and motivating fellow peers, as well as writing back home to you all. We are looking forward to them sharing their stories about life in Vietnam!

بعد الحصول على قسط كافٍ من النوم الجيد، استيقظت مجموعتنا مبكرًا هذا الصباح، جاهزة للتعرف على المزيد عن تاريخ هانوي وثقافة فيتنام! بدأنا اليوم بأنشطة لتعريف الطلاب ببعضهم البعض ومشاركة ما يثير حماسهم أكثر. قدمنا للجميع مهمة منظمة GLA ورؤيتها لبناء إمكانيات القيادة الشابة، وأهمية العمل الخدمي ضمن المجتمعات التي نكون محظوظين بأن نكون ضيوفًا عليها. كانت إحدى أبرز لحظات الصباح هي الجلسة الثقافية التي قادتها ثوي حول الأمور الأساسية التي يجب اتباعها وتجنبها أثناء التواجد في البلاد.
لاحقًا، استقبلنا فوانغ، مؤسس منظمة “متطوعون من أجل السلام”، وهي منظمة متخصصة في فرص التعلم التطوعي والخدمات الأخلاقية للمتطوعين الأجانب. هو وفريقه يلعبون دورًا أساسيًا في تسهيل أنشطتنا الثقافية وتعزيز الروابط مع قرية الصداقة التي سنزورها.
مع انتهاء صباحنا، ذهبنا إلى مطعم محلي لتجربة الطعام الفيتنامي اللذيذ، تلاها زيارة إلى سجن هاو لو الشهير، الذي كان يديره الاستعماريون الفرنسيون في وسط هانوي حتى نالت البلاد استقلالها. بعد العودة إلى الفندق، قامت كوين بتعليمنا درسًا لغويًا رائعًا، واستمتع الجميع بممارسة مفرداتهم الجديدة ومهارات النطق!
سنبدأ رسميًا بتسليم القيادة لقادة الطلاب ابتداءً من الغد! سيتولى هؤلاء الطلاب مسؤولية تنسيق وتحفيز زملائهم، بالإضافة إلى الكتابة إليكم من الوطن. نتطلع إلى سماعهم يشاركون قصصهم حول الحياة في فيتنام!

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5

Xin chào (Hello) from Hanoi!

We have been so excited all week to finally meet all the brilliant students joining us from Abu Dhabi, and now our team is complete! Even after such a long journey, the group arrived full of energy and with big smiles this afternoon at Noi Bai airport. They are intrepid explorers already.

After travelling to the hotel and checking into rooms, we gathered for our first GLA introduction, and then walked to a local restaurant for dinner. Everyone impressed us all, trying the delicious local food, as well as plenty of ‘lúa gạo’ (rice – an absolute staple with every meal, and very important in Vietnamese culture). Our wonderful National staff Thuy, Quyen and Ahn helped our group with explaining the different tastes and flavours. After dinner, the team headed back to the hotel for a much-needed night of sleep!

Our group is looking forward to exploring Hanoi’s rich history tomorrow, learning more about the educational service projects, and getting to know each other.

Thank-you, parents and families, for entrusting your amazing teenagers with us. We cannot wait to watch them work together as a team, grow their leadership potential, and be agents of positive change within the community here over the next coming weeks.

Cám ơn’! (Thank-you!)

Caroline Jane Green – International Director

مرحباً من هانوي!

لقد كنا متحمسين طوال الأسبوع للقاء الطلاب الرائعين القادمين من أبوظبي، والآن اكتمل فريقنا! على الرغم من الرحلة الطويلة، وصلوا اليوم بعد الظهر إلى مطار نوي باي مليئين بالطاقة والابتسامات الكبيرة. إنهم مستكشفون شجعان بالفعل.

بعد الانتقال إلى الفندق وتسجيل الوصول إلى الغرف، اجتمعنا لأول تقديم لـ GLA، ثم مشينا إلى مطعم محلي لتناول العشاء. أدهش الجميع عندما جربوا الأطعمة المحلية اللذيذة، بالإضافة إلى الكثير من “لوا جاو” (الأرز – وهو عنصر أساسي في كل وجبة ومهم جداً في الثقافة الفيتنامية). ساعد طاقمنا الوطني الرائع ثوي وكوين وآهن مجموعتنا في شرح النكهات المختلفة. بعد العشاء، عاد الفريق إلى الفندق لقضاء ليلة من النوم المستحق!

مجموعتنا تتطلع إلى استكشاف تاريخ هانوي الغني غداً، وتعلم المزيد عن مشاريع الخدمة التعليمية، والتعرف على بعضهم البعض.

