PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

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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 AUGUST 2

Hi families,

What a beautiful start this has been! With very little delays or changes, all of the students arrived in throughout the day two days ago, and since then, Home Base has been filled with new faces and lots of new stories. After being quiet here for a few days, the first few arrived in the peak of the afternoon, when the sun was shining the brightest and the colors of Costa Rica could be seen all around us. The trees are so green here and the mangos that fruit from them brought Howler monkeys to greet the first crew and stayed with us throughout the day.

Once the second group arrived in the afternoon, Home Base felt much more full of life and we started all to get to know the new friends we have here. So many different people from so many different places! The pool was a perfect place to sit, hang-out and cool down from the strong summer heat and we all gathered there waiting for the sun to set on our first day in Costa Rica. Rain came with the sunset and just in time for us to come around the table for our first dinner. Almost all of us arrived by the end of dinner and with bellies full, we played “get-to-know-you-games” to try and begin learning all of the new names.

Our next day arrived all too quickly and we spent the day preparing for all the Beachside has to offer. We had even more time in the pool and explored the jungle we now call home! For the afternoon, in true Costa Rican fashion, we spent hours playing in the waves and having a great time on the beach!

We are so excited to all finally be here and to get started!

Look forward to more blogs from our Leaders of the Day throughout the week! We are sending you love and good wishes from here!

Your team here in CR,

Michelle, Milena, Emma, Cris, Mireia, Melissa, Marco, Andy, TJ and Digby

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3

Hello Friends!

Today was our first day of service! At Guanacaste Water Centre, we learned about watersheds, before we mixed rice, charcoal, and woodchips into dirt to create soil. Then we labelled bottles of homemade honey which we later tried along with many other kinds that had varying colours, textures, and tastes.

Today the group of GEA met Frank who showed us the school. He took us to the forest where we then cleaned up trash all around. The forest was an area that had suffered many forest fires due to the taca trees planted there. We ended up with multiple bags of trash and took them to playa negro (Black Beach). We took a pit stop and swam in the waves for a bit before going back to cleaning up. On our way back to the bus, we picked up trash all along the beach. Overall, today we really got to learn about the environment in Costa Rica and had a very successful day cleaning it up while practicing our Spanish.

We kicked off our Hatchery conservation services at VerdiAzul by walking across the street to the beach to familiarize ourselves with where turtles live in Costa Rica and how they lay their eggs and dig their nests. We got in groups to experience first hand how different species walk up the shore and dig down to hatch over 120-150 at a time! We played name games and met our service providers, Spencer and Andres and dug holes with fresh sand for new hatchery holes to ensure the eggs will thrive. We took a nice dip in the beautiful blue waves and continued on with our hard work… great first day at Verdiazul!

Today at Uniendo Comunidades we learned through picking up trash on the beach about the Costa Rican environment and its ecosystem and the importance of helping the community through Ester´s stories. We arrived at Playa Blanca to clean up garbage on the beach and learned about all the small life on our beaches that are negatively affected by litter. We were able to practice our Spanish with Ester, our community service director! Afterwards we were lucky enough to have time to swim in the beautiful ocean.

In the afternoon we went to the beach again to play soccer and have fun in the sun. Then we had a great debate where we practiced public speaking in front of each other and learned about the Pineapple Industry. It was a great day!

“It was so fun to try all the different types of honeys and learn about the bees in Costa Rica!”

Freya S.

“I love working with people who speak Spanish, it really makes me feel comfortable practicing in front of them.”

Anna C.

“I have been enjoying my experience with the new people I am meeting and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.”

Abby G.

“I enjoyed learning about how litter negatively affects the ecosystem in Costa Rica and how we can help the animals.”

Roya K.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4

Hi everyone,

We had an early start today and then we headed off on our adventure day starting with tubing down a river over whitewater on innertubes. It was super fun and a lot of us ended up with wet socks and shoes. Next, we went to a buffet style lunch where we got to try traditional foods and drinks including a potato dish and guanabana juice. Then, we ziplined through the canopies of the forest and rock climbed a wall. We headed back to camp and stopped on the way back for some ice cream and souvenirs. Overall, it was a great day with lots of new experiences and fun times.

“Nature and adventure is the best medicine”

-Emily C.

“I loved flying through the trees on the zipline. I haven’t done it in many years and it was an incredible experience”

-Amelia M.

“Tubing was really great. I hope I get another chance to do it again someday.”

-Ellory L.

“I had so much fun today on the ziplines. The trees and the water were so pretty to look at”

-Brian A.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5

Hello GLA family!

We started this beautiful, sunny morning with pinto, eggs, and some refreshing fruit to fuel our morning of service! Que delicioso! For GEA students, our leader, Frank led us through a local school, Los Paragos, where we volunteered on a series of projects such as picking up and sorting trash around the school community. We especially enjoyed taking a well-deserved break to go monkey spotting! We saw many baby monkeys swinging from the trees and enjoying a mid-morning snack, mangoes, before heading back to service! The diverse wildlife never fails to amaze and amuse us students.

With Uniendo Comunidades, we went to a town called las Delicias. When we first got there, we met a tour guide named Jeffrey who is deeply involved in the community. We started by walking around the soccer field and picking up trash. While doing that, we spoke to a group of children that attended the school. When we took a break, some of us played soccer with the young children and were impressed by their athletic capabilities. We then began painting the inside of two outdoor bathroom stalls. Once we finished, we said bye to the children and got on the bus. Today was extremely fun and rewarding, it was especially nice to meet the children!

Today at Guanacaste water center we prepared 300 trees to prepare them to be donated to the families of 2 local schools so that they can have fruits in their gardens. We saw a big frog and the first duck of the season. The jungle was very humid but we had a great day preparing for tomorrow.

At VerdiAzul we continued to fill and dig holes for the incoming turtle eggs. We also filled up buckets of sand to create a wall-like area to keep the tide away from the hatchery. VerdiAzul has also helped release 50,000 turtles into the ocean this year.

After some much needed rest time whether spent playing cards poolside or exploring Home Base, the group was ready to play games and make empanadas! We tirelessly ground corn in two ways, hand rolling and then a more modern grinder. We then rolled the dough. After filling, folding, and adding our personal touches, we were ready to enjoy. Whether you love cooking or simply just eating, there was so much to enjoy about tonight´s activities.

“I loved making empanadas!”

– Claire

“It was cool to see all the different kinds of trees that are in Costa Rica!”

-Wiley H.

“We aren’t just helping the turtles, we are helping the earth”

– Jozy T.

“I enjoyed playing a game called Caballitos, it was like quidditch”

-Indy W.

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6

Hello GLA Families!

This morning we started off with french toast and pinto to fuel our day. Everyone split off into groups for service where we all contributed heavily to our different projects.

Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas started the day at the beach, where Frank, our service leader, shared some insightful information with us all. He made all of us sit in a circle and explained to us the meaning of this “power circle.” He informed us of the threat of global warming and identified the major causes. The “power circle” is derived from the fact that knowledge, as opposed to ignorance, gives us power – Power to make a change. Then we cleaned the beach with the help of a small black puppy. After the cleaning was done, we took a dip in the ocean to cool off.

Today at the Guanacaste Water Center, we brought some of the trees that we had labelled yesterday to a local school. There, we donated the trees to kids ranging in age from 4-13, giving them the choice between several different types. We were able to practice our Spanish when talking to the kids, asking them things such as their names and ages before handing them their trees. After we had gotten through all of the kids, we walked around their school, exploring the cafeteria, classrooms, and playground. We found that some parts of their school were very similar to ours, while others were vastly different. When the kids got onto their break, we went out to the field and played soccer against them. We lost horribly, but that´s okay, it was awesome seeing how happy the kids were to be winning.

Today Uniendo Comunidades went to a local community to finish the project we started yesterday. We have been painting the bathrooms by the soccer fields to make them look nice and a better space. We split up into two groups so while one group would paint, the other would pick up trash. After we picked up the trash, we would sort through it and put it into either recycling or trash bags. The kids in the neighbouring house saw us picking up trash and decided to help. They ran around their yard looking for trash and then passing it though their fence. All of the little things make a big influence on others and are a big inspiration to keep green and make choices that benefit the whole community.

The first event of the day at VerdiAzul was to finalize the trench we dug to slow the process of natural erosion by making it more difficult for the tide to wash into the metal support beams that allow the tarps that hang over to give the nests shade. After the trench, we took our first water break of the day, where we went into the ocean to cool off. Then, we went back to digging nests and got about half way before we had noticed that the last egg for the year had hatched. We called all other volunteers for the organization to come as we watched “Frederica Mason Hole” swim into the ocean. Then, we went back to digging the last nesting holes until the end of the day before finishing off our work by taking a second swim break.

After services, we all had a blast at our dance class learning traditional Costa Rican dances. It was a great way to get all of our energy out, learn about the culture, and share some laughs. We were able to create our own dances after using the moves we learnt and adding some of our own creativity. Then we headed to dinner where we had amazing homemade tacos. To end the evening, everyone came together for the group-wide talent show where everyone was able to share their special talents. It brought everyone together and we all had a really good time. What a great way to end the evening!

“Seeing the kids´ faces when we handed them their trees made our work feel so rewarding. It´s so much better to be able to see the impact you´re making.”

-Gabriella C.

“All of the little things make a big influence on others and are a big inspiration to keep green and make choices that benefit the whole community. ”

-Mia Y.

“Many hands make light work, especially with buckets of sand!”

-Luca C

“Knowledge is power”

– Natasha

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7

Hello all,

Everyday has been adventurous but today was extra special. This morning Guanacaste Water centre finished up a 4 year project! We placed signs at different creeks and rivers in the water shed. Us having meaning and names should mean that every living thing should as well, nothing deserves to be unlabelled. We dug holes for the signs then repeatedly placed concrete and dirt into the holes to make sure the signs were all going to last forever. Guanacaste water centre is so happy that these rivers and creeks now have names, meaning and importance.

Today in GEA we painted signs to inspire others. We wrote about how anyone can make a change, including us. We cleaned the beach after painting our signs. This week we´ve picked up over 200 pounds of trash with only six of us. We´ve made a difference. We also learned more about plastic´s origin and impact from Frank our mentor. We got to practice our Spanish in conversations with Frank. We learned that a lot of trash comes from other countries and washes up on shore. This further shows how pollution is everyone´s issue and we must make a change. Overall, we had an educational and fulfilling service for today.

Today in the Uniendo Comunidades we had the honour of working with Esther again (the founder and president of Uniendo Comunidades) where we went to a local park and sorted the trash. All of the trash was just thrown into bins without being properly organized and separated. This means that we can’t recycle or we use items and our landfills would be more full. We also took away 3 garbage bins from the park. This way if there are no garbage bins people are forced to bring their garbage back home to properly sort it. This also creates less waste in the bins and park for animals to go into and spread around the garbage. Lastly, we planted some trees and weeded the garden to make it look prettier and cleaner.

