PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
TIME CAPSULE LETTER
Written by Luis & the Costa Rica Team
I can’t believe it’s already been so long since we shared our goodbyes guys, I still remember our latin dance class and how you all gave it everything at the dance floor!
There’s not a single day that goes by without me remembering all of our lore dropping, and I love the fact that you are all part of mine now. Those late night McFlurrys, pool sessions playing with the volleyball, our lore dropping (and debriefing) appointments, sharing laughter with the kids at the school during service. I’m sure all of them remember you. (and they have your signatures to remember you by!)
I guess some of you are probably back to school and some starting college, but I wanted to tell you that even now that I’m back home, I’ll always remember all of you.
You truly made in impact in Costa Rica, and let me say you even had an impact between yourselves, and our appreciation circle was the proof of that. You all left the country as evolved people, and made the school a better place while doing it. We helped lots of kids to be able to actually learn while being in class, so you should always remember that. You managed to overcome so many obstacles in this trip, and managed to make a difference while doing so. With that being said, I’m really proud of you all, and I know the kids will always keep you in their hearts. (I know I will)
We had so much fun together, the hikes, soccer matches, sightseeing, and despite all the minor drama between you guys, you ended up “squashing the beef” and becoming a really close group. We managed to experience the Costa Rican culture through its food, sights, monuments, markets, museums, and bargaining at the souvenir shop. I know you all got good deals!
We had to really work together to keep the group united and help the kids in the school, but we also had the best time together. Whether it was playing cards at night, zip lining after a long hike, getting ice cream after sightseeing, sharing a picnic session in the La Laguna Park, all of these were fun because I got to do it with all of you guys!
Now for the deep part, remember our group’s OMG (One Meaningful Goal)? We all pledged to keep volunteering with kids, specially in the healthcare field. I need to know how that is going! Are you making an impact? Being the change?
Remember to share your personal goals! Specially with GLA, they’d love to see you be the change back home!
Thank you so much for making this experience so memorable, you are all part of my lore now, and I will never forget you! I’m sure you’ll succeed in all of your personal aspirations!
Miss you all.
Luis Alberto Navarrete
International Director
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BLOG POST FOR JULY 30
After a long day of delays, waiting for flights at the airport and intense traffic, almost everyone finally made it to our beautiful home in Paraiso. Although we’re still waiting for our final student Brad tomorrow, who’s been suffering from hectic flight schedules (hang in there !).
Everyone enjoyed the first Costa Rican meal called Casado, made up of rice, beans and beef. It is nicknamed casado because if a man brought this meal to lunch at his work, his coworkers would know that he was married (casado) because of how good the food is and the amount of protein in it !
The kids are all settled into their rooms now and ready for a good night’s sleep before our first day of adventures begins tomorrow. I can’t wait to update you all more on all the fun things we will do as we move through the next two weeks with your kids. You will be hearing from us soon!
Pura Vida!
– Luis Alberto Navarrete Paurinotto, International Director
BLOG POST FOR JULY 31
Hey guys! This is Andrea and Emrey, on day 2 !
We woke up to a beautiful scenery of Costa Rican mountains and a delightful weather. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast that consisted of Gallo Pinto and Huevos Rancheros. After breakfast we took time to know each other, we played games like Where the wild wind blows, for most of us it was the first time that we played this game and it was super fun! After the games prepared to us by the GLA staff, we took our free time to talk to each other and prepare for the rest of the day. Then we had lunch, which was Spaghetti with Alfredo sauce, cheese garlic bread and fresh fruits. It was the best Spaghetti and cheese garlic bread, not to mention the fruits here are as fresh as can be. Delicioso!!
As we continue our day, we had Dra. Camacho come in as a guest speaker with her team. They spoke to us about physical therapy and the importance of taking care of our bodies. As part of their lecture they showed us how they help their patients in their center by applying electro shock therapy on us, took turns with massage guns and they tested us on our core strength. After the lesson and activity, we had some free time that we used to chat with our peers and got to know more about their interests and similarities.
While everyone was hanging out, one by one we had to get health checks to make sure everyone was comfortable and healthy! After free time we headed over to our first activity of the day, we took two busses to our Latin dance class. We danced salsa, bachata, cumbia, and merengue and we just let loose and enjoyed ourselves. We were dancing for an hour and then we came back to home base to get cozy before dinner and our next activity. For dinner we had chicken, plantains with cheese and cooked vegetables as well as fruit. After dinner we had our last activity of the day, we played the Social Sync game were we needed to agree or disagree over questions about our phones and social media. We acknowledged how much our phones dictate and affect our daily life. Which makes us even more excited to disconnect and keep exploring the beautiful Costa Rica. PURA VIDA !
