PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Hola Session 1 Friends!

Now that some time has passed since you left the beautiful island of Dominican Republic, we hope you’ve smoothly settled back into your daily routines at home. You may even be missing the morning rooster crows, delicious chicken, beans & rice meals, and dare I say the humid hot weather! The new fans are still going strong and keeping us cool over here!

We are thinking of you and the impact you made on the community here in Las Canas. You began the bathroom building project and continued work on the house, which is now nearly finished! We’re already at the stage of painting the beautifully smoothed walls and laying the floor down. Soon, the family will be able to move in and they are so grateful for their new home which will allow them to live in dignity and health.

We hope you are carrying with you a sense of accomplishment, pride, and growth from the service you did– both in the building project and the medical health brigades. You had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Caho and Dr. Fritz, welcome & register patients, take vitals, gather medical history from Spanish and Creole speaking patients, and translate doctor handwriting into legible information for patients to receive medications at the pharmacy. You gained a first-hand look at the challenges of global health and health care here in the DR. We hope it gives you a new perspective on your own privileges, and gratitude for your personal health and access to resources.

The growth you experienced individually and as a community will always be a part of you. And we can’t forget all the fun memories too! From lounging in the hammocks, playing cards, plunging into the cool waters of Laguna Dudu, floating on the gentle waves of Playa Grande, walking down the road to get ice cream from Paula, shopping for dresses and necklaces in Puerto Plata, to snorkeling with the beautiful fish in Sosua– our trip was full of adventure, connection, and joy.

Do you remember your mentor group’s One Meaningful Goal? In Nathaly’s you committed to use the lessons you learned to continue advancing global health awareness, to stop taking privileges for granted, seek out opportunities to immerse yourself in new cultures and help others, and take initiative in your own communities while also encouraging others to become more globally aware. RJ’s mentor group pledged to help and serve the community at least once a month– by volunteering, doing chores in your homes, and giving assistance to anyone in need– no matter how big or small. Continue what you started here in the DR– reaching out to the community and learning different ways of how you can help. Through that you can be leaders in your own ways, and leaders that inspire change!

We hope you are taking these goals to heart and action! We’d love to hear how you’re doing and wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Con amor,

Beca, RJ, Nathaly and Nilsa

TIME CAPSULE VIDEO

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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 13

Bienvenidos a Republica Dominicana!

Today, we welcomed our 15 amazing young leaders to the beautiful country of Dominican Republic! Batches of students arrived at Santiago, Puerto Plata, and Santo Domingo airports at different times of the day!

They went straight to the homebase where they found their rooms, had some initial health checks and swim test, and got to know one another. We finished the day with a delicious traditional meal for dinner and some icebreaker activities.

We look forward to the orientation day tomorrow and learning more about the service projects we will be participating in. Also expecting Rida and Nejhae to join us tomorrow by noon and Yemaya who’s arriving on the 16th.

It was a challenge to take a group photo today as most students came pretty late at night because of the cancellation and rescheduled flights from Miami. We will definitely take one tomorrow morning!

Dear parents, family, and friends! Please keep supporting our leaders’ journey here in Dominican Republic by following our blogs and commenting below! We appreciate all the efforts of being so flexible and patient with all the flight changes! Muchas gracias!

RJ, GLA Mentor

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14

Today started with a fantastic breakfast, where we mapped out our day’s schedule. Afterward, we dove into GLA orientation, refreshing our brains about our code of conduct. Mentor RJ led a lively game of “I Like To Party With” to break the ice. Our lunch was a delicious spread of rice, beans, chicken, and fresh fruit.

Next, we made our way the Las Canas worksite. Dividing into teams, one group tackled recycled plastic water bottles while the others hammered and wired up the bathroom. Returning to homebase, we enjoyed some well-deserved downtime after a productive day of service. We gathered for our first official chow circle before dinner, and to top off the day, Rida and Nejhae joined us during dinner! Woohoo!

In the evening, we engaged with local Director Nilsa Espino to discuss Global Health initiatives. Wrapping up, we split into mentor groups with Nathaly and RJ for insightful discussions. Stay tuned for our adventures that await!

Nathaly, GLA Mentor

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15

Hello! Today was an amazing day for all the students here at GLA in the DR. We started the day off with a lovely breakfast, and then transitioned to working on a service project from 8 to 3. Everyone worked really hard and got an amazing portion of the bathroom completed.

Afterwards, we all got ice cream(It was delicious) and went back to the lodge. During free time, a majority of us went to the beach, and others swam in the pool or napped for a bit. Then, at Chow Circle we all stated our Flowers, Buds, and Pollinators (the best part of the day, something we look forward to, and a shout out). Then, we had a delicious dinner. After dinner, we were briefed on our service tomorrow at the medical brigade by Dr. Coho. We also had a videocall with Yemaha who’s arriving tomorrow! That was Day 3, an we are all excited for more! -Navnith

Today at 8 a.m., we went back to Las Canas to continue working on the bathroom our group was building. Some people were cutting bottles and stacking them to use as insulation, while others were hammering nails to attach the chicken wire to the foundation of the bathroom. At some point in the future, when we continue, we will put concrete after having the bottles and chicken wire done.

At 12, we took a break and had lunch (rice, pork, platanos, and some other healthy options). We then went to the beach, admired it for a while, and went back to work, trying to do as much as we could on building the bathroom. At 3 p.m., we returned to home base and had some free time after the long hours of working and sweating. After that, some people went to the beach and some went into the pool at home base.

Afterwards, we had dinner, which consisted of chicken, potatoes, fruit, and more. Finally, we had a doctor come to introduce us and have us write notes on words we will use and any other useful things. The doctor also passed around equipment we will use tomorrow. -Laz

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16

Hey! Isa here! Today we went and woke up at the crack of dawn for some yummy breakfast followed by our first medical berate! It was so much fun and we got to help out and learn new things about the community and medicine! We had a fun bus ride there and back too where the best nap ever happened! Then we learned about the power of a single story and learned to not judge and stereotype!

Hola, soy Lauren. As Isa was saying, we went to the medical Brigade today where Rain, Nejhae, and I shadowed the Doctor. Then we rotated after out burrito lunch and Nav, Anne, and Kian took our places with the doctor while I moved to Clinical History (where we talked with patients about their medical history for the Doctor’s referenced) with Bianca, Laz, and Josephine. Olivia, Rain and Isa registered the patients to go through the process; Sidney,Carly, and Isa took the patients vitals; and Andrea, Lana, Alex, and Rida helped out with passing out medication after patients saw the doctor. All in all it was a good day!

-Isa and Lauren

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

Today was an awesome day!! We got up and ate breakfast and 7am and then headed to Laguna Dudu at 8am. It was about a 1 hour and 30 minute drive and we spent a couple hours there. It was so much fun! We did lots of swimming, feeding fish and lots of other exploring! Then we headed to Playa Grande to eat lunch by the beach! The food was delicious and many of us got some fun drinks! Then we spent some time shopping around and swimming!! Around 3:30pm we headed back to the home base. We had an hour or so to relax and shower before our chow circle where we debriefed the day and our favorite parts! Then we ate dinner and had a malnutrition talk with Dr. Coho which was very interesting and informative!! We finished off the day with a mid-program pulse check and are off to get a good nights sleep!!

-Olivia and Rainhard

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18

Our day started off with breakfast at 8am, which the hot breeze of the Dominican Republic air and we all woke up super refreshed after having a late morning start. We drove 45 minutes to La Vereda where we went and saw a chocolate factory owned by women. The women’s chocolate collective was a beautiful experience to see as we saw the machines that are used to make chocolate, wine and oils and butter for our bodies. The experience was amazing and we all had a blast tasting chocolate and buying things from the shop! we then went back onto the biscuits and got back to the home base at 12pm where we had some lunch!

After a good lunch of rice and beans with chicken and plantains, we departed to a short 15 minute drive to Canadulce. In Canadulce, we made bee boxes with the help of Johnny, a beekeeper. We sawed wood and then nailed it together to create a sturdy, four sided box. The box was then coated in two layers of yellow paint. We worked in teams, each alternating jobs so we could try each thing.

After we finished making 12 boxes, Johnny took us through the woods to his area where he has all of his bee boxes. We had to walk across a rope bridge to get to it which was a bit scary but we made it! We got to try fresh honeycomb and Johnny climbed a palm tree and got us all coconuts to drink and eat! We then drove back to home base and had around an hour and a half of free time where some students went in the pool or showered or just relaxed in a hammock. We had a delicious dinner in a thunderstorm which made it even better. The fries were especially a big hit within everyone.

We then completed a “Where are you from?” activity where we brainstormed things that made up where we were from. We answered some prompting questions and then created our own poems that described where we were from. Overall, it was a beautiful and successful day!

-Rida and Sydney

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

This morning we woke up early for our 2.5 hour drive to La Grua for our second medical brigade. We greeted, registered, and treated 50+ patients suffering from illnesses such as diabetes, the flu and gastritis. After lunch we drove to a Haitian village where we learned about the history and living conditions of the community there. On the drive back we stopped at a Dominican store called Jumbo and stocked up on our favorite snacks (the frozen yogurt was a highlight). After a delicious dinner we played a game of would you rather and jeopardy. We look forward to another amazing day tomorrow!

Lana and Annie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Today we took a leap of faith and splashed into the many waterfalls of Damajaguä Waterfalls! Hiking across the humid terrain, seeing the surrounding wildlife and beautiful nature, and of course jumping and sliding down multiple waterfalls was exhilarating! What a great way to start the day.

The afternoon was a relaxing one, a yummy lunch followed by free time and a fruitful mentor group meeting!