Today at VerdiAzul, we dug the last hole in the hatchery and did a beach cleanup. This was one of the most efficient days of the week and I am so glad I could help out the community. The beach was full of micro plastic and we also saw a sea snake washed up on the beach. I am so thankful for the opportunity to work with VerdiAzul and see the difference I can make in the community.

In the afternoon, at the sustainable goat farm, we got to step outside of our comfort zones to milk, feed, and play with goats. We saw so many babies goats who were so adorable and who we got the pleasure to hold and snuggle with them. We then got to eat and try goat milk, goat cheese, and goat yogurt for a little snack to end the day. What a great day!

“I loved playing with the goats and feeding them.”

-Nyella

“I had so much fun meeting baby goats just coming into the world”

-Maude

¨Baby goats are adorable!¨

-Lorelai

“I enjoyed cleaning the beach today.”

-Damon

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 8

Pura Vida!

Today was the last day of service at Verdiazul was sad to leave the hatchery behind. We worked on sorting trash we collected the previous day and then cleaned it to correctly dispose of it. After that we finished the rest of our time adding sand in front of the hatchery to make sure the tide wouldn’t reach the top of it when we are gone. Overall we are all proud of the work we’ve done this past week and know that it will make all the difference during the turtle nesting season in a few months.

In Uniendo Comunidades, we spent the morning on the beach collecting coconuts and tree branches. We collected these to turn the local area near the beach into a more enjoyable place to be. Then, we headed to the beach where we picked up microplastics and other larger pieces of trash. Ester, our service leader talked to us throughout the day about contributing to the community and what our work means to her. She mentioned how grateful she was that we were helping her throughout this week. We went around and shared that this service has taught us about not just picking up trash, but protecting the life.

Our team for the last day with Guanacaste Water Center was a combination between our service group, another group of Spanish-speaking high school students and the children from the school we visited. All together we cleaned up and helped the garden at the school. As some kids helped plant beans and some helped plant corn, others did composting or helped create a new fence. Together we all as a community helped the garden thrive to its fullest extent.

Today at GEA we hung up our recently painted signs about spreading awareness for environmental consciousness. We also had a talk about why the climate is changing the way it is and our service leader Frank gave us his insight on what he believed to be the problem and solution. Soon after, Frank gave us a test on everything we learned that week, with local fruits as the prize to answering a question correctly.

In the afternoon, we had some well-deserved beach time at Playa Negra. We had a beach Olympics, and played in the water with our friends. The waves were incredible and we played sports like limbo, soccer, javelin, and long jump.

After some free time when we got back from the beach, we had our last leaders of the day pass the torch to the entire group so everyone had the chance to pass the service torch. We also had our last mentor groups of the trip where we read letters, we wrote to ourselves at the first meeting and discussed goals we made at the beginning of the trip and our goals for once we leave. It was a bittersweet day where everyone reflected on the memories we made during our service groups and the last of many activities.

“I learned so much about the environment and the lives we are saving through Ester”

-Leah

“My favorite part wasn’t just helping the garden but being with others to create a place that can provide and educate kids”

-Khloe

“I learned so much about the true harms to the environment which will be able to help me find solutions in the future”

–Ava

“I am really happy with the friends I made at Verdiazul”

-Sam

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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 10

Good morning,

We´re writing this to you on the last morning of the summer and for us it is truly a bittersweet ending. We´ve had so many touching moments here and it seems all-too-soon that they are coming to a close. We started and ended this session with so many beautiful and happy faces and now, have memories that will last a lifetime. Get ready to hear all about them when we finally get back!

Our final moments were just as special and left us felling full-hearted going into travel day. We rose with the sun (maybe a little bit later but it felt like it!) and got ready for our journey to Tamarindo to board our catamaran for the day. The boat and it´s huge mast greeted us and it only took a few moments of putting on sunscreen before we were ready to set sail. The true Costa Rican colors were brighter than ever today with the ocean as a bright, mixing turquoise and the floating islands as a vibrant green. Before arriving to our snorkel spot, we came upon some turtles and dolphins who happily greeted us at the surface! They were being so playful and jumped across the side of the boat, showing-off by doing jumping tricks. With the sun so hot, we were very excited to swim and snorkel when we arrived! We all jumped in with our masks and went over to the nearest rocks to discover some local fish, a lot of sea urchins and some even saw a sting ray! Afterwards, while some swam to the empty beach we had found, other jumped off the boat until it was time for our delicious on-cruise BBQ lunch. Barbeque chicken and pico de gallo seemed to be the best to fill our stomachs before our calm cruise back and some naps along the way!

When we arrived back home, we had a last afternoon in the pool and spent some more quality time with our friends. Even though it has been only 10 days, this session has gotten so close and will hopefully stay in contact when we get home! Our feria (or fair in Spanish) was next so we all got dressed-up to meet local artisans and buy last-minute gifts for all of you waiting at home. The best ending to all of this was running to watch the sunset on the beach and sharing our last moments with a rose-tinted colored sky.

Like we said, we have said such a beautiful and incredible journey with all of you! We can´t believe the days flew by so fast but we know they did because we enjoyed every minute with you! We are so proud of everything you have done and we can´t wait to hear about the amazing humans you become!

Sending Pura Vida and the best wishes from our jungle home in Junquillal,

Michelle, Milena, Digby, TJ, Mireia, Melissa, Andy and Emma.

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Michelle & the Costa Rica Team

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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

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

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

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

Hi Families and Friends!

Sorry we have taking a couple days to write! Some of us had quite a complicated journey getting here after flights were moved or cancelled but, almost all of us now have finally made it! For those of us who arrived early, we started with getting to know our new friends and our new home directly next to the beach. We arrived already having made some memories because a lot of us met in the airports on the way over. While waiting for everyone, we hung out in the pool and got settled. Our first night, after having our first dinner together, we played some games to get to know each other and start remembering names! It’s exciting there are so many new faces! We were still missing 10 friends when we went to sleep on the first night so home base was a little quieter but still cozy and welcomed after the long journeys! The next day, we spent the morning preparing for the rest of the week, learning all about the community we would be in and getting our first look at the services we would be doing! Two more arrived just in time to go the beach. We were so happy to get to splash in the ocean and run around playing soccer on the beach. Another group arrived just in time for dinner and trivia with our mentors! What an exciting time!

Today we are off to our first adventure day and will report back about it tomorrow! In fact from here, our Leaders of the Day will take over the blog and you’ll hear all about our activities and thoughts as we continue! Check back for our updates. We can’t to have a great 10 days here in Guanacaste, Costa Rica!

Sending best wishes from your Beachside Team,
Michelle, Milena, Emma, Marco, Andy, Melissa, Mireia, Digby and TJ

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

Hola everybody!

We woke up bright and early today and had to be on the bus by 6:15 to get to our Adventure Day on time. We were given delicious empanadas for breakfast on the bus! After a 2 hour bus ride we arrived for tubing, where we were informed that we were zip-lining first instead! Everyone was a little shocked but adjusted quickly and we were all pumped for zip-lining.

The course was super cool and included a slide, drop, rock wall, and a rope. Afterwards were had a wait for tubing but it gave room for new adventures! A few people spotted a white-faced monkey and a tapir, then once we finally went down it was a ton of fun! Especially connecting with people we had just met, it was a good way to bond with our new friends.

Tubing was a chaotic experience, people were getting stuck on rocks, falling on their tubes, and there was a friendly spider that surprised everyone towards the end! After that we headed up to the restaurant where there was a large buffet with a variety of amazing Costa Rican foods. Everyone was so ready for lunch after our busy morning. Then we took a quick bus ride to a souvenir shop and ice cream shop. Everyone got some fun gifts for themselves, friends and family. Then we headed back to home-base, during the ride we saw an amazing sunset with a cotton candy sky. Also while passing over a bridge we saw a huge crocodile swimming in the river.

Once we got back to home base we had to rush to dinner then we (todays leaders) got to lead the chow circle before talking with our mentor groups for the first time! We wrote letters to our future selves to read at the end of the week, we were instructed to set goals and list things we are looking forward to during our service projects! Overall our first adventure day was a success and we are looking forward to the rest of the week.

“Tubing was THRILLING ADVENTUROUS AND FUN”
– Dean C.

“I had so much fun experiencing the Costa Rican jungle environment today while ziplining and tubing! I also got a chance to practice my Spanish skills with the instructors where I travelled outside of my comfort zone but I appreciate too so much!”
– Lia L.

“I enjoyed the zip-lining. I loved how the course was unique. I also enjoyed the tubing and seeing everyone helping one another get unstuck! It was all so much fun and a great way to get closer to our peers!”
– Audrey M.

“ I really had a great time zip-lining. It was exhilarating experience with fun and different activities as well as tubing was so so fun! I´m very excited for the days to come.”
– Genet D.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

Buenos días!

Today, July 22nd, was our first GLA service day! At the Guanacaste Water Center, the day went by all and of us volunteers grew accustomed to the hot weather and had to use a lot pf sunscreen and bug spray as a result pf being in the dry forest. Towards the beginning, we got closer to our guide, Alberto, who taught us about the significance of erosion and how natural land formations like ¨water sheds¨ help us humans control erosion. According to Alberto and our mentor Mireia, the mission of the Guanacaste Water Center is to combat climate change by informing local communities about the importance of water protection and the harvest of plants. Our main task of the day was to create makeshift ecosystems that were made out of cardboard, plastic boxes, and soil. This was our main task because these ecosystems would be used as a haven for plants like avocado and cashew trees to be able to grow. Alongside myself, other volunteers that I was with like Nicole, Korbin, Arun, and Lola had mentioned that being out in the dry forest was both interesting and eye opening. We are all looking forward to tomorrow´s activities, but can confidently say that the 1st day of service at the Guanacaste Water Center was a success.

“Being in the forest was very thrilling and fun. Seeing all of the wildlife around us was on my bucket list and I am glad that I could say I was even able to go on a trip like this!” -Kevan P.

We started the day by introducing ourselves and meeting all of the group members that help run the trash pick up program. We then broke into groups, aluminium, plastic, and glass, and started to sort through piles and piles of trash. After a couple hours of sweat, ants, and finding new crawly creatures, we were given fruit and tea by the workers. We were informed that through all the separation, those never-ending cans and bottles, would later be sent to be recycled to then later be created as a service ramp in the community for disabled people in several elementary schools. We then ended off the day by a great dancing and singing performance from a local boy, Liam, that stayed with us till the end of the service, bringing laughter and joy to all of us through a pretty gross and definitely different time.

