Uncategorized - Part 41

June 7, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Belize: Marine & Manatee Conservation (July 14 – July 27, 2024)

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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.
We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
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

P.S. Are you interested in supporting the Global Leadership Adventures International Foundation? We invite you to learn more about GLAIF and consider donating here.

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Hello from Belize!

We had beautiful blue skies for our arrival day! Our students met up with staff at the airport outside Belize City and had lunch and juice before making their way to Sarteneja in 2 separate groups. The first group saw some amazing wildlife on the way, catching a glipse of the wonderful biodiversity Belize has to offer. After arrival, they had a delicious nacho dinner with a special Belize cheese sauce and chocolate cupcakes. The students then circled up for a name game before retreating inside from the bugs. A few teammates played cards and uno until it was time to go back to the rooms.

The second group arrived a few hours after the first and topped off their nights with some nachos and chocolate. They then met their new roommates and got settled in for the night. Twenty-two of our twenty-four students are here, and the rest of our group will be meeting Ben and Claudia at the airport tomorrow.

We start off our day tomorrow with a late 8 am breakfast, followed by orientation and ice breakers!

Cheers to a great Session 2!

– GLA Staff

BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Hello!

We had a late start to our morning and woke up to a breakfast of pancakes and eggs. The students then played a quick speed friending game, getting to know their teammates better. We dove straight into the Student Code of Conduct, acting out some of the guidelines and asking clarifying questions about the standards set for the upcoming weeks.

Lunch consisted of rice, beef stew, and bread fruit. After eating our fill, we changed and set out for the boats. From the Sarteneja docks, we boarded 2 boats and made our way to New River. Once we arrived, our Local Director, Jema, and Marcy from Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) began speaking about mangroves and manatees. The boats chugged slowly down the river as we learned more about the importance of the trees for all the wildlife and humans. After reaching the hand-crank ferry, we all crammed into one boat while the other received a spare part. Smushed together, the students played a group game and to pass the time while they watched out for cool birds and manatees in the river.

As soon as we made it to the entrance of the river, we headed back inland to see some Mayan Ruins called Cerros. We learned more about the Mayan culture and customs as well as the connection of the people to the land.

Once we made it back to homebase, we took some time to get ready for the afternoon. The group gathered for our Social Sync activity, discussing the usage of social media and cell phones before relating it all back to ocean conservation.

After a wonderful dinner, the group did our sunset shot out circle, then proceeded to go to bed or play games in the common areas. We also welcomed our last 2 students that are joining our adventure!

Tomorrow we have an early morning, so we can go visit fishing sites all around the Corozal Bay!

-GLA Staff

BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Hello,

Today at 6:30, we ate cereal and authentic toast for breakfast followed by some refreshing homemade juice. At 7 we left the hotel to go on the boat. We went to observe some traditional and sustainable fishing methods that have been passed down for generations in Belize. After that, we went to do the swim test and everyone passed!

We then participated in aquatic activities such as sharks and minnows, capture the flag, and racing. To get to lunch, we swam next to the shore for a while before being picked up and taken to a mangrove research and rehabilitation area. Inside, we ate fish and rice and vegetables for lunch. After that we went back on the boat to go back to the hotel but one of the big boat’s engines broke and the small boat dropped off the people on the Azul and went to go rescue the Chelonia and the people on it.

In conclusion, we managed to have a pretty good day! We became closer as a group and had a lot of fun spending time and hanging out with our new friends! We learned how make tamales, which was a lot of fun. Overall we had an absolutely immaculate day!

– Toby

BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

After a 6:00 wake up call playing “La Chona” at max volume, we had a breakfast of scrambled eggs with waffles, watermelon, and mixed fruit juice until 7:00, when we waited a further 25 minutes for the cooks to be ready to leave for Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve.

Splitting into three boats, we rode for roughly three hours until we reached the snorkeling sight. While snorkeling, we saw many groups of colorful fish and some people even saw a stingray. After a one hour trip at the snorkeling sight, we rode again for about 10 minutes to a different sight which we could not swim in. That is because the water was filled with peaceful yet “scary” nurse sharks. The boat I was in was right above a group of 5 nurse sharks, two big, two medium, and one baby, which was yellow compared to the brown color of the adult sharks. After a while looking at the sharks, all three boats headed to Bacalar Chico Island.

After arriving, we were greeted with a lunch made of yellow rice, a cole slaw, and two skewers made of chicken, tomatoes, onions, pineapples, and green bell peppers. After eating their share of food, most of the boys went hunting for iguanas with permission from Leah, but I couldn’t do the same because she was “afraid I might actually catch one”. With the ending of the futile efforts to catch an iguana, began a tour of the Bacalar Chico

Museum, which had a 3D and 2D map of the region, as well as descriptions of the unique creatures found in the area. After which almost every one of us went for a swim off the beach of the island, where the water was hot and the sand was hotter, we had lots of fun floating around and talking the whole time until I opted to step out and write this blog.

Tomorrow we head back to home base, but for now we plan on having a campfire before going to sleep. We all have the succulence to succeed, but we will have to wait for tomorrow, goodbye for the day

Evan Tran & Kaler Schultz

BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

The oncoming day necessitated plentiful rest and the Bacalachico National Reserve and Park served our cause. The sea side breeze and the rustling of the tropical shrubbery catered ideally to our sleep and we all rested in a contented stupor. Accompanying the greeting of the sun came the calling of the island’s roosters waking us for our traditional Belizean breakfast. After our meal we rode vessels of the sea to clean the islands unrecognizable beaches. A once plentiful and bustling diving center was forgotten, leaving behind a desolate and uninhabitable wasteland littered with plastic and glass. Following our successful cleaning excursion we rode to snorkel at Barracuda Patch exploring the wonders of the sea. Unfortunately, we eventually had to depart from the reef and all its offerings and rode back to the our place of stay for an afternoon meal. Soon after finishing we thanked the kind staff and overseers of the island and took on the journey back home. Even a seemingly dull moment of the day (a 2 hour long boat ride) was filled with activity and joy. We participated in games and bonded as a group all the while having the wind grace our warmed hair and welcoming the splashes of the tropical blue that kissed our faces. Once at our home base in Sarteneja, we enjoyed much needed showers and passed the time with card games a more notable one being called Mind Game that was introduced by a fellow student named Evan. Soon we ate a delicious dinner and retired to afternoons activities and much needed rest.

In the grand scheme of time this day will not only be fondly recollected but rather will be cherished and fall into a special place within each and every one of our personal history books.

– Matthew Pilat & Leo Weiss

BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

Hola!

Today we got to sleep in a bit and woke up at 7:30 for an 8 am breakfast comprised of biscuits, toast, and fruit. Shortly after, we went down to the local beach for a beach clean-up. It wasn’t nearly as covered in trash as the previous beach, but it still needed some work, and I think we cleaned up nicely. Right as we were heading back to base, it started to rain. Luckily it didn’t rain too hard until we were already back at base. After a bit of a delay, we had a presentation with an SACD representative named Claudia. She was very nice and showed all of us how SACD worked and how they contributed to the local environment.

As the rain slowed we ate barracuda, beans, and rice for lunch before the leader of the conservation camp came to prepare us for tomorrow with the local school activities. The activities included a choreographed song and posters of the main protected fish in Belize and various information of them. We also prepared a game were the kids were given fish names and jumped in and out of a imaginary fish trap for positive or negative points depending on the fish. The last activity is a scavenger hunt that will take the kids on a hunt for clues to learn about where the fish live and how to find them.

After preparation for tomorrow was complete, we all sat down and watched the majority of a documentary about the debate over whether or not we should continue with deep sea mining to further humanity towards green energy. To end the day, we ate chicken for dinner and finished our individual fish projects until 8:30.

In the end it was an okay day. Mostly because we stayed inside most of the time but the projects were fun and the documentary was interesting. We are anxious and excited for the Student Conservation Camp tomorrow!

-Owen (Jimmy)
-Sam

BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

Hello from Paradise!!

While in paradise, unfortunately the weather today stayed consistently on and off raining. However, this did not stop us from having a fantastic day here in Sarteneja.

We started our day off with sausage, fruit, eggs, beans, and tortillas. After breakfast we headed off too the local school for the conservation camp! At the school we broke off into groups.

There were 4 different stations each run by GLA students; they included informational sessions, fun dances, and different games! Sadly due to the rain we had to relocate back to the home base. We passed time by teaching the local kids many playground games.

We continued the stations, followed by a delicious lunch consisting of chicken and rice. After that, we finished with an arts and craft activity teaching the local students about different species of fish.

Following our sad goodbyes, we had a debate arguing the pros and cons of deep sea mining, and it’s environmental effects. We were divided into countries and cooperations, simulating a real debate.

Overall, we had a great day teaching students about the protected fish and learning more about ourselves through the debate!

Sincerely,
Hannah B and Sofia S 😎

P.S. We had a yummy chicken soup with rice and tortilla chips for dinner (some may argue it is the best meal yet, aka Lucy)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

Hello!

