PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Emily & the Thailand Team

Can you BELIEVE it’s already fall? I hope you all are doing well and are preparing for another year of school (and a very special shout-out to those who are starting college… sending you the very best of luck!).

Firstly, thank you to each and every one of you for making this trip incredibly special. It was because of all of you that you made this trip unique and memorable.

From painting at the elephant parade, to temple touring, to climbing the hundreds of steps to the top of Doi Suthep, it was such a pleasure exploring Thailand with all of you.

Each and every one of you made a big difference in the Chiang Mai community. The students you taught will never forget you, and I know that the elephants at EJS are incredibly thankful for your help!

I hope you are all working diligently on your OMGs (One Meaningful Goals!) I will remind you once again of our Group OMG Goal: To live more like elephants by being grateful for what we have and by living in the present moment. How has that been going for all of you? I would love to hear all your updates!

Thank you again for making this trip the one to remember. I already miss you all!

Sawasdee,
Emily Abbott

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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

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

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

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 12

Sawadee from Thailand!

Today we truly begin our Elephant Education Initiative in Thailand!

Upon arrival, the students ate a traditional Thai lunch at a local restaurant and made their way to our hotel! We played some get-to-know-you games, relaxed by the pool, and ate delicious Thai food for dinner.

We are also very excited to welcome the rest of the students who arrived this evening, including Akmal, whose birthday we are celebrating today and tomorrow!

Tomorrow we will take a tour of the city, visiting multiple temples, and ending our day with a Thai cooking course.

Due to delays and missed flights, some students will not be present in our first blog photos. However, tomorrow’s blog will feature all students who will have arrived!

Keep an eye out for upcoming updates!

Emily, Shreya, and Jorge (the Thailand International Team!)

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 13

Sawadee, everyone! It’s Kate and Kai, student leaders for the day, reporting back on all of today’s activities!

We started the day with a yummy breakfast, followed by an overview of the policies and rules of the trip in the form of games and skits.

Shortly after, we made our way to tour some temples in Chiang Mai. We went to 3 different temples in which we received blessings in the form of bracelets from monks, got sprinkled with holy water, and respected the buddhist culture.

We then got to explore a local coffee restaurant before starting our personal favorite activity of the day: a cooking class involving 4 separate courses. In order to achieve the full experience, tasting each individual ingredient (including maybe THE hottest peppers we’ve ever tasted) was absolutely essential.

Finally, we are thrilled to announce that the newest of our arrivals, Ines, Gala, Jasper, and Silvia, have arrived safely! We are very excited to get to know them and welcome them into our community.

Overall, we had a great first full day of the trip and are more than excited to see what the rest of our Thailand exploration has to offer!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14

Sawasdee from Thailand! Our names are Eliana and Maverick and we were selected as the students leaders of the day. Our role as student leaders was to guide the rest of the group through our activities and make sure everyone was included. This day was very full so we said lots of thank you’s in Thai (Khap kun ka/krup)!

We woke up to a yummy breakfast consisting of pork and eggs for some and yogurt and granola for others. We then piled into the vans and drove an hour away to an elephant hospital. This elephant hospital is the first in the world and there we met their permanent care resident elephant. One of whom is the most famous Thai elephant and is named Mosha!

Then we drove to the nextdoor elephant conservation center where we walked through their exhibit about the evolution of elephants and took a short trolley ride over to the elephants in their care. There, we got to feed them all sorts of goodies like corn and sugarcane! After, we ate lunch at the cafe in the sanctuary and stopped at the coffee hut for ice creams and Thai teas.

Finally, we headed over to an arts and craft place dedicated to the elephant Mosha we had met earlier. We sat down and painted small elephant figurines after learning about what the organization stands for and we had a lot of fun.

To end the day, we headed back to our home base and ate a delicious dinner provided by a nearby restaurant. We played some final get to know you games before we headed off to bed!

Can’t wait to see what fun activities tomorrow holds!

Sincerely,

Eliana and Maverick

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15

Sawadwe families!!

Today we has relaxing day full of yummy food and lots planning.

After a delicious breakfast we met up with Todd who is our programs local coordinator. Todd is a local teacher here in thialand who works as a counselor in one of the two schools we’ll be teaching in next week! Once we finished our lesson plans we visited the elementary school and examined the classrooms we’ll be teaching in.

On our way back to home-base we stopped at a beautiful local coffee shop where we listened to live music and drank good coffee. Once we made it back to the hotel we finalized our lesson plans, swam in the pool, played soccer and had a great end to the night with our yummy dinner!

We can’t wait for the rest of our week and to officially start our teaching!

Love, Carson W and Sophia L

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16

Today we had the pleasure of visiting Wat Suan Dok, and be given a presentation by a senior Buddhist monk on Buddhism and Thai culture.

The senior monk ( Ajahn KK) began by presenting the fundamentals of Buddhism and how it can be more of a way of life and a principle for living rather than a religion. He continued with a Q&A, which resulted in him explaining the differences between Buddhist sects and their beliefs. He concluded his enlightened lecture by leading the group through a mantra intended to cleanse the mind, spirit, and body. While leaving the temple we explored the royal cemetery, the final resting place of the past Thai royalty. After a tasty stop for ice cream. We began the journey (by van) through the mountains to a coffee shop located at the top of a mountain village where we were able to enjoy delicious snacks and beverages in front of a once in a lifetime view.

Dai Suthep; where we climbed 300 stairs to reach the gold embellished mountain temple. The temple was filled with rich history and incredibly complex tapestries, beautiful Buddha’s, and various gold covered art pieces. We were then able to enjoy the breathtaking views while driving down the mountain.

Finally, we visited the Sunday Night Walking Street Market! While there, we tried new foods, bought souvenirs, and drank smoothies!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

Sawadee Everyone! Today was an exciting day, filled with a handful of new experiences.

We started with an early morning as it was our very first day of teaching! We took our vans to the Thai elementary and middle school where we taught ESL (English as a second language) to the Thai kids. After meeting with the staff in charge we attended an assembly, where we met and introduced ourselves to the Thai kids. And soon after we moved to our assigned classes where we had our first experience teaching a class! Everyone’s classes were filled with laughter and games, both the kids and us had a great time! After we finished teaching we had a wonderful lunch prepared near the school where we also got to hang out with many of the (very cute) Thai kids.

We finished the day by going to a beautiful coffee shop, eating another excellent dinner and taking part in more leadership activities!

All in all, it was another great day and we are excited for the rest of the week!

Sincerely,
Addie and Caden

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18

Today we woke up bright and early for day 2 of teaching young Thai elementary students. We left at 8:00 for the school after a Thai breakfast and arrived to teach at 8:30. For the next 3 hours we taught the Thai students English with games activities we previously planned.

After we finished teaching we all gave autographs to the kids and hung out with them before leaving for a market nearby. The market had an assortment of dried fruits as well and traditional clothing. Then we walked to a Cafe and hung their for 30 minutes before heading back to the hotel. When we got back we all enjoyed a a fruit party with exotic Thai fruits.

After we practiced our presentation for are cultural exchange students tomorrow (cotten eyed joe). We then ate a good Thai dinner that included fried shrimp and rice. Then we finally finished the day with our mentor groups headed to bed.

From,
Dylan & Rylie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

Today we started out the day by eating a yummy breakfast at our home base and piling into the vans to teach at our home school. We got there and taught 2 classes before tasting some new Thai snacks and eating lunch. After that, we headed over to a nearby coffee shop and got some bevs. Then, we headed to a private school called SISB for a student-led tour and engaged in a cultural exchange with games. We ended the day by hosting the SISB students at our hotel with pizza and karaoke. The night was filled with lots of food, fun, and laughter!! Now, we are headed to bed for another early morning of teaching! Goodnight!!!