“Although the trash was very dirty and gross, being involved and helping the local elementary school felt very worth it and heart warming to know that it would go to help the kids” -Natalie B.

A Costa Rican named Frank introduced me and my GEA group to the Los Pargos school. He explained all the symbols on the murals that the previous GEA students had created. The palm trees on the school mural represent tourism, the fish is called a red snapper which is the name of the town, and the boat represent the fishermen in Costa Rica. After Frank showed us all around the school it was time to head to the woods where trash was getting dumped illegally. We all spent about 1 hour picking up cans, glass bottles, cardboard, plastic, Styrofoam, and bins. GEA made a difference in the Costa Rican community today. From learning the school’s history, to playing with the kids, and picking up others trash to clean up. Me and my group feel accomplished in our helpful actions today, and we can’t wait to see what challenges tomorrow will bring us!

“Just remember that each piece of trash that is dropped is either eaten by an animal of left there for over 100 or more years unless we do something.”
-Kelly R.

In VerdiAzul, we left to the beach which was a five minute walk from homebase. We started service off by stretching and warming up then we started talking and learning about different turtles and fun facts about them. Then we were told about what happens when the tides rises and what could happen to the turtles if the water gets up to far. We started filling buckets up with sand so then we could put in a specific area so when the tide rises the turtle eggs won’t get destroyed so that when they hatch, they can go to the sea safely. After about 30 minutes or so we got to take a break where we got to swim in the water at the beach and then we went back to work!

“Leatherback turtles are as tall as Michelle, our director! That was cool to learn about” -Ethan G.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

Hello everyone,

Today was a productive and engaging day. For breakfast, we enjoyed a variety of items including cereal, French toast, beans and rice, accompanied by bananas, coffee, and juice. Today’s service in VerdiAzul involved conservation work with turtle nests; we dug out old sand and replaced it with fresh sand to create a suitable environment for the turtle eggs. After a break in the ocean, we returned to our project and learned how some turtles move symmetrically and some move a-symmetrically. We were also taught how to locate turtle’s eggs with a prodding stick to locate the eggs- this day was not only educational but filled with exciting and rewarding moments.

“We learned how some turtles move in different ways and how they burry their eggs.” -Jordan G.

This morning we woke up early and got on the bus to go back to the school. My service group(GEA) meets at the school in the community. When we got there we met with Frank, the leader of our service who lives here in Costa Rica. When we got to the school, we helped Frank weigh the trash we collected yesterday. We collected 170lbs on all yesterday, and we were determined to break our record today. Before we went out and collected trash, we sorted the trash from yesterday into two groups: actual trash and recyclables. We learned that lots of trash can actually be repurposed. Once we labelled the bags and dropped them off, we went back out into the forest to collect more. We spent a little over an hour collecting all sorts of trash. We then returned to the school and weighed our bags from today. In just one day we removed 242lbs of trash from the local community. We broke the record for most pounds of trash collected in one day! That’s 411 pounds in just two days of service, which is just a couple hours work. Everyone was passionate, productive, and dedicated to the project today.

“Today we learned that small actions can really make big differences and changes in the world. We beat the record of trash collected in one day in just an hour of work.” -Jessica G

Today was Day 2 of service at Guanacaste Water Center, and I am glad to say it was very successful! Our mission and goal today was to place signs to place to label local rivers and creeks in order to help teach visitors about the area the area and about its bodies of water, such as the River Pargos and River Zapote. We started out by stopping at the Water Center to grab what we needed for the day, which included shovels, cement, buckets, and the signs. With the help of Alberto and his helpers at the Water Center, we headed over to the first river, where we happened to see three howler monkeys, including a baby; it was crazy! We worked very well as a team today, with some of us digging the holes for the signs, while others mixed and placed cement, as well as gathering rocks. It was a lot of hard work but we all found it really fun and fulfilling! Big thanks to the guys at the Water Center for letting all of us pile into one of the trucks to cross the river because we were all wearing sneakers! Some group members described it as a day that went by very fast because it was fun and they really got into the work. Overall, it was a really fun day of service, and we are very excited for Day 3!

“We learned about the importance of teaching people about their environment, and got to witness some of Costa Rica´s natural beauty in its forests.” -Arun P

Today was a an extremely productive and fulfilling day, firstly in my service group (Uniendo Communidades) when we arrived the heat was unbearable, speaking to the director made everyone realize what great of an impact we are doing as a group for this community. We were able to paint the specific place where certain individuals from the town get they´re water. As a team we were encourage everyone to push, the productivity was incredible and it was extremely fulfilling watching every single person with a smile on they´re face even through the heat. With the help of Ester we were able to understand that every step of the way was extremely helpful to make this town more beautiful than it is. We were separated into two groups one group painting the borders and the other group painting the walls we all worked as a team and tomorrow we will continue to finish this extremely big project that is extremely helpful for the community. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity and can’t wait to continue to make a change with my peers extremely excited for the future days ahead of me.

“I was able to step myself into these individuals’ shoes and how I would like to see the community which gave me the energy to make this change.” -Oasis B.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

Hola chicos!

We woke up to the peaceful sound of birds chirping and waves crashing as we started our third service day in Costa Rica! We had a delicious breakfast of muffins, eggs and rice and beans which was a big hit across the group. After breakfast, we headed off to our service groups for an amazing day of community work.

Starting off in Verdiazul, we prepared for our strenuous work by stretching in a circle and listening to the top hits of 2014. Then, we did erosion protection around the turtle hatchery by dumping sand and compacting it. After that, we dug out previous turtle hatching nests to clean them and replace them with new sand. To finish, we refilled the nest and proceeded onto lunch.

At Unidad Comunidades, we finished painted the wall that surrounds and protects the local communities water source, supplying water to about 120 people. We also started to paint tires, which will be used to plant different flowers to spruce up the community. Our group also began to paint the mural that will face the street so many people can see it. Even though we were all covered in paint, the group worked together and were very enthusiastic the whole time!

Then in Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas we started the day off with a warm up game of random hot potato. This woke everyone in our group up and allowed for us to listen to Frank’s talk about the importance of combating climate change. Following this talk, the group split up and collected trash all around the beach. Everybody realized how much climate change affects us all throughout the entirety of the service and we are all so excited to continue making a difference in our communities!

It was also Day 3 at the Water Centre and our Misson today was to relocate plants that have long roots to help stop erosion at rivers. The first step to relocate plants is to dig and collect the plants. So we had groups digging grass weeds chopping the plants in half. The reason for that is because we want these plants to survive and when we pull the out of the ground it breaks some of them so we chop the, so the roots can keep the plant alive. The second step was making buckets with rocks with bamboo for this school we are going to that needs the grass. The buckets were for a perimeter for the road so cars can go around us as we work.

After lunch, most of the group went to the beach. At the beach we swam in the ocean and played soccer and volleyball. The waves were huge! After, we watch the beautiful sunset. To end the night, we did a talent show where people danced, sang, performed skits, and played instruments. It was so fun, and really bonded the group. Overall, it was such a great day!!

“The ocean was a perfect way to relax after dealing with buckets of sand”
-Dean & Sarah

“Working all day in the sun and with all of the local people really gives you respect for all they do for this place” -Korbin

“Knowing that you are helping people and seeing the people in the community light up seeing all of our hard work makes all the work worth it.” -Eliza

“Picking up the trash on the beach was so calming and made me see the beauty in cleaning the environment!” -Alicia

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

Buenos dias!

We woke up to a sunny warm morning and had pancakes, cereal, and rice for breakfast. Then we got ready for the day and headed to our service groups for a good day of work.

In Verdiazul, we walked in the mangroves collecting trash which lead to the beach where our group collected so much trash! Each member worked very hard and collected at least half a bag of trash. The work did not end there though, we then went back to the base of Verdiazul and cleaned out the sand in one of the turtle nests and then replaced the sand with bacteria free sand for the turtles. The team was tired but we powered through!

It was Day 4 at the Water Centre and our mission for today was to first pick up lots and lots of trash. We then planted a variety of trees and bushes for the sake of erosion and the ecosystem. Although the day was tiring, we persevered as no tree or bush is too big for the GLA Community to conquer in order to save the environment.

In GEA we got to design and paint signs to hang in the community with reminders of positive change and encouraging notes to the community members. We then began sorting trash into plastic, glass and glass completing our purpose to reduce reuse and recycle. We were surprised with a performance from the local kids primary school celebrating Guanacaste unification with Costa Rica 200 years ago today. Filled with kids dancing, songs blasting, and laughter flowing.

In Uniendos Communidades we all arrived to finished our project that we started to work on, on the second day. We’ve been transforming something ugly like a tire into something beautiful like a colorful flower bed and painting murals on what used to be boring walls. It was a lot of hard work and everyone seemed uncomfortable at first, but seeing our progress has made it all worth it. All of the seemingly endless trash we’ve picked up, all of the shovelling we’ve done, and the painting that’s finally been completed, has made us feel like we have made a difference on this community. Helping to actually change this place to make it more spectacular has truly been so fulfilling and impressive. Seeing the gratitude on the community members faces and the feeling we all feel after the work is done is indescribable.

After the work was done, we headed on home to get ready for cooking class and rally games at a local center. We participated in traditional Costa Rican games with the kids and made home made empanadas. We learned how Costa Ricans used to grind corn in the older days and used platano leaves to form the empanada shape. The end of the day was filled with mentor groups and fun shout outs to appreciate other people. Altogether, the day was so eventful and filled with entertainment.

“I`ve never sweated so much in my life however, it was fun experience in all”.
-Emmanuel

“Soccer was so much fun!” -Sierra

“I guess you could say our group in the best at playing pato pato gonso (duck duck goose)” -Ella

“Nothing can compare to homemade empanadas and a fresh strawberry drink after a long day!” -Cristina

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 27 (JULY 28 BLOG ALSO ADDED)

Buenos dias!

We started off our eighth day in Costa Rica with our usual morning routine: an early breakfast of fruit, rice, eggs, and cereal. Then, we got ready for our fifth and final service day!

In Uniendo Comunidades, we started the day off by walking over to a playground, which was by the beach. We picked up microplastics for a few hours, then walked back to a playground to clean up coconuts, leaves, and more trash. After all of that we went to a beach and swam.

“I´m so happy from the new connections I have made on this trip and how I am able to help out the community” -Lyndon

For our final day working with Frank in Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas (GEA), we learned about the importance of our work and how it will impact the surrounding community. Frank began by informing our group about Costa Rican culture, society, and tourism. He explained how our generation has the ultimate superpower of TIME, since we are the ones who can change the future of the world. Then, we took a trip to the beach, where we hung our painted, inspirational signs to spread awareness about environmental issues. Afterwards, Frank led “El Examen Final”, which was a fun game to test our learned knowledge about Costa Rica. We played beach volleyball and of course, had a mini photoshoot with Frank and Elvin! We ended our service with ice cold smoothies as a reward for our dedication to helping the community this past week.