Today we started the morning with a bit of a late start. At 7:40 we woke up to the glorious sounds of hype music along with knocking and screaming “wake up!” We met downstairs at 8:00 for breakfast, which consisted of eggs with ham, beans, fryjacks (a fan favorite), and mangos. Then following that scrumptious breakfast, we had an informative and entertaining presentation on mangroves and the role they play in protecting humans and wildlife and ended with mangrove identification. We learned the different types of mangroves (red, black, and white) and how to identify them by leaves and color. Following our presentation, we ventured past the walls of the Sarteneja Inn into the wilderness to put our skills to the test! We successfully identified all the mangroves as a team and it made for a joyous morning of learning!

We then had a delicious lunch, consisting of pork, rice, and salad. We took our newly found mangrove knowledge to the field! We travelled by boat, while playing lots of games, one being mafia (a fan favorite), to a mangrove restoration site (which was previously built by GLA students in 2023!). There, we split up into two groups: unicorns and mermaids. Group unicorn started by swimming out into the glorious water (that is filtered by mangroves) to collect red mangrove seeds. During this time, group mermaids made soil by combining sand and regular soil. We then came together to plant the mangrove seeds collected in the newly created soil. We wrapped up our expedition with a stop at a local ice cream shop where many students got ice cream and smoothies. We then dressed up to go out to a local restaurant. While there, we took numerous photos and played a traditional bingo game called chalupa! It was extremely intense but ultimately brought us closer as a group. Once back at Homebase we sat around and bonded while playing card games all while watching a storm come in!

It was a beautiful day filled with bonding with our wonderful friends which ended with such a bang!

– Anslee and Lila

BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

We started our day off at 8:00 am with a breakfast of hamburgers, cereal, juice, and mangoes. After breakfast, we grabbed our suitcases and headed out the door to our next location. We took a bus and was on it for around 3 hours, halfway through we stopped for snacks and a visit to the supermarket. Next, we arrived at our first destination, Mayan ruins. We stayed there for around an hour and a half. We ate a lunch of chicken and rice at a restaurant, and then explored the Mayan ruins with a guide. At the ruins, we took pictures, climbed ruins, and learned interesting facts about the Mayan people. We also stopped to buy souvenirs and gifts from vendors at the end of the guided tour. After, we hopped back in the bus and drove to our new location. Once we arrived, we unpacked. Once we were unpacked, many people went swimming while others played cards and socialized. Afterwards, we cleaned up and ate a dinner of mashed potatoes, chicken, salad, and buns. For desert we had carrot cake! Lastly, after a discussion of the plans tomorrow, we went to bed excited for a new day!

Lucy & Amelia

BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

Bien le bonjour from The Belize Zoo! Today, the wake up call was at 7:40am and breakfast was at 8:00. We had a Zoo Tour from 9:00 to 12:00, there, we saw jaguars, ocelots, parrots, crocodiles and lots of other mammals and birds! Then, we did some community service where we split up into 3 groups: some repainted the zoo fences, others cleaned and raked the jaguar area, finally the last group transported items from one end of the zoo to another. After that, we cooled off in the pool for 2 hours.

Everyone’s energy was rejuvenated with a rambunctious game of Monkey in the Middle. Overall, today was an amazing day! We had lots of fun and the animals were cool. We are very grateful for these experiences. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s adventure! P.S. Shout out to Sawyer for head-butting the ball during the pool game.

Emma Thrin & Emma Norwood

BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

Hello from Belize,

Today was a day full of activities and adventures that started from early in the morning to late at night. We first started with a wake up call at 7:40 and prepared for the days with our WITS and a delectable breakfast made by the chefs. After we were all ready to conquer the day, we boarded the buses and headed back to the zoo mentioned last blog. After we got off the bus, we all headed into a classroom where we listened to presentation about the conservation of Manatees presented by our amazing commentator and presentator, Jamal aka the Manatee Man.

After the informative presentation was finished, we all ate pre-selected lunches that came along with free drinks and conversated while some of us played a few card games here and there. After that, we ventured to the ‘community baboon sanctuary’ where we met the infamous Howling Monkey’s, which fun fact are the 2nd loudest mammals. Unfortunately our time was cut short due to thunderstorms, but we persevered through and made the best of it with a presentation regarding the backstory of both the monkeys and the sanctuary. After being informed, we drove back to our home base where we soon had a visit from a local ranger who spoke all about Belize and it’s ecosystem and all it’s being.

Continuing on, we enjoyed our delicious dinner consisting of pasta, garlic bread, and cake. We then hurried our way back to the zoo to explore the wonderful nocturnal animals of the zoo, as well as viewing them in their feeding state. This whole experience today has been a big reflection on just how much is going on in the world that we are so unaware of. But the time is now to act on our ideas and turn them into reality. The animals can’t speak for themselves, so we need to speak up for them.

So excited for tomorrow!!

Sincerely the best duo,
Malia and Sofia

June 7, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Belize: Marine & Manatee Conservation > Now in Guatemala (June 28 – July 11, 2024)

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Pamela & the Belize Team

My Dear Adventurous Group!

It’s hard to believe that we’ve just returned to our regular lives after our unique adventure! Hurricane Beryl gave us an unexpected masterclass in leadership and teamwork, but that’s not all we took away from our shared experience. I can still taste the delicious fry jacks, the fresh cucumber lemon juice, and the rice, beans, and chicken we enjoyed together. It feels like just yesterday we were bonding through team-building games, exploring stunning landscapes, planting mangroves to protect our precious environment, and sharing about the oceans in the schools
of “Xela”!

Each of you left an enormous impact on our hearts in Belize, and believe it or not, we always mention you as an example of resilience and leadership, hoping that our other students can be inspired by you. The mangroves we planted and the lessons we learned about sustainability will resonate in our lives and communities long after we’ve returned home. Time will continue to pass, and you will become exceptional adults, spreading all your love for the ocean with those closest to you. Do you remember our “Meaningful Goals”? We hope you’ve continued investing your time in organizations larger than yourselves!

Our adventures were not just about service; we created memories full of laughter and fun! From snorkeling in the vibrant Meso-American reef to learning salsa and exploring the ancient ruins of Tikal and Cerros, each moment was enriched by your enthusiasm and spirit. The connections we formed, the (many!) challenges we faced, and the joy we shared truly made this trip unforgettable. This entire journey was completely yours, and no one can take away these unique moments.

As you settle back into your routines, we encourage you to carry the lessons learned and the friendships made into your everyday lives. Share your stories, keep advocating for change, and remember the beauty of our shared experiences.

We are so grateful to have traveled with each of you and continue to be inspired by your resilience. Please stay in touch and let us know how your Meaningful Goal is unfolding!

Remember that a good leader must continually grow and be full of humility and empathy to accept different realities; our cause is greater than ourselves, so seek out people with these qualities. Among dreamers and leaders, we recognize each other.

One Meaningful Goal: I hope you remember Belize and Guatemala as an extraordinary adventure of personal growth and that you’ve returned home with some incredible stories to share. Beyond that, I want to acknowledge the personal growth each of you experienced during the journey. I hope you remember the importance of seeking more sustainable solutions and examining our consumption habits. Supporting local initiatives, like urban gardens, is crucial. Your empathy was evident in your desire to join organizations and their causes, dedicating your free time to something greater than any one of us. Never forget the version of yourselves that wanted to change the world, and continue seeking out others who share that vision. I have full confidence in you.

Thank you for being exceptional and giving meaning to our work.

Pam, Jema, Nayo, Leah, and Ben

UPDATE: Families, as you are now aware we are relocating our students on this session to our Guatemala program, due to the impact of Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean. We will continue posting our blog updates on this page, so you can continue following along here for new blog posts and photos as they become available.

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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.
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.
Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
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

P.S. Are you interested in supporting the Global Leadership Adventures International Foundation? We invite you to learn more about GLAIF and consider donating here.

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28

Welcome to Belize!

Here marks the beginning of an amazing summer experience that will last a lifetime! GLA students met up with staff at the airport then made their way to Sarteneja in an afternoon and evening group. Along the ride, the students got to know eachother more and got a first look at the wildlife here in Belize!

After arriving, the first group settled in, ate dinner, and played some name games at homebase while the second group started to make their way north. The second group arrived and by 9:30 we had all 22 students and our team was complete!

We will be writing blog posts throughout the trip to keep everyone informed about our amazing adventures here in Belize!

Leah – GLA Mentor

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

Hola from Belize!

We woke up and had an amazing breakfast with local cuisine, discovering our love for fry jacks and fresh cucumber lemon juice. Our morning continued with a “speed friending” activity to get to know our team a little better, followed by orientation of the session. The group dove into a in-depth interviews of a staff member and competed to reveal who was the best detective.

After orientation, the students got a delicious home cooked lunch to fuel for the afternoon. Due to weather, the team stayed at the homebase for the afternoon, enjoying some free time and team building games! The group also discussed social media during a leadership activity called Social Sync and made goals for technology usage after the program.

Before dinner, students made a community agreement and roommate agreements to set expectations for themselves and their peers. Dinner included beef or veggie burritos and horchata!

Before settling in for the night, we visited the beach to do our sunset circle and determine leaders of the day for tomorrow! The weather was perfect and we got to see the famous Sarteneja fishing boats and fish. Students had a photoshoot and enjoyed being off homebase for a little while.

The group bonded so much today and we are all looking forward to winning more games of giant UNO and exploring the nature of Belize!