Maya Bruce and Alex Kim

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21

Hola from Andrea and Annie! Today we got up for a delicious 7am breakfast and then promptly left for the Las Canas worksite! At the beginning we worked as a group to finish cutting bottles, stacking them in the bathroom, and adding chicken wire! We then took a refreshing lunch break and went to chill on the beach (we got super sandy!) Then we started our afternoon with cementing on the bathroom and made great progress…and we hope to finish it tomorrow!

We walked back to home base, stopping for some cool ice cream on the way. Then, we had some free time until dinner which was a delicious curry! We ended our night with a bachata lesson and some fun karaoke where we uncovered people’s hidden talents, ambitions, and confidence! Buenos noches 🙂

Andrea and Annie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Today we started the day off with a rich breakfast with eggs potatoes and much more delicious foods. After breakfast we walked to the worksite for the last time and started mixing cement to use for the day. We finished a number of tasks like finishing cementing the exterior of the bathroom. We started and finished cementing the interior of the bathroom. We also worked on filling some of the gaps inside the house with cement and smoothing the walls. It started raining which felt nice since it was hot. At lunch we had stir fry and sat with the dogs and chickens. After lunch the majority of us went to the beach to relax, take a nap, and enjoy the scenery, I know I did. We headed back to the worksite and pushed to get the house finished. While that didn’t happen we still made a lot of progress. We walked back to hombase and some of us stopped to get ice cream. – Bianca

At free time, lots of the kids slept and went to the beach and pool, I was asleep during most of it. Then, at chow circle, we shared our highlights and shout-outs of the day, some people said finishing the bathroom or filling in the gaps, others was just helping or being helped by others at the work site. Around dinner, we had quesadillas along with potato salad and fruit on the side.

We participated in a GLA Anchor Activity/ Debate. It was really fun and interesting especially with everyone’s role in this activity. After the debate, everyone was now in their rooms with their phones until it was time to go to sleep.- Nejhae

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23

Hola amigos!

It’s Carly and Kian!

Today was very exciting and eventful day! First we started off with a delicious breakfast and then got ready to head to the city of Puerto Plata.

When we arrived at Puerto Plata, we went to the “Fortaleza de San Felipe” and learned about the history of the Haitian revolution and the Spanish colonization. After that, we visited the amber museum where we learned the creation of amber and its use in the Dominican Republic. We got the opportunity to explore the amber crystal and souvenirs. Later, we shopped around a vibrant colorful street with hanging rainbow umbrellas. After doing some fun shopping in the city we had lunch at a delicious buffet restaurant. Then we departed to Sosúa beach! Where we had some fun beach time in the beautiful clear blue water and got some tasty food and drink.

After a relaxing time at the beach we drove back to home base where we had free time and a delicious dinner. After dinner we had a lecture about human security, which was engaging and educational. Today was a super fun and active day and can’t wait for tomorrow!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Margarida & the Dominican Republic Team

¡Hola Chicos y Chicas!

Qué lo que? We hope you’re feeling to’ frio. It’s George, Maggie, and Erin, your GLA team from the Dominican Republic! We cannot believe it’s been so long since we were all together. We know that wherever you are now, high school, college, or working, that you’re crushing any new challenge that comes your way. In only 14 days, you made memories to last a lifetime. We don’t want you to forget any of your experiences and lessons from your time in the Dominican Republic, so we decided it was time to run it back and reflect on all of our adventures from this summer!

Remember the first night in Santo Domingo? Your nervous energy quickly grew into excitement as you walked about the Colonial Zone and got to know each other
better. The next day, the long and scenic bus ride to Las Galeras grew and solidified your lasting friendships as we started our new journey altogether. Your hard work began as you cleaned up beaches, restored mangroves and coral, and contributed to sustainable living. The local communities and ecosystems are grateful to you for your service and effort! And we are grateful to you for taking on this challenge with such grace and energy. From Orquidea to CEBSE, from Jenny to the local children, everyone noted the commitment and dedication you put into these projects, all while keeping by a smile on your faces.

One of the major contributors to the success of these conservation projects is spreading the word. Educating yourself and others about CMS (corals, mangroves and seagrass!) will continue to grow awareness around the importance of taking care of our marine life. Have you shared what you learned with your friends and family? And most of all, do you feel better equipped to face the challenges in your everyday life and be the change in your own community? We certainly hope so and we would love to hear about it!

We can’t forget about all of the fun that we had together too! There were always plenty of laughs everyday. We hope you continue to bring your outgoing nature and sense of adventure everywhere you go! During our 14 days together we created countless memories, but here is our top 8:

* The sunset walk to la Playita was so spontaneous and beautiful

* The volleyball game at Don Rey

* Getting dirty in the mud while helping Orquidea build their house

* Everytime Coco showed up, no matter where we were!

* The fun boat ride across the Samana Bay

* And the even more fun boat ride coming back from the 7 Playas Tour!

* When we connected with the local kids at the school and everyone came back home with a new hairstyle. Thank you to our braiders!

*Our cozy campfire at Don Rey

Remember the One Meaningful Goal that you all came up with? The goal was to be more openminded to new experiences by stopping judgement, talking to new people, and continuing to explore the world. You pledged to use a snapchat group to send candid pictures every two weeks. Hopefully you are working together to stay on track to achieve it!

We admire you for embracing this challenge and making a positive impact, all whilst also making lifelong friendships along the way! Every single one of you left their own mark on the projects you contributed to. Keep on embracing new experiences and making a change in your own community. The future holds great things for each and every one of you, and we trust you will continue to be the change!

Your GLA Dominican Republic Team wishes you all the best. Adios chicas y chicos!
George, Maggie and Erin

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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 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

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

¡Hola families and friends!

Today our students arrived in Santo Domingo, and we are very excited to start this amazing adventure with them!

Elena was the first to arrive yesterday, and this morning Felix landed as well. They enjoyed a good rest and later went out with our staff for a delicious lunch and a walk around the area.
In the meantime eleven of our students landed in Santo Domingo, Valentina, Tatum, Marisa, Alyson, Cooper, Cole, Rachel, Nani, Julian, Rachel and Diego.
We all had dinner together at our hotel, where we got the chance to start getting to know each other. Afterwards, we went for a walk to explore the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo. Later Grace and Annalise joined us, and finally the group was complete.

This program is going to include a lot of fun activities and a unique immersion in Dominican Republic culture, so keep on following the blog to learn all about our Leaders’ adventures!

Your Dominican Republic GLA Team,
George, Maggie and Erin

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Dear GLA families,

Day two was a success! We woke up this morning and had breakfast at our hotel in Santo Domingo before making our way to the home base. We drove four hours across the island to our new home in Las Galeras. Once we arrived, we had a traditional Dominican lunch and then got right into orientation. After learning all about our program, we moved into our rooms and then had some free time before dinner. After we ate, we all hung out in the yard, playing soccer and getting to know each other better. Everyone is in high spirits and excited to see what’s to come!

Best,
Erin, Maggie, and George

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Hello GLA families!

We started off the day at 7, ate at 7:30, then went on a 40 min bus ride to a Ballena (whale) museum in CEBSE. We then did a orientiation learning about Humpback whales, coral reefs, and mangrove forests. They then let us make cement cookies for coral, then we took a break to stop and eat lunch a a nice local restaurant then proceded to take a educated walk along a Napolean bridge. After that we took a quiz on identifying whale tails, and a winner was picked who was rewarded a shirt. We then stopped to get fresh coconuts at a local vendor spot after a hot and exhausting walk to get more refreshed.

We said our goodbyes to CEBSE and took another 40 min drive to the place we all waited for all day, The Beach! When we got there we all swam in the warm carribean waters, some played soccer, some made sand thrones, and others soaked up the warm sun. After our long day we walked back to our homebase and had our regular shout out circle but with a twist and had it in the warm fresh water pool located in our homebase. When we were done having pool time we then enjoyed a delicious dinner with some new flavors and mixes. Our local director then taught us some interesting Dominican Republic facts as we watched the sunset behind us. After our very eventful day full of warm sun and waters we ended our day with a little hangout on a cute little patio our homebase provides as a group bonding.

Goodbye families,
Nani and Cole

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

Hey GLA fam!

Today we woke up bright and early at 6:30 and for breakfast we had fresh fruit, toast, and eggs. Then at 7:30 we headed to CEBSE to pick up our guide and headed to the national park in Las Terrenas where we split into 3 groups where we then rotated, pulled weeds, planted new plants, and filled pots with soil all while staying very hydrated. After that we went to lunch in an old victorian house and had chicken, beans, rice, salad, yuka, plantain and for dessert we had jello (grapes the best).

We then headed to the next national park called Bajo Yuna where we walked a wooden trail and got to see all the mangroves in all their glory. On our way back to our home base we dropped off our guides and made a quick pit stop in the supermarket for snacks. Once we returned to home base we played marco polo in the pool. After pool fun we had dinner and we ate the best chicken burritos, then after dinner we split into our mentor groups and wrote smart goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely goals) in our journals then we played a quick couple rounds of the newly weds game where we got to know each other better. Then it was time for bed after a day full of service and fun!

~Presley & Cooper

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

Dear families,

Today we had a really hard working day filled with lots of service and perseverance. We started off the day with a delicious pancake breakfast at 8:00 and left at 8:30 for our service. When we arrived at the site, Maggie had the idea to do a random act of kindness game where you show a person an act of kindness secretly. Then we took a short tour through the garden, which consisted of many different types of trees that bare fruit. Then we headed over to the house on the property and listened to a presentation about permaculture and sustainability presented by our host, Orquidea.