“We are so grateful for Frank and his passion for GEA! We had such a fulfilling week learning about our ability to benefit the Costa Rican community and environment!” -Tatum

For our fifth and final day at the Guanacaste Water Center, we traveled to the nearby school of Guaposte to help them with their ongoing garden project. We split into a couple different groups to complete all of the tasks. One group painted a “pollinators hotel” that bees would move into: the roof was red, the walls were white, and they doodles flowers and swirls all over the sides. Another group put together bamboo homes for the bees in the “hotel.” A third group sanded down and painted varnish over signs for the garden. We had some people planting cucumber plants, some turning dirt to make it better for the plants, and some taking weeds out of another section of the garden. A final group made a fence out of wires to protect the garden. Overall it was a busy day, and we got a lot of work done. Before leaving we played a bit of fútbol with some local kids, and the man that runs the Water Center— Alberto— gave us some sacred leaves to sprinkle over the ground as we made wishes for our and everyone’s futures. We greatly enjoyed working with the Guanacaste Water Center, and will treasure our time with Alberto and all the memories we made.

“I feel that the work we did at the Water Center made a great impact in this community and the health of its natural resources.” -Sophia

Today at VerdiAzul, we picked up trash and dug holes for turtles. It was very rewarding and accomplishing. I am very grateful to have been a part of this experience. I’ve learned a lot about turtles and conservation of marine life. In verdiazul we also sorted through 460 pieces of trash.

“I think I’ve made friends for life” -Dara

After lunch, we hopped into the vans and took a fun little trip to visit a goat farm! Even in the pouring rain, we were able to feed the goats, milk the goats, and even drink the goat milk! We also saw the cutest baby goats, some as young as seven days, and got to eat fresh goat feta cheese. It was such a cool experience and we were all pushed outside of our comfort zones getting to milk the goat!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 28

Hi Families!

Writing to you as we sit here sipping our coffees on the morning of departure day, 10 days after we had the joy of meeting this crew. The goodbyes today will be so bittersweet because we know how excited they are to reunite with you (and hug their dogs!) but also, sad to see such a great group go!

Luckily our last day, yesterday, brought just as much excitement and curiosity as we had here, learning and growing together at Beachside. We started the day early to get to the boat on time to enjoy the entire morning sailing on the ocean. As we started, we noticed we weren´t heading directly towards our island spot and we all realized why when a juvenile Humpback whale came to greet us at the surface right next to the boat! It´s early in the season, and we haven´t yet seen them in our other groups so we were all watching in awe. As we continued on, dolphins and a sea turtle were also spotted, making it easy to feel completely surrounded by the Costa Rican wildlife that we have come to know and love. We anchored near a hidden beach and all dropped happily in to snorkel and swim. Some of us even jumped off the boat. We wrapped up our amazing sailing adventure with a BBQ lunch and a calm cruise back in the sunshine!

After lunch, we got back to Home Base to pack and get all dressed-up for our Feria, or our artisan fair, which had local vendors for us to buy last minute gifts. While we were getting ready, we got a call that 100 baby sea turtles had hatched!! We all finished as quickly as we could and ran to watch the little one’s crawl to waves and swim away to start their lives. What a special surprise and that was only the start of an incredible afternoon! After, at the Feria, a dancing school performed traditional Costa Rican festival dances and the marimba, a traditional instrument was played. Some of us even went to try to play it ourselves!

The last sunset was full of beautiful smiles and the first farewell hugs given to our service and mentor groups as we organized photos for memories. A delicious dinner was followed by our Appreciation circle and a pool party; allowing us to truly celebrate these 10 days in the fullest fashion. What an incredible trip! We will miss you all so much!

Sending love from your team here in Guanacaste,

Michelle, Milena, Digby, TJ, Emma, Melissa, Mireia, Marco and Andy

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Michelle & the Costa Rica Team

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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

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

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

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

PURA VIDA!

Wow! We are so excited that most of us were able to join us here at Home Base yesterday to start this incredible adventure together! For those of us that arrived earlier, we already had some great time to be in the pool, got to meet some of our new friends and got to walk around in the jungle we will call home for the next 10 days! It´s definitely hot down here, and a little bit of jungle rain greeted us too, as we all started filling up the bungalows.

As more arrived, it was so neat to see that we all come from such different places and have ideas and stories that we can´t wait to share! Our delicious dinner consisted of chicken Casado, salad and sweet plantains, a traditional dish down here in Costa Rica. After we filled our bellies, we played “Getting-to-Know-You” games so that we could get a jump start on all of the names! We were all pretty exhausted by the time, lights-out time arrived, and so we all pilled into our new rooms excited for a new day tomorrow.

Currently preparing for lunch on our official second day in Costa Rica, we can´t wait for what´s to come! Looking forward to our beach time this afternoon and for getting ready for our full schedule in the up-coming days. Like we said, it´s just exciting for us all to finally be here!

Look forward to more blogs from our Leaders of the Day throughout the week! We are sending you love and good wishes from here!

Your team here in CR,

Michelle, Milena, Emma, Cris, Mireia, Melissa, Marco, Andy, TJ and Digby

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Hola!

Here in Costa Rica so many things have been happening and we can´t wait to tell you about them. First, today was the first day of our service groups, and we were able to all choose one of four service projects.

The first one was Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas. There is a town called Los Pargos (the red Snappers) because it was home to many fishermen but now it is home to many tourists. In our group, ¨GEA¨ we collected 161.76 pounds of trash. Caleb found a painted turtle and I climbed in the river to get two empty bottles. We also went to the beach and swam and we saw the boxer (dog) from yesterday and named her Pura Vida and call her Vida and we hand fed her water. Pura Vida is a well known phrase, that translated to Pure Life, and is used in many interactions. One of the locals Frank said at the end of the service ¨I wish we could be here all day doing this.¨

The second group to choose from was Guanacaste. In the Water Center, students learned about all the different locations of watersheds around the world. We learned about the dryest seasons of Costa Rica and how the owner, Alberto, deals with the Water Center at those times. Everyone reapplied bug spray and were very excided to get to work. Students broke into separate groups to help build and maintain the watershed.

“Today was eye-opening, I am more aware of water problems in Costa Rica.” (Bella)

Another one of the service groups is, Verdiazul. We started off with fun games to learn more about turtles and their process of laying eggs, then we started the process of cleaning the sand of the bacteria from the egg shells that the baby turtles hatched from. During our breaks we got to cool off in the ocean and play more fun games. Everyone is having so much fun and learning so much about turtles. Everyone is so excited for the next four days of service because we have such good chemistry within our group and we made the service work fun. One member of the group Chloe said ¨It was thrilling to learn all these new facts about turtles while helping the community¨

The last service group of the day was Uniendo Comunidades. We began the day by working to transplant native trees from inland to a beautiful park along the beach. After this, we began to work along the beach cleaning trash that comes from all over the world. Once finished we listened to Ester talk about the true importance about what we were doing. It truly brought things full circle.

“Seeing someone so passionate about what they do, such as Ester, inspires me to step up in my own community.” (Mason)

After service we had lunch and rest time before we went on a nice beach walk. We walked as far as the tide pools where we got to watch the ocean and its big waves hit against the big rocks. Later, we have the big debate where we are going to debate the Pineapple Industry and learn how to be better consumers in our community. Then we are going to watch the mesmerizing sunset and enjoy dinner before we go into mentor groups and end the day.

Thank you so much for reading!

From our Leaders of the Day,

Mason, Gavin, Bella and Kayla

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Pura Vida!!

Today we wrapped up day four and had a blast! It was a day of fulfillment for all on their projects, followed by excitement at the sustainable goat farm, learning about their practices and even milking goats! Today was another excellent 24 hours of nonstop fun, all thanks to GLA.

At Verdiazul today we again were digging up nests and replacing them with clean ones for the hatchery. We had an amazing day optimizing our assembly line organizing ourselves. Today we really became a team, sharpening our skills with the double shovels and had fun competing in digging competitions.

Today at the Guanacaste Water Center we gathered signs, gathered our cement materials and headed off to start our day. Our goal of today was to put these signs in the ground which Marcina our leader had been wanting to get done for weeks. We first dug a hole and made sure it was big enough to fit our sign in. After that we made cement and filled the holes with rocks and the previous made cement. We repeated this process three other times which filled our four hours of work.

Quote from our advisor Marcina who states, “I love when the people in general can be different, try new things, and remember the importance of togetherness´´.

Over at Uniendo Comunidades we began by sorting through trash at a recycling center placed recently by legislature. We finished in just over an hour and then took a quick swimming break. Then we began painting a Costa Rican tourist shop. This shop is highly important for the park and surrounding areas because all the funds raised in the shop goes to improve the community.

The founder of Uniendo Comunidades, Ester says, ¨No es nuestra basura, pero es nuestro planeta.¨ This means, It is not our trash, but it is our planet.¨

At GEA today, we started the day off by sorting out the trash we picked up yesterday into plastic, glass, and garbage. We then took a walk to playa Negra to find some trash on the beach. For this we split up into two groups. We ended up tallying a total of 30lbs which is amazing. Then we headed over to the beach volleyball court for some action-packed fun with Sebastian, our invaluable helper. And finally topping it off we hit the waves for a good end to our service day!

Sending good vibes!

Our Leaders of the Day,

Giorgio, Arshaan, Sophia and Ella

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Pura Vida!

Today we woke up bright and early at six am to pile into the bus for our first adventure day! The entire group was very enthusiastic and excited to go tubing and ziplining. During the duration of the 2 hour bus rides, the service groups enjoyed empanadas and appreciated each other’s company by spending time playing cards, karaoke, and sharing funny stories.

The fresh cold water woke us all up from our sleepy bus ride. The crazy current carried us down the stream, and an unfortunate few fell out of our tubes, which we found quite comical. It was nice to take a break and connect with all of our peers outside of service. After tubing we went to a hotel restaurant for lunch and had a buffet style meal, which all of us enjoyed and went back for seconds.

After a delicious lunch, we started our journey ziplining. There was a total of eleven different zip lines. We went through forests, canyons, and got so close to many different waterfalls. We had so much fun. There was an optional activity to jump off of a thirty-foot platform thirty feet high and rock climb back up, and around half of the people here participated. One of the best parts was massive swing we were strapped to, where we went from one side of the canyon to the other after taking a leap of faith. Lastly, there was a section where you slid down a slide into the zipline above a waterfall. Most people found ziplining to be the highlight of their day due to the stellar sights and different activities along the way.