– GLA Team

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30

Hey there from Belize!

We began our day at 7:30 AM with a wonderful breakfast of oats, assorted fruits, ham rolls, avocado toast, and refreshing watermelon juice! We then departed with our packed backpacks from the pier, on boat Azul and boat Chelonia, to our mangrove preservation sites!

Once we arrived on our boats to the mangrove nursery we met important members of an NGO Organization SACD (Sarteneja alliance of conservation and development). For the first part of the activity we listened to a presentation on the importance of mangroves in Sarteneja. After that we started two separate group activities finding and planting mangroves in the area. All together we ended up planting 58 mangroves!

Around twelve we ate lunch at the mangrove nursery and then embarked on our next journey to the New River and the Cerros Ruins! While boating down the New River, we got to see the Belize Ferry and the Double Crested Cormorant (a duck-like animal that can submerge itself under water)! We then made our way to the Cerros Ruins where we encountered vicious mosquitos attacks, which is definitely something we will never forget! We then learned about the ruins history and significance to the Belizean culture.

Finally, we made our journey back to the pier through the intense yet very exciting boat ride back. Huge shout out to a wonderful boat captains!

Once every one had cleaned up, we made our way to the local restaurant where we got to eat delicious fried fish or chicken, cilantro rice, and coleslaw with watermelon juice. We even got to try homemade flan for dessert! After dinner, we then played popular Belizean games like bingo and card storytelling!

We then ended our dinner with sunset circle and quickly made our way back to home base to prepare for tomorrow”s adventures!

Lindsey and Naomi, GLA Leaders

BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Hola!

Today we traveled from homebase to Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. On our boat ride, we got a close encounter with some friendly bottle nosed dolphins! At BCMR, we learned the history about the Reserve as well as observed many of the wildlife and Maya artifacts in the museum on the property. Shortly after, the group took our swim tests and we all passed with flying colors!

We then departed on the boats and drove through the ancient Mayan canal to our location for snorkeling. Next, we geared up and dove into the crystal blue water where we observed the coral reefs, parrot fish, sea turtles, and many other species of marine life. We then gathered our things, ate a delicious lunch, and hung around at the Reserve until we were ready to depart from the property and head back to home base.

Lastly, we ate a delicious dinner and had a difficult yet very informative conversation about the hurricane and what the rest of the trip has in store. We got the news that our Belize session could no longer continue and students made the decision to go home or shift to finish the program in Guatemala. The next few days will include some tearful goodbyes to good friends and some exciting hellos to our Guatemala GLA staff and partners!

– Mattie and Rebecca
GLA Leaders of the Day

BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Hello from the Tropical Education Center (TEC)!

We departed from home base early in the morning to go on a fishing excursion and learn about sustainable fishing and the laws Belize has on fishing. We took a short boat ride to one of the many traps the local fishermen have and watched as two brother fishermen caught fish and sorted out protected species. We also witnessed the release of a duck that got caught in the net. We then headed back to land and went to one of the fishermen’s houses where we ate freshly made barracuda, fry jacks, beans, and fruit prepared by some women leaders from the community. We then headed home and finished getting ready to move to the second homebase.

The group gathered all our belongings and began the evacuation of Belize in preparation for Hurricane Beryl. We boarded the bus and began a scenic drive towards the TEC (Tropical Education Center). We stopped at a store on the way for snacks and and, in no time, we arrived to our destination. Once there, we had a meeting and got our room assignments. Most people took a quick dip in the pool before unpacking. After unpacking, we met up with our peer mentor groups and discussed our feelings about the recent program change. Then we had a zoom meeting with the GLA staff in Guatemala who answered our questions and explained their program. The group was so excited to hear about all the excursions and service opportunities that lay ahead!

We had time to explore and move about before dinner, where we prepared for our private night visit to the zoo. Once there, we split into groups and explored with professional zookeepers, some of us even feeding the animals along the way. These animals ranged from jaguars to kinkajous to owls and never ceased to amaze. After the zoo we did our appreciation circle, reviewed the schedule, and went to bed quickly for our early start in the morning.

Tomorrow, July 3rd, we will be crossing the border into Guatemala!

Camille and Isabella
GLA Leaders of the Day

BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Salutations from beautiful Flores, a unique Guatamalan town set on an island in the middle of a lake.

To start off the day, we continued our evacuation to Guatemala and had an early breakfast in TEC. We ate a delicious breakfast with some pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, and some warm coffee. After our breakfast, we made our way to the bus for our trip to the border between Belize and Guatamala, and eventually finishing our day of travel in Flores.

During the bus ride, most adventurers enjoyed the views from our final drive through Belize, while some adventurers played games like Giant Uno with new sets of fun rules.

After arriving at Guatemala-Belize, border we departed from our bus and got into groups to cross the border. Fortunately, our international director, Pamela and local director, Jema completed our paperwork before hand so we were able to pass effortlessly.

Finally in Flores, we set our things in the hotel we would stay in and we soon embarked on a tour of Flores where we learned about the modern and ancient history of the town. After the conclusion of the tour, we returned to our hotel to see the beautiful sunset over the lake and swim.

Although we are going day by day because of the evacuation, we are still enjoying the adventure and opportunities in Guatemala granted to us by the GLA community.

– Sophie and Ethan

BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Hello from Guatemala!

This morning we woke up and traveled from home base to Tikal National Park where we were greeted by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide. We learned about the history of Tikal, the ancient Mayan city, and their way of life. We climbed numerous pyramids and temples, admiring views of the ruins and the surrounding nature. Walking through the city we saw a variety of wildlife such as howler monkeys, spider monkeys, a tarantula, and a roadside toucan. Lunch was pesto pasta or a choice of meat under the cover of a traditional palm roof.

Once we departed from Tikal, it started raining. We learned more from our guide about the history of the land and its people. We couldn’t fit everybody in one plane so we sent the majority of our adventurers on the first flight to Guatemala City. Upon arrival, the first group headed to a local hotel for a delicious dinner. While this was happening, our second group was still in Flores. As they were waiting for their flight, they explored Flores and became immersed in local culture. The second group headed to the airport for their late night flight, they played card games to pass the time. Once the second group arrived they reunited with the others at the Guatemala City airport. Each student boarded the bus for an hour long trip to Antigua, where they stayed for the night.

Tomorrow we will explore the beautiful city of Antigua!

AJ & Sam

BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Good morning!!!

We started the morning eating breakfast on the roof of our hotel, overlooking the breathtaking view of Antigua and their active volcano Fuego! After a yummy breakfast, we started on the road towards our first activity of the day, a Mayan wedding. We went to a shop called Mañanas Mayas where local women taught us how to weave their beautiful art. A handful of students then volunteered to reenact an authentic Mayan wedding. The local women dressed up the volunteers in proper attire and guided then through the wedding where we danced and made sure the mother-in-law was pleased. We then swept out the store, buying many souvineers.

The group then hopped on the bus to travel to our next destination, the Guatamalan Coffee Farm Tour. They showed us the coffee bean fields, hand packaging, and allowed us to try their quality coffee. After our coffee sampling, we headed towards lunch, eating yummy food on the property that over looked horse stables. We split up and ventured around the property ranging from playing hacky-sack in the rain, shopping, and some even singing with spunky older women!!

After everyone was fulfilled, we regrouped to hop back on the bus for a four hour drive to finish our travels. We reached our new home in Quetzaltenango, which is usually used as a retreat house. Today was full of fun and immersion in culture that we couldn’t get anywhere else!

– Mackenzie and Nora

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Hola!

In the morning we got to sleep in and woke up to the view of the mountains. Then, we had the choice of eggs, fruit, pastries, beans, and jello for breakfast. We then drove into the city for a chocolate tour. We had an assortment of fruits dipped in 60% cacao local fondue. Then we walked through the chocolate museum hosted by the family of chocolate makers that owned the property and learned about the traditions of chocolate making through a generations of Mayan culture.

We then bussed to Salsa Rosa and learned to salsa dance! The class was very upbeat and fun. We had lunch back at home base and we had pasta, chicken and vegetables. After lunch, we went to Trama textiles and watched about the history of women in a documentary about weaving business and then we shopped at their store.

At 4:30, we went to a local store to buy clothes for our new Guatemalan mountain climate. We drove to homebase and had free time until dinner. People were chatting and playing hacky sack. After a delicious dinner of pupusas, we hung out playing uno and ping pong.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to a zipline adventure!

Irene and Estela

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Hola!

Today, we had an early start in eating breakfast in preparation for a zipline adventure through the Guatemalan mountains. Upon arrival, students rode in open-air trucks to reach the first zipline. The three lines progressed from short and easy to longer distances and greater heights. While on the line, we saw beautiful Guatemalan towns and jungles as we zipped to the other side. After completing the three ziplines, students went to a balcony to absorb breathtaking views. On clear days, the Pacific coast is visible to the west, and the volcanoes Santa Maria and Tajumulco are to the east. The students then hopped on the bus to head back to home base.

After returning to base camp, students ate lunch and took an extended break. Some students took naps or played games like hacky sack. Some students also helped the chefs Gloria, Mary Cruz, Aura, and many others to peel potatoes for the other GLA program that would be joining the Belize group for dinner.