شكراً، أولياء الأمور والعائلات، لثقتكم في أبنائكم المراهقين الرائعين. نحن لا نستطيع الانتظار لرؤيتهم يعملون معاً كفريق واحد، ويعززون إمكانات القيادة لديهم، ويكونون وكلاء للتغيير الإيجابي داخل المجتمع هنا في الأسابيع القادمة.

شكراً لكم!

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

Here are a few things you can 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

*Please note – Posts below are in order of most recent first.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 11

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 10

Blog by Alyah

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 9

Blog by Shahad

We became full of happiness and activity, we had breakfast at 7:30 and then we went to the first destination of Maharaja Hospital and divided us into three groups to explore the hospitals and the specialties we were passionate about and we enjoyed it. The doctors were good and welcome us from every side and then we ate lunch in McDonald’s and then we completed our tour in the hospital and then we finished and harvested a lot of information that might help us study medicine and choose our appropriate specialty and we got a break for two hours and the family doctor came and explained the things and the difference between general medicine and the family and we benefitted from it and renewed our information and the last step in our beautiful day. We all went to have dinner in a popular market.

اصبحنا ونحن مليئين بالسعاده والنشاط افطرنا الساعه 7:30 ومن ثم طلعنا الي اول وجهه مستشفى maharaja وتقسمنا إلى ثلاث مجموعات لنستكشف المستشفى و التخصصات الشغوفين بها و استمتعنا فيها و كانوا الاطباء طيبين و يرحبون فينا من كل جهه ومن ثم أكلنا وجبة الغداء في ماكدونلدز و من بعدها أكملنا جولتنا في المستشفى ومن ثم انتهينا وحصدنا الكثير من المعلومات التي قد تساعدنا في دراسة الطب واختيار تخصصنا المناسب وحصلنا على استراحه ساعتين و أتت دكتوره طب الاسره و وضحت لنا الأشياء و الفرق بين الطب العام والاسره و استفدنا منها وجددنا معلوماتنا و آخر خطوه في يومنا الجميل هاذا ذهبنا جميعاً لتناول وجبه العشاء في سوق شعبي.

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 8

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6

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

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. 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.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. 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 JUNE 10

After a long morning of travel, Prospect Hill arrived in the Dominican Republic! After arrival, we headed over to the beautiful Santo Domingo to eat some pizza for lunch. We then received a tour of historical places in the Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo. After our tour, we got changed and headed over to our orientation. We then completed our day with some souvenir shopping and writing our daily journal entries. We are so excited to head over to our home base tomorrow and begin our first day of service in the Bateyes!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 11

Today we began our work in the Bateyes of Monte Coca!

We began our day bright and early eating a traditional Dominican breakfast. We then began our commute to Asccala, an NGO in San Pedro. We learned the stories of the work that they do in the community and even heard stories of people who have been supported by the people of ASCALA. We then ate a great lunch of rice, beans, and fried chicken! After filling our bellies, we headed over to the Bateyes. We learned about the impact of the work we were going to do, how long the work has been done, and met one of the organizers that has supported families receiving rebuilt homes in the Bateyes. We then began working; starting to place cement to a home floor, beginning to put cement blocks to the foundation of a home, and even learning to make cement! We ended our evening shopping for goodies at Jumbo, received a tour of the town of San Pedro, eating dinner, and learning more about Bateyes in our mentor group!

We are excited to continue our work in the Bateyes this week!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 13

Today, we woke up and ate breakfast until 8:30. From there, we headed over to Monte Coca. For our service project, we have two groups working on two different projects. So, to begin today one group worked on Junior’s house, making the walls/foundations of the building. The other group made cement and carried it over to several houses where the workers laid it out. After the first service, we ate lunch consisting of rice, beans, macaroni salad, chicken, and more. We then returned to Monte Coca to finish the afternoon. Afterwards, we participated in a sugar cane tour. We were even able to try some of the sugar cane! After, we ended our day and went back to the home base to eat dinner and prepare for the next day.