From Katia and Addy (and Ellie and Addie for their support in the creation of this blog)

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Hey everyone! Gala and Zach here! Our day started with a visit to a local school where we have been teaching for the past few days. Each GLA group taught an English lesson to a different group of students from the school. Then, we all went together and watched a wonderful, traditional performance from the students, followed by some local games (as well as some of our own).

After a quick lunch, we said our heartfelt goodbyes to everyone at the school and headed to the Chiang Mai Muay Thai Gym to learn the famous Thai traditional martial art. There, we all went through an exciting lesson in the art of Muay Thai, learning how to throw proper kicks, jabs, knees, and elbows. After our training lessons, we all headed back to our hotel to rest. There, we had a wonderful meal followed by a great movie night which rounded out an amazing day of service, adventure, and plain old fun.

Until next time!

Gala and Zach

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21

This morning, we woke up and left our hotel in the city for the elephant sanctuary. We ate a yummy lunch at the sanctuary while watching a herd of elephants take a bath just a few yards away! Then, we attended a talk on elephant behaviour from one of the Sanctuary’s veterinarians and had the amazing opportunity to assist in an Elephant checkup and banana feeding led by the “Mahout” (Thai elephant Caretakers) before heading back to our new lodgings for the remaining of the afternoon. After a great dinner and board games, we all participated in an eye opening debate on the Ethics of Elephant Tourism in Thailand.

-Neve and Silvia

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Hello parents! We started our morning with a yummy breakfast at the hotel before heading to the elephant sanctuary for our second day of elephant service! when we arrived, the mahouts told us how to safely behave with the elephants, the best ways to feed them, and overall how to have the best experience. We spent a few hours feeding, hugging, watching, and photographing the elephants before we followed them on a 45 minute walk around the sanctuary. our personal highlight of the day was seeing them give each other mud baths. We went back to the base location for lunch and a power nap and then walked to the garden area where we planted food for the elephants to eat in the coming months/years. some of us spent our time hoeing to prepare for banana trees, while others planted grass stalks. We came back to the hotel for dinner and activities, and overall had a great, exhausting day.

Until next time,

Aki and Ines

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23

Sawaadee from Mae Wang!

Today was, in my opinion, our best day yet. We started our day with another incredible breakfast and headed off to the sanctuary to hangout with our new elephant friends.

We said hello, fed them, and took photos before we learned how to make their favorite treats: banana, grass, probiotics, tamarind, and salt balls! we fed them yet again, and joined them for a swim in the river. we got plastic bowls and splashed them with water while they rolled around in the river. it was SO cool.

We followed the river bath with a mud bath! we moved to a pond a few feet away and picked up mud to help them out rubbing their face, trunk and body with mud. once again, it was so so cool.

We said goodbye to the elephants for the day and took a short 20 minute walk to a waterfall! we got to swim around and hangout for awhile before we ended our day and went home to the hotel.

Today was such a great day, and such a great almost end to our trip. we’re excited to see you!!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Jumbo Everyone!

It’s hard to believe it’s already been half a year since we last met in Tanzania! 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 school – teaching and painting? Especially recess! 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 homebase in Rau. We met Mama Simba and learned all about her history. Andrew cooked us wonderful meals – especially all that meat! Remember how much you dreaded dish duty and then had fun washing with Helena. Agape kept us on track with our schedule on Africa time. Sometimes you all competed to see who got to go on the small van instead of the big bus. Every morning we did service and every afternoon we had fun. From teaching and painting to shopping, batik and cooking classes, material buying (are you wearing your Tanzanian made clothes?), and swahili classes.

Let’s not forget the epic two day safari to Tangire and Ngorongoro Crater. We saw so many animals. Herds of zebras, wildebeest, and gazelles, – even 3 of the big 5 – elephants, African buffalo, and lions. Our trip ended with a hike around the base of Kili.

It’s amazing to look back at all that we did in just two weeks. We were so lucky to see so many wild animals in their natural habitat at in Africa and teach at the school.

We closed out our time in Tanzania with Let’s Get Smart Part 2 session. After some great discussions, we decided upon the group’s One Meaningful Goal. Do you remember it? You all decided that your group’s OMG would be to make the world a better place by improving our leadership and helping the community by donating clothes, school supplies, and food. We’re curious to know how your goals are coming along. Let GLA know about your progress on your goals!

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

— Musha, Agape, Kristine, and Peggy

PS: Please feel free to share your personal projects and “aha” moments on social media and to tag @GLAteens

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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

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

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

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21

Jambo from Tanzania!

The group has all arrived safely in Kilimanjaro and we could not be more excited. Everyone is meeting their roommates and settling in at home base here in Moshi. We couldn’t get a picture of the whole group together since the last batch of arrivals was at 8pm. But here are a few snap shots of the day in smaller groups before most of the group called it a day early.

Tomorrow is orientation day and we will have a picture of the whole group up on tomorrows blog post.

Over the next two weeks, we are going to have the adventure of a lifetime as we experience the heart and soul of Kilimanjaro. Student written blogs will keep you informed about the highlights of our program. Blogs should be posted every couple of days and will include pictures, so you can see what we have been up to.

We know this is going to be an amazing experience and can’t wait to tell you all about it. We hope you enjoy following along on the blog. Your students will come home with plenty of stories to tell. From seeing the big 5 on safari, to teaching English, completing service at the school, exploring the markets in town, and hiking at the base of Kili – everyone is ready for the adventure!

Thank You,
Musha, Peggy and Kristine

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Today we woke up to a beautiful brisk morning and then had breakfast. We had eggs and traditional Tanzanian donuts- they were delicious. We also had homemade peanut butter and freshly squeezed mango juice. Then we had a very informative orientation that informed us on what we are going to be doing for the next two weeks. Then we heard all about Mama Simba’s life story and how she overcame all of the challenges she faced throughout her life. After that we had lunch, which included vegetable rice, beans, wrapped tortillas, and fresh guacamole.

After a good lunch we had our first swahili lesson where we learned how to greet people and the family tree in their language. Then we learned about the swahili culture- to not waste food, the culture of love, and family. Then we went on a neighbourhood walk and we saw some local kids for the first time and they were so cute!! We went back and played some card games and then had a wonderful dinner made by the team. We look forward to tomorrow and the rest of the trip!!

-Alex & Siena

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23

Our day started bright and early with breakfast and a second Swahili lesson from a local GLA advisor. Students learned how to negotiate prices in Swahili ahead of purchasing cooking supplies at the local market. After their outing to Moshi’s markets, GLA students were divided into small groups to meet with local “host” families. These families were provided with food and essential cooking supplies, and welcomed students into their own homes. This provided students with the opportunity to experience Tanzania in a truly unique way, allowing everyone the opportunity to dance, play, and converse with the host families. To conclude the day, we once again divided into groups to set some goals for the upcoming days as well as to plan and outline our curriculum for teaching at a local Tanzanian school.

— Dimitri and Seth

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24

Today we woke to early to get to school on time but still followed African time. Today we observed the teachers teaching to help us teach the kids ourselves. We then sandpapered some of the school classrooms so that we can repaint them fun colors by the end of the week!

After lunch we experienced the market where we bought fabrics for custom clothes. When we came back we met a seamstress and got measurements for our clothes. Before dinner we also had our first mentor group sessions, We ended the night with some preparation for our lessons at school tomorrow and bracelet making.

-Sadie and Rudy

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25

Today we started off our morning at eight o’clock sharp with a very yummy breakfast which was fried rice balls and our fresh fruit juice that awaits us every morning! Then we headed to our school that we will be teaching and connecting with all the beautiful children that we meet for the next five days! As well we are helping renovate two classrooms.

After we were done and all exhausted we headed back to home base to regroup. Then we split back into our lovely mentor groups Peggy and Kristine’s. Peggy’s group had an adventure to make batik paintings which was a fabulous time learning and competing on who was the best. Musha thought his was the best and we are just going to let him think that. But between us, Peggys was definitely the best! As that was happening Kristines group was making a delicious dinner to await us all as we arrived! They made us all chipsimayai. Now our bellies are full and we’re all laughing and creating relationships that will carry on the rest of our lives here at our lovely homebase.