The students took some time to make their OMG (one meaningful goal). They heard from their mentors on how they can make an impact in their communities through sustainability practices, volunteering, and advocating for causes close to their hearts. After, students practiced and demonstrated activities such as songs, games, and drawings in preparation for their interactions with kindergartners at an elementary school.

We then had dinner and welcomed the students from the other program who would be staying at the same home base with us. We are looking forward to beginning our service in Guatemala tomorrow!

River and Olivia

BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Greetings from Guatemala!

We had an early wake-up this morning at 6:40. Before heading to a local school to meet a large group of kindergartners, we had a sweet breakfast of fresh pineapple, pancakes and hot dogs.We traveled about 30 minutes from our home base to a school for students commuting from both rural and city areas called Pacaja escuela. Here we had the wonderful opportunity to work with kindergartners in their classrooms! In each group, we were able to teach the students two songs that we prepared in Spanish and explain to them terms such as evaporation, condensation and precipitation. We also sang a song about fish in the ocean with a dance as well which the classes enjoyed! We spent time drawing with the students and coloring in the illustrations of ocean animals native to Guatamala, which we had prepared the day before. This opened up a unique opportunity for conversation with the students in Spanish!

After working with the first group of students, we were given a tour of the school by our local director Nayo, who explained the changes that the school has gone through since 2008 when they began collaborations with GLA students. After this, we repeated the same activities with two new classrooms of students. Around 11:30, we left the school to head back to home base for lunch.

Once lunch had ended, we all quickly changed into our swimsuits and headed to the hot springs! After about an hour and a half bus ride, we arrived to our destination, which was located up in the beautiful Guatemalan mountains in a secluded area. There were three main hot springs, each a different temperature, that we got to swim in. We were able to explore the springs and find the direct heat sources from the volcano! We all made sure to stay close to those spots to escape the rainy weather! After about an hour in the hot springs, we gathered our belongings to leave and stopped at their small store to get snacks, hot chocolate, and local pastries!

Once we made it back to home base, we cleaned up and enjoyed a delicious dinner, then gathered to prepare our activities for working with more students tomorrow.

– Lindsey and Naomi

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Hasta Luego!

Our last few days in Guatemala were amazing! We had swoon-worthy food from our local cooks in Quetzaltenango, practiced our Spanish and shared love for the ocean at local schools, and wandered around the legendary city of Antigua. Our days consisted of soccer, hacky sack, and more giant UNO, as well as reveling in the beautiful mountain landscape around homebase. After leaving for Antigua, we stopped at some local shops for last minute souvenirs and gifts.

Once we arrived in the city, everyone rushed to get ready for dinner in the city and one last anchor activity. As the students made their way to the restaurant, we stopped at Central Park in front of the historical fountain. There, we got in a circle and took turns anonymously appreciating each other for the support, laughs, and friendships we made over the last 2 weeks. After our circle, we took pictures and walked the rest of the way to dinner. The restaurant was beautiful and the tomato soup and entrees left us feeling satisfied. Before finishing the meal, ice cream was brought out and we all sang Happy Birthday to one of our beloved mentors, Ben!

We sauntered back to the hotel, tired and ready for bed. Before resting, the students prepared for departure, saying goodbyes and filling out surveys.
Bright and early, the first group left for the airport and the rest of the students gathered on the roof for breakfast. We could see three huge stratovolcanos from our seats: Acantenago, Agua, and Fuego. As a cherry on top, we saw Volcano Fuego erupt 3 times during our breakfast! The second group left with Ben, and the last group went on a short jaunt across the city to Arco de Santa Catalina with Leah. The wonderful arches dramatic history was – loosely – retold by Ethan and AJ while we took in our final views of the city.

The last group got back to the hotel and packed the bus for the airport!

Although our trip is coming to an end, we know the friendships and memories we made here will last forever.

-GLA Belize/Guatemala Program

June 7, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Bali: Island Health Expedition (July 3 – July 23, 2024)

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Mag & the Bali Team

Om swastiastu!

I hope you haven’t forgotten all the Bahasa you learned from our three weeks in Bali! Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday you arrived at our cozy homestay to meet our host family. How they welcomed us with open arms with the beautiful Sisya Upanayana Ceremony. How they fed us delicious Balinese dishes. Have you tried any tempeh or tofu dishes since you returned home?

It was so crazy how you hit the ground running those first few days! Using the little Bahasa you learned to complete that fun treasure hunt. How welcoming everyone was to let us visit their homes and ask them personal questions about their health! You must have enjoyed that nice herbal walk amongst the rice fields, learning about the irrigation system, The Subak system which is a UNESCO heritage! We learned so much about medicinal plants and how they’re used in Balinese cuisine.

Then our official first field trip, visiting the Pura Tirta Empul temple in our beautiful sarongs, lunch in Kintamani in front of the Batur volcano. What a view we had! But maybe the main highlight of that day was our dinner with the Princess at the Royal Palace. She was so down to earth and didn’t hesitate to answer all of our questions. Especially Richie’s!
We packed in some service learning after all that fun, visiting Bumi Sehat, the maternity NGO where we discovered a natural journey to motherhood. We even got to meet the tiny newborn only 2 hrs old! What a beautiful first look into the medical world of the East. Our day was not complete without the excitement of our Banjar workshop. How much fun was it to learn about communities in Bali and participate in some daily traditions. Where did you hang your wooden name plaque?

Our learning was non-stop when we had the chance to visit Magifarm and the Food Fighter Project. What an eye-opening experience! It was so cool to see everyone enjoying making food together. And what a powerfully emotional experience to hand out the food to the families working so hard in the landfill. We truly saw another side of the paradise that Bali is known to be. I’m sure that experience has imprinted a new outlook on our daily lives and our participation in global sustainability. A deep reflection seemed to settle over us as we prepared for the next adventure of our trip, Amed! Where we snorkeled, scuba dive and even debated about medical tourism in Bali.

The next 3 days was spent in medical service, along with the medical students, in the village homes of the locals of Banjar Juga. We took their blood pressure, blood sugar level, weight and height. Also, taught the kids hand washing technique, and checked for dengue larvae in water deposit spots like bathrooms, etc. We also asked them other questions regarding their overall health.

So much happened in the 3 weeks in Bali it’s hard to believe we met so many people and had all this experiences together. The trip to Permuteran was a very spiritual experience as we got to be part of a full moon ceremony in the very important Night temple. We were so grateful for this experience. You also got to teach a health workshop related to exercise, nutrition and hygiene at a local school! Back in Ubud we just have a couple more days before your departure. We maximize our time, that’s for sure!

Throwback to some other highlights from our experience:

Futsal game
Sunrise Snorkeling in Amed
Scuba diving and seeing all the fish
Waterfall
White water rafting
Hiking through padi fields
Cooking class
Astungkara Way and learning about regenerative farming
Surfing class
Karaoke
Shopping
BOBA!!!
Visits to Indonmaret

An important part of our journey was to talk about actions you all want to take when you get back home to apply your learning and Be the Change! The OMG and skits you came up with were an awesome way to reflect upon all that we want to do differently back at home. Our group OMG (One Meaningful Goal) were:

To work on Environmental Sustainability and Help community and Environment. We attached some photos to remind you of this important time and hope you were able to work on your personal and group OMG.
At the very end we closed our experience with an Appreciation circle and offerings.

We all hope that you had an amazing experience and look back to our time in Bali with smile on your face. Don’t forget to Be the Change back at home 😉 We count on you!

We are sending best vibes to you all,

Magdalena (Mag) Michalczuk
Beni Sanjaya
Rohit (Richie) Patkar
Kristin Pelaud
Dilla Sugiantari
Billy Abi

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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:

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.
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.
Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
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

P.S. Are you interested in supporting the Global Leadership Adventures International Foundation? We invite you to learn more about GLAIF and consider donating here.

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Selamat malam from Bali!

We are so excited to start our first session of Bali Health Expedition!

Our group has safely arrived and is getting comfortable in our homestay in Ubud. Most of the students shared that long hours of traveling were tiring, but they are all super enthusiastic and looking forward to the adventure and service days to come!

We picked up our first three students just after midnight. Then two in the morning and 12 in the evening. One student is coming tonight (Sumiko) but the team won’t be complete until last person (Jessica) arrives on the 5th of July. We had a dinner together in our homestay. Students got to meet the team: Mag, Kristin, Richie-our international director and mentors and Beni, Dilla and Billy-our local director and mentors. We will be with the group during this whole trip, facilitating the experience, supporting the learning and making sure we all have a lot of FUN! We also met the homestay family we are staying with: Nyoman, Tik, Gina and Kadek. They are all very welcoming and the students were thrilled to meet them and have opportunity to learn their first words in Indonesian.

We are all looking forward to service learning , making lifelong memories, and friendships that await for us.

Tomorrow onwards the Leaders of the day will be writing the blog entries to keep the parents and loved ones updated about our adventures.

Hope you will enjoy our blog!

Mag & Beni (International and Local director)
Dilla, Kristen, Billy, Richie (mentors)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Salamat malam!