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Amy & the Utah Team

Hello everyone,

We hope you enjoyed the rest of your summer and that the start of your school year is going well. Now that we’re a few months out, we wanted to take a few moments to reflect back on the 10 days we shared together in Moab and on the Colorado River. Do you remember arriving into Grand Junction and stepping outside to the blistering 105-degree day? I think we all were surprised by how hot it could feel in the desert! As Nick and I were reminiscing about the trip, these were some of the memories that stuck out in our minds that we hope you still cherish as well:

Remember the drive along the river, through castle valley, and up into the La Sal Mountains as we headed to our first day of service work? How beautiful it was to wind our way along the river we would soon be rafting down? The stunning mesas, the haribo gummy bear. And finally getting an escape from the heat as we arrived to Warner Lake, having ascended 5,000 feet on the drive. The hike into the Whole Enchilada Trail seeing the aspens rustle in the wind, the beautiful array of wildflowers, the cows wandering alongside us. The feeling of accomplishment after having groomed the section of trail that is so important for the local economy and for mountain bikers and tourists from around the world. It was such a privilege to get to work alongside and learn from the US Forest Service and give back during our first few days on the program.

Following our service days, we had the opportunity to visit the renowned Arches National Park. Another stunning drive getting to view the unique geological formations, learning from Brett and other CFI guides about how they were formed and how old each layer of sediment was. Then taking off on our own hike to see three of the arches: Landscape, Partition, and Navajo. Getting to relax and stare out at the expansive views through the arches will desert critters crawled by. While our visit to Moab was short, I do remember how refreshing that first bite of shaved ice was after a very warm hike.

Then finally came the day of everyone’s rosebud: rafting! Remember showing up, getting our safety talk, rigging the boats for the first time, unsure what the river and next 5 days would bring? Going from learning how to paddle, proper techniques, setting up a camp kitchen, cooking meals, rigging a boat, setting up a tent….just slowly learning how to thrive in the backcountry and in this tough environment. We got to experience our first sunset atop our Cottonwood campground and start to really get a sense of where we were and how small we are in this world. While we all struggled, battling the mosquitos, we won’t forget that first moment, looking out at the wilderness and embracing these moments together.

Then came the moments of real trial- lightning storms, tent poles breaking and tents attempting to escape us, skating around the newly formed muddy clay in our campsite, discovering a potential fire in the distance. We survived that night with much laughter, not aware that the real challenge was coming for us the next day while at Black Rocks. Remember the adrenaline pulsing through our veins as we saw new plumes of dark smoke billowing above the canyon walls, helicopters flying overhead preparing to scoop out water from the river nearby to help fight the fires, quickly loading up the rafts as we evacuated from the potential fire coming towards us. We were all hoping for more time on the water and this unexpected situation allowed us a magical afternoon/evening float as we passed by new plumes of smoke in the distance. We arrived into our new campsite at Westwater to a gorgeous sunset and although y’all were bargaining to head to a hotel, we knew that we couldn’t wait for the next day, the day we were all waiting for, when we’d get to raft through the rapids of the Westwater Canyon.

Westwater Day! The most thrilling day of the trip. Remember waking up that morning, the excitement building up as we charged towards our Class II, III, and IV rapids. We didn’t really know what to expect but were ready for some action. As we approached the canyon, we noticed the landscape change, the walls becoming steeper and more jagged, the river narrowing. We worked as a team, navigating the gnarly waves and features of the rapids, getting soaked and splashed from all sides. I know a highlight for one boat was almost tipping the raft and watching as Chase, Tyler, Marjory, and Alexander swam down the Sock-it-to-Me rapid. Coming out of the rapids and arriving at our final campsite – remember that last evening? The beach, the sunset, the laughs, hanging out on the rocks together, truly taking in our last moments together on the river and in the beautiful canyon. We finally admitted that although the week had many challenges, we were grateful for the opportunity, the experiences we shared together, and the magic of being on the Colorado River.

We’re so thankful that you all decided to join us in Utah this past summer and hope you look back on in with smiles and happy memories. I know we do.

We wish you a wonderful next year and hope you enjoy more time in nature, giving back to your community, and finding more adventures that bring you joy.

-Amy, International Director & Nick, Mentor

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 posts 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 on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
4. 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 9

Hello from Moab!

We are so excited to welcome everyone to Utah for the next 10 days. All 14 students arrived safe and sound into the Grand Junction airport and we made our way back to our home base for the next 4 nights. The day was filled with several airport pickups, a delicious Chick-fil-A lunch, beautiful views along our drive, a yummy dinner of chicken fajitas, and a little bit of orientation and icebreakers. The early arrival group also got to go on a little adventure to Mill Creek! We’re looking forward to starting out service work together and getting out to explore the area more.