We then had lunch at 11:30 and had a lot of freetime to interact with each other in the house. After that we started the service and learned about how the buildings on the property are constructed and continued to help build. The walls are made of three components; mud, sand, and straw and we mixed together all of those materials. Then we split up into groups and had different people working in different stations. While some groups cut straw with a machete, other groups sifted sand and dirt. In the end, everyone had the opportunity to apply the mixture to the walls of the buildings. It was very dirty work but everyone kept a very positive attitude throughout the whole day.

When we finished working, we helped Orquidea clean up and decided as a group to cool off at the beach. We took the bus over there, had a refreshing swim, got drinks (lots of piña coldadas were ordered), and walked back to our homebase. Everyone took showers when we arrived, and we revealed who everyone had for their secret friend. For dinner we had pork chops, vegetables, and sweet potato for dinner, and after that we started our evening activity called social sync. Now we’re getting ready for bed to get rested for a very exciting day tomorrow!

~Felix and Valentina

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

Hi families,

Our day started at 8:00 am. We ate mangos, pineapple, cheerios and cheesy bread. After we packed our bags and left for El Valle; it was a 45 minute car ride. We got harnessed up and walked up a steep slick hill. We did 12 thrilling zipline rides across El Valle. Some people went with friends and many went alone. Our favorite duo was Nani and Elena. Then ended our ziplining journey with delicious virgin piña colada.

Which was followed by a relaxing afternoon at the beach Playa Rincón. During our time at the beach we stumbled across a local Market where we bought jewelry and clothing. Some of us bought coco hats (hats made out of coco leaves).

We then had dinner which was spaghetti and plantains, ending our day in a debate about tourism and building a hotel, many said yes. It is now bedtime and we are all very exhausted from our long day.

From Rachel and Julian

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

Greetings Families,

Our day started bright and early at 8 am. We had a beautiful breakfast consisting of eggs, toast, papaya, and cantaloupe. However, whilst eating breakfast there was a sudden change in the weather and heavy clouds brought heavy rain which caused a shift in our plans for the day. Whilst originally one group were set to go snorkeling and another had a glass fusion session in a local neighbors home, the snorkel group had a change of plans and instead we learnt about mangrove restoration and watched an inspiring documentary about Marine wildlife protection.

After a delicious home cooked meal, both groups switched their activities round and during these afternoon sessions the weather miraculously dissipated and we thankfully got a chance to go to the beach and follow through with the original snorkel plan. When we got to the beach we were introduced to a local snorkel guide who was friendly and inviting, he sorted out all of our equipment and we were then ready for what was heavily anticipated – the ocean. Although the water was a bit cloudy and visuals didn’t exceed expectations, we had a very good time and we saw some interesting wildlife such as sea urchins and sea grass.
After that we returned to home base where we indulged in another amazing meal. Hamburgers were exactly what everyone needed and satisfied us all immensely. Because the activities ran quite late due to the weather, we didn’t get a chance to participate in our evening activities. But as we were all quite shattered and ready for bed, none of us minded and we didn’t feel like a part of the day had been cut out. Now we’re ready for bed and ready for the next day.

~Elena and Diego

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

Dear families,

Today was the first day of our second week of camp! Looking over the past, we helped the ecosystems around us, met incredible, hardworking people, and had times of fun!

We started our new week with a breakfast of mixed fruit, bread, and oatmeal. We then listened to an intriguing presentation about CMS, which stands for corals, mangroves, and seagrass. We learned about how the three are interconnected and how this connection shelters, feeds, and fosters all kinds of animals, whether are from sea, air of land.

We then walked down to our local beach, La Playita to work with experts on coral restoration. To do this, we suited up and snorkeled through the coral reef, collecting broken off pieces of coral that would have been doomed to die. After spending nearly an hour in the water, we came back to shore to complete the second part of the restoration: creating a surface for the corals to anchor to with a cement/beach sand mix so that they could continue to grow once placed back in the water.

We then made our way back to homebase for a late lunch, some fun the pool, and to give everyone a chance to take a short break. Once everyone was ready, we headed to Samaná to visit a museum on the history of the towns residents. Our awesome tour guides family came to Samaná in the 18th century! Before leaving Samaná we made a quick pit stop for a snack run at the local grocery store.

After a long day, we had a delicious dinner. Our counselors surprised with a trip back to La Playita for sunset watching and taking lots of fun pictures. Overall, the day was wonderful and we hope to continue our streak in having fun.

Gracie & Tatum

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

Today we woke up in anticipation as to where the day would take us due to the constant changing of tropical weather. Luckily for the most part of the day we had sunny skies for our hike through the seven beaches that each held turquoise warm water and White sand beaches. On the way to the first beach we passed through an ancient cave system and learned about the history and culture behind it. After that we continued on through the beaches until the third where ate a delicious lunch of chicken and rice, Again! with refreshing lemonade as well.

After our lunch we went on with our journey by boat to see the rest of the 4 beaches. We got to the 7th beach and got to dive into a clear, much cooler freshwater lake on the beach. On the ride back on the boats we experienced a switch in weather to a bit of rain and choppy water that almost sent some people flying off… Just kidding. After our safe return to La Playita we had downtime to recover from the sun and shower. We then enjoyed pasta which everyone was super excited about. To finish off the night we had a group activity where we looked deeper into our values and learned more about each other.

Adios familias!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

Written by: Felix and Annalise

Today we woke up and ate breakfast at 8:00. After eating we walked a long way to a local school. First we met the kids, did introductions, then got paired with a student. We did an icebreaker where we had to put our partners in funny poses. After the icebreaker we read a book with the students about the ecosystems and marine life of manatees. We then got with our partners and painted a canvas and what we thought an ocean ecosystem would look like. We ate lunch while we waited for our masterpieces to dry. Then everyone got their hair braided by the students and we all connected over hair while others were playing ball.

After some bonding we got into groups and each made a play about saving marine ecosystems. After performing our plays we had a dance circle and got down.

Then it was time for the kids to go home, and we had a special guest come: Lenny King, a brave fisherman integrated in balance for the people and ecosystem, he talked about his fishing journey and hardships. We then went back to the base, chilled, then ate dinner. We prepared to pack for a boat ride tomorrow across Samana to a new hotel.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

Written by: Presley & Diego

Hey GLA families:)

Today we woke up and had breakfast at 8:45. After packing up all our stuff we hopped on a bus that took us to Samana where we then got on a boat. It was around a 40 minute boat ride until we arrived at our destination, then about a 10 minute bus ride to Rancho Don Rey.

Right as we arrived there was a nice lunch prepared for us before we spent a couple hours having pool fun. We played volleyball in the water and we did some chicken fights. After that we got ready for dinner and headed down for pizza and salad. Then we took some pictures of the sunset before going to see the horses (they were so cute!). We then had quick mentor group sessions before having some free time to relax.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

Hi families,

We are nearing the end of our trip, day 12! We started our morning bright and early at 8 am with a delicious breakfast. Soon after we set off and got the awesome opportunity to visit Los Haitises Park with Jose, as a fantastic guide.

We got to explore the park by boat, getting to see two caves with an abundance of pictographs, where we were taught about the old Dominican culture and the Tahino (native peoples) way of life. After getting the opportunity to explore the park, we went to an island and collectively filled 14 trash bags of built up plastic waste. This island is a location that collects the majority of the sea trash from the Samana peninsula.

We returned to the Ranch for lunch, after spending the morning at the park, having the rest of the day to hangout at the pool and horse stalls. Later that evening, before dinner we set a group goal and expectations based off takeaways from the trip. After the activity, we had a great group dinner! Our final GLA activity was bonfire bonding where we could all express our appreciation for one another. Before heading to bed, we did some final group bonding and toasted up some marshmallows.

That’s all for today!
– Tatum and Cole

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 26

Hi GLA families,

We just wrapped up day 13! Today, we woke up and spent the morning at the beautiful Rancho Don Rey. Then we boarded our bus to Santo Domingo. We stopped along the way to get pizza for lunch. Once we arrived to our hotel, some students did some last minute souvenir shopping around the Colonial Zone. Then, everyone enjoyed a farewell dinner and spent our last night together hanging out in the hotel lobby. We cannot believe this session is coming to an end so soon!

Best
Erin, Maggie, and George

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 27

Hello families and friends,

Today we sadly said goodbye to our students. Departures started bright and early at 2.30am with Marisa, Presley and Diego.

Later in the morning, Gracie, Annalise, Felix, Alyson, Valentina and Nani had their flights. The remaining students didn’t have to leave as early, so they got breakfast at the hotel, one last chance to eat the delicious Dominican food.
Afterwards, we said goodbye to Tatum, Juju, Rachel, Cole and Cooper.

Elena enjoyed her last lunch in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, followed by a walk around this area. She left later in the afternoon, and that was the end of this amazing program!

We wish our students safe travels and all of the best in their future endeavours!

~ George, Maggie and Erin

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

¡Hola Chicos y Chicas!

Greetings from your Dominican Republic Team – George, Maggie and Erin! Time seems to have flown by, it feels like our program was just yesterday. It’s unbelievable how we packed so many amazing adventures in our 14 days together. Now we hope you are all smashing your new challenges in high school and college, embracing new adventures and being the change in your communities. However, we don’t want you to forget your experiences, lessons and reflections about our program in the Dominican Republic, so we decided it was time to bring back all the memories from our adventures this summer.

Remember the first few days in Las Galeras and Samaná? Your nervous but happy energy, the excitement to finally start this new adventure. The good work that you put in during beach clean ups, mangrove restoration and marine life data collection brought so many good outcomes to the local community and the wonderful ecosystems that we aimed to preserve. Most of all, we admire you for taking on this challenge with such grace and energy. From Orquidea to CEBSE, from Jenny to the local children, everyone is very grateful that you joined these projects, always showing tremendous dedication and a kind smile on your faces.