We ended the night working with our service teaching groups to come up with ideas to develop a school if we were given the opportunity. But with all that being said, we will see you all tomorrow to hear about our next adventure!

-Chiara and Maria

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26

Today we woke up at 8 and had breakfast, we had scrambled eggs and toast. It was so great, then we planned the class we were preparing for the children. After that, we arrived at the school and we taught the children of primary school English, we played with them and after we painted the walls of the classrooms we have been working on. We were exhausted and we got back to the home base and we got re energized with a magnificent pasta. After Lunch, half of us went painting wonderful traditional Tanzanian art. The other half, cooked an exquisite meal for all of us to share! We ended the day with a quick pulse check on how things are going. We now are receiving our phones and getting ready for a good, nice, warm, cozy sleep. We will talk to you tomorrow to tell you more about our adventures..

—Marco and Natalia

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27

Today we started by waking up at 7:30 to be ready for 8am breakfast on a rainy morning. Then we made our way to the school to teach the kids and paint the classroom. We went back to home base for lunch and HIV talk with victims of that condition. After an informative talk we went to a coffee farm and picked coffee beans off of the plants. We were welcomed with a traditional dance and tried fresh Tanzanian coffee. We went back to home base for dinner and ended the night off with a debate about the education in Tanzania.

-Michaela and Camilla

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28

Today we woke up at 7:30 and we had breakfast at 8. At 8:30 we started to plan what we were going to teach the kids at school and we left to school at 9. We were teaching the kids from 9:30 to 10:30, after this we played with them and painted the class until 12:30. Then we arrived at the homebase for lunch at 1 clock and after this Mama Simba gave us a short talk thanking what we have done for the kids. At 2 we went shopping to a supermarket, everybody bought a lot of stuff. After this, we went to a coffee shop and we stayed there for two hours. Everyone bought some coffee, milkshakes and pizza. At 6 we came back to the homebase. we did the chow circle and had dinner. Then we had a talk about the safari we are having on Saturday and went to sleep.

—Lucia and Alice

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

On this day at GLA, we woke up a 3:15 in the morning with the excitement of the arrival of our safari jeeps! We brought breakfast sandwiches in the car to go for everyone for after their car ride naps. We arrived at Tarangire National Park with several bathroom breaks prior to the arrival. We had one more snack and bathroom break at the entrance of the park before entering for the adventure! The Baboons welcomed us immediately into the park! As we continued on to lunch we saw zebras, giraffes, water bucks, water buffalos, warthogs, cheetahs and elephants!

After lunch some of us were given a farewell by a lioness. We carried on to our new temporary home base and stopped at “Safari Land” which consisted of hand made wooden structures and fascinating art pieces; furthermore, we had a coffee break right next door to it. We herded back into the jeeps to make the final stretch to the new home base. Once we arrived some girls did cartwheels and yoga to stall until the rooms were ready. Everyone settled into their new rooms and found each other out side for a big football/soccer match. We are currently located in a Monastery and had an amazing dinner provided by nuns.

—Prince and Hattie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30

On this day we woke up at 5:15 am for breakfast at the Saint Cathrine Monastery. Then we drove 30 minutes down into the crater where we saw many animals including zebras, elephants, wildebeests, lions, hippos and jackals. After a wild journey in the crater for the morning we headed out to get lunch in prepared boxes with chicken, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fries, banana, biscuits, muffin with some water and juice. After lunch we prepared for the long drive back to home-base. After a long ethereal six hour drive we made it back to home-base where we got banana soup and pasta and beef along with rice for dinner, now we are settling back into home-base and relaxing for the evening.

-Dane and Keira

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Today we woke up bright and early at 7:30 and had breakfast at 8. For breakfast we had yummy donuts and eggs. At 8:30 we reviewed our curriculums and at 9 we headed to the school for service! Today was the school’s first day of classes for all students, so our classes were filled with double the smiles . We continued our work on the classrooms and finished up painting the walls and windows. After service, we headed back to home base for lunch. We had French fries, fish sticks, and a banana stew.

Following lunch, we reflected on our trip so far and came up with an individual and group goal to continue creating change after the trip. Then, we headed to a souvenir shop and bought a few more items to remember our trip by . We also stopped at the supermarket to get some snacks for our hike around Kilimanjaro on Wednesday! Then, we went to the Rau school near homebase and played some games. We were joined in both our volleyball and soccer games by some of the local students. Then, we returned to homebase and ate dinner, which consisted of: rice, beans, and salad . Now, we are all hanging out and getting ready for bed. Tomorrow is our last day of service, and we can’t believe it’s already the end of our trip.

-With love, Allie and Hannah

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Rise and shine today we woke up at seven thirty and prepared to leave for our last day of service at the school. We then said goodbye to the sweetest kids as we headed back to homebase for lunch. Today we dined on some delicious homemade beans and potatoes accompanied by a SCRUMPTIOUS salad! We then had our fabrics returned to us as clothes and had a show stopping fashion show . Afterwards we headed to the local primary school where we had the amazing opportunity to watch and participate in traditional Tanzanian dancing. We are all amazing dancers. After the dance it was dinner which was another delicious meal brought to us by the amazing chef Andrew . Post dinner was an appreciation circle and debrief about the program.

Thanks for tuning in…

Anna and Tess

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Today started off with an earlier than usual wake up call at 7:30. Everyone slowly made their way to breakfast where we were greeted with donuts and eggs for our last breakfast with everyone here. We then started our bus journey to the base of Mount Kilimanjaro where we were greeted with beautiful scenery including waterfalls and picturesque views of the local town and of the mountains throughout the hike.

After our hike we had lunch ready for us right at the gates of the Mount Kilimanjaro entrance and did some of our last souvenir shopping for the trip. We then headed back to home base for everyone to start getting packed up for our journeys home tomorrow! We were surprised at dinner with chicken and beef skewers and our very highly requested guacamole and much more! We said goodbye to three of our peers as they had to take earlier flight and left tonight. Tomorrow we will be all parting ways for our very long journeys home!

-Leaders of the last day
Luella and Kaitlin

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

To our amazing GLA students,

We miss you already! Thank you so much to to every one of you for being one of the best (if not THE best) groups of young people we’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. You have moved and impressed us with your maturity, kindness, enthusiasm, talent, appreciation for one another, and overall cohesion as a group. You have looked out for one another and helped each other grow, and your respectful, polite, positive attitudes made our jobs not only easier, but so much fun!

From start to finish, you made a positive impact on your temporary community here in Toledo and connected meaningfully with the people and places around you. You bonded with the adorable kids at the summer camp at Colegio Mayol, worked tirelessly alongside Red Cross volunteers picking up trash by the Tagus River, bonded with our charismatic tour guide in Madrid, and impressed your Spanish teachers with your excellent participation and genuine attempts to improve your language skills.

You came to know the city of Toledo intimately, from Plaza de Zocodover to the Alcázar to Callejón Infierno, and truly made the most of our two whirlwind days in the capital city of Madrid.

And of course, you not only knew how to work hard, but play hard! We had a blast, and wanted to highlight some particularly memorable moments:

– Improving your cooking skills making some bomb paella and tortilla de patatas, as well as
your artistic skills making mazapán shapes
– Celebrating Spain’s win with the locals at the Spain vs. France Eurocup game
– A surprisingly difficult flamenco class followed by an incredible and moving flamenco show.
– Dancing (or not) in Plaza de España for Madrid Pride weekend
– Learning the difference (or not) between a Scottish, German, Irish, British, Russian, and/or
Indian accent.
– An epic talent show followed by an even more epic reggaetón dance party.
– Getting to experience jousting, fireworks, some impressively trained horses, and a revolving
stage on our last night at Puy de Fou.
– A truly touching and emotional appreciation circle that gave us all the “warm and fuzzies.”