The bus ride back took 3 hours but was filled with groups laughing and bonding about the day. We stopped along the way back at gift shop to buy gifts for our loved ones back home, and for some of us buy tourists t-shirts as we were running out of clean ones. Afterwards, the bus ride continues and we finish the night by eating a delicious dinner and completing our chow circle.

¨I enjoyed the tubing most! It was a once in a lifetime experience and I found it absolutely breathtaking. The bus rides were lots of fun and helped us get to know each other better. The best part was getting to watch my friends face their fears both in the water and on the ziplines.” – Hailey B

“My favorite part of today was the ziplining because it was such an eye-opening experience to glide through the canyons and explore among the forest.” – Milo K

“It was so fun riding back from the adventure because my bus was talking about our lives back home, and throwing marshmallows into each other’s mouths. Shout out to Andy for letting us play music and scream songs the entire ride.” – Fiona C

“My favourite part of the day was ziplining because of the great views and the thrill of it.” – Eli B

“My favourite part of the day was bonding with my friends on the bus and going through the rapids while tubing.” – Sierra

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Hola!

Today we woke up to another beautiful Costa Rican morning!

After a nutritious breakfast, we dispersed into our service groups. Uniendo Cominidades finished painting the building in the park with sea animals and finished up with leaving our handprints on the inside to finish off a great 3- day long project.

“Today was hard work, but it was good because we did it with love and passion, which made it good. You guys give me hope for the future. “—Ester, Uniendo Comunidades service leader.

Verdiazul continued digging holes and preparing a habitat for the baby turtles to hatch in. Ecologic group de Avellanas painted inspirational phrases on boards to post up around the community. One great example was “Trabajamos juntos para hacer el cambio”, which means “We work together to make change.”

Our service leader, Frank, said “This next generation of people will be the ones to make the change needed and this is the first step towards it”

Guanacaste Water Center dug holes, planted trees, and measured native species populations in the river.

After service finished, we had lunch and some free time by the pool. Students grabbed ice cream and hung out with their peers. After that the mentors gave us time to practice for the talent show. We were all finishing up with our practices when the mentors looked excited and told us that they had a surprise for us today. We had no idea what was going to come next! So we gathered quickly and went to the beach across the street! That´s when they announced that 56 sea turtles were hatching!! We watched the sea turtles hatch and waddle their way to the ocean! It was such an incredible experience. Then a speaker came and talked to us about Costa Rica and its history. At the end of the night, we performed in our Talent Show. We had magicians, singers, dancers and even a special guest! It was so fun!

“My favourite part of the day was watching the turtle´s life begin and crawl to the ocean into their new world¨ Justin Ghiselli

Can´t wait for our next surprise here in our last few days in Costa Rica!

“Never put off till tomorrow, what can be done today.“ Sensei Wu

All from our Leaders of the Day,

Noah, Will, Fallon and Sydney

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Pura Vida!

Our day started off with a wonderful 7 am breakfast that consisted of French toast and sausages.

With Verdiazul today, we visited a local mangrove and learned about why it is important to preserve the wildlife in the area. Throughout our visit, we picked up trash and plastics around the area to maintain the cleanliness of the environment.

With the Guanacaste Water Center we visited a local elementary school. We helped out their garden by creating a compost as well as weeding and planting or replanting trees and plants. Some of us also created a fence to protect the greenhouse there from animals and insects while others built an insect hotel to give shelter and a place to live for many bugs, safe from birds and other predators.

With Uniendos Comuninades today we visited the community of Florcita. The community is new, only around 5 years old. We painted signs with positive messages of recycling for their community center. We had some locals helping out with painting, they were very kind. They brought their children to help out too. They gave us watermelon and banana for snacks.

With GEA today, for the first time we went to a different beach with nobody on it. Once again Sebastian and Kaunu were there on their dirt bike ready to help and have a good time. After Frank taught us about mangroves and environmental issues, we split into our usual two groups and walked down the beach, hanging up our signs that we made yesterday as we went. On our way back, we picked up any trash that we saw, which unfortunately ended up being a lot. One group primarily picked up microplastics, while the other group found many piles of trash on their side of the beach. The final tally was 108.6 pounds of trash. Afterwards, we went back to home base, and Chris let us stop at a coffee shop for drinks and pastries.

Once our services were finished, we all had pasta as our lovely lunch. We had downtime and were very entertained with things like hanging out by the poolside and spending time with friends in our rooms. After some free time, we split into groups and went to play rally games, learn juggling, and were taught how to cook potato and bean empanadas which had mixed reviews. We then headed back to home base, had chow circle and dinner, then went to mentor groups and were done for the day.

From today´s leaders of the day,

¨Cooking and playing games with Frank was super fun.¨ -Jason O

¨Learning new skills can be challenging, but are worth it in the end.¨ -Karli F

¨Changing our mindsets is the first essential step towards making a change.¨
-Caleb E (Inspired by Frank)

“If you devote your time and energy to a cause, your actions will be recognized, and spread the right message” -Zach M

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

Hola!

We started our day today with a big breakfast and hoped on the bus to head to service.

Today at Verdiazul we started of with digging holes and filling then back in. Today we reached a goal of completing 5 holes. After we began to sort the trash, we collected at the mangrove yesterday into different categories. We learned more about the turtles and had a great time together. We all were very connected today and had a great time playing in the pool after. We played many different games and had some laughs.

Today was the last day of service with Uniendo Comunidades. We went to a local park today as the last place we visited as a group. After we had a tour of the community we started work by carrying lots of tires all the way over to the playground to start our end goal. We were building little tables for all the kids who come to play at the park, by stacking tires, painting tires and filling them with gravel to create the tables and chairs. We carried stacked and then painted the tires. We dug lots of holes in the ground to keep the tires in place, we carried lots and lots of gravel across the park to fill inside the tires to keep them in place. It was very hot and sweaty. And hard and tiring work, but it felt good to do something that would make a clear difference by the time we were done. We built a little tunnel of tires and a little hopscotch course with them too. And some of us even tried it out, even though we were probably a little too big for it. By the time we were finished, we´d built three tables with chairs of standing tires planted all around it, painting them so they stood out and were a lot more fun, and added to the playground beautifully. It being the last day of service we talked a bit about all wed done over the last five days once we were finished, and I think we all feel very proud of the work we´ve done. It´s a special thing to know that we created something here. Something that will stay. And be used and hopefully loved by everyone who comes by.

The Guanacaste group stayed at the water center today to finish projects that we started on day one. We split into several groups doing tasks such as composting, clearing a fallen tree, and building plant beds. The day was a huge success and we were able to finish all of our tasks with plenty of time. With that time, we played games with local high schoolers who were also volunteering. Despite the language barrier, we had lots of fun with a lot of laughs. Our experience over the five days was amazing and very rewarding.

Today in the GEA group we went to a beach resort. Frank showed us several types of mangrove trees as we walked through the dense forest. We saw many different species of animals as we walked on the boardwalk. Frank taught us how the resort installed solar panels instead of powerlines to protect the monkeys. As we arrived at the beach some local kids joined us in picking up trash. We went to an isolated spot with them on the beach and picked up trash. Shortly after picking up trash, we played a game with Frank where he gave us treats for answering questions.

The rest pf the day was full many fun activities. We immediately hopped on the bus and went to the beach, where we swam, played soccer with some local kids on the beach and walked through tidepools. After that we headed back to homebase where we had a dance class with a local. We learned the salsa and reggaeton and a local dance that is specific to this community. We ended the night with dinner and our final mentor groups and talking about how the trip has been overall.

From today´s leaders of the day,

Elly, Chloe, Asher and Alex

¨The salsa was one of my favorite activities of the trip.¨ -Elly K

¨Seeing everyone work was magical.¨ (inspired by Valerie) -Chloe M

¨It was super rewarding seeing the finished plant beds after 5 days of work¨
-Asher E

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Hola!

Today was our last full day in Costa Rica and it was very bittersweet. We started off the morning bright and early to head over to the catamaran. Everyone had been looking forward to this adventure day and it was finally here! During the ride over, we had breakfast burritos and spent time resting or playing games. Our service groups have bonded over these long bus rides which have been so fun!

Unfortunately, it was raining this morning but that didn´t stop us from having a good time! It was the most rain we have had so far on this trip. We loaded onto small boats that brought us over and were impressed with the catamaran. We then all got settled in and got some drinks!

Once everyone was on the catamaran, we set sail and headed towards a secluded bay to swim. On our way there a massive pod of dolphins swam up to our boat. We could see them swimming right under the boat! It was a really cool experience. When we arrived at the bay, we all jumped off the edge of the boat. We had to use pool noodles which was pretty funny. There was even a slide that went off the back of the boat! After spending some time in the warm blue water, we feasted on a meal prepared for us by the crew. This meal consisted of BBQ chicken, other sides, and cookies which were gone in seconds! As we started our journey back to shore the rain finally went away and music began to play. Everyone piled into the main cabin and it soon turned into a full-blown dance party. We all made everlasting memories that we will never forget!

Once we arrived back at shore, we again enjoyed the bus ride home and had some free time. Our last afternoon consisted of getting ready for the feria and packing up our things. Everyone looked beautiful in their sun dresses and linen shirts. The feria was super cool and right at home base! We all picked up some souvenirs which ranged from bracelets to kitchen utensils. Afterwards, we went to sunset which was filled with laughing and bonding about the day. The night soon concluded with a wonderful last dinner and an appreciation circle.

“I had the best time enjoying the catamaran today! It was such a perfect way to end this wonderful trip and I loved bonding with all the kind people I have met.” -Madison B

“The catamaran was for sure one of my highlights of the trip, especially the dance party on the ride back. I am looking forward to the dinner we will have tonight as we say our final goodbyes.” -Justin G

“The catamaran trip was a great way to end this amazing experience. I will remember it for the rest of my life.” -Carter T

“The catamaran ride was so fun and swimming in the water was so refreshing! It was such a nice ending being able to relax and hangout with all the amazing people I met here!” -Lola P

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Hello All!

What an incredible experience this has been for all of us! As we sat in the silence of Home Base, once all of you left at the airport, we realized how empty it will feel here without you guys! There was no one splashing in the pool, no one sneaking off to the ice-cream shop and no one coming to sit in the air-conditioning in the office! What are we going to do without you?
There were so many memories that seemed like yesterday – all of you lined-up playing games in the Rancho on the first night, your first dip in the ocean at Playa Negra, meeting your service groups, battling through trivia, writing your goals, showing yours talents, dancing and cooking and running every day through the rain and so much more!

We are so proud of you for dedicating your time and energy and hard-work towards becoming the GLA leaders that we knew you could become. Like we said on the first day, keep working to find your voice and show-up in the way you can and want for this world! Keep raising your hand to getting involved and feel confidence in that we and your peers believe and see so many things in you!