One of the major contributors to the success of these conservation projects is spreading the word. Educating yourself and others about CMS (corals, mangroves and seagrass!) will continue to spread awareness around the importance of taking care of our environment. Have you shared what you learned with your friends and family? And most of all, do you feel better equipped to face the challenges in your everyday life and be the change in your own community? We certainly hope so and we would love to hear about it!

We can’t forget about all of the fun that we had together too! There were always plenty of laughs everyday. You were an amazing group and we were impressed by your enthusiasm. We hope you continue to bring your positive attitude and sense of adventure everywhere you go! During our 14 days together we created countless memories, but here is our top 10:

Walking to the ocean when it started down pouring rain

Painting the ocean floor and dancing with the local students

Playing on the trampoline at Rancho Del Ray

Hiking and boating across the 7 Playas

Singing “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield on the bus and boat rides

Going everywhere with our best friend Caramel/Coco

Soaring through the air on the zip line course

Celebrating the 4th of July together

Mixing together dirt, sand, straw, and water to build the perfect permaculture outhouse

Finding a baby octopus in a conch shell while snorkeling

Remember the One Meaningful Goal that you all came up with? The goal was to be more mindful about our natural resources, by turning off lights, having shorter showers, have at least two meaningful conversations about this topic when you go back home, and reduce, reuse and recycle. You pledged to use the snapchat group to check on each other on the 1st of every month. Hopefully you are on track to achieve it!

We admire you for embracing this challenge with an open mind, taking this adventure with a positive mindset, all whilst also making lifelong friendships along the way! Every single one of you made an impact and left their own mark in the projects you contributed to.

The future holds great things for each and every one of you, and we trust you will find the path to be the change!

Your GLA Dominican Republic Team wishes you all the best. Adios chicas y chicos!

George, Maggie and Erin

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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 JUNE 28

Hola hola GLA families and friends,

Today our students finally arrive in the Dominican Republic, and we couldn’t be more excited to meet them. Bienvenidos chic@s!

The first one to arrive was Alison. Later we welcomed Davin, Jackson, Mary, May, Lucy, Audrey, Nate, Ffion, and Ralyn. Students had the chance to go for a short walk around the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, where they had dinner.

Lastly Aileen, Charlotte, Daniel and Kyle arrived. We called it an early night to allow everyone to charge their batteries, as tomorrow we leave Santo Domingo to our beautiful homebase in Las Galeras. We are looking forward to showing them the area we are going to call home for the next days.

In this program students will experience the culture of the Dominican Republic and connect with the local communities in a very unique way, so keep on following this blog to learn about our leaders’ amazing adventures!

Your GLA Team,
George, Maggie and Erin

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

Hello parents, friends, and family!

This is Lucy West and Audrey reporting live from the Dominican Republic! Today we woke up to a beautiful morning in Santo Domingo and headed down to an awesome hotel breakfast.

After that, we hopped on a bus and took a very short four hour trip down to Samaná, our homebase. It is gorgeous here and the water is crystal clear. Lunch and dinner were delicious and our chefs were wonderful. Besides eating, we just caught up on orientation, which I am sure you guys want to hear all about, but we will spare you the details.

Tomorrow we embark on our services activities. We are well cared for by our leaders, and the group is getting to know each other and create our new lifelong friendships.

See you soon!

xoxo LWDC and ALB

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30

Hola Parents!

Today was a busy day packed with service and fun. We started our day at 7:30 with a delicious breakfast of porridge and fruit. Afterwards, we headed over to the CEBSE Museo de Ballenas, which is Spanish for Whale Museum. There we practiced whale identification and learnt about the importance of mangroves and the dangers of coral bleaching. For lunch, we went to a lovely restaurant in Samana.

Following that, we participated in a beach cleanup. We then took a quick trip to home base before setting off for the beach. During our walk to the beach, we were caught in an unexpected and intense downpour. It quickly cleared up to allow us to enjoy beautiful weather at the stunning beach.
After our beach trip, we made our way back to home base to enjoy a delicious dinner. We then had an insightful talk about Dominican culture and history, before sharing our hopes and expectations for the trip. At the end of the day we reflected in our mentor groups, before heading back to our rooms.

Adios Amigos,
Jackson and Ffion

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Hello families,

Today we visited the mangrove forests and helped around. We weeded around the garden area and collected seeds from the mangroves. These seeds will be used in many different locations in order for mangrove restoration. We ate a wonderful lunch and then made our way back to the forest. We planted red mangroves in the forest and afterward went for a walk through the forest. We learned a lot about mangroves and their importance, as well as helping grow the forest.

Everyone enjoyed planting the mangroves but it was very tiring. Nonetheless, we planted many mangroves and had good times. We then visited a convenience store where we bought a lot of snacks. On the bus we created many games and everyone was participating. Once we returned to the Homebase, we continued these games in the pool. Our dinner were the long awaited tacos and everybody enjoyed them. Later in the evening we participated in an activity called a social sync, where we reflected on social media and set plans to limit screen time. Overall we had a very productive and fun day.

See you soon!
Danny and Kyle

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Hola familias, chicas, y chicos,

After starting our day off with one of the best breakfasts so far, empanadas and fresh fruit, we set out on our splendid journey to very kind Orquidea’s beautiful farm. In the morning here we started with a walk around the farm and found fresh and newly sprouting foods such as cacao, pineapples, star fruit, oregano, passion fruit, vanilla bean and more! After she showed us around the farm and we even met some cows, Orquidea taught us a ton about permaculture and the good it can bring to the world and our connection with the earth, but also how we harm the environment with our consuming lifestyles.

Following a delicious lunch and momentary rainfall, we immersed ourselves in permaculture by helping Orquidea build a sustainable washroom. We helped to build sturdy walls using clay we made by sifting soil and sand, learning to cut hay with machetes, mixing it together and plastering it to the walls. We got a little messy but had an amazing immersive experience. After some much needed naps we enjoyed a pasta and salad dinner then finished off the night with the newlywed game with our mentor groups. It got heated but it was a good friendly competition that we will use to strengthen our upcoming debate.

Don´t miss us too much,
Alison and Charlotte 😉 😘🥵

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Hola familia y amig@s,

We started off the day with a delicious breakfast of pancakes and fruit😋. We then split up into two groups😭 based on our birthdays🥳. The first group headed off to glass fusion classes to learn how, and to create unique glass projects. The other group stayed at home base to dive deeper into the tricks behind photography. This included a scavenger hunt and demonstrations led by our local director George🤗. After this we all came together to buy souvenirs from the glass shop to take home💸. Don’t be surprised if you receive a pair of earrings or charms. Anyways, we then all headed back to enjoy a scrumptious lunch consisting of chicken nugget, salad, avocado, and rice. Lets just say many went up for thirds.

After we munched, we headed over to the food market in town😃. We bought lots of yummy snacks to share before heading home to get ready for the beach. Once we arrived at the beach we cooled off in the refreshing ocean🏊. After swimming many enjoyed a game of volleyball or a nap. Around five thirty we headed home with hungry bellies for one of our favorite dinners. TACOS🌮!!! Another meal that prompted many more trips to the food counter. After dinner we had a conference, debating the issue surrounding the effects of building resorts in small Dominican Republic towns. Our hearts are happy, and our bellies as full as ever, we can’t wait for the fourth of July!

With love, the champion snackers,

May and Mary

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Hi Everyone!!

Today we had a BLAST. We started the day out with a delicious ham and cheese sandwich with fresh fruit on the side. Afterwards we boarded the bus and headed over to… zip lining! We spent the morning going on all 12 courses which were absolutely beautiful. After we were finished we went to a restaurant on the beach where we had chicken with rice and plantains.

For the afternoon we got changed into our swim suits and had an educational session with Orquidea where we were excited to learn about the amazing work mangroves, sea grass and coral do for our ecosystem. After that we packed up and headed to the beach where we spent our time picking up trash and snorkeling to see the different sea life there. Once we got back we showered and then ate a patriotic meal of burgers and fries for the fourth of July, afterwards we were surprised with cake as well. Overall we had a great day but we are sad to see that we are already at the half way mark!

– Nate and Davin

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Hello families,

Surprise! We’re back and quite literally better than ever. It’s LucyWest and Audrey reporting to you from Las Galeras. Today was filled with exhilarating activities! We started with a nutritious meal of eggs, bread, and fruit which prepared us for a four hour lecture about our three main conservation efforts! Guys this is crazy, did you know we actually should be spending way more time and effort protecting mangroves, coral, and seagrass? Me neither, but thanks to today’s mini lesson I sure do now!

Then we had a delicious new lunch – let’s just say we continue to be grateful for every meal cooked for us. In the afternoon we were blessed with a surprise Dominican Republic rainstorm so we had to shift a few things around…. but we got the experience of making homemade buoys! It was very educational and teaches us the art of appreciating random things we never knew how to make. Dinner was (insert drum roll here) pizza! We finished up the night with mentor groups, which just continues to solidify the life changing relationships we are making here. Missing y’all- but not too much 🤗

Xoxo, for the second time,
ALB and LWDC

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Hello families,

Today was a very fun and relaxed day and I’m almost sure everyone had fun. In the morning we had fruit and pancakes for breakfast and I think everyone was excited to eat a familiar food. After that we went on a 7 beach walk, part of the walk we went into a cave with beautiful and long liana vines. One of the beaches had rocks covered in snails and some of us found lots of beautiful shells. On one of the beaches we stopped and swam for about an hour which cooled everyone down.