There are so many other memories from these past two weeks that we will carry with us forever.

And on that note, we want to leave you with the One Meaningful Goal that you set for your yourselves in your lives beyond GLA: to open your hearts to others, surround yourselves with good people who lift you up, take care of yourselves emotionally and physically, and become more confident, independent, and present. We believe that all of you are well on your way to achieving these goals and that you all have enormous potential as leaders, changemakers, and just generally
awesome individuals.

BE THE CHANGE!

We wish you all the best in your next adventures,

Your Incredibly Proud Mentors, Directors, & Staff Team

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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 1

Hi Family and Friends,

The GLA Spain: Spanish in The Land of Don Quixote program is officially up and running!

Today all 27 of our students arrived in Spain. After traveling about an hour from Madrid Barajas Airport to our Home Base in Toledo, students had some down time to rest and get to know one another. In the evening we played some ice-breaker games and the students were given a brief overview of the program and some important safety information.

Tonight before lights out, some students played ping-pong, pool, foosball and board games.

Tomorrow we will have a busy second day with student orientation and Spanish placement tests in the morning, then lunch and a scavenger hunt in the historic centre of Toledo in the afternoon. At night we will be announcing mentor groups and completing medical checks.

That’s all for now folks!

Saludos,

GLA Spain Team (Marta, Ryan, Marie, Catherine, Sophie and Jesus)

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Day 2 Complete!

Today we completed orientation in both direct and creative ways. The students acted out skits to better understand the code of conduct. After that they took their Spanish test to determine which group they will be with during their Spanish classes that start tomorrow. We then enjoyed our first lunch away from Homebase at a quaint restaurant in downtown Toledo before starting a scavenger hunt. After finding key locations and iconic symbols around town students headed back to home base to find out who their mentor groups were and completing our formal Health Checks.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to officially being service in the morning and Spanish classes in the afternoon before heading to the beautiful pool to conduct our swim tests and enjoy some time outside. To finish up we we will completing our first GLA leadership activity in our mentor groups.

It’s gonna be a fun one!

Saludos

GLA Spain Team (Marta, Ryan, Marie, Catherine, Sophie and Jesus)

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Today July 3rd, after breakfast we participated in our community service at the local kids summer camp with kids ages 3-11. We painted pots for their growing garden, played games like dodgeball in the gym, and played with the kids in the pool!

After lunch, we had our first Spanish classes of the session, taught by our amazing teachers, Alfredo, Ana, and Sra. Martinez. Then we took a trip to the local pool, and did our swim tests. Later on we participated in a leadership activity centered around the use of social media and phones, followed by an amazing dinner, and we finished the day off with some free time (some of us played basketball!). Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Written by Max and Melina

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Hola!

Sorry for the late blog post, we were so busy being the change on the 4th of July that we went straight to bed when we got back later than usual to Homebase.

We started off the day listening to the Fergie version of the National Anthem, and then we engaged in fun and educational Spanish classes, ¡que divertido! Then we had some downtime to decompress and relax before heading to central Toledo.

In Toledo, we had so many laughs at a mazapán cooking class! We then walked around, exploring beautiful Toledo, and headed to a delicious dinner at a restaurant within the city wall. We ate and saved a bird!

We got home late and after showering, we all fell asleep. We were excited and eager to wake up the next morning (today) to participate in a Red Cross community service trash collection.

See you tomorrow!

Adios, Lily and Eli

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

We began the morning promptly at 7:30 with breakfast to follow. Then we prepared for the day and headed on the bus to Toledo. We jammed to Sophie’s playlist enjoying the ride over. Following the fun bus ride we arrived in Toledo to began our service opportunity with Cruz Roja (The Red Cross). We embarked on a 2.5 hours volunteering opportunity along the Tagus River. During this time we picked up 16 kilos or 35 pounds of trash, including plastics, organics and paper. After disposing of the waist we entered into Toledo to have a well deserved Lunch. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into. At lunch we were served a typical España lunch consisting of 3-courses. By the end we were stuffed.

We took the bus back to Homebase where we took part in our Spanish classes consisting of a gazpacho cooking class, practice of our colors and directions, and learning more about spanish culture and its impact on the world. Following the fun Spanish classes, we participated group activity in which half of the group was blindfolded and their partner had to lead them across multiple obstacles. This was all part of our SMART goals activity in which we learned how to create SMART goals and its implementation into our lives in the future. We ended the day off with a yummy dinner of pizza, watermelon and salad. Looking forward to our trip to Madrid tomorrow and the new memories and experiences we will make.

From Jake and Toby

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Today, July 6, GLA students embarked on a journey to Madrid. After an hour and half long trip, our tired voyagers trekked to a lovely hostel in central Madrid. Quickly transitioning to the next activity, which was visiting Bernabéu Stadium or Prado museum, we hopped on the metro and arrived at our designated destinations with gusto!

After thoroughly enjoying our time at our respective activities, the sound of our rumbling stomachs became overwhelming. We hurried back to our hostel to enjoy a lovely meal of rice, chicken, and vegetables. As our eagerness to learn the art of Flamenco tempted us, we only briefly stopped in our rooms to delight in a quick cat nap. Popping out of our beds, half of us hustled to a quaint Flamenco class while others explored the joys of the mall. The groups switched after an hour. Shopping bags in hand, the groups reunited for a rigorous and captivating Flamenco show.

Before dinner we went to a plaza España where we saw some of the pride performances. There were people of all ages there from kids to adults, all enjoying the dancing and singing. Lastly, our stomachs got filled by some scrumptious pasta and we headed back to the hostel for a peaceful night’s sleep.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Hola!

Today, we woke up in our hostel for our last full day in the beautiful city of Madrid. After our delicious breakfast in the lobby of the hostel, we embarked on a walking tour of Spain’s capital city. We explored the history of Madrid and its rich culture with our tour guide Yanni. We learned about the amazing architecture of Madrid and paid a visit to the world famous Chocolateria San Ginés. After our walking tour, we went to a cooking class to make Paella. We used a combination of rice, chicken, and various vegetables to create the amazing dish. We made a side of Spanish tortillas, with potatoes, eggs, and onions. We then headed back to the hostel for a short break before our afternoon.

After our well deserved nap. We made our way to the “Parque Retiro” where we all immersed our selves in the marvelous sculptures and architecture of 15th century. After a rigorous two hours of biking with the group we enjoyed some time with our mentors to review and converse how our experience of Madrid is going so far. Eventually we made our way to the buses too a long awaited shopping time. We all scurried around a popular street with many amazing stores. As some of us walked tiredly and others more energetically. We all made it to out long long awaited dinner, where we all ate and enjoyed our fellow peers company and stories. After our long and challenging day we all ended up pushing through to make it safely back to the hostel in one piece.

Written by Ryan, Stella, and Allen

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Today July 8, we started our day by packing our bags and preparing for the travels ahead. We refueled for the hard day getting breakfast with a strange Spanish Nutella and croissants. After, we took a nice walk at Templo de Debod and took pictures overlooking the Madrid skyline. Then we started our unique GLA Olympics. The activities included interesting things like attempting to draw your mentor and practice conjugating Spanish words. Most exciting was a game where we placed water cups on our heads and tried to transfer water into a water bottle. We were all drenched. Jesús’s group came on top because of the artistic abilities of his team. This meant the standing in the overall GLA competition were: 1.Catherine 2. Jesus and Sophie 3. Maria.