Here are a few pics from today:

BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

This morning we started our day with a yummy pancake, bacon, and hash brown breakfast prior to our adventure up the La Sal mountains to begin our service work. After a beautiful drive along the Colorado River and through Castle Valley, we met with Lisa from the US Forest Service to learn about our project and get trained on the tools we would use. There’s a very popular and scenic mountain bike trail called the Whole Enchilada that was in need of trail maintenance. We assisted by clearing branches and leaves that were growing onto the trail to ensure the trail was safe for bikers as they zoom down the mountain. The part of the trail we were working on was about 1.25 miles from the parking lot so we got to enjoy a beautiful hike through the Aspen trees to get there. We also had a picnic lunch along a stream. After a productive day of service, we drove back down the mountain, taking in the sights of the valley and Castleton Tower from above, and headed back to Home Base for dinner. Gigi, Andy, Miles, and Rien grilled burgers, baked french fries, and put together a pasta salad for everyone to enjoy. We ended the evening with a fun icebreaker, goal setting and community agreement activity. We’re excited for another day of service tomorrow!

Amy, International Director & Nick, Mentor

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Today we woke up at an altitude of about 4000 feet and watched as the beautiful sun overtook the mountains. At around 8:30 we left in the van for a scenic drive to continue some trail work at about 10,000 feet. We cleared about 30 football fields of debris and overgrowth off of the beautiful trail and were able to have an amazing impact on the trail. While heading back to Moab, we ran to the grocery store and another store for forgotten supplies and added snacks. When we got back, we had a lot of fun tonight connecting through games: Human Knot and Yeehaw, which ended in fits of giggles on all sides. Unfortunately, Nick’s team won the human knot race, with Amy’s group not far behind. I can’t wait to continue playing these games throughout the next week and continue growing closer to our group.

Thank you for sending your kids. We have met amazing people and it is only day three.

Sincerely, Lotte and Christina (leaders of the day)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Today we went hiking in Arches National Park. We learned about things like erosion of the rocks. We afterwards went into town and got things like shaved ices and noodle bowls. We went over set up for the rafting tomorrow.

-Cameron, leader of the day

Just a quick note – we will be headed to the river tomorrow and will be out of service for the next 5 days, until Wednesday late afternoon. Please reach out to GLA headquarters if you need any assistance during this time. We’re so excited to finally embark on our rafting adventure!

-Amy, international director

BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Just a quick update from the river — day 3 of rafting turned out to be quite the adventure for us! After a relaxing two days floating down the Colorado River and spending time at various campsites, we made it to our 3rd night camp at Black Rocks. After spending the morning hiking, swimming, and learning about canyons, we were getting ready to unload the rafts and set up camp when we saw smoke in the distance. After connecting with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), we made the call to vacate that campsite and float about 10 miles downriver to the Westwater Ranger Station campsite.

Along the float, we got to witness helicopters and planes flying overhead, headed towards the fire to help with suppression. While we never saw the flames, we saw some smoke in the distance. We have now arrived safely at camp, ate a delicious dinner, and are headed to bed. We’re excited to raft the whitewater tomorrow in the Westwater Canyon! We’ll be out of service again for this last river portion, but stay tuned for more updates in a few days!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

We made it off the river! After the exhilarating day of escaping the wildfire (which has now grown to 215 acres!), we had an amazing final two days on the river. Yesterday we got to finally experience the rapids of Westwater canyon. The crowd favorite was Sock it to Me rapid, where 4 of the group ended up taking a swim! We stopped for the night at a beautiful campsite after the rapids that was tucked away in the canyon with lots of rocks and sandy beaches. The group got to spend quality time hanging out together and watching the final sunset and sunrise on the river, some even sleeping outside under the stars. We rowed the final 4 miles today and then headed to our hotel in Fruta, where everyone was eager to take their first shower in 5-6 days. After a tasty pizza dinner, we did some final closing reflection activities and enjoyed the pool and hot tub at the hotel. We’re sad to say goodbye to our new friends but are so grateful for the memories that we’ve made this week and the experiences we had together.

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Alexa & the Thailand Team

It’s hard to believe it’s already been half a year since we last met in Thailand! We hope you are all doing well. We imagine most of you are halfway through your high school, college, or gap year by now. Do you remember all of those wonderful days at the hospitals? Especially observing surgery! We still reminisce on all the memories created together from the time we picked you up until we dropped you off at the airport.

Once we were all settled into our first homebase in Bangkok. We met Todd and learned all about our hospital visits. It waa great trying all the different Thai food and all those cool places Khaotoo picked for us to eat. Wad kept us on track with our schedule. From observing and shadowing at hospitals to shopping, temples – all that gold! – and cooking classes, (are you wearing your elephant pants?).