Andrea and Emrey
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1
Today, we woke up to the sound of birds chirping and pancakes grilling. We had a quick wakeup and ate pancakes, eggs, and cereal.
After our delicious breakfast, we packed our bags and headed to the head of a hiking trail to a waterfall. We began our quick, steep, hike on our Monte Sky hiking tour. The terrain was slippery and many of us slipped with the wet rocks. However, it was all worth it when we got to the waterfall.
We all took pictures and some ventured under the water. We also met an adorable puppy named Catara at the waterfall site!
The ride back was full of singing and us having a good time. We took a quick stop at a viewpoint to take in the beautiful scenery of the mountains and play at the park.
Once we arrived back at our Homebase, we ate a delicious lunch of arroz con carne, refried beans and delicious chips. We then journaled about our goals for the trip and communicated with others about our personal ideas.
Then, after a rest and some time spent with friends, we went to the football fields to play a mini tournament with young locals. Although we didn’t win every game, we still had a fun time. We came together to eat a wonderful dinner of pork and mashed potatoes served in a traditional costarican style. Our day certainly did not end there. Today was Saanvi’s 15th birthday. With a festive atmosphere, we enjoyed compleaños songs in different languages. We then had a fantastic cheesecake that was made by the home base cooks. It was so delicious and we all wanted more.
We ended this fantastic night with everyone gathered around singing along to some karaoke. It was filled with some fantastic performances. Even the staff from the house were singing and dancing. This was by far the best day yet.
Noah and Winnie
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2
Today we woke up to the beautiful chirping of birds, soon to be treated to the delicious breakfast of cheese tortillas, cornbread, and juicy Costa Rican fruits. Next, we all got ready to hop in the bus and began on our adventure to the Turrialba volcano. We had around an hour and a half of driving in the beautiful mountains, where we saw cows, wild horses, and greenery. We were greeted by the kind tour guide Alonzo, accompanied by his dog Galleta! It took us around an hour to hike up to the volcano, where we were able to take photos and take in the amazing views. Some of us found lava rocks and got to take them with us as a souvenir.
After, we were able to have the treat of delicious Costa Rican snacks and coffee once we arrived back to the bottom of the hike. Once we arrived back to home base, we ate the delicious lunch of Olla De Carne, along with fresh juicy fruits. After lunch, we were given some free time to relax and reflect. Next, we had the opportunity to listen to a guest speaker Eduardo, a lawyer for the elderly community. We participated in some activities that taught us the importance of being patient and compassionate with the elderly.
Soon after, we all got the opportunity to participate in a cooking class where we prepared homemade tortillas. We then all participated in a values activity and debate where we all chose a value important to our group, and all got a chance to debate why the specific value was important to us. We all came to an agreement that all of the values were important in their own ways.
Following the activity, we enjoyed a dinner of fried fish and cauliflower, rice, garbanzo soup, fresh fruit, salad, and refreshing Agua fresca sandia. After dinner, we did our mentor groups, where we all participated in different activities with our group mentors. Lastly, we all had some relaxing hangout time with our friends.
Adios!
Written by Neve Drori and Tamara Brendova
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3
This morning, upon getting out of bed we walked out onto the balcony and among the beautiful mountains saw a small eruption from the Irazú Volcano. Then we followed the smell of tostadas y guacamole with cereal y fruta to the kitchen and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast. Directly after breakfast we swung over to ziplining at Pura Vida for the morning. There, we hiked for about 25 minutes up steep stairs through the trees until reaching the top when we zipped down 13 ziplines. The view of San Jose’s cities and mountains were breathtaking throughout this 3-hour course with one zipline being 500 meters long!
After this adventurous activity, we came back to Home Base for a delicious lunch which included Pollo Florentino, Papas Miniasadas, vegetales, chips de maiz, ensalada verde, fruta y refresco. Following this, we had a quick transition to the Orosi and Ujarras Valleys’ lookout which had a stunning view of these towns with a beautiful rainbow shining over them. After taking many pictures, enjoying the view, and petting the friendly neighborhood cat, we headed over to the Orosi Park. Here once again, witnessed many cool sites, including the Ujarras Ruins Church which was raided by pirates in the 1600s. Aside from the church, there was a good luck tree which was voted the most beautiful in the world, so of course we all touched it for good luck. Soon after, we headed back to the bus for a surprise sweet treat in the village where we were treated to two scoops of any ice cream flavors we wanted.