You are the change!

Know that we will continue sharing your stories with the other leaders to come. Sending love, energy and kindness from our little haven on Playa Junquillal always!

Wish you all the happiness in the world!
With love, Michelle

Hola a todos!
I hope you’re all doing well and settling back into life after our amazing time in Costa Rica. We spent 10 days together immersing ourselves in Costa Rica’s culture and landscapes, but more importantly, we dove into what it means to make a positive impact on the world. I saw each of you grow in so many ways over the course of this session. Whether it was overcoming personal challenges, seeing things from new perspectives, or discovering strengths you didn’t know you had, it’s been a joy to witness.

I encourage you to carry the lessons and memories from Costa Rica with you. I hope each of you have learned something about yourselves and the world around you. Keep seeking out ways to be the change—whether it’s standing up for what you believe in, helping those in need, or just approaching life with an open heart and positive mindset.

Wishing you all the best in everything you do.

Pura vida!

Digby

Hey guys!

By the time you are reading this it will have been a while since you all left Costa Rica. I hope you all have good memories from those 10 crazy days. I know that there were some tough moments, but I’m sure each of you are going to keep something valuable inside of you from this trip. Something that is going to help you in your life’s journey. Even if you haven’t realized it yet. Be proud of yourselves for being brave enough to decide to challenge yourselves out of your comfort zone and try new things that you had never tried before. You made it, guys! Stay positive! Keep manifesting the good things you want in your life! And be the change this world needs… You have already taken the first step! See you soon amigos!

¡Pura Vida! – Mireia

Buenas Chic@s!

Miss you already! This experience was full of twists and turns, literally down the river from tubing. You had the chance to make an important impact on the community and on peoples’ lives. You got invovled in environmental work that benefits everyone, including you and the ones you love. Even more exciting, you got to see yourself grow and learn in ways you didn’t think you would.

I had lots of fun with you, seeing you become more of the leader you are. Remember this is just a step in a larger journey that’s bigger than ourselves. I hope you’re home and starting to reflect and maybe even practicing more Costa Rican phrases you’ve learned.

Love you all! Pura Vida!
TJ

Hi guys!!

What a great time we had these past days! I feel so much joy and gratitude for having spent time working with you in service, mentor groups and as a whole community in Costa Rica. I will cherish all these memories at the bottom of my heart with love and appreciation. I would like this opportunity to invite you to always be proud of yourself and your accomplishments remember that getting out of your comfort zone is a great way to showcase your strengths as individuals. I want to congratulate you all for taking the initiative to travel and work to shift your perspective about life by serving a different community.

With appreciation,
Cristopher

Hi you guys :)!

It’s been a while since we began our Costa Rican journey together, but I continue to cherish all the memories we created here in Playa Junquillal! Your passion, excitement, and friendships you built were so inspiring. From floating through the Costa Rican jungle to getting our hands dirty in service, you all showed persistence! I hope you all carry the lessons you learned and your OMG goal and continue to change the world! Remember, every small action can lead to big changes.

Much love- Andy

Hi everyone!

I hope you all are doing amazing and remembering all the wonderful memories from Costa Rica. You should feel so proud of everything you accomplished in just ten days! Coming to a new country with new people is incredibly challenging. Thank you for pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and making the most of your time here. I encourage you to remember that it’s ok to be uncomfortable when trying new things. Sometimes it’s in this discomfort that we learn and grow the most! Keep being courageous and trying new things!

Stay kind
-Emma

Hey everyone,

Hope you’re all doing awesome and getting back into the swing of things after our amazing time at the Costa Rica beachside service! Those days on the beach were seriously incredible, full of lessons learned, personal growth, and tons of fun.

Looking back on our time together, whether it was chilling out on the beach in the mornings or jumping into service projects with enthusiasm, each of you brought something special to our group. Your energy, positivity, and openness to new adventures were really impressive.

Take care,
Marco

Hola amigos 👋🏼

Thank you all for an amazing 10 days! I know it can be super scary traveling to a new country, either with friends or by yourself but you all did it and you all stepped out of your comfort zones during this project! You should be very proud of yourselves! I’m really hoping you can all take something away from your time in Costa Rica and that you take time to reflect back on this trip and the things which you’ve learnt. Sending all the luck across the ocean for whatever comes your way in life, just remember to work hard, even when it gets tough & keep smiling!

Big hugs from your British Mentor – Melissa 🌍 🌊

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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 23

Buenos días!!

Wow! What a great start to an amazing adventure! We are so excited to begin!

Although starting with a little bit of rain, we were excited to get the whole group together finally and start our exciting 10 days to come! With only a few delays, the first of us arrived on Home Base in the afternoon and we jumped right into getting comfortable living in our little jungle resort and meeting our new friends! It´s definitely hot and humid in this new home so a nice dip in the pool was a welcome refresh from traveling from all corners of the world to get here.

As the sun started to slowly set, we gathered the 34 of us who had made it here to go and say hello to the ocean for the very first time! Only a two-minute walk from the front steps of our two bungalows, our beach is big and beautiful and invited us with the mixing-colored skies of the sunset. What a lucky sight to see here in Costa Rica! It was one of the most beautiful we had yet and definitely a sign that this is going to be a great session together!

Sunset was followed by a traditional dinner of chicken with rice, beans and maduro frito (sweet bananas) which everyone seemed to enjoy! Afterwards, we played games to get to know each other and had the last few hours of the day to do check-ins at home before going to sleep for the night.

So much to come and already feeling the good vibes! Still eagerly waiting for two to arrive so that we can be our complete Tico family! Talk to you soon family and friends! Stay tuned for more daily updates coming soon from our Leaders of the Day!

Pura Vida! – Sending lots of love from the Beachside Service Adventure Team

Michelle, Milena, Emma, Laura, Melissa, Andy, Mireia, Cris, TJ and Marcos!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25

Hey all!

This morning, we enjoyed early empanadas on the long bus ride to our adventure day. First, we put on the safety gear provided for tubing, and grabbed our tubes to head down the river. Some fell off their tubes, many got stuck in the rocks, but we all got to know each other better in the process!!

After thrilling river rapids, mixed with calm waters, we dried off and headed to our next destination, ziplining! During ziplining, we zipped through the jungle. Some even dropped into a canyon and rock climbed their way back up to the next zipline. As we made our way back, we tried our best to communicate in Spanish with the workers and we all got to know each other better as well. We all finally made it to the end and had a delicious buffet-style lunch together.

Later on, we arrived at a shopping plaza, and shopped for souvenirs, snacks, and some delicious ice cream. On the long drive back to Home Base, we encountered a heavy downpour and engaged in social connections amongst the mentors and our new friends. Back at home base, we enjoyed either alfredo pasta or spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. We grouped up with our mentors and engaged in team building exercises. After a fun, long day, we all created a strong bond.

“Rafting was extremely fun, and I made new friends through our moments of being stuck” -Coco

“I enjoyed meeting everyone and making memories that will last a lifetime.” -Ava

“Tubing and ziplining were tough, but I persevered and made new friends.” -Briggs

“The quality time spent with my new peers will forever be cherished.” -Nash

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26

Hello everybody!

Today we ate a great breakfast consisting of rice and beans, fruit cups, and pancakes. After wrapping up breakfast we began our first day of service. Students volunteered at the Verdiazul turtle conservatory helping to prepare clean turtle nests and learning about turtle habits. Students also volunteered at schools, helping to both paint and clean up the area while engaging with local students. Another group of students went to the Guanacaste Water Center, helping to repot and sort trees. After some tasty chorizo and rice, all students went out for a walk on the beach, we walked to wave pools and found all sorts of exciting creatures! Next the students participated in the grand debate. We learned about the ethics behind the pineapple industry and were able to speak on all sides of the subject. Next was dinner with tasty chicken with a side of fries and mango juice. Finally in mentor groups we discussed the qualities of being a leader.

“I enjoyed making new friends in service groups!” -Caroline W

“Working in the schools around the little kids was such an amazing opportunity!”
-Kaitlyn M

“I loved being able to connect be inspired by the surrounding local community!”
-Ayo S

“I enjoyed being able to preserve and keep baby turtle eggs safe!” -Sam T

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27

Hi Everyone!

Getting up at the usual time, we ate a delicious breakfast with amazing refreshments. We separated shortly after into our service groups, each of us having different tasks ahead of us. Verdiazul began the day with creating a sea wall for the hatchery, continuing on to clean up a local park. Uniendo Comunidades started the day with a beach clean-up and learned the dangers of microplastics. At the Guanacaste Water Center we mixed up concrete and placed signs on the road to inform drivers about rivers and transplanted trees. Finally, Grupo Ecological Avellanas travelled to a school, learned of the dangers of greenhouse gases, created signs to hang on the beach tomorrow and attended a local science fair at a school.

The latter half of the day was spent playing rally games and learning how to make empanadas. We closed out the day with a delicious stir-fry dinner. We’re excited for our next day listening to a guest speaker, and are realizing that this life-changing experience is already half way done!

“It was amazing to see how such a small action of picking up trash at the beach has such a great impact on the environment”
-Helena

”Today with Frank and GEA we learned how it´s never too late to make a difference in our world and how its up to our generation as well as the ones after us to make that change. ”
-Grey

“Although it was hard work, building the sea wall in the rain was a fun and satisfying experience that produced an effective barrier for the turtles.”
-William K.

“Working with plants and trees for the last couple of days has been so inspiring! I´m super excited to learn more about different things! ¨
-Sadie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28

Hi everyone!

After getting straight out of bed and heading to breakfast at 7 am, we had an amazing breakfast of french toast, gallo pinto, fruit, and cereal. After breakfast, we headed to our service groups for the morning. In the GEA group, we picked up trash around the street, and stopped at the beach for a quick swim and dip in the ocean. We also weighed our trash that ended up totalling 43 pounds! We then travelled to a nearby school to make a compost.

After finishing the compost, we picked mangos off the trees to give to the kids of the school and the community. Verdiazul travelled to the local turtle hatchery to help clean out turtle nests and clean the beach around the hatchery. After digging out the dirty sand from the turtle nests, we swapped the sand for clean ocean sand. Uniendo Comunidades focused on cleaning up a community center and planting native species in the garden. We also created pots out of tires and dug them into places to make the area beautiful!

The second half of the day, we visited a sustainable farm that had a variety of farm animals and sustainable ways to produce Costa Rican food favorites. We got to feed some of the animals, such as the goats and pigs, and many of us even got to feed the baby goats with bottles. Also we got to try the homemade goats cheese, yogurt, and milk. After we had a guest speaker come visit our home base and tell us all about true Costa Rican culture and ways we can make an impact on society and the world we live in. It was a busy but great day!