The day started with our orientation straight after breakfast, which introduced us to each other as well as the details of our program. We played many icebreaker games in between to break it up and got to learn more about each other. We had a Bahasa language class where we got to learn some basics and an introduction to the culture here.
We were also taught how to wear a traditional sarong and sash, which is usually worn to temples.

After lunch, we had an Amazing Race, which included a scavenger hunt that helped us get out of our comfort zone by being able to talk to locals without fully knowing their language. This did create barriers but we were able to work through them and were able to get a fun experience. When talking to these locals we not only were out of our comfort zones but also very impressed by their life stories, different backgrounds and their welcoming attitude. We then got the opportunity to be part of a welcoming ceremony held by the family in their temple to bless the students staying at their homestay and give us a typical Balinese spiritual cleanse. It gave us a hands-on experience and was our first official greeting. A lot of us can’t wait to experience more temples like this.

Everyone is really enjoying the food, especially the traditional noodles! After dinner, we watched legong, a traditional dance, and even got to participate as well! We ended our day with an evening activity, by creating and signing a community agreement, where we shared all the values we will be committing to throughout the program.

After today, many of us felt excited and inspired for what is to come, especially after the ceremony and Amazing race.

Om shanti shanti shanti om!

Monique and Eshika

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Hello everyone!

Today we woke up early in preparation for the busy day. We began with an herbal walk through the paddy fields and learned about the significance of different traditional herbs. After that, we made our way to Trita Empul Temple where we were able to walk the grounds and explore the beautiful landscape that surrounded the area. For lunch we traveled to Kintamani, an active volcano on the island, and ate while admiring the beautiful view of the volcano and the lake. We wrapped up the first part of our day by visiting a coffee plantation where we were able to try many local drinks.

In the evening, we got a tour of the royal palace and we able to meet the princess and enjoy a beautiful traditional balinese dinner. The princess was 16 years old and shared a lot of the same interests as us which allowed us to bond with her. Overall, we had an amazing, fun filled day where we were able to learn more about Bali and the culture.

When we returned to home base, our last member of the group, Jessica, had arrived at the home base.

See you next time sending lots of love!

Peace out,
Jenni and Mackenzie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Om Swastyastu!

We started our day today a bit later than usual. We headed to the NGO, Bhumi Sehat natural birthing clinic. We had the opportunity to have a tour of the facility, and were introduced to their ways of caring for their patients, which differs greatly from the culture we are used to. They spoke about holistic medicine, acupuncture, and other traditional and natural medicines and remedies. We watched a few natural birthing videos of long term patients of the clinic and were amazed and impacted by the emotional aspect of them.

After lunch we walked to the Banjar workshop that took place near by, where we learned how to do the Legong dance, how to play a song on the Gamelan instrument, how to make an offering, and a simple carving technique. Later that afternoon, we took part in an activity with a health researcher that taught us about Public Heath.

We got to partake in a 2 hour discussion that taught us a lot about the climate in Indonesia and the history behind the medical facilities, global warming, and fast growing public problems. We got to work in groups to implement solutions to issues that are growing in Indonesia. We ended the discussion off by starting our temple circle!

We ate a delicious dinner and begun our evening activities and mentor groups. Overall, today really put our trip into perspective, and more awareness about the country we are visiting.

Sampai Jumpa Lagi!

– Monique and Mika

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Om Swastiastu!

We are the leaders of the day, Nina and Maggie M. We started our morning by visiting the money exchange and trading US dollars for Rupias. The reason for our withdrawal of funds was to have plenty of money to spend at one of Ubuds many vibrant and exciting markets. We all got lots of traditional Balinese clothing, trinkets, snacks, and accessories as tangible memories to take back home with us.

We then attended a local restaurant in Ubud where there was a wonderful selection of cuisines and mocktails. After a much needed rest after a long day of shopping and eating, we participated in a leadership activity. This consisted of watching videos, taking notes, creating solutions, and participating in activities revolving around the knowledge and exploration of plastic pollution. Following leadership we exposed ourselves to difficult ideas and questions pertaining to cellphone use in today’s generation as well as the part we play in modern technology. After small group discussions and temple circle, we ate a delicious traditional dinner. We ended our night with a language class and Zumba class before heading back to our rooms for lights out. Overall, it was a great day!

Mimpi indah (Sweet dreams)

Sincerely,

Maggie M. & Nina

BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Om Swastiastu!

Today is day six of our 21 day Bali adventure and we were able to delve into the world of SAMPAH (garbage). We learned about more sustainable ways to manage our food waste at Magi farm. There, they feed their food waste to Black Soldier Fly larva to reduce the amount of food waste and the methane gas emitted from the food decomposition process. Some of us were lucky enough to get to try a dehydrated maggot filled with plenty of protein, 36 percent to be exact. This fueled us for our grand maggot harvesting competition where we sorted food waste from maggots at rapid speeds! Shout-out to Billy for his phenominal guidance leading his team to victory.

Later on we prepared and cooked meals that we delivered to families living at the largest landfill in Bali. Meeting these individuals was an eye-opening experience, as we immersed into the realities of climate change and those living without proper access to clean air and water. On our venture back home we got the opportunity to visit the much anticipated Indomart, and fulfilled our ramen cravings. Afterwards, we had a much needed nap and rest time, before we concluded with our reflection questions, dinner, and evening activities.

Always mengurangi, menggunakan kembali, mendaur ulang!

– Fiona and Kayla

BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Om Swastyastu!

As the sun rises, everyday presents a new opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Bali. Day seven of our adventure started with Dragon fruit pancake before the drive to Amed. On the way there, we stopped to eat at the Good Karma Tirta Gangga Resturant and walked right next door to the Tirta Gangga Water Palace.

The palace was a dream come true offering a glimpse into the island’s royal past. Originally built in the 20th century by the royal family of Karangasem, the palace served as a retreat and a place for spiritual purification. The highlight of this place was the iconic stepping stones and the Koi fish that lay below.

Once we arrived to Amed, we settled into our hotel right along the beach. Hotel Uyah is the perfect blend of relaxation and natural beauty. Walking into the tranquil beach getaway, with our feet in the volcanic sand, we immersed ourselves in the warm waters. Afterwards, we got fitted for the sunrise boat, snorkelling tour ,tomorrow early morning. Finishing the day with a sunset circle, the leaders of the day, Jessica and Betzabe want to say goodbye and Selamat malam!

Jessica & Betzabe

BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Om Swastyastu!

Today we had a wonderful opportunity to see an amazing sunrise and colorful fish while snorkeling. We started the day bright and early, leaving the beach at 5:30 am on spider boats. There was about 3-4 people per boat, making the experience personal and special. The sunrise was a beautiful mosaic of colors and felt mesmerizing. After the sunrise, we headed over to the bay to enjoy some snorkeling. Jumping off the boats we dove into the beautiful blue water and observed a whole ecosystem of sea creatures. We even happened to come across an underwater temple in the middle of the coral.
After coming back to shore we ate an array of foods for breakfast and talked about the morning. Then we kicked back by the pool, recovering from the early morning. Many of us found out about the spa offered here at the hotel and scheduled some massages for some self-care. Around mid day we gathered and began a leadership activity/debate. The debate followed the theme of medicine, we debated the idea of medical tourism in Indoneasia. We were divided up into four groups with mediators and debated our designated argument. We then ended this debate with a reflection activity talking about how our opinions changed about medical tourism and other thoughts on the activity.

We were then granted more free time where we were allowed to swim in the beach or just relax around the hotel. While the sunset approached the west, we ended the day with sunset circle and talked about what we can do at home to practice self-care. Then we headed to dinner and ate some delicious food and talked about concerns regarding tomorrows scuba activity. That concludes this amazing day! Bye bye for now from today’s leaders!

XOXO,
Isa and Maddy

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Om Swastyastu,

The day started early with breakfast at 6:30 am. Following soon after our first group left for scuba diving. They started in the pool in groups of 3-4 with an instructor assigned to each group. Once their instructors thought they were ready they took a car to the first diving spot. Which was the longer dive of the two with stunning coral reefs which contained an array of animals of all different colors. The dive was challenging yet exciting as it was most of the students first time diving. Throughout the dive people got more comfortable and confident in the water.

The two groups lunch overlapped in Amed at the Bali Reef’s restaurant. The first group headed back for free-time while the second group got their briefing and went out to their dives. Similar to the first group the second group felt uneasy at the beginning but quickly embraced the experience. Once both groups were back they got their final opportunity to go in the ocean in Amed. For dinner the local staff ordered burgers and fries to be enjoyed by the beach. During dinner the students got opportunities to go take pictures with the awe-inspiring sunset on the beach. We ended the day with our sunset circle, where we said our biggest challenges from scuba diving. Goodbye from today’s leaders of the day!!!

Selamat Malam,
Teagan and Rebecca

“In the beginning they were like fish out of water, but very soon they were like fish in water.”- Richie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Om Swastystu

For our last day in Amed, we had breakfast at 7:30, packed our things, and headed towards our trek. We drove an hour to the Tenganan Trekking point where we walked through rice pattie fields and traversed through the jungle a bit. We enjoyed a picnic-style lunch of traditional Indonesian food. After lunch, we completed our hike and drove back to our homestay in Ubud, and met with the medical students of the local university. They taught us basic skills we will need for our upcoming home checks in the community such as taking blood pressure, height, and weight. We had dinner with the students and celebrated Beni’s (our local director’s) birthday with a strawberry cheesecake. We concluded our day with laughs and smiles while our mentor Kristen led a Zumba class.