Then we ate lunch which was a lot of different food and everyone got at least one thing they enjoyed. After that, we rode a boat to several diferent beaches. Some people jumped off the boats and enjoyed swimming with life jackets on. We also made a stop at a river close to a beach that had very clear cold water and we saw some mangroves there. Then, we rode the boat back to our normal beach and after swimming and chilling for around half an hour we rode the bus back to homebase. When we got back we had free time before having some delicious tacos for dinner. Before the evening activity many of us enjoyed a fun game of try not to laugh.

Then we had our evening activity where we talked about leaders in our lives and what makes us leaders ourselves. Finally, everyone played another game where I believe everyone had lots of fun and then went to their rooms to rest before another great day tomorrow.

Miss you guys,

Aileen and Ralyn

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Hola familias,

Today we woke up to a lovely breakfast of quesadillas and fruit. Then we set off for the local school where we read stories, painted with the kids, and created small plays about ocean superheroes. We got to experience their brand new library while we bonded with them. We had a delicious lunch with them and played some fun games, including hide and seek. We were each paired with a child and were able to connect with them, despite the small language barrier. We improved our Spanish while they improved their English.

After our school visit, we headed back to home base, grabbing snacks along the way, to enjoy some free time. Later we had a pasta dinner and began our evening activity of “Trash Your Values” where we discussed our values and discovered which are most important to each of us. Our evening ended in a flurry of packing and saying goodbye to home base, in preparation for our journey across the bay to Sabana de la Mar.

Los hecho de menos,

Jackson and Charlotte

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Hi y’all!!

Today was a really sad day for us all as we left our home in Las Galeras. As a leaving gift we all had delicious banana bread made from the very special Raquel. After breakfast we boarded our bus to head down to Samaná port. From there we got ourselves all onto a boat where we enjoyed a music filled ride with beautiful views. When we arrived in Sabana del la Mar we went to our new hotel where we will be spending the next two days.

At the hotel some of us took naps while others played in the pool. Later in the night we had mentor groups and dinner and all enjoyed more free time. Today was a bittersweet day since although we had lots of fun it put it into perspective that our trip is coming to an end.

Adios!! Hasta Luego (see you soon)!!!!
– Ffion and Davin

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Hola familias,

Today was exciting. We had a great breakfast which fuled us for our morning service at Parque Nacional Los Haitises. When we arrived at the park we boarded a boat which took us through a mangrove forest. Our tour guide, Nacho, led us through various caves with aincent drawings on the cave walls. After the caves we saw an island with a bunch of different birds on it. The last stop was a small island where we picked up five bags of trash.

We then returned to Don Rey Ranch and had a much needed lunch. The afternoon was very chill, some of us were in the pool and some took naps after our long week. We then had a nice dinner followed by a closing bonfire with a fun game of taps of appreciation before we had s’mores. Because the fire was so hot some of us jumped in the pool to cool off. It was a fun day.

Adios Amigos,
See you soon!

Danny and Alison

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Hello and goodbye! This is LucyWest and May writing to you from the floor of our very last hotel.

Today we had a delicious breakfast at Rancho Don Rey – that consisted of nutella pancakes, fresh fruit, and bacon – and then departed for our final destination as a group. After a short(ish) ride of 2 hours we got to our final quality hotel and quickly got ready. Then we headed to The Colonial Zone in Santo Domingo for a scrumptious meal of pizza! We spent the remaining afternoon shopping around the town and enjoying the sights of the capital city!

We then went to our final hurrah dinner at a cute restaurant farther up town. We each got to select our Dominican delicacy for the night and enjoyed laughing around the table for the last time. We even got flan and chocolate cake for dessert! To top off the night we got to watch two incredible waiter turned dancers show us the arts of the Dominican culture. Some of us joined in for some spinning, cha-cha lines, and limbo!

Everyone boarded the bus and headed back to our hotel for the final sleep. One more shut eye until we all return home to you guys. Very few words to express how sad we all are to begin our goodbyes, but for now it’s just see you later!

Thanks for everything Dominican Republic!

Signing off 😉,
LWDC and MCRS

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

To our GLA family,

Today is a sad, sad day because today we had to say goodbye to our students! LucyWest and Charlotte arose at 2 AM to say goodbye and head to the airport. Then we said goodbye to Alison at 7 AM. The remaining students enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and then traveled to the airport together. There, we said a tearful goodbye to Davin, Kyle, Danny, Nate, Jackson, Audrey, May, and Mary. Maggie and Erin hung out at the airport with Aileen and Ffion until it was time for them to board their flights. After another round of goodbyes, George brought Ray to the airport for her journey home.

We are so sad to say goodbye to our students! We had the best time learning, living, and growing together. The Dominican Republic will not be the same without all of you! This is not goodbye, just a “see you later”.

We miss you already!

Erin, Maggie, and George

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Justin here!

It’s now been a while since our adventures together in Costa Rica, and I just wanted to check in with you and let you know how your work impacted the local community here.

At Juan Rafael Chacon, they have finished painting the buildings we started and they look beautiful! A special shoutout to the rock picking crew, as they are now using that field to play in, and those rocks have gone to community members for construction projects. Your work has not gone unnoticed and Don Edward and all of the students we got to work with are grateful for all of the hard work we put in this summer.

I really am proud of you all. Your efforts to integrate yourselves in the community in Costa Rica with our cultural events and they ways that you pushed your boundaries during the activities were exceptional.

All of your unique personalities had an impact and created special moments for our group as a whole. Although we can think of endless such moments, here are some of our favorites:

• Empanada making
• Endless hugs at the school
• Signing for your fans
• Paint everywhere
• Pineapple popsicles
• Trivia nights
• Baldi Hot Springs
• Baby cows
• Fishing for lunch
• The sweaty dance class
• Water slides
• Our extremely heartwarming appreciation circle, and the feelings that come with recognizing others and being recognized ourselves

We hope you know that you each made a lasting impression on all of us. You showed heart in your friendships with one another, embraced the challenges of the program with humor and poise, and showed your commitment to service and leadership. We’re excited for what is in store for each of you. We wish you a bright future filled with joy and delight.

All the best,
Justin, Marbella, Benjamin, Toasty, Baby Shadow, Shadow, Chance, and Courage

P.S. Mama had her puppies and is doing well! She still comes around to use the scratching stick.

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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 JUNE 27

Good Evening to our GLA Family and Friends!

I’m Justin Nichols, the International Director for Global Leadership Adventure’s Initiative for Children Program. We are very excited to get started on our program, serve our community, and grow and develop as leaders.

Each of the students has made it safely to home base at Finca los Corales in San Carlos, and should have access to the internet fairly frequently throughout the summer, keeping in mind our cell phone policy and our rural location.

A look at the next few days:

-Orientation is Tomorrow
-There’s an exciting coffee workshop on Saturday run by our Home Base host, Don Alfredo
-Sunday has us visiting the La Fortuna Waterfall

There are so many more exciting events to come, not to mention a good amount of community service and leadership programming!

Starting tomorrow our leaders of the day will be writing these blog posts. Tomorrow’s leaders of the day are Brooke and Jae!

Thank you so much for sending your students on this amazing program, we are excited to have them and we are sure to have incredible adventures together!

Be the change,
Justin Nichols

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28

By: Jae and Brooke

This morning we woke up to a beautiful traditional breakfast of rice and beans, toast, eggs, cheese, watermelon and pineapple. After breakfast we played some games to get to know each other some more before listening to our orientation! Our lovely local leader Marbella went over everything we need to know about Costa Rica and where we are staying, and the rest of our mentors finished up by going over the rules, itinerary and everything else we need to know about the trip.

After orientation we enjoyed a delicious lunch to fuel us for our swim test in the lake. Everyone passed with flying colors and we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in the lake which is heated because of the hot springs underneath! We worked up an appetite after spending all of our time by the lake and thankfully enjoyed another delicious meal (nothing new from our awesome chefs).

After dinner we put our values and expectations for the group, categorizing them under branches on a tree. Then we displayed our values as words on the leaves! We ended the night by getting into our assigned mentor groups, which we will be in for the rest of the trip, meeting nightly to talk and journal. And of course, our GLA TIFC mascot, Perry the Sloth was along for all of the adventure as well! We’re looking forward to a good night’s rest for our coffee tour and kayaking tomorrow!!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

By: Maeve and Charlotte

Today was a great day! We started the day off with a delicious breakfast then played a fun game of elbow tag in the field. After that, Don Alfredo, owner of the property, gave us a presentation on his family’s coffee and the general coffee making process in Costa Rica. At the end, we all received a bag of his delicious coffee to bring home to share with our families. Then we played a competitive game of kickball in the hot sun and had a great time. We definitely had to stay hydrated today because it was very hot. We all dispersed for some free time then joined back together before lunch.

Following that, we decompressed and took in the air conditioning in our rooms before heading to the lake. Today, we had some paddle boards and kayaks to use which was really fun. There were people playing card games and reading while looking at the gorgeous view. After showers and changing we gathered for a leadership activity. There were two sides, agree and disagree, and we were read statements and had to choose between them. Then we shared our thoughts about our answers and debated our views. Some of these conversations carried on through dinner and mentor groups where we were able to go deeper into our opinions. Overall, it was a fun and successful day!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30

By: Charlie and Story

Today started off bright and early with breakfast (pancakes and orange juice) at seven, and then we headed out for the day’s adventures! Our first stop was La Fortuna, which is about forty minutes from home base. Justin had warned us that there would be a lot of stairs, but it didn’t register just how many ‘a lot’ meant until the 500+ steps were in front of us. But it was all worth it to see and take in the beautiful wonder nestled within the jungles of Costa Rica. The waterfall cascaded into a pool of water surrounded by slippery rocks, and many of us were eager for a swim – however frigid it was. Nearly three and a half hours later, we headed back to the buses and on our way to the Baldi Hot Springs.