Afterwards we had a delectable buffet lunch. After we ate, we drove in a bus back to Toledo. We had the choice to either watch Pitch Perfect or play ping pong and pool. After these activities, we learned several traditional Scottish dances, which gave us a chance to experience the culture of our director. Then, we had a delicious fish dinner with chocolate mousse. We then ended our night with more pool and ping pong.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Today, July 9th, started off with a healthy and nutritious breakfast of toast, cereal, and juice. After our filling meal, we split into groups and headed downstairs to complete some community service with local elementary grade summer camp. The kids were all amazing, energetic and eager to learn. It was an interesting experience to work with the youth of spain, and it was fun to converse with locals with a more similar level of spanish. We started with making houses for bugs with various materials such as cardboard, pinecones, sticks, and dried grass. After making bug houses, we started on a planting flowers in a small garden. Finally we played a bunch of games to wind down, such as basketball, football(soccer), tag, duck duck goose, and hot potato.

After a thrilling morning with children, we finally ate some lunch. It was a meaty meal of barbecue ribs, widely considered the best meal at the Colegio Mayol thus far. After lunch we split off into groups once again for spanish class and began rehearsing spanish folktales, a different story for each group. after 2 hours, the plays commenced. Every role had a costume, and lots of laughs were heard throughout the room. After the spanish class performances, the group prepared for a heated debate. Run by Jesus, we were first taught the learning objectives and some helpful tips about debating. Three groups (The Bureau of Tourism, The Euskara Association, and The Spanish Historical Society) used data and current knowledge to come up with statements and rebuttals for their team. Run by a fourth group (The Spanish Government) we all enjoyed a successful two hour debate about which language (English, Basque, or Spanish) should be recognized as Spain’s official language. The Spanish Government ultimately chose the Bureau of Tourism as the winner. The debate taught us all how to act in a productive debate and helped us grow as leaders. After the debate, we enjoyed a quick chow circle and dinner in order to be on time for the next exciting activity.

After dinner, the group took a unanimous decision to stay up later than normal to attend the Spain vs France football match at a local watchparty. It was the Semifinals of the UEFA European championship, the second largest national football tournament, only after the world cup. By the time we got to there, France was already winning 1-0, but within three minutes, Lamine Yamal(who is only 16) curled a perfect shot from outside the box into the top corner, hitting the post before gliding along the inside of the net. then, within 4 minutes, Spain had scored again, making it 2-1. We all started joking that we were such a good omen, and we we the deciding factor in the victory. After a quick walk home, which seemed quicker due to some jolly singing, we arrived back at the Colegio Mayol, and promptly initiated lights out and went to bed.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

We started the day with a walking tour in Toledo to learn more about the historical buildings this city has to offer as well as the significance this city has in Spain as a whole. This tour included a visit to underground Roman baths, many cathedrals, and historically significant alleyways. After this wonderful tour, we made our way to a cute Italian pizzeria where we had an assortment of pizzas and chocolate cake. After this delicious lunch we return to homebase where we had a quick refresh before we made our way to the pool. We enjoyed our snacks, Marco Polo and tanning for one hour before we turned back to homebase to have a compelling discussion about consent led by Sophie. We topped the day off with a delicious dinner and our chow circle.

Written by Rowan and Amalia

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

We started the day with breakfast, and then we took a bus to Ruidera. Once we arrived to the lake, we kayaked and had a competitive race, Lars and Max won. Our fabulous mentos Sophie and Catherine came in second place! 💪 We then swam in the lake and ate lunch. The lake was super fun and very refreshing after kayaking. After lunch we ate some ice cream yum and swam some more. Later, we got back on the bus and rode to the windmills of Don Quixote and got a tour of the castle. We took many pictures on the hills and got blown away in the wind 💨. Once we got back to home base, we had chow circle and dinner which was fried pork and vegetable with noodle soup.

Written by Lars, Hannah, and Aggie

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Hola! Today had a late start- 8:30 – but was a very filled day. We started the day off with the final day of summer camp for the kids (age 4- 12). We said “hi” to the now familiar faces before splitting up into mentor groups who each had a fun game to play with the kids. After, we came together as one large group to teach them the “Cotton Eye Joe.” We also jammed out to “Firework” by Katy Perry before saying our hard goodbyes to the kids we had bonded with. So today we had a great lunch with chicken drumsticks, mash potatoes and a pasta salad. I particularly liked the chicken today but all the food was great ( today was our last lunch at the colegio because we will eat out tomorrow) After lunch we went straight to Spanish class which was very fun because we learned different styles of Spanish dance. We typically just work on our Spanish skills but today was different because we danced the whole time!! We then said goodbye to all the Spanish teachers Rosa, Ana and Alfredo then went to change for the pool. The pool was perfect today because the weather was so nice and the sun was completely out. We also all bought lots of snacks from the store at the pool and ate them the whole walk back.

After the pool everyone quickly showered up and was ready to battle it out in our last mentor activity. We were all divided into our mentor groups and had to quickly answer challenging questions about the school, mentors, and history of Spain. The winner of the competition was Jesus’s group giving them 4 points in the overall mentor competition. After calculating all the points, Ryan announced that Cathrine and Jesus’s group tied and would have a final tiebreaker the next day. After the competition we had a talent show where songs, dances, backflips and poems were performed. It was an amazing time and after we all had a dance party. For one of our last dinners we had a little taste of home and had hamburgers!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

We started the day with delicious chocolate chip breakfast to energize for the exciting last day that was upon us. We then reflected upon the smart goals we had made a few days ago through the guidance of our mentor Mari. After concluding smart goals, we took a quick bus ride to the heart of Toledo to go zip lining over a beautiful lake. We all then walked to a nice place for lunch, and we had an insane variety of delicious tapas.

After arriving back at home base from souvenir shopping, we took a quick break to shower and get ready for a night out in Toledo. Then, we were a brought into the Leadership Lair for our circle of appreciation. During this final group activity, we all took a chance to close our eyes and reflect on our trip to appreciate each other and the experiences we had. Before leaving for the bus, we ended with a quick survey that allowed us to rate activities and give feedback on the trip.

For our evening, we took a short bus ride over to Puy du Fou España. We watched four different shows that were absolutely mind blowing. There were four different stages all with a complete different vibe. After a few of the shows we ate dinner and headed back to home base. We packed our suitcases and headed to bed for the early wake up tomorrow.

(Written by Jian, Dilan, and Megan)

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Dear Students, Parents and Guardians,

Yesterday the group departed from Madrid between 8am and 1pm. After a packed 14 days, there were some tearful goodbyes at the airport.

We as a staff team feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such incredible young people. Students, I said it to you all in the closing activity, you give me a lot of hope for the future!

We as a team hope you made life long memories and great friendships and that you developed leadership skills and grew in confidence.

All the best for your next chapters. Remember to believe in yourselves and be the change!

Cheers!

Ryan and the team!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Andrea & the South Africa Team

Long time no see youths!

We hope the last six months have treated you well! It seems simultaneously that our trip was yesterday, yet also an entire lifetime ago. Hopefully, you are fondly remembering your experiences in South Africa this summer, and cherishing the memories you created during those short three weeks we spent together. Looking back, the trip feels the way it does when you see a shooting star; A moment of time that shines so brightly, but ends so quickly. While we will never be able to recreate that moment, we can always remember those three wonderful weeks where for just a single moment, it almost felt like magic.

Think back to those very first days in Nambiti when we were all so worried if we would have a good time, if we would make friends, and perhaps even if we made a horrible life choice getting on those planes the days prior. Then remember that last night in St. Lucia, when we laughed until we cried, cried until we laughed, and did everything we could to put off our inevitable goodbyes the following day. Hopefully, you will be able to look back on those moments when you feel those same anxieties in the future and remember how quickly you overcame those fears and how much fun you had and the memories you made once you let those worries go.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe we went on 11-game drives between Nambiti, Zengala, Bonomanzi, and St. Lucia! It’s wild just how many animals we were able to see in such a short amount of time. How lucky are we to have seen four of the big five, and for some of us to have even seen all five of them! Our days at the snake farm were simultaneously awe-inspiring and slightly terrifying, but Donald will definitely never be able to forget our group since he named a gaboon viper after Waylon, what an honor! Getting to pet baby crocodiles and pet a boomslang snake were some of our biggest highlights.