To reflect on our day we learned to appreciate the beautiful sites Bali has to offer. The rice patty fields truly took our breaths away as well as the volcanos and mountains. After our fun vacation and relaxing time in Amed, we are ready to jump into service and help the community stay healthy.

“Om Shanti Shanti Om “

Love,

Maggie Soper & Izzy Triandafilou

BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

Om Swastyastu!

We began today later than usual having breakfast at 8:30. Afterwards we had a GLA session reflecting on the importance of having an open mind and seeing different perspectives. Right after we had lunch at the home-stay and prepared for our service for the day by ensuring we had all the equipment we needed and that it was working properly. Then we hopped on the bus and headed to Banjar Juga, where we met up with the local medical students and prepared to go to the community homes.

In the homes, we did a medical check which included checking the persons blood pressure, blood sugar, height, weight, and other question regarding their overall health. Additionally we checked the bathrooms for mosquito larvae, and taught children how to wash their hands. Each group went to between 5 to 7 houses in the time we had. After we debriefed the service and discussed our challenges and successes and how to improve our experience for the coming days. We came home and input all the data we collected from the homes and reorganized our equipment and supplies. Finally, we had our temple circle, where we reflected on the day and ate a yummy traditional Balinese dinner.

Goodnight from today’s leaders of the day!

Selamat malam,

Laila and Rikar

BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Om Swastyastu!

This morning we headed off to a cooking lesson after breakfast. We enjoyed some juice and pancakes while we learned about Balinese culture, marriage, and family life. We then participated in a cooking class and even got to see a traditional Balinese kitchen and tools. We were able to cut, saute, and mold different ingredients to create many different dishes. Some of group favorites were the mushroom soup, black rice pudding, and chicken skewers. Following lunch, we had some down time before heading off to Day 2 of Service. Similar to yesterday, we went into locals homes, took their vitals, learned about their ways of life, and assisted the medical students with anything else they would need. Some groups got to play with children, some learned about traditional carving methods, and others discused pop culture with the locals. After a long day of service we retuned to the homestay to input the days data. We enjoyed rice, noodles, vegtables, chicken, and watermelon for dinner before have some free time and ending the night with yoga. Overall, it was a wonderful day and we can’t wait for tomorrow!

-Maggie M & Sumiko

(over and out ;))

BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Om Swastyastu!

Sorry for the late post, we had a eventful day! We started the day by heading over to Astungkara Way, here we learned about regenerative farming. On this beautiful farm, we got to wear farming hats while we were taught how to make mulch out of cow manure, worms, and banana trees. We also learned how to plant different types of plants. While getting our hand dirty prepping plants, we learned more about the agriculture behind planting rice. Then we enjoyed a delicious lunch grown and harvested by the Astungkara Way farmers. Leaving the farm, we heading back to the Homestay to get dressed for out final day of service for the home health checks. Due to our hardwork, we were able to service most of the houses within the communinity. Saying goodbye to the med students we worked with for the past three days, we were able to head back to the Homestay for a quick Indomart trip! To end the day, the mentors surprised us with a indoor futbol match. Congrats to the black team that ended up winning the whole turnoment! Thanks for waiting for the update!

XOXO,

Isa

BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Salamat pagi!

Today we had quite the adventurous day. We began bright and early and headed towards the rushing rapids in northern Bali. We were dvided into groups of three or four and begun our 15km (2 hour) exhilirating rafting ride down the river. As we descended the rushing water, we were amazed by the tall cliffs and waterfalls that surrounded us. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall half way through that gave us a chance to catch our breaths! After we finished, we climbed what felt like a 1000000000000000000 stairs to the buffet-style restauraunt above. We also had the chance to download the pictures taken during the rafting that reminded us of how “adrenaline inducing” the adventure truly was (yikes). Anywho, we later had a delicious dinner down the road from our homestay in Ubud and spent a lovely evening there.

Love, peace and chow,

monique and teagan

P.S. Richie quote of the day: “When you go rafting, you go boom boom!”

BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

Om Swastyastu,

Today we welcomed the third week with another fun filled day! The day had a later start allowing for some much needed rest after these early mornings these last few weeks. We kicked off our day with a bus ride to Kopernick, a lab directed at tackling social and environmental issues and ensuring change occurs. Afterwards, we had some time at the home-stay to work on the workstation activities we are creating and presenting to the elementary school students later in the week. The next part of the day was quiet the spiritual experience, as we visited a healer. The lucky bunch of students that were chosen to have a personal reading will truly have a story to tell once they return. Unfortunately, I and Betzabe were not part of the select few so please (directed at our families) do not ask as it is a touchy topic. Fortunately though, we were lightened up by the fire dance filled with lots of intriguing visuals as well as impressive vocals. We returned home and headed to bed after this long day.

Peace out,
Betty Boo and Kayla Poo

BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

Selmat malam!

Today was day 16 of this impactful and inspirational trip. We jumped into the bus at 9 am to start our 4 hour drive to Permuteran. On our long travel day we took a much needed break at the most “instagramable” temple in Bali. We sprung out of the bus and explored the beautiful attractions Ulun Danu Beratan temple had to offer. Such as, the floating temple, koi fish water fountain, and my favorite the DURIAN ice cream (smelliest fruit). Let me give you a tip DONT EAT THE DURIAN ICE CREAM.

After our break at the temple we continued on our journey to Pemuteran. We arrived at the Sudi guest house soon after and we scurried to the beach for sunset. To conclude our day we watched the gorgeous sunset, while we jumped into the huge waves in the warm ocean.

Tomorrow we start our service, teaching local kids about taking care of themself with nutrition, hygiene, and exercise. Cant wait to tell you all about it tomorrow.

Xoxo,

Izzy Triandafilou

BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

Om Swastyastu!

For day 17 we started our first full day in Permuteran with an NGO visit. We learned all about coral at Biorock; we learned about coral structures, coral bleaching, and coral restoration projects. We unfortunately couldn’t snorkel due to weather conditions but we got to see a turtle hatchery instead. There were so many baby turtles! We then had some beach and volleyball time. The volleyball players got 51 consecutive hits while the beach kids got pushed around in the waves. We then headed back to the homestay for burritos and rest time. After some rest and preparation we were headed off to the school. Many of us were nervous, but it turned out great. Everyone had a lot of fun teaching and playing with the kids. We ended the teaching with a dance party before separating into debriefing groups where some kids came to greet us. They took our hands and put them to their heads in “salim” as a strong sign on respect that was unexpected even by the mentors. We had some time to put things down before heading to a resort for pool time and snacks. We had a relaxing walk on the beach while the sunset followed us back to the homestay for dinner. Bali is super fun but we can’t wait to go home to our families!

Miss you,
Maddy and Sumiko

BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

Om Swastyastu!

For day 18, our last day in Pemutran, we started off with our last day of service teaching local elementary childern the importence of hygiene, excerise, and nurtion. We then went back to homebase to chill untill our fun-filled day of being at the beach, which included beach volleyball, body surfering, getting spa massages,and chilling by the pool. After our day of relaxing, we ate dinner and headed to a moonlit temple ceremony. This included praying with offerings, which was very heart-warming being able to enage in the Balinese culture. As we come to our last days for our GLA Bali trip, we hope to cherish these memories we made along our journey! See you next week!!!

– from Nina and Eshika

BLOG POST FOR JULY 21 & 22

Om swastiastu!

Our last two day of the program pas by so quick. We traveled back from Permutetan to our main homebase in Ubud. We stopped on the way for a waterfall visit to stretch our legs and then we went for a delicious lunch.

Before dinner we had a leadership activity that helped to set the goals of how to be the change back at home. After dinner we went for a surprise activity, the leaders didn’t tell us where we were going and it was KARAOKE. We had great time at our little private singing party.

The next day we woke up early to then go on the bus and travel to Padma beach for our surfing class. The rest of the day was for shopping, packing and final activities as a whole group. The appreciation circle made everyone feel great!

The next morning some of the first students left for the airport early in the morning so we said our first goodbyes and then a large group took off.

This 21 days adventure ended and we hope you will remember this experience forever!

June 7, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Bali: Island Health Expedition (July 26 – August 8, 2024)

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Mag & the Bali Team

Om swastiastu!

We hope you haven’t forgotten all the Bahasa you learned from our two weeks in Bali! Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday you arrived at our cozy homestay to meet our host family. How they welcomed us with open arms with the beautiful Sisya Upanayana Ceremony. How they fed us delicious Balinese dishes. Have you tried any tempeh or tofu dishes since you returned home?

After that we had an introduction to public health. Melissa, our speaker, gave us so much interesting information about public health in Indonesia and the influence of climate change on food security and health in general. Right after we met the medical students we were about to do house visits with! The first day was exciting as you all needed to use a lot of bahasa. We took their blood pressure, blood sugar level, weight and height. Also, taught the kids hand washing technique, and checked for dengue larvae in water deposit spots like bathrooms, etc. We also asked them other questions regarding their overall health. Visiting Bumi Sehat, the maternity NGO where we discovered a natural journey to motherhood and met inspiring founder Ibu Robin was a highlight of many of you. She gave us amazing tips and gave us the idea of writing letters to our placenta as most of us didn’t know what happened to it after our birth. What a beautiful first look into the medical world of the East.