After a buffet lunch of delicious food and dessert, everyone was excited to experience the hot springs! Almost all of us took a dip within the springs of varying temperatures, and many of us braved the four water slides, which practically threw you into the pools below. None of us wanted to leave, but a delicious dinner of homemade burgers and fries awaited us at home base, so we loaded back onto the buses for the final time that day and made the meandering journey back. After a great dinner, we were all beyond tired and ready to get some rest before our first day of service tomorrow. Today was a day none of us are soon to forget.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

By: Finley and Naya

We started the morning bright and early to head over to the school for an introduction to service. We worked hard sanding and painting walls and chairs for the majority of the morning. We hopped on the bus to go back to home base to have lunch where we ate yuca, fried chicken, rice and beans and drank delicious passion fruit juice. After a long hot morning, a lot of us took downtime to sleep and swim before doing the leadership activity.

Today’s activity was a teamwork based activity where we had to build the sturdiest and tallest tower with limited communication. After that, we started our cooking workshop with Don Alfredo where we learned how to craft empanadas and ate the food we made for dinner. After cleanup, to end off the day, everyone winded down with mentor groups, talking about our experiences today and playing little games.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

By: Nancy and Andrea

Today we started the day off with breakfast which included papaya juice. After breakfast we went straight to the school and continued our community service. Today we started working on a soccer field and continued painting and sanding in 3 different groups. We had breaks in between the service and afterwards we went to the supermarket and bought snacks. When we got back to home base we had pork for lunch and then 2 hours of free time before we headed off to our dance lesson with Mr. Johan. In the dance lesson we learned merengue, bachata, salsa, and zumba. We all had a lot of fun and really enjoyed this cultural experience.

After the lesson we walked back to home base and enjoyed some more free time where we hung out with each other and played games, swam, or read. Finally, we got ready for dinner which was chicken fajitas and the Costa Rican staple of rice and beans. We had some more pineapple and we all got together to play some more games. At the end, we set a S.M.A.R.T Goal for ourselves that we wish to achieve by the end of this trip. Now, we will head to bed excited for tomorrow’s adventures to the beach!

Sincerely your favorite Leaders of the Day,

Nancy y Andrea

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

By: Violet and Amaya

Today we woke up very early to some beautiful weather. We stopped for breakfast at a great local restaurant for French toast and pancakes. After our meal we headed to a beach.

At the beach we boarded our catamaran which took us around the cove until we stoped to go swimming and snorkeling. The Pacific Ocean was a lovely temperature and we got to see several different schools of fish as well as an eel.

The boat provided a lovely meal including chips, burritos, pasta salad, fruit and cookies. After we ate we headed back to the shore and took the bus back to our hostel.

We all rested while it stormed this afternoon. Once most of the rain had cleared a few people headed down to the shore to watch the beautiful sunset, where we all found a docked boat.

Finally we all headed to the local restaurant to have a variety of food and drinks.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Hello GLA families,

Although today was not the most eventful day, it was still filled with lots of laughter and fun memories. We started our day off by packing up and leaving the Tamarindo beach hostel. We then enjoyed a delicious breakfast and got on the buses to start our journey back to home base. After a few hours of driving we stopped for a nice lunch and ate as we watched the heavy rainfall in the forest around us. Afterwards, we got back on the buses and finished our journey to home base.

After settling back in, we enjoyed some free time to relax after our long road trip. Before dinner, we gathered together for an appreciation circle. We all shouted out people and something they did that we were thankful for. At 7 we had chicken, rice, beans, yuca frita, bread and black berry juice for dinner. Shortly after we gathered together for a mentor group activity where we reflected on our beach trip and discussed our favorite parts and memories. We are now getting ready for bed and preparing for our zip lining and tubing adventure tomorrow.

By Stella and Inés

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

By: Izzy and Sara MB

Today, we woke up and it was a rainy day. We had breakfast at homebase. It felt super great to be back with all our lovely homebase staff. After our meal we were off to go zip-lining and tubing. As our zip lining adventure started, people faced their fears and conquered them! The views over the forest right next to the Arenal Volcano were just amazing. After zip-lining it was time for an amazing lunch, including sandwiches, chips, oreos, and Caprisuns to drink.

Later, we went tubing. We faced some rapids and bruises, as well as fun and laughter. Some stayed behind, and enjoyed a very scenic view at a café. At the café, people had lattes, smoothies, and snacks. Then the whole group met up and left for homebase. We had some free time when we got back, then it was dinner time. For dinner we had burritos, potatoes, salad, and juice. At the end of the night, we did a fun activity of making a poster for the doors to our rooms. The day brought feelings of accomplishment and being out of our comfort zones.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

By: Sarah M and Sarah N

Today we woke up to some beautiful weather that then turned into a rainy morning. We had some delicious breakfast and then hopped on a bus to Juan Castro Blanco National Park.

When we arrived at the park, a few of us caught some fish in a small lake that we would eventually eat for lunch. Following that, we went one a short but sweet 2 mile hike where our tour guide, Douglas, showed us around the beautiful park. Lorenza and Andrea were super helpful and volunteered to translate what the tour guide was saying to the rest of us. During our tour, we saw local fruit growing as well as some flowers and a beautiful landscape. We then ate a very delicious lunch and had an informational presentation on the different rocks found in Costa Rica.

After our time at the national park, we got back on the bus and stopped at a popular area with a shopping strip where we bought some memorable souvenirs and had some delicious ice cream and coffee. We then headed back to home base where we had some dinner prepared by the amazing staff and did some quick journaling about the last two days of adventure.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

By: Roberta, Austin, Kayla

We started the day with breakfast at 7:00, and we were off at 8:00 for our service. We arrived at the school and got to it. Some people cleaned up a field to create a soccer pitch for the students; some people were painting a kindergarten classroom, and the others were sanding chairs. We then finished up and made our way back to camp where we enjoyed chicken fajitas and fries for lunch. Then we had some free time, which was spent either napping or on the dock playing pool, card games or cooling off in the lake.

We then completed the leadership activity where we got to know ourselves and our leadership styles. This was great as we got to learn about all of our assets and how to work better in tough situations. Dinner was stir fry, rice, beans and potatoes. We then completed mentor groups which were helpful, being able to express our feelings in a safe place.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

By: Brooke and Maeve

Today started off with a delicious traditional breakfast before heading off to community service. We continued sanding and painting the chairs for the students, moving rocks to create a soccer field and painting the outside of the main office of the school. After community service we returned to home base with a fantastic lunch waiting for us. Right after lunch we headed to the buses to go tour a pineapple farm where we learned about how pineapples are grown organically. We also had the opportunity to taste many different pineapple products such as fresh pineapple (taken just from the ground), virgin piña coladas, and pineapple ice cream. We returned to home base for dinner after our tour and ate hotdogs, taquitos, salad, beans, rice and french fries. After dinner we got into our mentor groups to make our team name and flag for the mentor group olympics we will be starting tomorrow!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

By: Jae, Naya, Sarah N

Today, we started with the regular breakfast of Gallo Pinto (beans and rice) and then promptly made our way to the school. At the school today, we started with one group painting chairs black another painting the office pink, and another removing rocks from a grass field. After the service, we came back to home base and had pork and salad with other sides for lunch. At around 2:30, when our lunches had settled, we got back together and started a “pineapple debate” where each mentor group was given a role in the pineapple industry such as the farmers, consumers and environmental associations. Each group got 5 questions that we researched and shared. Once each group shared their questions and answers, the discussion naturally left the original structure of the 5 questions and the students got to debate the issues in their own way.

After the enriching debate/discussion, we scattered for some free time and regrouped at 7:00PM for the first event of our “Mentor Group Olympics”. Today’s event was bar-style trivia that touched on Costa Rica, geography, music, and movie quotes. At the end of the trivia, Christine’s group, team ‘’Oceania’’ won with a 3 point lead. With the trivia wrapped up, the teams talked a bit and started planning for tomorrow’s event, Water-Based Games. Finally, we had some more free time until bedtime.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Hey GLA Family and Friends!

International Director Justin Nichols here again! Just wanted to touch base and give everyone a quick update as we enter the final stretch of our program.

Today was another lovely day in San Carlos, and we began the day at our service school with a fun cultural surprise. A local student dance association was holding their practice in the same gym that we usually use as a painting space, and they invited us to watch them perform. After several exciting dances, they invited us to dance with them for their final number.

We finished our service a little early today so that we could make our way back to home base for a quick lunch before we headed out to the second oldest Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Costa Rica where we saw a puma, spider monkeys, and several Costa Rican Bird species that were being cared for.

As we left the Zoological Society at La Marina, we made our way home for a lovely pasta dinner. To finish off the day, we celebrated Izzy’s birthday as she turned 15 with cake, a piñata, and a party overlooking Lake St.Teresa. Overall, and exciting day to be sure!

Looking forward to the next few days, we have our white-water rafting excursion tomorrow which is sure to be a student favorite. On Sunday, after service we have arranged to watch some of the final matches of the Euro Cup as well as Copa America, as well as have some game day snacks and decorations. To finish up, Monday and Tuesday will be the days where we will get a chance to interact with the local students as they return from holiday and see all the hard work our GLA students have been putting into their school.

After that, Wednesday is departure day, and we will all be headed off to our next adventures.

As always, if you would like to reach out to me for any reason, please feel free.