Our days spent in St. Lucia were magical, seeing some of the most beautiful beaches and going on a true Ferrari Safari. We saw so many hippos, including the family of five hippos in the street we raced to see, what a once in a lifetime experience!

Our hope for you is that you’ve been implementing your One Meaningful Goal we worked on while in St. Lucia. Those small moments of appreciation can change the course of someone’s entire day. Try to remember how lovely it felt our last night when we made sure everyone knew how much we appreciated each other and how special that made you feel. It is such an easy way to make a large impact on people’s lives. Kindness is a beautiful legacy to leave behind. People will often forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

Often we don’t feel at our true best, maybe you slept badly, or maybe you just really didn’t like the way your milkshake tasted today. Sometimes, giving 100% of your effort and dedication to something just isn’t possible. Giving 10% is still better than nothing, it’s still a step in the right direction, and every step matters.

Be the changɘ,
Andrea, Graeme, Oliver, and Shelby

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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

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

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

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Hello dear parents and care givers,

What an exciting first day in South Africa! All of today’s flights were on time and students were able to easily make it through customs and collect their luggage with no problems! We spent the day at the hotel catching up on some much needed sleep and getting to know each other over pizza and games of pool. We spent the evening eating a family style dinner sharing stories and laughter. We ended the day relaxing in front of the fire. We’re so excited to pick up Scarlet tomorrow morning and to set off for Nambiti for our first full day!

We are very excited for our adventures together!

-The GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21

Hello to our loyal subscribers! Day 2 in South Africa was busy! We started the day with a delicious buffet breakfast at our hotel in Johannesburg and said hello to our newest arrival, Scarlet.

After loading the bus, we started the journey to our first destination, Nambiti Reserve. A few hours, naps, snacks, lunch and amazing views later, we arrived and settled into camp. The sun set and temperatures started to drop so we huddled into our lounge tent for orientation and then tucked into a hearty meal. After dinner, we sat round the fire to warm our toes and finished our orientation.

We’re excited for our first foray into the reserve tomorrow!

– Mentor Oliver

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Howzit our loyal subscribers!

Today was wild…literally. After a nice breakfast we split into two groups. Ava, Zachary, Jenny, Alex, Gabe, Sabrina and Luke set off rhino monitoring on the reserve and saw loads of wildlife: giraffe, elephants, kudus, impalas and even a potential rhino in the distance.

Clara, Waylon, Scarlet, Aiden, Ten, Marta and Jaden were on the predator monitoring expedition on the reserve and wow, they got lucky! We saw lions!!!! We also lots of other very interesting wildlife including some hippos in the distance and some surprise buffalos.

When we came back to camp, we had a tasty lunch of butternut squash soup followed by some free time for showers; then we started a debate discussing whether or not the international trade of rhino horns should be legalised. We heard some great opinions from all groups involved.

After a scrumptious dinner, we ventured back onto the reserve for a night drive. We saw lots of owls and even some jackals in the distance.

Good night from South Africa.

-Mentor Oliver

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23

We woke up at 7 am and were able to enjoy a delicious breakfast that was chocolate pancakes and muffins. The second group left at 8 am to go Rhino monitoring. We ended up finding Rhinos, giraffes, elephants, zebras, wilder beasts and buffalo. We were “stuck” between two elephants but they were just there to eat food. The first group left at 8:45 am to do predator monitoring. They ended up finding buffalo and elephants. All these animals were entertaining. We ended off the day with a hike through the tall grass to a hill where we watched the sunset in peace and quiet. We hiked back down after the sunset and had dinner by the campfire while telling stories, and ending the day with anticipated s’mores.

-Scarlet and Etienne

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24

Dear family and friends,

This morning we woke up to a chilly breeze and a delicious corn porridge and cereal. Breakfast was followed by an exciting game drive, where we saw rhinos, lions, and several species of antelope. We came back to camp and packed up, and then drove half an hour to our first hiking point and have lunch.

The hike was 7 kilometres of pretty views but it was worth it when we arrived at our next destination. We are now in a valley surrounded by mountains next to a river, and beautiful scenery.

That night, we had an intense cooking competition between the boys and girls, including creating our own fires with sticks and dry leaves. The girls won, however the boys enjoy reminding everyone that the chef favoured theirs over the girls.

We concluded the day by going on a scorpion hunt. We found a flat tailed scorpion, and after that the guide showed us different scorpions he captured. He also showed us a new genus of spider he found called Golden Baboon Spider.

– Clara and Zach

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25

Dear families and friends,

Today we woke up and went on a giraffe identification walk in the bush. we spotted ten giraffe over the walk through the reserve and then came back for lunch – mac and cheese.

We then analyzed pictures of giraffe to identify which individuals we observed by carefully studying the patterns on their skin. After that, we fished near the river at camp but unfortunately didn’t catch anything. We then did a couple of GLA activities, and had dinner. Finally we went to go feed pigs corn in the evening and relaxed by the fire.

– Jaden and Ava

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26

We woke up to a morning with a full schedule of multiple GLA activities, a kayak trip and an afternoon hike.

We walked about 30 minutes to the start of the kayak, everyone was paired off into skill level where an inexperienced kayaker would be put with someone with some sort of experience. It took us about 2 hours to get back to camp. The kayak was filled with challenges and time to relax. Everyone had to go through some sort of challenge like being stuck in the rocks when going through rapid currents or having to switch kayaks because it cracked.

Yesterday we went on a brief hike to the top of a large hill. On the way we saw various animals and their tracks. We also learned about local plants and their ecology.

In the evening we had an activity called speed friending, a way to get to know each other better. Our mentor asked us questions like whether we like pineapple on pizzas, what superpower we would like to have or the origin to our name. We were also asked to write a compliment letter to one another.

– Gabe and Sabrina

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28

This morning we woke up early and went on a game drive on the new reserve and then stopped for a k9 presentation and they showed how they use the k9’s too find poachers and too find guns ammo etc. Then we split up into groups one as the poachers and the others as the anti poachers and had the k9 track there footsteps too find the poachers. Then we went back and had lunch.

In the afternoon we split up into two groups. one went with the anti-poaching unit snare sweep and the other went on a boat patrol. We even found a snare during the walk. We had dinner and a trivia night and answered questions about random stuff, South African animals, Disney, music, and general knowledge about South Africa.

– Aiden and Jenny

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

Hello GLA families! After eating a light breakfast, we got into groups for a scavenger hunt around the bush. Afterwards we drove out to a fever tree forest and had brunch- bacon and eggs! A few GLA activities later, after lunch, we split into groups and did snare patrols in the river and on land.

The groups switched so we could do the patrol we didn’t get to do yesterday. To finish off the day, we played a few rounds of “Stalk the Lantern”- a capture-the-flag-esque game where we crawled on the ground to escape spotlights and tag the car. Overall a really great day!

– Marta and Waylon

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30

On the day of June 30th, the group enjoyed a full day of out of camp activities. In the morning, we traveled to Snake Pharm where we learned about the numerous amount of snakes globally and their impact on the evolution of anti-venom. Following that half of the students cleaned rodent cages and the other half fed guinea pigs.

After the snake pharm, we traveled into a South African Community and made bracelets out of glass beads. We were taught by a group of skilled men, women, and even kids that had mastered the art of beading. In concession, we went to an outdoor market where we could buy interesting souvenirs, fruits, and even spears! To wrap up the day, we received an interactive talk about Zulu culture and history from an expert, followed by a delicious dinner and goodnights rest.