So much happened in the 2 weeks in Bali it’s hard to believe we met so many people and had all these experiences together. We had a blast in Amed, time to relax, enjoy water activities and SPA treatments. You also got to teach a health workshop related to exercise, nutrition and hygiene at a local school! You all did so well, we were all really proud of how creative you were!

Our last learning stop was Magifarm and the Food Fighter Project. What an eye-opening experience! It was so cool to see everyone enjoying making food together. And what a powerfully emotional experience to hand out the food to the families working so hard in the landfill. We truly saw another side of the paradise that Bali is known to be. We are sure that experience has imprinted a new outlook on our daily lives and our participation in global sustainability.

Throwback to some other highlights from our experience:

Sunrise Snorkeling in Amed
Scuba diving and seeing all the fish!!
All female fire performance
Traditional Balinese healer visit
Hiking through padi fields and learning about the indigenous village and their ways of life
Surfing class and beach time on the second to last day
Karaoke
Shopping
Dinner out and evening swimming
Making ramen
Visits to Indonmaret
Leadership activities 😉 😉
And not to forget hanging out and playing cards with your new friends!

At the very end we closed our experience with an Appreciation circle and last offerings. And an afterparty of zumba before saying goodbyes.

We all hope that you had an amazing experience and look back to our time in Bali with a smile on your face.
Don’t forget to Be the Change back at home 😉 We count on you!

We are sending best vibes to you all,

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

Magdalena (Mag) Michalczuk
Beni Sanjaya
Rohit (Richie) Patkar
Kristin Pelaud
Dilla Sugiantari
Billy Abi

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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.
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.
Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
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

P.S. Are you interested in supporting the Global Leadership Adventures International Foundation? We invite you to learn more about GLAIF and consider donating here.

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 26

Om swastiastu from Bali! We are so excited to start our second session of Bali Health Expedition!

Today, our students made their way to Denpasar airport to jump into their adventures and learning opportunities that are coming along! We hope that you will enjoy using this blog as a way to experience this journey with us!
Our group has safely arrived and is getting comfortable in our homestay in Ubud. Most of the students shared that long hours of traveling were tiring, but they are all super enthusiastic and looking forward to the adventure and service days to come!

We had a smooth pick up day, everyone arrived without any issues and we are so grateful for that! We had a dinner together in our homestay with most students. Students got to meet the team: Mag, Kristin, Richie-our international director and mentors and Beni, Dilla and Billy-our local director and mentors. We will be with the group during this whole trip, facilitating the experience, supporting the learning and making sure we all have a lot of FUN! We also met the homestay family we are staying with: Nyoman, Tik, Gina and Kadek. They are all very welcoming and the students were thrilled to meet them and have opportunity to learn their first words in Indonesian.

We are all looking forward to service learning , making lifelong memories, and friendships that await for us.

Tomorrow onwards the Leaders of the day will be writing the blog entries to keep the parents and loved ones updated about our adventures.

Hope you will enjoy our blog!

Mag & Beni (International and Local director)
Dilla, Kristen, Billy, Richie (mentors)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 27

Om Swastiastu,

Today we woke up to a true Balinese breakfast before an introduction to Balinese culture, norms, and laws. We learned that smiling is a large part of your day, and how to interact with wildlife and the local people. Following our program orientation, we had a fashion show put on by staff about dress code, and an immersive Indonesian language class with hints of the Balinese language sprinkled in. We then completed a “Know Your Neighborhood” activity where we applied the information received during the language class and orientation to talk to locals about Balinese culture.

We learned that each home has a temple facing north-east toward Agung mountain because the Balinese believe it is sacred. Later in the day, we partook in the Sisya Upanayana ceremony in our host family’s temple. For the sake of blessing students, we were each showered with holy water. We finally ended the day with a group dinner and activities, including a performance from a professional Legong dancer. The first two days have gotten us extremely excited for the rest of the trip.

Om-shanti-shanti-shanti-om

-Jack

BLOG POST FOR JULY 28

Salamat sore!

We started the day with a relaxing herbal walk. A little shower of rain didn’t stop us from learning all about plants. Tumeric, coconut, rice, and ylang ylang. We topped the herbal walk off with a delicious breakfast of Nasi Kuning (Tumeric Rice) and traditional Balinese food. Then we walked to a local herbal shop tasted tea and bought holistic, locally grown goods.

We drove to Tirta Empul Temple, a local water temple, wearing our sarong and sash that was gifted to us by Bali Institute. We then went to Kintamani region to a restaurant overlooking the Mt. Batur volcano. The buffet was delicious and we filled up before our coffee tasting. We visited a Coffee Plantation and tasted a variety of teas and coffees. We learned about a variety of plants that make coffee and also a cat that poops coffee beans and makes a very expensive coffee. We shopped some more at the gift shop and bought teas and oils. We came back to our home base for rest time, then prepared our sash and sarang again for dinner with the princess.

We arrived at the palace and were greeted with coconut cake and a welcome drink. The tour guide began to show us the palace and then the princess decided to take over and show us her home. Which might have been her first time doing that. Then we had a dinner meant for special guests at the palace. We asked her various questions about her life. She is 16, the lead guitarist of her band, captain of the debate club, and totally gen z. We drove back to home base, sang Taylor Swift on the way, and then had our daily temple circle. Goodnight!

Fianna and Sofia

BLOG POST FOR JULY 29

Halo! Om Swastiastu!

Today we started off the day with 8am breakfast followed by multiple leadership activities and games. After leadership activities, we got dressed in our sarongs and sashes and headed to the Banjar for a workshop. In the workshop we learned how to make a traditional Balinese offering, learned wood carving, a traditional dance, and played Balinese instruments. Then we came home to a delicious lunch of white and red sauce pasta!! Following lunch, we headed to the Bali Institute office and had a presentation about public health, specifically global warming, tourism effects, and the healthcare system in Bali. After the presentation, we met the medical students that we will be working with during these next few days of service. We practiced taking blood pressure and height. Then we came home for dinner and then the leaders of the day (us!) taught yoga for our evening activity.

Selamat tidur!

Charlotte and Anna Lee

BLOG POST FOR JULY 30

Halo!

Today was a very busy day, but it was an amazing experience. We started with breakfast, as always it was delicous. After breakfast we did leadership activities, involving doing skits about different types of leadership, and we did a trust activity using blindfolds. Afterwards, we were served a great meal of chicken katsu. Then we started our first day of service, which was an eduational experience. We worked with local nursing and medical students to take blood pressure, blood sugar, height, and weight of patients in their homes. After visiting and checking the health of many families, we came back to homebase for a great dinner. For the last ativity of the day, we headed off to an incredible fire show of dance and chanting. They ate fire! We came back to homebase, feeling very tired. It was a good day.

Salamat Tidur!
Myels

BLOG POST FOR JULY 31

Om Swastiastu!

Today is our sixth day in Bali and we are still full of energy and excitement! We started our day with a breakfast of sweetbread, vegetable omelet, and tofu. We started preparing to teach kids about hygiene, nutrition, and exercise by brainstorming activities. After, we headed to Bumi Sehat- a natural birth clinic. There we learned about all the work and service Bumi Sehat has done for communities in Indonesia and the Phillipines. Ibu Robin, founder of Bumi Sehat, shared with us her beliefs on the importance of a peaceful birth and the importance of taking care of the placenta. We watched a video of a soothing natural birth and of a water birth. We toured their clinic- which was a picturesque view of waterfalls and plants to aid the birthing process. We then headed back to the homestead to have food from a local restaurant. Which consisted of sweet and sour chicken and a few other dishes. We then headed out for our second day of service- where we visited many family compounds. Compounds can consist of an entire family living together grandparents, uncles, aunts, grandchildren, etc. We would also give them vitamins and look in their water to see if any mosquito larve had infested it. Communicating in bahasa to the patients has been difficult for many of the students, but they felt they had a better grasp of it today. We had dinner at the homebase which was fried rice, yellow watermelon, tofu, fried potato, and spicy chicken. We then wrapped up the day by playing several rounds of mafia. The students are having a great time here, but the thing they are missing most is ice- so have a cold drink ready for them! We are excited to start our day tomorrow by visiting a healer!

– Leah and Stella

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1

Salamat Sore!

Hello family and friends! Today we met a very wise and fascinating woman, a natural Balinese healer. Six of us were randomly chosen to get our futures and energy read for a problem that we might experience in our future. After meeting the healer, we headed back to home base for lunch and free time where some of us took a nap and some played card games. Then, we headed out for our last day of service. This was a great day for everyone as we all felt more confident speaking to the locals and taking blood pressure! We said goodbye to the Med Students and headed back to homebase to get ready for our dinner outing at a super nice restaurant with a pool. We ended off the night with a fun swim and walk back to home base!
Until next time!

Ava and Grace

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2

Apa Kabar!