Be the change,

Justin Nichols

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

By: Sara MB, Amaya, Stella

Today we woke up and had breakfast at 8am. Then we all got ready for our exciting adventure. We rode the bus for an hour to go to the white water rafting. When we got there we received instructions from our guides on what to do and what not to do when we were on the raft. We all chose our teams of 4-6 people per raft and started our descent. We started the river with slow and peaceful waters then the river got a bit more bumpy and a lot of people were able to jump in and swim when the water calmed down. We stopped about half way through to eat some pineapple, mango, lychee and watermelon.

After our special meal prepared by our guides we continued our journey and enjoyed ourselves in some nice cold water. We made it to the exit and got refreshing water and towels before we made to the bus and were on our way back to don Alfredo’s. When we got back we took showers, rested and played exciting games until dinner time. After dinner we talked about our smart goals and wrote letters to our future selves.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

By: Charlotte, Story, Austin

Today started off with another delicious breakfast. After eating, we boarded the buses and headed to community service. At the school, we continued painting the walls and putting the finishing touches on the chairs. It has been amazing to see the school transform as a result of our hard work, and we are all looking forward to seeing the children’s reactions when we meet them tomorrow! After finishing up a great day of service, we hurried back to home base to watch the Euro Cup finals. The staff made watching the game extra special, providing us with a delicious lunch and decorating the room with Spain and England flags. Although some of us were disappointed by the outcome of the game, it was a great time. After the game, we had some free time which allowed the England fans some time to recover.

Shortly after, we began Round 2 of the Mentor Olympics with today’s event being a heated game of Capture the Flag. The game was both competitive and fun! We all definitely bonded with our teams as we strategized. We wrapped up Capture the Flag and relaxed until dinner. As we ate dinner we anxiously waited for the Argentina vs. Colombia game to begin. During that time, we played card games, chatted, and enjoyed our meal. When the game started we all poured inside to watch. Overall, it was a great day full of fun and excitement!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

By: Roberta, Ines, Kayla

We started off the day with breakfast at 8 AM, then headed to service at 9. With some kids in the class rooms and some participating in a PE class, we all loved to spend time with the children. We made so many incredible memories and learned so much about the lives of the kids. We can’t wait to see them again tomorrow. We played musical chairs, hot potato and an intense game of volleyball. After service we went to the market, for probably the final time, and then came back for lunch.

At 2:30 we went to the farm down the road for a lesson about the cows and how they produce milk. Some students had the opportunity to milk the cows. We then headed to the table to learn how the milk is turned into cheese. After that, we headed back to Home Base and played field games as a part of our olympic challenges: wheelbarrow racing, 3-legged race, egg and spoon race, sponge game and getting an oreo from our forehead to our mouth. Then we had dinner and our final olympic game, jeopardy. It was a well-deserved win by Christine’s group, and now everyone is off to bed.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 16 (MORE PHOTOS ADDED)

Justin Nichols here for one final blog post documenting our Costa Rican adventures here in San Carlos.

By popular request of the students, we awoke an hour early to ensure we had maximum time with the students on our final day at the school. Once we arrived, GLA students were divided into groups, helping students with physical education, worksheets, field games and face painting. As a special treat, there was a school wide assembly where the students of the school performed cultural dance, and the Principal of the school Don Edward acknowledged all of the hard work our students had done to help beautify the school over the past 3 weeks.

After some long goodbyes with some of the local students who had become quite attached to some of our GLA volunteers, we returned back to home base to have lunch and begin packing our things for the long journeys home. As a surprise afternoon treat we went to a local iguana cafe, where we watched howler monkeys in the trees as we ate ice creams. Afterward we continued packing our things until dinner, where many of the students dressed up for our final dinner together and took pictures by the lake.

To cap off the evening we had our final GLA leadership activity, an appreciation circle around a bonfire, where we all got to anonymously show our appreciation for some of the friends that have helped us grow during the program. We concluded with s’mores as we said our heartfelt goodbyes.

I have had a lovely time working with this group of students and wish them nothing but the best as they go forward into the world with the memories from their experience here in Costa Rica.

As always, Be the Change.

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Justin here!

It’s now been a while since our adventures together in Costa Rica, and I just wanted to check in with you and let you know how your work impacted the local community here.

At Escuela Santa Teresa Norte, they have finished painting the buildings we started and they look beautiful! A special shout out to everyone who worked with the students in the cafeteria. Your work has not gone unnoticed and Doña Marta and all of the students we got to work with are grateful for all of the hard work we put in this summer. In addition, the Escuela La Cajeta has completed painting the floors and the playground. The projects came out excellent and were much easier to paint when it wasn’t raining.

I really am proud of you all. Your efforts to integrate yourselves in the community in Costa Rica with our cultural events and the ways that you pushed your boundaries during the adventure activities was exceptional.

Please take a look at our One Major Goal that we all committed to while you were here, and reflect on where you are at in your endeavor to be more active in your communities. I know each of you has the ability to become someone who can be trusted with the responsibility of leadership.

All of your unique personalities had an impact and created special moments for our group as a whole. Although we can think of endless such moments, here are some of our favorites:

• Empanada making
• Endless hugs at the school
• So many games of pool
• Paint everywhere
• Pineapple popsicles
• Trivia and Movie night
• Baldi Hot Springs
• Baby cows
• Fishing for lunch
• Infamous Tubing Day
• The sweaty dance class
• Water slides
• Our quick zipline through the treetops
• Our extremely heartwarming appreciation circle, and the feelings that come with recognizing others and being recognized ourselves

We hope you know that you each made a lasting impression on all of us. You showed heart in your friendships with one another, embraced the challenges of the program with humor and poise, and showed your commitment to service and leadership. We’re excited for what is in store for each of you. We wish you a bright future filled with joy and delight.

All the best,
Justin, Marbella, Liz, Emily, and Toasty

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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 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

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

Good Evening to our GLA Family and Friends!

I’m Justin Nichols, the International Director for Global Leadership Adventure’s Initiative for Children Program. We are very excited to get started on our program, serve our community, and grow and develop as leaders.

Our students have made it safely to home base at Finca los Corales in San Carlos, and should have access to the internet fairly frequently in the evenings throughout the coming weeks, keeping in mind our cell phone policy and our rural location.

We are looking forward to having our final two students join us over the next few days as they arrive.

A look at the next few days:

– Orientation and swim tests are tomorrow.
– There’s an exciting coffee workshop on Tuesday run by our Home Base host, Don Alfredo.
– Wednesday has us visiting an Organic Pineapple farm to learn more about one of Costa Ricas most important agricultural products.

There are so many more exciting events to come, not to mention a good amount of community service and leadership programming!

Starting tomorrow our leaders of the day will be writing these blog posts, so keep an eye out!

Thank you so much for sending your students on this amazing program, we are excited to have them and we are sure to have incredible adventures together!

Be the change,
Justin Nichols

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

We started off the day with a delicious breakfast of eggs, sausage, salad, orange juice, and of course, very delicious beans and rice!!! We then went straight into orientation where we discussed rules and boundaries and also played a plethora of games such as Ninja, Pterodactyl, and Elephant Ball, learning each other’s names in the process. Everyone targeted our Director, Justin. Subsequently we had free time until lunch began. Our lunch consisted of shrimp fried rice, refried beans, salad, and blackberry juice to drink. Everything was greatly prepared! Students split off into groups for card games, soccer, and general socialization.

Soon after lunch was over we began the swim test, which was made up of a standard swim test, treading water for one minute, then lastly floating on our back for ten seconds. Each of our peers passed tremendously! We spent a few hours swimming around in the lake, played volleyball in the water, had a few canoe/paddle board trips, and it was overall an amazing time! During free time we played spoons, uno, yankee/skittles, as well as a lot of restime time due to our exhausting day so far. A value tree was soon held as an activity where we talked about community rules and new ideas of how we can be respecting and helping other peers and ourselves.

After that we had a dinner of pasta with tomato sauce, salad, beans, rice, and strawberry juice. We also celebrated the homebase owner’s(Don Alfredo) son’s (Leandro) birthday with some delicious cake! Then, as today’s student leaders, we got the opportunity to wash the dishes of our peers. Finally, we attended Marbella’s presentation on Costa Rican culture and the ways we’ll be participating in service learning. Overall we had a wonderful first day and hope that the rest continues to be as positive and eventful as today was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

Today we awoke to the sound of pouring rain after a night of thunderstorms- a common occurrence in Costa Rica since we are here during the rainy season. We started off the day with breakfast, consisting of rice, beans, fruit, and sausage, before heading off to our first day of service! For the next few days we’ll be repainting the walls and getting to know the students each morning. It was a highlight for many today and we’re excited to continue our work tomorrow!

After service we returned to home base for lunch where we continue to discover the abundance of rice and beans in our Costa Rican diet! We also enjoyed fresh fruit juices which have been with every meal!

The schedule this afternoon granted lots of free time that has been filled with rest, bonding, and many, many games. Some highlights include Soccer, cards, and “skittles”- a game that definitely involves some dives across the pool table! We also welcomed an interesting culture presentation about coffee beans grown in Costa Rica and enjoyed some samples!

This evening we began mentor groups where we reflect and discuss our day as well as participate in small group activities. Tomorrow we will continue our service and take a tour of a local pineapple farm!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

By Coco and Gabby

We were awoken peacefully this morning to the sound of the cows in the pasture mooing.Then, we started our day off with more rice and beans, plátano, eggs, and organice juice etc. Then we were off to our service at the local school of Santa Theresa. There, we continued painting the school which we started the day before, in addition to spending time with the kids and watching their performances in celebration of the Anexion de partido de Guanacaste. These performances consisted of dancing in traditional Costa Rican attire and the recital of “bombas”, a type of poem.A lucky few got to try traditional meals prepared for the celebration by the schools faculty.