Let’s not forget our time at the beach in Ko Samet. So much sand and sub and that great boat ride back from snorkeling. We took a quick flight to Chaing Mai and settled into Away Hotel. Our days in Chaing Mai were busy with temples, shopping, and hospital visits. We painted bags, fans, or umbrellas – Are you using yours?, learned a bit of Muay Thai, and had so much fun taking pictures at Art in Paradise. Our trip ended with a visit to the elephant sanctuary and a farewell dinner on the muddy (chocolate) river. It’s amazing to look back at all that we did in just three weeks.
We’re curious to know how you are doing. Let GLA know about your progress on your goals!

Thanks so much for all the special memories that we created in Thailand!

— Alexa, Jose and Peggy

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 21

สวัสดี ทุกคน (hello everyone!)

Hello from Bangkok! We’re happy to report that all 20 of our students have safely arrived!

Over the next three weeks, students will rotate through various hospital departments, learning from skilled Thai doctors and nurses. Outside the hospitals, they’ll immerse themselves in the rich culture of Thailand. From exploring beautiful temples to wandering through colorful street markets, students will enjoy delicious Thai cuisine and discover unique local crafts.

We’ll keep you updated with regular blog posts from our Student Leaders of the Day, sharing their experiences and insights.
Rest assured, your children are in good hands, exploring and growing in the wonderful land of Thailand. Enjoy your summer!

ขอบคุณค่ะ/ครับ (Thank you!)
Alexa, Jose, Peggy, and Ryan

BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

สวัสดี (Hello) from Bangkok, Thailand!

This is our first daily blog written by Soph and Vinay. Today we are happy to announce that all 20 students have safely arrived!

Starting off the day we had a delicious breakfast at the hotel after breakfast we began our orientations. The first presentation was learning about the staff and program itinerary. Following was a three course which included a beet salad, pork, and fresh lychee served with coconut ice cream. Stuffed, we continued presentations about our hospital rotations and GLA’s rules and regulations.

To experience Bangkok for the first time we took the BTS( their version of the metro/subway) to a local market where we had refreshing thai iced tea and the opportunity to shop. Already hungry we headed back to the hotel where we got to eat authentic thai spring rolls with chicken and rice.

To end the night, we were introduced to our mentor groups and played a competitive game of “Who knows their mentor better.” We hope that you all enjoyed learning about our Day 1 experience! Stay tuned for future updates in Bangkok!!

ลาก่อน (Goodbye:)

Sophia Nuciforo and Vinay Verghis-Khan

BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

สวัสดี ทุกคน (Hello everyone!)

Today’s blog post is from Raina and Emma!

Everyone woke up bright and early (and everyone was on time too) for our first day at Thammasat Hospital. Our four departments today were orthopedics/ophthalmology, pharmacy, OB/GYN, and general anatomy. Everyone got to visit two departments, and will visit the other two in tomorrow’s visit. We all learned from today’s experience that Thai medicine can be both very similar to western medicine – and completely different – at the same time!

Before our second shift today, we all visited the hospital’s canteen to choose our own authentic Thai lunch😋! We had a large variety of options, but most chose delicious Thai noodle soup – and of course Thai iced tea!!

After our work was done and we refreshed back at the hotel, one of the local staff members (our good friend Wadd), taught us all about Thai culture and history. It was a brief intro, but it was certainly packed with info😉!

After, we were then taken out to eat at a family Thai restaurant which served delicious food too! And last but not least, Ryan gave a presentation on sustainable development goals, which taught us about the impending goals for the future of the world (Very cool, we know).

It’s lights out for us over here in Thailand now!…

Cheers!
Emma and Raina

BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

Today’s blog post is from Nate and Aliena!

We began today bright and early for our second and last day at Thammasat University Hospital! We rotated through the four departments (Orthopedics, Opthalmology, Anatomy, Pharmacy, and Ob/Gyn) , every student seeing observing a new department. We observed the inner workings of a hospital; everything from lasiks to cesarian sections.

Before our second shift, we visited the hospital’s canteen, where a large number of us opted to have Kentucky Fried Chicken on account of the complimentary bucket hats! For our last day at the canteemany students explored a variety of traditional Thai cuisine ranging from papaya salad to milk teas.

Another day conquered, and then it was time to relax. The amazing local mentors prepared a fruit party where we had the opportunity to taste a variety of unique flavors and textures.

Following the fruit party, we had a brief team building exercise hosted by Peggy and Jose, where we put our knowledge of our fellow interns to the test, before winding to start reflect on our individual styles of leadership, and prepared to start yet another existing day in the lively city of Bangkok.