– Luke and Alex

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

At 7:30 we awoke to a great breakfast and went to the snake farm. We got to see more of the animals there including scorpions and tarantulas. We also got see the snakes get medicated and we got to take a picture behind a huge forest cobra. We also got to feed the snakes and finished off the morning with draining the Nile Crocodiles pool.

After lunch, we had a tour of a local Zulu village where we learned how to say hi and how are you. We saw how the people made spears and shields, their fortune teller and how unmarried women carry vases on their heads. We also watched their wedding performance where we did some stick fighting, dancing + a couple attempts of a back flip. It was super a interesting and educational activity.

There was an afternoon game drive where half of us stayed back to enjoy the camp and relax before dinner and movie night.

For our movie night, everyone was given a cake and popcorn. The votes ended up with us watching the first Jumanji movie.

– Sab and Etienne

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Dear Impalas and Nyalas,

Today we removed alien plants from the side of the road in the game reserve because the invasive plants dominate the other plants killing off the native plants. We removed so much that it could filll 2 rooms.

After lunch, we took a short walk around the reserve before doing an intense scavenger hunt in order to find ingredients for our dinner, which was another cooking competition between our two groups. The results almost ended in a tie, but the ultimate tie breaker was unfortunately that the other groups fire was better.

– Jaden and Clara

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Today we woke up and went on a game drive. Half of us counted the animals and birds on the reserve. The group saw lots of different species of both mammals and birds. The other half of the group went elephant monitoring. They used radio telemetry to find the elephants. They were lucky enough to see a baby elephant.

In the afternoon the groups switched. The elephant group got to spend quality time with a herd of elephants by the dam while the animal counters saw a leopard for the first time! For GLA’s final dinner at Bonamanzi they had delicious brai by the fire.

– Zach and Marta

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Dear family and friends,

Today, we woke up early to move to our final campsite in St. Lucia. We had birthday pancakes to celebrate Alex’s birthday before we left. Once we arrived in St. Lucia, we walked through the surrounding town and market, stopping in a supermarket to get snacks. For lunch, we had an amazing pasta salad. Then we went on a boat safari and saw hippos and crocodiles afterwards we had dinner pasta salad and some delicious grilled chicken then we threw a surprise party for Alex an American theme with a piñata and a cake and sang him the national anthem.

– Aiden and Ava

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

We awoke to our first full day in St Lucia brimming with excitement. Following a breakfast of toast and cereal, we departed for a crocodile sanctuary where we saw numerous crocodiles, alligators, and even a new species called tomistoma. After an initial tour, we went to work cleaning up a crocodile cage. We ripped put old plants, cut down trees with machetes, and cleaned up the pond. By then we had worked up an appetite and took a break for lunch.

We went back to continue volunteering work we cut down some more trees then we headed back for dinner. We then had a shark tank activity where winners got ice cream. Waylon’s team won of course. Then we slept.

– Luke and Waylon

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Today we woke up and went on a game drive through iSimangoliso Wetlands Park. We observed many different species of birds. We also observed zebras, a hippo, and rhinos (including a baby). We stopped at a rocky beach for around ten minutes for a rest stop and a scenic view. We then continued on with the game drive to Cape Vidal. We had a lunch of salads, chicken, meatballs, breads, and juice. We then walked to the beach where we relaxed and played for a while. We had a short game drive back and split into three groups: two for shopping and one for haircuts. After, some of us stayed back while the rest went to a restaurant to watch the Springboks v Ireland rugby match. Springboks won! We had dinner and then mentor groups.

– Scarlet and Alex

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

We started the day with a trash pick up at 8:30. We walked over a mile to the beach cleaning up the path as we moved. We filled 15 whole trash bags. Following that, we spent an hour enjoying the sunny beach day. Some slept on the hot sand as other jumped off of the dunes. In the afternoon, some of the students went on a bird walk to enjoy mother nature and ended at the beach to watch the sunset. In the evening, a hippo was spotted crossing the road and the team enjoyed watching. We finally ended the day in a chow circle talking about our favourite moments on the trip.

– Gabe and Jenny

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Dear loved ones,

We woke up to a bittersweet day, knowing it would be filled with adventure, but also that we only had 2 days left together. We drove into a local community where they had started a butterfly dome and were able to gather new plants for the dome, plant them, and even catch butterflies! Some members of the community were even kind enough to cut pieces of sugar cane off for us to munch on while we worked. After a lunch of beans and spinach, we were given a talk by elders in the community on why they started the butterfly dome and how they indicated a healthy environment. Once we departed from the community, we had free time and played an exhilarating ballon game among other fun activities. To wrap up the day we had dinner, talked with our mentor groups, and took a survey on our GLA experience. What a great day in Africa!

– Luke and Sabrina

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9 & 10

What an incredible last two days we’ve had here in South Africa! On our final full day together we started the morning with the much anticipated whale watching boat tour. After launching our boat straight from the beach, we powered through some waves and kept our eyes peeled. It was a bumpy day at sea but we did manage to spot a few whales.

In the afternoon we walked to Estuary Beach where we stopped at one last market to grab last minute souvenirs for friends and family. We enjoyed playing on the beach and watching a beautiful sunset together from atop the dunes.

For our last supper we ate at Meet and Eat, a local restaurant where we had pizza, milkshakes, steaks, and traditional South African foods. The tables were filled with so much laughter we didn’t know why we were laughing or what was so funny to begin with.

We finished our evening with our appreciation circle activities. Taking a moment to look back on how far we’ve come, how many great adventures we had, and to show each other how much of an impact everyone made during our trip. We also wrote each other speed compliments, each person had one minute to write a note for each person in the group until everyone had a full sheet of paper filled with everyone’s favorite things about them. A priceless souvenir we can cherish for years to come.

As we are going separate ways at the airport, this morning we’re sharing last stories of our favorite moments and even shedding a few tears as we say “see you later” to the people who, although 21 days ago were complete strangers, are now best friends.

The sun is setting and we have just waved goodbye to the last of our wonderful students. We will miss you dearly!

– Shelby, Mentor

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Andrea & the South Africa Team

Can you believe it’s already been six months since we were living the life in South Africa; watching rhinos graze in Bonamanzi camp, seeing endless impala and watching lions stroll along the road?! Hopefully, you look back on those two weeks we spent together with fond thoughts, cherishing the special moments we spent together. Looking back, the trip feels the way it does when you see a shooting star; A moment of time that shines so brightly, but ends so quickly. While we will never be able to recreate that moment, we can always remember those three wonderful weeks where for just a single moment, it almost felt like magic.

Remember our first night in Sunrock in Johannesburg, meeting everyone for the first time and sharing our first meal together. Remember how you felt, the excitement, the anticipation, wondering whether you’d make friends, whether you’d like the food or whether you’d made a horrible decision flying across the world to start a totally new experience. Already, strong bonds were starting to form. Think back to our last couple nights in Zingela, sitting around the fire and listening to the river – those worries long gone and replaced with a sense of belonging and new-found confidence. Many tears were shed over those last few days, a testament to the beautiful, strong relationships you nurtured.

Hopefully, you will be able to look back on those moments when you feel those same anxieties in the future and remember how quickly you overcame those tears and how much fun you had, and the memories you made once you let those worries go.

On our very last night, we sat around the fire and shared some goals we wanted to take forward with us. We hope you have been able to implement this One Meaningful Goal into your life. It’s so absolutely important to pursue those passions of yours and dare to step outside your comfort zone. You did it once, you can absolutely do it again.

Shortly after, we wrote lovely messages to everyone. Kindness is a beautiful legacy to leave behind. People will often forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

Often we don’t feel at our true best, maybe you slept badly or maybe you just really didn’t like the way your milkshake tasted today.
Sometimes, giving 100% of your effort and dedication to something just isn’t possible.
Giving 10% is still better than nothing, it’s still a step in the right direction, and every step matters. Remember, you are the captain of your own journey.