After service, we returned to home base where we had lunch, which was chicken, rice, beans and salad.

Shortly after lunch we left for the much anticipated pineapple farm tour, where we learned the ropes of organic pineapple farming in Costa Rica, one of the world’s leading pineapple producers! (Disclaimer: plucking the leaves of the pineapple in not an effective or accurate form of testing a pineapples ripeness).

We discussed in depth the social, economic and environmental impacts of conventional versus organic farming and the importance of implementing more friendly farming practices in this day and age.

With bellies full of freshly machetied pineapple and piña colada, we started our journey home, with a stop to Walmart on the way to satisfy everyone’s yearning for a taste of home.

We then ate a late dinner which was rice and beans, hamburgers, fries and salad. The leaders of the day did dishes at a record speed, (probably faster than any team of leaders of the day) while maintaining the quality and standard of cleanliness.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

By Dani and Sahej

The day started around 8 officially with gallo pinto, eggs, toast, and natural orange juice. Soon after that we had our morning announcements which our phrase of the day “vamos a la escuela!” meaning “lets go to to the school!” After we went to “la escuela” upon arriving we realized we we barely had enough paint to finish the school. We then proceeded to play soccer with the kids and have ice cream. The flavors included strawberry, vanilla with the chocolate outside and condensed milk.

Once we returned from our service it was scorching hot outside so we proceeded to go to the lake, and play some pool, and card games. An hour after we arrived we had lunch, which included a variety of fried rices, salad, garlic bread and pineapple juice.

After lunch we had lots of free time to recover from the long couple days of service. To unwind, many of us took long naps then swam in the lake. We then did a discussion activity revolving around sustainable pineapple farming and ate lechón (roast pork leg), with rice ,beans, and salad. Later we had our mentor groups and enjoyed some time on our phones with friends before bed.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 26

By Lily and Gonzalo

After having breakfast we presented the word of the day, “catarata” meaning “waterfall”. One short bus ride later, and we arrived at La Fortuna to see a beautiful “catarata” in person. We went on a short but steep hike before reaching the waterfall. Due to recent rains, the waterfall was too intense to swim, however, we had fun taking pictures and enjoying the view. We hiked back and cooled down with delicious fruit smoothies and ice cream. We returned to the bus and after 20 minute bus ride, arrived at Baldi Hot Springs. There, we enjoyed an extensive buffet with fresh fruit, pasta, chicken, and much more mouth watering food. Comfortably full, we split into small groups to explore the Hot Springs. We raced down waterslides, relaxed in the sauna, and rested in the Hot Springs. We traveled back to home base where we had fried fish for dinner with salad, fries, rice, and beans, washed down with sweet guanabana juice. Overall, it was a fun adventure day where we got to explore and appreciate the beautiful nature of Costa Rica and have some much needed relaxation after three days of hard work.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 27

By Chloe and Lexi

Today we were surprised to start our day off with pancakes and a wide variety of delicious fruits – it was extremely good! After breakfast we all loaded on to the bus to head over to the Juan Castro Blanco National Park. First, we watched a few of our fellow students fish for their lunch in the nearby pond. Next, we took a hike through the park along with an educational portion where we learned about the indigenous plants and a few of the animals that feed on them. After our beautiful hike, we took a pleasant lunch break that the park had made for us, and a quick look at the geodes and rocks that the owner had collected (Shoutout to our amazing translators!)

Once we had finished at the park we took a nice detour into the town La Fortuna to shop for ourselves (and get a few gifts for family and friends), stopping at many fun shops and a small art market where vendors were selling everything from glass blown items, to skin and body products, like jewelry, body lotions and more! We were able to walk arround, have local food, like empanadas and continue to peruse the colorful shops. Once we had finished in town we boarded back on to the bus for a calming ride back to camp.

We were met back at camp by the delicious smell of chicken, rice, and beans. After dinner we moved into our activity for the evening, which involved a deeper reflection of what our purpose is on this trip. We finally finished off the day with card games and free time.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 29

Written by: Zane and Sasha

Starting out the day out we had a delicious meal consisting of fresh fruits, gallo pinto, and eggs. Then we headed off to a new school with grades 1-6 splitting into groups of three, one assisting with the construction of a treehouse, another cleaning the floors, and finally one playing music for the kids while teaching them English. After a few rounds of soccer we were exasperated and head back to home base to heave chicken along with gallo pinto. After an exquisite lunch some of us went to take naps while others went down to the docks to play pool and swim. Then Justin hosted trivia and Linden and Sasha won two out of three rounds crowning them the champions. Afterwards we learned how to make empanadas using beef, cheese, beans, and a special Justin empanada filling (egg and potato). Then the empanadas were then fried and enjoyed them with rice and fruit salad. We ended the day off with mentor groups and spending time with our friends.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 30

By Emilia and Avery

We started the day off with a classic Costa Rican dish of gallo pinto, alongside eggs, fruit, cereal, bread, and the fruit juice of the day. Afterwards we headed on to the bus to head for our adventure of the day, tubing down a river. After our hour drive we arrived to the tubing place, where we then received a helmet and a tube, starting our adventure. We all had to go down the rapids one at a time, with guides helping us along the way. The journey took about an hour long, and even though it was raining it was definitely a highlight of the trip. By the end of our adventure just about every single person had flipped out of the tube, yet we all left with bright smiles. Before we started our journey back we were also able to stop at a market, where we bought snacks for the road, and rest of the trip. Next we started our journey back to home base, many of us napping on the way back.

Then we had lunch, we ate rice with seafood, beans and potatoes. We then had free time for 3 hours. Some watched a movie, others took a nap and others hung out on the dock. We then took the bus for 20 minutes to get ice cream in a shop. We saw an iguana who was sleeping. After eating our ice cream we took the bus back and arrived at the lodge to eat. We ate a classic rice with garbanzo beans, chicken and potato soup. After there was a karaoke session where everyone was able to exploit their singing talents. The curfew being at 9:30 p.m., everyone had to go back to their rooms to sleep.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 31

Written by Ariel and Fiona

Today, July 31st, we began our day with the lovely surprise of pancakes and fresh fruit for breakfast, as opposed to the usual Costa Rican breakfast foods. After the meal, we prepared for our second day of service at the second school we’ve visited. Once there, some of us assisted in painting the outdoor pathways, while others spent time entertaining and getting to know the students of the school. Some of the games played with them were freeze-dance, hot potato, duck duck goose, and fútbol. After the service, and a long few hours of the school kids beating us at our own games, we arrived back at home base to rest, eat lunch, and spend quality time together.

Following the service and lunch was a nice short break of resting and showering of all the sweat put into the school. At around 2:30, we traveled to a small abode that was quite colorful and was filled with cultural decorations. There we learned from a Zumba dancer three or more types of dancing such as merengue, bachata, and salsa. Some found it quite difficult to catch on to different steps, while others had the spirit of dancing within them. On the outside of the room where we danced, thermometers were found which proves that it was a sauna dance workshop. It was quite a workout!! Coming to the home base we played some activities like pool and uno. Some enjoyed their time at the lake swimming, more specifically front flipping off paddle boards. This whole day concludes with a nice American style meal consisting of burgers and of course rice and beans. We are looking forward to our last but not least day of service tomorrow.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1

We started the day by eating a delicious breakfast. This consisted of gallo pinto, eggs, toast, and orange juice. We then left for community service at 9am. As we arrived to the school, there were different groups painting and helping kids in class. The group that was painting had to sand, wipe down, and paint over the original paint of the school playground. The group working with the kids helped them with math and social studies.

Once the community service was over, we came back to the cabins for a much needed lunch. The lunch included chicken, rice, refried beans, and salad. After lunch, everyone split into their mentor groups and completed leadership activities. We worked on goal setting and played a game with our group. We then had free time until dinner. For dinner, we had pasta with meatballs, sauce, cheese, garlic bread, and pineapple juice.

Instead of mentor groups, we celebrated Linden’s birthday. To do this, we hung up the piñata and took turns hitting it until it fell. It was filled with candy!! After this, we brought out a cake for Linden and everyone enjoyed sharing an enjoyable evening fiesta. Overall, today was very productive and we can’t wait for the next day.

Linden, Ava, and Quique

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2

By Bella and Viola

Today was the last day of our 14-day immersive service learning trip to Costa Rica. As usual, at 8am there was breakfast.

We left at 8:45 to go zip lining. It was seven stations with a beautiful view of the park, and the volcano Arenal . There was also a rappelling, but that was optional for the people daring enough to get their feet wet. After unclipping from our harnesses, we piled into a tractor and heading back to the buses. We stopped at the mini mart adjacent to the zip lining service. Then, we boarded the buses for an hour long ride back to camp, and promptly headed to the tables for lunch.

After lunch, we had free time. Most of us spent time packing our suitcases to prepare for our flights tomorrow. Afterwards, some people went down to the dock to swim and play pool. There were other games, such as chess and BS, that were played as well. People got ready for the formal dinner, and at around 6, everyone met on the front lawn and took photos. Dinner was the typical meal of rice and beans, steak fajitas, and other appetizers.

Our last mentor group was spent doing an anonymous appreciation circle, in which prompts were said and people would tap the people who they believe fit the prompt. It was a super fun and emotional moment. As we wait for lights out, we say our final appreciations and goodbyes. We will all miss one another and always remember the memories we made along these two weeks.

Love you all and thank you for an amazing two weeks! Signing out.