– Aliens and Nate

BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

After eating breakfast at the hotel, we went to the Kasemarad Parchachuen Hospital in Bangkok. This is a private hospital that is a part of the BCH, Bangkok Chain Hospitals. In the morning, we toured the Chinese Medicine Department and learned more about treatments like acupuncture and cupping. We also toured the ER and the OPD area of the hospital to gain incite on how the hospital runs in a daily basis.

After eating lunch, we listened to a presentation given by UK medical student and former GLA student, Sola Kim before taking a CPR course and reviving our CPR certification. Sola spoke about the process of getting into and learning in a medical school and shared her advice.

After spending sometime back at the hotel and in the pool, we all went to dinner at Villa Market in Ari to end the day!

– Cammy and Anaïs

BLOG POST FOR JULY 26

Hey GLA family and friends, it’s Cece and Maddie!

Today we toured Ekachai Hospital. In the morning we saw a variety of clinics, including Chinese medicine where we got to extract cups from our wonderful staff in a traditional cupping demonstration. Afterwards we were able to meet with the hospital director, Dr. Amnaj. He gave insight into the medical field and how to advance and evolve into the profession. Back at the hotel, we had a pizza party to celebrate the end of our hospital visits in Bangkok. Excited for tomorrow for our Bangkok city tour!!

– Cece and Maddie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 27

Hey GLA families, it’s Bella and Luciano!

Today we started our day out with breakfast at 8:00 AM. Then we had our first city tour of Bangkok, we saw emerald Buddha at the grand palace and then we went to the temple of the reclining Buddha.

It was very hot outside and we had to wear long respectful clothing to respect the temples rules.

We went to a market for lunch and went shopping there as well. After lunch we went to the temple of dawn for 30 min and returned back to the hotel. We were going to go out to eat but the weather had different plans for us so the local staff brought the food to us and we ate at the hotel, as we got a lecture about the Thailand’s government given by one of the local staff.

Much love,

Bella and Luciano 🙂

BLOG POST FOR JULY 28

Hello from Thailand, it’s Shio and Atticus!

Today, we had a later breakfast at around 8:15, and we’re off to a local temple. We arrived at the temples dock, where it was teaming with local fish. We each received a loaf of bread which we fed to the many catfish that resided in the river. In thai culture, it is seen as good karma to do things such as feed the fish, and there were even markets with live animals people buy to free in the river! Then, we got a a water taxi, and we were off the culture center.

Upon arrival, we each got a sweet drink, and were set free to explore the art in the center. Then, we walked to the Siam mall, where we were let loose in the food court. We then relocated to Central mall, the largest mall in bangkok! After four hours of shopping in the endless corridors filled with clothes and delicious foods, we ended the busy day eating again in the malls food court. We then took the sky train back to the hotel, where we got right into the lesson, learning more about our project during the program. Now, we are relaxing by the pool, and Iselin and Camy are having desserts.

Goodnight!
Shio & Atticus!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 29

สวัสดี (Hello!) from Bangkok!

Today was a fantastic day filled with spirit and laughter! We started the morning off by going to Rajavadee Boy’s House for Disabled Children to play fun and exciting games with the boys. We played everything from red light/green light to musical chairs with lots of dancing involved. After a tasty lunch, we engaged in some community service work by pulling weeds and washing windows around the home. We ended our stay with a high speed, high stakes doodle-off, sending us off on a lively note.

Following a brief downtime, we quickly re-energized with a Scottish Cèilidh (traditional dance) lesson from our very own Scottish staff member, Ryan. We ended our break with some passionate karaoke and Just Dance before heading off to a scrumptious dinner at a local restaurant. Our evening closed off with a mouthwatering, classic Thai treat of mango sticky rice.

ขอบคุณ (Thank you!) for tuning in today to hear about our adventures in Thailand!

This is Iselin and James signing off 😎

BLOG POST FOR JULY 30

Hi everyone, it’s Ally and Kritika!

Today was our last day in Bangkok and our first in Koh Samet! Our day started out around 7:45am with breakfast. Soon after, we were out the door limping with our luggage looking forward to that 3 hour bus ride! 🥲

About an hour in, we made a quick pit stop to grab some snacks and stretch our legs.

After a lengthy bus ride, we arrived at the dock where a bumpy boat ride awaited us. For some, with each crash of a wave, the sea sprayed us. It left us drenched, but we laughed it off.

Upon arrival at our new hotel, we ate lunch, and went shopping and swimming at the beach until 6pm.

As dawn approached, we had dinner and relaxed for the rest of the night.

-Ally and Kritika

BLOG POST FOR JULY 31

Today’s blog post is from Kayla and Guillaume.