“In a small way you can make a big impact not only on other people but the world as well.” -Nico

“Believing you can means your already half way there” -Evan

“Saying yes to every opportunity allows us to expand our knowledge of all the world has to offer and all we can do to make a change” -Chloe

“Using what you have and all we have is still enough to make a change in someone’s day always spreading love in the process” -Natalie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

¡Hola¡

There was a lot of rain today, but we were flexible and made it work! We got up for a regular breakfast consisting of cereal, scrambled eggs, and pinto. Due to the excessive rain, we had to cancel service and used the time to catch up on rest instead. We gathered in the office and watched Jurassic Park until the rain slowed down, and then took a quick beach walk before lunch. After lunch we got more beach time at Playa Blanca. There, we got time to practice our acts for the upcoming talent show. After lunch we got some free time to shower and clean up before a wonderful, beyond exciting, most magnificent dance class. In the class we learned the salsa, reggaetón, and a traditional Costa Rican dance. After the dance class we had a splendid dinner consisting of chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. Following this, we ended the day with a delightful talent show. There was dancing, singing, magic, acrobatics, etc. Then at the end there was a special guest, Nico, who played the guitar and sang for us. This was a great note to end the night on, as everyone is looking forward to the boat day planned for tomorrow.

“I loved how many people put effort and stepped out of their comfort zones to participate in the talent show.” -Naina R.

“I loved exploring a new beach in Costa Rica” -Natalie H.

“Even though the day started on dreary note, we made the most of it and had a great time at the beach and talent show.” -Natalie E

“I really enjoyed the movie today and I make so many great memories with everybody I am around.” -Justin S.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30

¡Hola!

Today was an adventure day! We finally got to enjoy some sun after two days of rain. The locals haven´t seen this type of rain in over two years! To start of the day, we had breakfast burritos on the bus to the catamaran at Tamarindo beach. As we boarded the boat we were welcomed by the smiling faces of the ship’s crew. After a long journey to a private beach, we got to enjoy the water of the Costa Rican coast as we jumped off, and swam to shore! Following this, we had an amazing lunch courtesy of boat captain and his crew.

We then soaked up the sun on the front of the boat, as the waves splashed around beneath the net holding us up from the ocean. After plenty of delicious drinks made by the bartender, we made it back to the beach and hopped back on the buses and headed to the next location, a beach called Avellanas. Here, we had the chance to buy from local snow-cone vendors and swim in the ocean which was refreshing, due to the extensive heat. After this, we went home, rinsed off, and got ready for a nice beach walk. During the sunset walk, we had chow circle, and said a special happy birthday to Chloe H. We finished the night off with a nice dinner, mentor groups, and some free time.

“The sunset walk was amazing, also because we got to spend time with our friends.” – Lawler J.

“Thank God for sunscreen” – Leah C.

“I like jumping on the waves” – Rhyan H.

“It was so fun being at the beach” – Maddie M

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Hello All!

What an incredible experience this has been for all of us! As we sat in the silence of Home Base, once all of you left at the airport, we realized how empty it will feel here without you guys! There was no one splashing in the pool, no one sneaking off to the ice-cream shop and no one coming to sit in the air-conditioning in the office! What are we going to do without you?

There were so many memories that seemed like yesterday – all of you lined up playing games in the Rancho on the first night, your first dip in the ocean at Playa Negra, meeting your service groups, battling through trivia, writing your goals, showing yours talents, dancing and cooking and running every day through the rain and so much more!

We are so proud of you for dedicating your time and energy and hard-work towards becoming the GLA leaders that we knew you could become. Like we said on the first day, keep working to find your voice and show-up in the way you can and want for this world! Keep raising your hand to getting involved and feel confidence in that we and your peers believe and see so many things in you!

You are the change!

Know that we will continue sharing your stories with the other leaders to come.

Sending love, energy and kindness from our little haven on Playa Junquillal always!

Wish you all the happiness in the world!
With love,
Michelle

Hi everyone!

Wow, what an amazing group to start the summer off with! You were such a positive and inclusive group, ready to take on any challenge with a smile. I’m so grateful for the five mornings I got to spend with the Uniendo Comunidades service group, beautifying a school and playground, working on a community garden, and cleaning up trash on the beach. I hope each one of you takes something you learned here in Costa Rica home with you and shares it with those around you. That’s one way we can all be the change! Thanks for these incredible 10 days, and keep up the great work in your communities at home.

Pura Vida!
Digby

Hey guys!

When you are reading this is going to be a while since you all left Costa Rica. I hope you all have good memories from those 10 crazy days. I want to thank you all again for making this adventure so easy. I’m sure that each of you is going to keep something inside of you from this trip. Something that is going to help you in your life path. Even if you don’t realise it yet. I’m so proud of all of you guys. All your differences made this group so unique and amazing! I want to encourage you all to live your life just in the way that you want, always being honest and kind to yourself and the others. We never know where life is going to take us, so… who knows if maybe we will meet again… I will be so glad to see how you all are being the change that this world needs…You have already made the first step! See you soon amigos!

¡Pura Vida!
Mireia

Hola chic@s!!

I hope you are all doing absolutely amazing and take the time today to remember the memories you made in Costa Rica together. There were many rewarding moments, from discomfort, to fun, and even to where you started to ask challenging questions. It is crazy how much you were able to grow in 10 days of service and adventure. I know I was very impressed and proud of you all.

No matter where you are or what you are doing now, I hope you know you can always make a difference big or small. Remember your values are something you hold within you and you must strive to live them out. Incorporate sustainability daily and reflect on things you don’t fully understand. I know you’ll grow into the incredible leaders I know you can be.

Miss you all! Pura Vida!
TJ

Hello everyone!

Pura vida, as people say in Costa Rica. Congratulations to all of you for completing your transformative 10-day program in Costa Rica! Your dedication to learning, exploring, and making a positive impact on the world inspires me endlessly. Cherish the memories you’ve created and the lessons you’ve learned. Keep shining brightly as global leaders, and may your experiences in Costa Rica fuel your passion for making a difference wherever you go. I would like to Invite you to always think of the decisions you make and the power you have to create changes in your communities. Remember that small actions make the difference.

With appreciation,
Cristopher

Hi you wonderful humans :)!

It’s been a while since we embarked on our Costa Rican journey together, but the memories we created here in Playa Junquillal live on! Your dedication, enthusiasm, and friendships you built were truly inspiring. From flying through the Costa Rican jungle to getting our hands dirty in service, you all showed resilience and passion! I hope you all carry the lessons you learned and the goals you set in your daily lives and continue to change the world! Remember, every small action can lead to big changes.

Much love,
Andy

Hi everyone!

I hope you all are doing amazing and reminiscing on all our incredible memories from Costa Rica. We accomplished so much in just ten days and I’m so proud of everyone for stepping out of their comfort zone. No matter what you decide to do in the future, I hope you remember this experience and use the lessons of teamwork, determination, and social responsibility to achieve your goals and create positive change. I encourage you to remember the goals you set during your GLA experience and continue to be courageous in achieving those goals. No matter how big or small, you can make an impact! Wherever life takes you, keep that positive attitude and always be kind!

Emma

Hey everyone,

I hope you’re all doing great and readjusting to reality after our epic Costa Rica Beachside Service Adventure! Those days on the beach were seriously unforgettable and full of learning, growth, and plenty of laughs.

Looking back on our time together, from those beach mornings to getting our hands dirty with community projects, and of course, the awesome friendships we made each of you brought something unique to our crew. Your energy, positivity, and fearlessness in trying new stuff were seriously impressive.

Marco

Hola Amigos!

I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment with each and every one of you. I hope you all take something away from this project, whether this is a new friend, confidence within your leadership skills or making a difference within your service. Muchas gracias to my service team who worked incredibly hard towards Verdi Azul – you did great, even in the pouring rain! I am also so grateful for the mentor time as you were all so open and reflective, it really was enriching watching you grow through the 10 days. Wishing you all lots of luck in the future and don’t forget to take every opportunity possible…and TRAVEL! There’s so much to explore & learn out there!! 🌍 enjoy and appreciate every step in life and do the things that make you happy!

Big hugs from your British mentor,
Melissa

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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 11

Hola a todos!

We are already down two days of starting adventures and it’s only just begun! On Monday, many of us were excited to travel down the Costa Rican coast to arrive in our home base right on the beach! Twenty-eight of us were even lucky enough to catch the sun right before it set into the ocean and disappear. So many colors!

After a delicious dinner of Traditional chicken and rice, we spent the evening getting to know our new friends while playing games and talking about all of our journeys to arrive! It’s definitely hotter down here but we are having a BLAST meeting all of these new faces and learning about all the exciting experiences we will be having this week!

While this was happening, the other twenty-two were having an adventure all on their own! A flight redirection due to weather sent us to land in San Jose where we boarded buses that cruised across the Costa Rican roads to Liberia. We definitely felt like we came a very long way by the time we were settled into our new beds in Guanacaste, but it felt so nice to immediately smell the fresh ocean air and see mangoes swinging from every other tree. Luckily, we had time in the morning to rest and get ready for everything to come!

We love learning Spanish and learning new games while also teaching each other! So happy we are all finally here safe, sound and cozy! What an incredible community!

Stay tuned for more daily updates coming soon from our Leaders of the Day!

Pura Vida! – Sending lots of love from the Beachside Service Adventure Team

Michelle, Milena, Emma, Laura, Melissa, Andy, Mireia, Cris, TJ and Marcos!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 12

Hi everyone!

Today we had an early wake-up call and had a delicious and nutritious breakfast which included pinto and fruit. We then all split up into our service groups and headed off to our different projects. There were four different service groups that headed off to different locations. In our service projects we work with Verdiazul, Guanacaste Water-Center, Grupo Ecológico Avellanas, and Uniendo Comunidades. After hearing the different opportunities presented in orientation, everyone found something that they were excited about! Whether that was painting murals at local schools, helping out with making safe habitats for turtle eggs, or helping clean the environment to improve the quality of life of local animals, our first days at service were definitely special!

“I loved getting to work so close to the ocean and meet the other local volunteers and leaders”
-Lindsey S.

“It was so interesting to see how the way of life in Costa Rica differs from my life in the United States, especially with the local school children. I loved meeting them, they were adorable.” -Sadie C.

“The local community leaders brought so much positivity to our work, we constantly knew our impact and how we could make a difference…inspiring my friends and I to work harder.”
-Thomas K.

“After going to the school, it made me realize how happy the kids are even though they don’t have our amenities. They always have a smile on their faces no matter the situations which transmits such a good energy to everyone.” -Milena G.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 13

Hello friends!