After a long day, we headed to Home Base where many of us took showers, rested, and played card games as we awaited dinner. For dinner, we had pozol, tortillas tostadas, arroz blanco, ensalada, y fresco, which was very tasty. Then we went straight into a very fun surprise game which helped us learn more about each other to build closer connections throughout the course of our trip. We ended the night with some group card games, talking amongst each other, and getting ready for bed.
Bea and Mia
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4
Our morning started at 8am with a delicious breakfast featuring warm oatmeal, breakfast sandwiches, and a side of fruit. After our tummies were full, we took a trip up the mountains to the Dr. Carlos Duran Cartin Sanatorium. We filled our morning telling eerie stories about the old legends that walked the halls of this abandoned hospital/juvie/orphanage. Our afternoon consisted of a trip to Walmart where we re-stocked on essentials such as snacks, personal care products, and some of us got matching outfits! Lunch was enjoyed at a local park where we spent a few hours having a picnic, and playing competitive games of volleyball, basketball, and soccer where we all shared memories and great quality time.
When we returned to homebase, we refueled our energy with some relaxing time before the birthday party that would follow dinner. Dinner left us satisfied with rice, beans, shredded meats, plantains, salad, and fruits. We made sure to leave some room for a special birthday ice cream cake dessert that filled our mouths with the taste of bubblegum. We ended our night with some cool tunes in karaoke.
Tonight, lights out is at 10pm to leave us refreshed and energized for our adventures that await tomorrow! =)
Zoe and Ruby
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5
Today marks the halfway point of our trip. Everyone woke up to a later, 8:00 am breakfast that consisted of, prensada, cereal, and refreshing fruit.
Afterward, we took a short walk to a local nursing home. Once there we sat in small groups and played hot potato to introduce ourselves. After introductions, there was a mix of dominoes, cards, and puzzles played among different tables. Some of the senior citizens became very competitive and the students did not hold back! Then one of the nursing home favorites… Bingo was played, and in one heated round, 3 people won at the same time. Later we got up, and each of us got to partner with one of the senior citizens and we danced to a wonderful mix of radio music and music sung by one of our local directors JP. We gave our goodbyes with lots of hugs and happiness, and each of us left with a smile on our faces. It was a sunny and upbeat walk back to home base.
We had lunch and ate some delicious albondigas with garlic potatoes, salad, and fruit on the side. Afterward, we did an activity about cross-cultural communication. The group was divided into 4 smaller teams, each with their own cultural norms they must follow. Some examples of these norms include talking to someone four feet back, talking to someone six inches close, responding after seven seconds, and looking down at the person’s feet while talking. Each team did not know what norm the other teams had. We tried to communicate with each other which proved to be very difficult and confusing. We learned to accept and be patient with each other’s cultural norms despite them being different from our own. Instead of just assuming someone is being rude or ignoring us, taking a minute and respecting one another’s culture can be much more beneficial.
Ready for round 2, we went to play soccer with local kids and played 3 matches. Only one team remained undefeated the entire time! When we came back to home base we had free time that was very well spent. After a long day, we were hungry. We ate a delicious meal of picadillo papa con carne on tortillas, sausages, salad, and fruit. We had a mid-trip pulse check to make sure we were doing okay, then had our nightly free time then went to bed.
Victoria and Sofia
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6
Pura Vida Families! What a day to remember!!! Today was quite the early wake-up. We woke up with the sun at 6:30 am to get ready for our second day of service! We started the day off right with cheesy empanadas, cereal, and some fresh fruits. We then made our way over to a local elementary school for our first day of vision tests.
We set camp in one of the empty classes and started with our day of service. We first conducted many tests for the kids and then went to see them inside their classes. We were met with many hugs and papers for us to sign, and some of us found our “tacaya” name twins. This was overall an incredible experience for both us and the families, as we immediately saw the impact we were making on the kids. Some of the kids walked into our room scared and not able to see at their full potential, but left with a complimentary pair of glasses if need be!
After a delicious classic Costa Rican chicken soup, we went on a lovely walking tour in Cartago with surprises including enjoying our favorite American fast food place – McDonalds! Our first stop was a historic church that many Costa Ricans walked miles to to show their sacrifice for the Virgin Mary. We entered and saw the beautiful architecture and learned about the history of the religion and the church. We then visited a museum and saw a large mural showing the history of Costa Rica and how their religion and culture came about. Then we went to a market and went on a fun scavenger hunt which ended in the McDonalds surprise.