Be the change,
Andrea, Graeme, Oliver, and Shelby

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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

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

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

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Howzit to our loyal readers! All our lovely leaders have arrived in South Africa and after enjoying a “lekker” dinner together, are resting ready for our day tomorrow.

We have an exciting and packed couple of weeks ahead of us and it seems like both students and staff are equally excited.

The first few days are super busy so our staff team will be writing the blog while we get into the swing of things. Soon, we will have leaders of the day and they will take responsibility for writing this blog!

Check in every day to keep up with our adventures across South Africa and don’t forget to drop a comment to cheer on our incredible leaders.

– Oliver, Mentor

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Howzit to our loyal readers! Yesterday was a busy day. After a yummy breakfast, we shuttled to the airport and hopped on our flight from Johannesburg down to Durban. We stayed at the airport for lunch and last minute adapter buying and then boarded our bus to our very first game reserve – Bonamanzi. Some of us already spotted some giraffe on the way in!

When we arrived at homebase, we had an orientation followed by curry for dinner and ended the evening by going over the plan for the weeks ahead of us. Students then had time to settle into their rooms before lights out.

We’re super excited to see these students grow into great leaders. Check back in tomorrow for another update!

– Oliver, Mentor

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Today we woke up to some scrambled eggs, toast, and some fruits. We went back to the cabins to get ready to visit the APU to learn about how the reserve deals with poachers. We played a game where we walked and hid from the poachers and they used the dogs to come and find us.

For lunch today we had chicken salad sandwiches with lettuce which was really refreshing before our afternoon activities. For our afternoon activities, the group split into three separate groups. The first group went on a snare sweep. That included walking through the bush and thorns, we even had to turn around because the guide saw a buffalo. It was a very exciting experience and a good thing we didn’t find any snares. Another group went on an anti poaching boat patrol and the third group learnt about anti poaching and made posters to educate the community. After the group rotations we had dinner, which was shepard‘s pie. After dinner we went into mentor groups to talk about our day and relax.

Good night, don’t let the lions bite.

– Jack and Danae

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

We woke up at 7:30a.m to get ready for the day ahead and had breakfast at 8. At 9 we split into our 3 groups, the first group did an APU river patrol, the second had a discussion about the APU and poaching, and the third went off to do a snare patrol. after 3.5 hours we came back for lunch.

In the afternoon after we had lunch which was squash soup. after lunch we continued the rotation’s throughout the afternoon. Then we had an amazing dinner wich consisted of chicken and rice. After dinner we had a very engaging activity that taught us to be respectful of other communities and aware of other cultures. That was the end of the day.

– Levi and Mila

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

Today we went to the sneak pharm and helped clean the cages, held snakes, fed crocodiles, and played with guinea pigs. After we went to the community where they cooked us lunch: a local dish from South Africa.

After lunch, the women from the village who had just fed us a delicious meal, set up the arts and craft activities. After a few minutes of confusion and laughter, all the students began to get the rhythm of bracelet making. We finished up making a beautiful handmade bracelet each, we headed over to the market. After a fair share of shopping, we thanked the people of the village and departed back to bonamazi. We had a minute of down time before splitting into our mentor groups, each having a riveting conversation with our mentor and group. We had a delicious south african barbecue dinner, followed up by a game new to many, called stalk the lantern. We were all tuckered out from an awesome day and were looking forward to a hot shower and a cozy bed.

– Max and Parker

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

We woke up and ate breakfast before departing for the Snake Pharm. Next, we got to work moving the guinea pigs to a different cage and cleaning each snake cage. Once those jobs were completed, we moved the pythons to bigger and more spacious cage. After the work was completed, we enjoyed swimming and a delicious African BBQ.

After lunch we went into a traditional zulu village, and they demonstrated how they made shields, and other traditional items. We then went on a game drive and saw some elephants. Afterwards we had dinner before we drove to a local camp, to watch the lion king.

– Emily and Grant

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

We woke up and ate a delicious breakfast made by Xolani. We ate eggs and avocado toast. After breakfast we split into our mentor groups and went on a scavenger hunt for objects and had to answer questions along the way. We had to search for food supplies for dinner. Then we had lunch.

In the afternoon, we set up our mist nets courtesy of Kevin. These are used to track, monitor, and identify birds. We then set up our potjie competition, building a fire and cutting up the vegetables. After an hour and a half of really fun cooking with our teams we had a taste test. At the end of the day we all pretty much tied (but team whale shark actually won)!!!!

– Reagan and Elayna

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

First we got up at the crack of dawn and headed out to see the birds we set up nets to ring from the day prior. After we arrived we watched as the ringers started taking the birds out of the bags and processing them by taking their height weight species and other notable features after that the birds were ringed a ring is basically a durable weightless tracking device that goes around the birds talon and then released back into the wild. After that we headed back to camp and had lunch.

In the afternoon, we had our group rotations. One group monitored the reserves Elephant population, another did a game drive and counted the animals they saw (an important task for any game ranger!), and the last one worked on removing alien plant species from the reserve.

We all had a great time and made sure to go to bed early for our morning game drive.

– Eden and Charlie

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

We started the day off early around 5:30. We got in the trucks and headed to Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park. We had three different trucks everyone went their own ways. This reserve was beautiful ,we saw elephants, hippos, buffalo, and many other animals. We enjoyed lunch at the reserve with a scenic view.

On the way back from the reserve we drove by a local village where they had a little supermarket we stopped at. Everyone got a bunch of snacks and different kinds of things. We then went to the local butchery and we got some bill tong. I got the warthog meat stick it’s got a nice sweet flavor it is way better than the beef one. After that we headed back to camp were it was chill and we went to bed early.

– Liv and Isaiah

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

Today we departed camp at 5:30 am to go to the hip. after 5 minutes in, every group was able to see lions. We continued our drive throughout the reserve, seeing more lions, elephants, rhinos, and so much more.

After stopping for lunch and having some of our snacks stolen by monkeys we headed back to camp and were able to rest and recharge before dinner.

– Bode and Kai

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

On the peaceful morning of July 24th 2024, we woke up to a late 9am breakfast. After some scrumptious french toast from our chef Xolani, we started our daily rotations. Everyone had the opportunity to track elephants, count impala, and pull crembolina. At 12pm, we had lunch and showed our appreciation to the staff at Bonamanzi by each chipping in money to each of them. After a needed break where some played soccer, others rested, in our groups we began our second activity where we did the last rotation of either counting, tracking, or pulling invasive species. At around 4 pm all groups returned to home base and there was a rigorous soccer match with the staff included. We had the amazing opportunity of seeing 4 rhinos on our base. We then all got ready to go to a dinner in a different location specially for our last night at Bonamanzi. We had a delicious braai of hamburgers under some twinkling fairy lights. Then we went to bed closing our journey at Bonamanzi.

– Scott and Samira

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

In the afternoon we continued our lengthy bus journey and finally arrived to a scenic view of Zingela! After making sure all our stuff had arrived safely, we embarked on a two hour hike down to camp by the river. Though there were some steep hills and slippery slopes, we all made it to camp and quickly settled in to our tents. We came together for an incredible chicken and boerewors braai with grilled vegetables. We then settled around the fire for a final, emotional GLA activity.

– Amy and Justin

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 26

In the morning we ate breakfast and then hiked for half an hour to go to the Tugela river where we would go kayaking. It was lots of fun, especially the rapids where a few people flipped. After kayaking, we walked back to camp where we ate lunch.

After lunch, we walked to the gift shop at the kayaking place and bought snacks and souvenirs. Soon after we listened to a presentation on giraffes and their overpopulation problems. After, we went on a walk and spotted many giraffes and collected their dung so it could be fertilized for plants. Then we ate dinner and after we learned about scorpions. After that we did our last GLA activity. We each had a piece of paper that we wrote our names on and we passed it around, writing nice things about each other on it. After that we finished packing and went to bed.

– Sofia and Ben