Today we continued our exhibition in Guanacaste, Costa Rica! Starting the day off with a hearty meal, we had Gallo Pinto, Eggs, Cereal and some fresh muffins. Our activities of the day started with service. A torrential downpour early in the morning couldn’t stop us and we went out with positive attitudes to make a difference.

After we returned from their hard morning at work, we ate lunch, took a dip in the pool and got back on the buses to go to our local director, Milena´s home to learn the process of making Costa Rican empanadas.

While there, we participated in Traditional Costa Rican rally games which felt like different versions of capture the flag, soccer, and even Quidditch. We finished our day with a final meal and mentor groups. Tonight we discussed the affects of cell phone usage in our daily lives. We are excited for what awaits for us in the future!

¨I loved being able to help the local community with recycling and community immersion. Pura Vida!¨-Ryann W.

“It was very interesting to learn about microplastics and how they pose a threat to the environment. I´m glad we were able to help clean up playa Junquillal.”
-José P.

“I had so much fun today while working on the beach during service! We got to see a group of horses stampede onto the sand which has been the coolest part of the trip so far!” -Isla T.

“Today at the Guanacaste Water Center, we helped our local leaders clear branches and logs out of a lower muddy area to create a walking path. We learned many new things and stayed positive even in the mud and rain.” -Chase E.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14

Hello everybody!

Today we ate breakfast that consisted of pinto, French toast, and cereal. After fuelling up with the delicious food we ate, we joined our service groups. More specifically, the Verdiazul group built turtle nests, along with our mentors and service partners. The Uniendo Comunidades group planted some tomatoes and corn in a small town. The Guanacaste Water Center group went to a school, planted trees and cleaned the school nursery. Finally, the Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas cleaned up the beach and created signs to create reminders for recycling.

After a day of hard work, we ate a tasty taco lunch and then we did the Grand Debate, which was a really fun activity. We learned a lot about the pineapple industry and how big companies may be hurting the environment and community more than helping. We were organized into teams of different sides of the debate. Then we had a super fun pool party with music and had time to spend with our new friends. Next, we ate a healthy dinner with rice and veggies. Finally, in mentor groups, we learned about our personality types and how we act as a leader.

“I loved cleaning the beaches and the sunset!” -Ava F

“Today I had a lot of fun learning about the turtles in the nursery and learning how to find their eggs on the beaches.” -Ava K

“I had an incredible time going to the local school nearby the Guanacaste water centre and meeting the students who were very nice and informational.”
-Diego A.

“I really felt proud of what our group did today since we gave a small community a food source just outside of their houses, meaning they wont have to leave town to get more food.” -Miquel G.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15

Hey all!

This morning, we had a delicious breakfast consisting of eggs, sausage, and cereal. After a great meal, all four community service groups headed out to make a difference in the world despite the pouring rain. The Guanacaste Water Centre worked to protect supplies and saplings from the coming flood. The Uniendo Comunidades group worked on improving the beauty of a nearby playground by painting tires in an array of colors to enhance the space for local children and families. The Verde Azul group completed a beach cleanup, replenished a sandy turtle nest, and finalized all other preparations to ensure the safety of newborn sea turtles. The Group Ecologico de Avellanas discussed the importance of service for Costan Rican communities and the environment. They made signs to put up around the community as a way to spread awareness.

After a long and soaked day of work, we indulged in chicken, fries, and rice for lunch, followed by preparation for the talent show. After coming up with some creative and entertaining acts, we attended a sweaty and energetic dance class to learn traditional Costa Rican dances such as the Salsa and El Torito. The class was followed by hungry students swarming to get dinner, which consisted of chicken, rice, beans, and fried plantain (a sweet Costa Rican delicacy).

After a bite to eat, we gathered around to watch our peers perform 9 diverse acts, including music, magic, soccer, and skits. We were blessed by the wonderful surprise of Nico, the son of our gracious host family here on home base, who sang 3 fantastic songs alongside the guitar, which won the hearts of all students at GLA!

“I hope that the children have fun playing on the new playground equipment. I also hope they learn the significance of recycling old materials into something new and useful” -Joy

“It felt nice to assist with the beach cleanup! I felt very accomplished after seeing the immediate difference my group made.” -Gavin

“My group and I have been working so hard and enthusiastically to clear areas that could be harmful during imminent flooding as well as working alongside volunteers in other programs, including a local high school. Feeling like the work you are doing is genuinely contributing to something makes all of the bug bites and rain worth it!” -Lucy

“Working with the Costa Rican community and the others around me to pick up trash on the beaches has made me realize how big of an impact we as humans really have on the world in regards to combating climate change.” -Levi

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16

Pura Vida!!

This past week has been a blast, and today was no exception. After an early morning, we took to the road, preparing for an exciting Adventure Day. We took a break from our daily service, to experience some of what Costa Rica has to offer.

The long bus ride provided time to socialize and eat a quick breakfast consisting of empanadas, apples and granola bars. The first activity of the day was to tube down the Rio Negro with the Hacienda Guachipelin tour group. The event was thrilling and provided a breathtaking way to experience the beauty of Costa Rica. After that, the group was guided through an entertaining rope and zipline course through the treetops of the Tropical dry Forest. We were challenged by the obstacles such as rock climbing and rope swings. Due to the challenges faced, we were exhausted and hungry, but it was completely worth it for the adventure of a lifetime. Luckily, we were provided with an exceptional meal that more than satisfied the collective.

On our way home we stopped and had the welcome opportunity to look at and buy souvenirs to commemorate our trip. It was a quiet ride back to home base as everyone was sound asleep. Once we got back, we were surprised with pizza for dinner. After dinner, our mentor groups gave us a chance to reflect on our work and personal life. It was very powerful. We can´t wait to see what the coming days have in store.

“The experience I have gained from this program thus far has been more than I could have ever dreamed. The people and location are so beautiful and have definitely shifted my worldview and I would be delighted to return. ” -Lauren

“It has been an incredible experience just to be here and really try to change this community for the better. Seeing the results of our work has really been amazing and I hope that that can continue over the last few days. ” -Hayden

“Visiting many communities throughout Guanacaste has been one of the best experiences. Understanding the culture of the many welcoming locals has been great. I can’t believe tomorrow is my last service day with Uniendo Communidades!” -Marlene

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

Hi Everyone!

Today was a bittersweet ending to a great five days of service, but it still held great memories and great fun. It was also the birthday of a fellow friend we all know and love, Brett Schmidt. Overall, today was on par with the GLA experience, another action packed 24 hours of nonstop fun.

Getting up at the usual time, we ate a delicious pancake breakfast with and birthday wishes flying left and right. Separating into our service groups, each of us having different tasks ahead of us. Verdiazul began the day with sorting trash but ended exchanging memories and playing games. Uniendo Comunidades finished painting the school, visited on the first day, and played games with the awesome environmental group. At the Guanacaste Water Center we cleaned and planted seeds and then gathered round for some hot chocolate while we said our farewells. Finally, Grupo Ecological Avellanas traveled to a beach to hang up the signs they had made previously in their sessions, as well as clean up the new beach that they had travelled to with Frank a member of the GEA organization.

The latter half of the day was reserved for the beach Olympics. Five teams battled it out in various beach games, including beach ball dodgeball and catch the flag. In the end, the green team won, but all teams showed great effort. To celebrate, we watched as Brett swung at his birthday piñata and scrambled for the candies that flew from it! We closed out the day with a decadent taco dinner, and fonal cheers to Brett and his birthday. We´re excited for our next day on the catamaran, realizing this life-changing experience is coming to an end.

“It was very sad to say goodbye to our Verdiazul leader Valerie, but we were definitely happy looking back on all our service days” -Lucas

“As today´s service came to an end, I realized how fast time truly flies. Eight days are done and only one left of fun. Thank you to everyone that works in this program for the life-changing experience. Thank you to all the friends I made. I will truly miss you all.” -Claudia I.

“The dedication of the people who work at the Guanacaste Water Center is incredible. I, along with the whole group, found their attitude and work ethic to be very inspiring.” -Fiona C.

“I’m very glad that the leaders of my service project group, and the people in it, made it so that my entire experience with GLA was super fun. I will miss this place very much when I leave.” -Henry O.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18

Hola!!!

Today was our last day with GLA which was a mix of emotions. We woke up bright and early to fully enjoy our last day together on a catamaran. The rest of the day was filled with fun activities such as an artisan fair, time at the beach, and a final dinner.

The early bus ride to Tamarindo was tiring but exciting! It went by fast as we ate breakfast burritos and enjoyed each other’s company. We were eager to jump on the catamaran where we sailed into a beautiful cove and had a blast swimming in the waves. While on the boat, we had a delicious lunch that consisted of chicken, chips, fruit, cookies, rice, and beans. After eating lunch, we headed back to shore where we boarded the buses and headed back to home base.

Once we arrived at home base, we had free time to pack our bags for home and get ready for the artisan fair. We changed into our nice outfits and headed outside to see what the vendors had to offer. The selection ranged from handcrafted jewellery to bathing suits to homemade ice cream among many other things. During the artisan fair, a live traditional band played outstanding music on the marimba (a traditional instrument here in Costa Rica) for us to enjoy.

After the fair, everyone headed down to the beach for a final goodbye sunset and photoshoot. We took a group photo and many more. We watched the sun go down before heading back to home base for our final chow circle and dinner. Our delicious dinner consisted of burgers, fries, and salad. We closed our time together by appreciating one another through writing positive words that applied to each person and reminding each other of how great we all are!

Our time here in Costa Rica with GLA has been a life changing experience that has impacted each and every one of us.

“I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience with all these incredible people. I have made memories here that I will never forget, and I truly loved every minute of this trip. I am so glad to have been a part of tomorrow´s solution.” -Jasleen

“This trip has taught me so many different things about myself. I am so happy that I have met these people and hope to continue my friendship with them forever.” -Maddie

“This trip was so amazing and I am so glad to have met the people that have ultimately changed my life. I will never forget my experience here.” -Ella

“My experience with GLA, specifically with my service group Uniendo Communidades, has been so amazing and eye opening. The people of Costa Rica are extremely friendly and are always so joyful no matter their circumstances. I have loved witnessing how they work together to serve their community in many small ways that ultimately makes a huge difference!” -Sadie R

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

Hola Amigos,

Today was our final day with our wonderful students, after an exciting 10 days! The first group left at 6am and headed to the airport, whilst the others enjoyed one final Costa Rican breakfast. It was bittersweet at the airport, as we shared final moments and reminisced on our last 10 days. There were lots of tears whilst saying goodbye to new friends, but also excitement to go home and reunite with family. As mentors waved goodbye to their students, we were all filled with pride and gratitude for each and every one of them.

We hope to see you all again soon, Pura Vida Amigos!