As if we weren’t surprised enough, Abby then took us to a local bakery to show us some of the great desserts Costa Rica has to offer. We ended the night with a classic meal of spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, salad, and fruits, relaxing with our friends, and prank-calling.
Ciao – Syieda, Sage, and Vania
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7
We woke up early in the morning having a long day ahead of us. We had French toast, scrambled eggs, strawberries and some juice at 7am. After, we wore our scrubs to get ready for a day of service. At the school we did much of what we did yesterday, doing vision tests for many kids. Nearing the end, the kids entertained us with a band performance. They used empty soda bottles to create a complex rhythm. This time we left earlier due to a teacher conference. This gave us more time. In San Jose to explore the museum and shop for souvenirs. We got a sweet surprise and everyone got some local ice cream.
At the museum we first walked through a beautiful butterfly garden, we took many good pictures. We then saw the temporary exhibits which consisted of various pictures from different time periods in Costa Rica. They also had ancient artifacts and sculptures and we went through most of them. We left the museum with more knowledge on the history of Costa Rica.
Later, we walked down to the huge souvenir market where we bought many things such as Costa Rican handmade artifacts. After a long bus ride back to home base, we had our dinner consisting of some really good lasagna and some fruit. A Costa Rican healthcare debate followed. It was about private and public healthcare. We gave some pretty interesting points and we ended our day on that note.
Brad, Ethan and Saanvi
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 8
Today we had another early morning doing service at the school Julian Volio Llorente where we helped give the rest of the students eye tests. We enjoyed practicing our Spanish language skills and meeting the friendly students and parents at the school. Juan Pablo, our local director, had an amazing dance with a lovely cafeteria lady at the school today, and they had a great time. Everyone signed lots of autographs from the children like we were celebrities, and it was cool. A few people decided to join the students in music class and play music with sticks and bottles and it actually sounded pretty amazing!
Then we had lunch and did an activity on setting goals. The rest of the day was very relaxed, playing cards and going out to a local bakery where we had delicious desserts. We ended the night watching the movie Pitch Perfect and listening to music and preparing for our trip to Uvita!
Penelope, Alex, and Julia
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 9
Hey guys it’s the Tres Locos: Connie, Bella and Colton
Today is day 11 of Costa Rica. We started the day at a crisp 7:30 am where we ate pancakes for breakfast. Soon after we began our four hour car ride to Uvita for the weekend. Halfway through the journey we briefly stopped by a Costa Rican convenience store where there was a wide variety of snacks and a restaurant where many of us got different kinds of empanadas such as carne, pollo y papa. Once we made it to Uvita our first stop was lunch, where we ate a traditional Costa Rican dish that consisted of rice, beans and chicken.
Once we finally made it to the hotel we settled in to our rooms and got ready to take a swim test in order to indulge in all the fun aquatic activities that awaited us. While some of us took a few tries eventually most of us passed and went on our way to the waterfall! The waterfall was EPIC! while the water was a bit cold it was worth it for the thrill of jumping off cliffs. As our time at the waterfall was ending we gradually made our way to the top and got delicious fruit smoothies and coffee milkshakes at the restaurant that was there at the exit.
We weren’t done having fun yet though, so we made our way to Playa Hermosa where the waves were bigger than we had ever seen before. We only got to spend about an hour riding waves and fighting them at the same time. Once we left the beach we arrived to the hotel where we got to cool off in the pool and get ready for our next flavorful endeavor: dinner. On this special night we got to indulge in pesto, alfredo and bolognese pasta. Lastly, we got to finish our amazing day off with refreshing ice cream and chill time with our buds. It’s been a great day to be in Costa Rica!
PURA VIDA,
Tres Locos 🤙
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 10
Today we woke up bright and early in our hotel to an amazing breakfast, which had eggs, beans , and rice, then headed over to the beach for a super fun surf lesson taught by locals. After a quick lesson we were ready to head into the water and practice our skills for a couple of hours. Soon after our lessons we got to hang out together on the beach to swim in the water, play games, and crack open some fresh coconuts.
After the beach we headed back to the hotel and got ready for lunch at a delicious restaurant nearby. For lunch we were able to build our own burrito. Then we went over to a different beach in the area and we went to go see the whale tail that is shaped in the sand on Uvita beach. Soon after we went souvenir shopping at the local shops nearby right before dinner. As we arrived for dinner we were served with fresh pizzas with all different kinds of toppings. Then to end the night we all went back to the hotel to swim in the pool and eat some gelato!
Avery, Ashwin and Mia