Our first full day at Koh Samet started off nice and late at 9:00am. We left the Koh Samet to go snorkeling at a new island. We stayed there for the majority of the day and saw some interesting fish such as clownfish, eels, jellyfish, and sea urchins. At lunch we had tasty teriyaki chicken with rice as well as pineapple and watermelon.

After our stomachs were, full we went on a small hike to a viewpoint. The groups split up with people going hiking and people relaxing at the beach. After a while, we returned to the island of Koh Samet with a very, very bumpy boat ride, it was great!

Upon arrival the group went back out to relax in the ocean and also played some volleyball on the beach. While the day was packed with fun, we all felt the strength of the sun making us turn red like lobsters. Finally we went to dinner and sang happy birthday to our lovely local staff member, Care; Happy Birthday Care!!!!!

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1

สวัสดี (Hello) from Koh Samet, Thailand.

This is our fourth blog about our days in Koh Samet in written by Soph and Vinay.

We started off the day with a fantastic breakfast buffet at the hotel. After breakfast we went to the local medical clinic on the island.

Whilst at the clinic we learned about the local medical practices and issues they have been facing. The most pressing issue they faced was chikungunya, a type of disease carried by mosquitoes. They deal with this by spraying the houses with a medical grade insect repellent.

After the clinic hunger set in and we walked to a beachside restaurant. We had an array of traditional Thai seafood such as fried shrimp cakes, glass noodle salad, and papaya salad. Full from our meal we got the choice to either stay on the beach and relax or go back to the hotel for a quick nap.

Concluding the day we went for another quick swim at the beach in front of our hotel. Hungry from swimming and playing beach volley, we headed off to dinner which was right next door to the hotel. Even though it was a long day we all had a lot of fun and are forward to our time on Chang Mai.

Stay tuned for more updates from Chang Mai! ลาก่อน (Goodbye:)

Sophia Nuciforo and Vinay Verghis-Khan

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2

สวัสดี ทุกคน (Hello everyone!) Today’s blog post is from Raina and Emma!

Today was a travel day for us. Some of us started our day with a group sunrise watching, but most of us chose the option of sleep…lol…7:00am was a quick breakfast and baggage drop off. After, we said goodbye to Koh Samed and took our ferry back to the mainland. We had a group 3 hour car ride with some good tunes and conversation to keep us occupied. We got to the airport way in advance (and with no issues), so we had lots of time to eat and relax.

Our domestic flight took about 1 hour (although it felt like only 10 minutes!). We arrived in Chiang Mai and went straight to eat. Dinner was spectacular – and desert was even better!!
Tomorrow we head for a city tour and cooking class – so stay tuned 😉

– Raina and Emma

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3

Hey there, it’s Nate and Aliena with the daily blog!

This was our first full day in Chang Mai!

We began the day bright and early with breakfast at the hotel and then headed to a cooking class!

When we arrived at the Asian Scenic Thai Cooking Class, we were split into 2 groups, and had the opportunity to learn how to make some of our favorite Thai dishes! Each of us had the chance to make their stir fry, curry, and soup of choice, as well as deep fried spring rolls. It’s safe to say that lunch was amazing, with us even being sent home with mini cookbooks so we can recreate our delicious meal at home!

After our homemade lunch, we hopped in our vans and took a wonderful tour of Wat Chiang Man, the first Buddhist temple to be constructed in the city of Chang Mai. The temple displayed different positions of the Buddha based on the day of the week you were born. After Wat Chiang Man, our amazing local staff navigated us through the tunnels of the Wat Umong temple!

All in all, our first full day in the northern city of Chiang Mai was amazing, and we can speak for the rest of the group when we say that we’re all excited to see what’s up next!

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4

Hey GLA friends and fam!

Today we had an enlightening discussion with a monk about Buddhism. Afterwards, we headed to the mountain where we hiked to the peak and got coffee and tea. On the way down, we visited a Hmong village and saw the local shops. We saw a mountain temple, wat prathat doi suthep; where some of us were lucky enough to get blessed by a monk and see our future fortunes. Then together we all went to see the lookout of the city of Chiang Mai.

In the evening we walked to a night market where we got to go souvenir shopping and get local food. During dinner it started pouring elephants (lol). We navigated the market in the rain like true locals!!

Cece and Maddie

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5

Hey GLA family’s, it’s Bella and Luciano once again!!

We started off our day going to the maharha public hospital at 9 am. We shadowed many different fields, including surgery, pediatrics, general medicine, orthopedics, ETC. After our first rotation and lunch, we received a presentation by a telemedicine nurse Film who started off her career in customer service. After the presentation, we finished off with our second rotation.

After the hospital we went to a mui tai class for about an hour and had so much fun. We then went back to the hotel to shower and get ready for the beautiful riverside dinner. After dinner, we presented our projects on our STGs we chose at the beginning of the program. After the amazing presentations performed by all the beautiful students, we ended our day with a chow circle.

Thank you for reading Much love Yours truly, Bella and Luciano

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6

Hey friends and families of GLA!

It’s Cammy and Anaïs 🙂 After eating a nice vegan breakfast at the hotel, we ventured out of the beautiful Chiang Mai and into the province of Lampang. We went to the Lampang Hospital and we immersed ourselves in many different topics of medicine including OB GYN (where we had the chance to watch a C Section birth), Pediatrics, Surgery, and General Medicine.

After our morning shift, we ate a delicious curry lunch at a beautiful garden. Next, we had our second shift at the hospital where we had the opportunity to switch topics for the afternoon.

Following this academic immersion, we left to pursue a more artistic achievement: painting. We each got to personalize either a fan, a mini umbrella, or a tote bag. This was extremely fun and next we hopped back on the road to go to a Michelin Star restaurant. Here, we ate various traditional northern Thailand dishes and a scrumptious coconut ice cream dessert! We are now on our way to bed to rest up for another great day tomorrow! ‘Till next time!!!

– Anaïs and Cammy 🥳

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7

สวัสดี ทุกคน (Hello everyone!)

It’s Atticus and Shio!

Today we woke up early to go to our third hospital in Chiang Mai: Rajavej Private Hospital. We were split up into small groups and visited five departments: ER/labs, radiology, hemodialysis, dental, and physical therapy. Each department was very informative and we all learned a lot! After the morning shift, we went to a boutique hotel for lunch, where we all either had delicious pad Thai or Khao soi. Then, we rotated to another department within the five groups with the second shift. Thanks to Wadd, one of our local staff members, we were able to visit a cafe inside the hospital and buy some ice cold drinks!

Following the hospital visit, we went to a medical clinic for Chiang Mai locals. One of their staff gave us an excellent presentation on everything about the function of the clinic and how it is useful for Chiang Mai.

Then, to everyone’s excitement, we were able to go to a local Chiang Mai market where there was a variety of unique goods. Some of us purchased dried fruits, while others got traditional clothing.

After the market, we all went straight to a delicious restaurant for dinner. On the menu, there was crab fried rice, grilled salmon and rice, khao soi, and many more options. The restaurant was very relaxing, as some of us were able to sit in fluffy pink and orange chairs!

Finally, once we returned to the hotel, we all received the opportunity to listen to a presentation by a family medicine resident. She provided us with very valuable information and may have persuaded some of us to pursue a family medicine career. She also told us about her medical school experience and gave us tips for future aspirations.

It is now time to head to our rooms and get a good nights sleep! See you soon!

– Atticus and Shio

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 8

สวัสดี (Hello!) Again!

Welcome to our official second-to-last day! This morning we set off bright and early for our final day of hospital rotations! After our morning shift, we set off to lunch, where we had a special presentation from our national director, Todd, who spoke about the differences between healthcare in the United States and in Thailand. After our yummy lunch, we returned to Mae On hospital for our final round of rotations, a bittersweet moment.

Following our rotations, we ventured off to “Art in Paradise Chiang Mai,” a super cool 3D art museum. After walking through the museum and taking photos, we ended our visit with some tasty drinks from the museum’s 2D cafe. We had some spare time before dinner, so our staff briskly took us on a trip to a nearby mall, which was super nice and fun! Our evening came to a close with a lovely dinner at a “spunky” restaurant, followed by final reflections with our International Director, Alexa. Our amazing mentors, Jose and Peggy, surprised the group by taking us on a thrilling night market to buy some last-minute goodies!

ขอบคุณ (Thank you!) for checking in today to hear about our final few adventures!

This is your final goodbye from Iselin and James 😎

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 9

Writing today’s blog is Guillaume and Kayla.

Today was an eventful day that started at 7:00am. It was an incredible day at the elephant sanctuary! We started off by giving the elephants some delicious watermelon, which they absolutely loved. It was amazing to see them munching away happily.

After that, we went on a hike with the elephants through the lush forest. Walking alongside these gentle giants was a truly unforgettable experience. Later in the day, we had the chance to bathe the elephants in the river. Splashing around with them and helping them cool off was so much fun, and it was clear they enjoyed it too.

To end the day we had a delicious meal on a boat where we celebrated several birthdays. Overall this was an amazing experience and everyone got along well.

Thank you GLA families.