After reflecting on our time here and thanking our homestay family in Ubud; we spent the morning packing up for the second half of our journey in Ahmed. During the drive we stopped at Indomart where we loaded up on Indonesian candy and snacks with a new craze for Mogu Mogu(a sweet drink with nata de coco). Once we arrived, while waiting to check in, we enjoyed some great lunch at a local Thai restaurant paired with delicious drinks! We soon settled in with our new roommates and BEAUTIFUL scenery.

After that, we spent the rest of our afternoon preparing for the workshop we will be teaching tomorrow; playing Marco Polo in the pool; going over ocean protocols before diving in; and getting fitted for snorkeling gear. We also enjoyed our free time playing volleyball, chess, and soccer with our lovely mentors. As we ended the day with some good burgers, we then spent time reflecting and meditating with the comfort of the waves and stars. We now head to bed with promise of a busy but exciting day tomorrow.

Lots of love,
Amelie and Allison

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3

Heyyy,

It’s Pessia and Riverlin here to report about the day!

We woke up at the crack of dawn to ride the waves at sunrise. We anchored at a coral reef 20 minutes away from our home beach and snorkled. We saw an underwater temple, swam with various schools of fish, got tickeled by jellyfish and floated with bioluminescent plankton. We then returned for a delicious breakfast at the resort and got ready to head over to the local school. At the school we divided into groups and gave workshops to the students about health. Everyone had a good time! There were many laughs, good engagement and the students were troopers about our shaky bahasa. We ended our visit at the school with a certificate ceremony and a group dance to Baby Shark (doo doo doo doo doo doo!!). We had lunch back at the resort. Fried rice never gets old 😛 Next we enjoyed some leisure time. Riverlin and I chilled on chairs in the black sand. Some people got massages! Everyone enjoyed the cool pool. Lastly we had dinner and a cute evening activity created by us. The best one yet ;). We made oragami hearts and wrote compliment letters. We gifted them to the random person we got assigned. Tomorrow we look forward to scuba diving! Riverlin and I are in the afternoon group so we are very excited to sleep in!

Thanks for tuning in! <3 Pessia and Riverlin (shoutout Deborah & Mendy, Rory & Tammy! We love you and miss you! )

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4

Om Swastiastu!

Today is day 10 of our program and we started off bright and early when the first group woke up at 7:00am to go scuba diving where we met the kindest people at Bali Reef Divers. There, each group started off in the pool first for practice before we made it out to the ocean. We did two 25-minute dives and we were able to see some pretty cool fish and some of us were lucky enough to see sea turtles! The next group went at 11:30 after we all enjoyed lunch. We all reunited at around 6:00pm to have Sunset Circle on the beach and enjoy some music. For dinner we had a delicious local meal organized by Beni and Billy (Thank you guys)! After, we had Mentor groups where we did some exciting activities. Then some participated in a ceremony celebrating our placenta.
Goodnight!

From,
Grace and Charlotte ❤❤

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5

Hey y’alls!

Although we spent a majority of our 11th GLA day in the car coming home from our adventure in Amed, we still had an amazing day full of experience. Along the way we stopped at the oldest village in Bali to venture on a strenuous, but rewarding hike through the rice fields, village, and jungle. There were many things to admire as well as learn about the history of the culture and foundation of the village. We continued our drive back to the homestay where we had the opportunity to relax and debrief our day so far.

After our relaxing time we met up to do a debate activity in which we learned about medical tourism and used our skills in debate to come to a conclusive agreement that all parties felt happy about. Soon after that we headed out for one of the best nights of our trip where we went to a delicious resturaunt and…… KARAOKE!!! We made a compilation of some of the best songs in history including lots of Beyonce, Rihanna, and of course, the most iconic song that we all (well, most of us) agreed was the star of the night, Dancing Queen from ABBA. While we all sang our hearts out and put everything into our performing, we were exhausted immediately after and slept on the car ride home. Huge thank you to our GLA staff and amazing bus drivers who made the adventures of today possible. See you tomorrow!

Best,
Stella and Fianna

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6

Hello followers, did you miss us?

Today we went to MagiFarm, a maggot farm, and learned about how maggots can help prevent food waste and help climate change. We saw the farm and a well thought-out presentation. We then were put into groups and had a competition of who could sort the maggots out of their waste. After that we started cooking different side dishes and then got into an assembly line making meals to give out for the workers we were to meet at the landfill.

After having a delectable lunch we headed to the landfill to give out the 200 meals we made. Seeing this landfill and learning that not only do people work here, but live here was hard to see and brought up a lot of emotions. Although the living conditions were not ideal, the people living there were still very grateful and happy. We speak for the whole group when we say that experiencing this made us feel very grateful for our privledged lives. Although today was not the easiest, and even a little anxiety inducing, it was a very eye opening experience that was very important to learn about and a great opportunity.

Signing off!

Toby and Zori

BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7

Hello families and friends who are reading the very last GLA Bali blog!

For our last day all together on our GLA trip we had some pretty fun adventures. It started off with everyone waking up before the sun and piling on a bus at 5:45am. We drove out to the coast for an amazing day of surfing and swimming. Even though it was many peoples first time surfing, everybody did absolutely amazing and is now addicted to the waves. With a delicious last typical Balinese lunch of rice and chicken, we headed to the mall for some souvenir/snack shopping.

Soon after we headed home for some of our very last GLA activities together. One activity, which was called the Appreciation Circle was a group favorite. (Make sure to ask your kids all about it!) While we did many other activities such as reflecting on our time together and what went well and what didn’t, we also passed out letters that every person wrote to everyone else. While the night was sad and many people cried, you could feel the love and appreciation for being able to partake on such an amazing adventure.

After saying goodbye to our amazing mentors and local staff, we did a quick session of the coolest Zumba dances, led by our very own Zumba Mentor, Kristin. Even though saying goodbye has been hard, just being able to meet and experience everything that we have, has been a million times worth it. Make sure to have an icy, delicious drink waiting for your kids when they arrive and remember to always show appreciation!

Signing off for the last time,

Bali Island Health Expedition GLA 2024

June 7, 2024 by Ashley Welter

Bali: Education & Marine Adventure (June 29 – July 19, 2024)

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Isadora & the Bali Team

Do you remember all that we’ve gone through? We spent just 3 weeks in Bali and we’ve all grown so much. Do you remember all that we experienced together? We spent time learning a new culture, enjoying beach life, connecting with new friends and of course, becoming better leaders.

We are wondering how you are all doing. Months have passed by and we came here to remind you of the huge positive impact you’ve had in Bali’s community. We were able to contribute to PKP and its amazing mission. And of course integrating into our lives the 3E’S.

We cleaned up mangroves, cooked and distributed food for people in need, and helped the biosphere from the ridge to the reef! And also we can’t forget about the kids, what an incredible time we had sharing our culture and knowledge and bringing so much joy! Thanks to all of you we were also able to contribute and donate to support and improve Bali Education! G..L..A…GLA BALI!

We bet you all miss playing with maggots, doing some adventurous trekking and eating a bowl full of rice! Hahaha, we know many of you don’t miss that part, but we all for sure learned how brave we are for stepping out of our comfort zones so many times and learning to find joy in the simplest things. But for real, what a great time we shared learning the balinese dance, playing futsal, scuba diving, singing our souls out in karaoke and of course catching some good waves and understanding how much we love the ocean. And along with that, how important it is to protect, take care and regenerate this environment. We were able to witness and also financially contribute to BIOSPHERE and the incredible work they are doing in Permuteram.

We all had time to reflect on ourselves while spending 3 weeks in a country very far from home. We shared rooms and daily responsibilities with a whole new group of people. We learned to work with people with all different types of personalities while also exploring a new culture. This provided an incredible opportunity for growth and self development.

With our breathwork session and sharing circle we were able to reminisce on all of the highlights and equally reflect on the lowlights of our trip. We were able to recount all of our takeaways and the stories we wanted to bring home with us in our luggage. We all hoped that through this journey together we would find a better version of ourselves, and we all certainly believe that you did. One big lesson Bali has taught us is to be GRATEFUL!

We learned to be more present and to accept and appreciate what we have now. We learned to be more kind and patient to ourselves and learn to be resilient and supportive in challenging situations. We also learned the importance and the potential we have to make a difference, which can even start on our plates.

Experiencing this program together as a community showed us the importance of being more OPEN to new opportunities, new experiences, and especially new friendships. We learned to not shut ourselves into our own bubbles, but instead, to be brave and to get out of our comfort zones and explore.

This same bravery that brought you all here to live this unforgettable experience together will take you on even more beautiful paths in life if you are open to it. Don’t ever forget that! Thanks for being more than great students, but amazing friends. We miss you all! Suksama, and hope you still remember “Everybody is a teacher, I am a teacher, you are a teacher; Every place is a school, this place is a school; Every moment is a lesson, at this moment I am learning!”

Sending a hug to you all from:
Isa, Sam, Kimiko, Yudha, Aura and Ikki

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

Here are a few things to know and expect:

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.
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.
Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
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

P.S. Are you interested in supporting the Global Leadership Adventures International Foundation? We invite you to learn more about GLAIF and consider donating here.

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

Hello family and friends,

We made it! Yes what a long trip but we are happy to inform that we arrived home safely, and we were warmly welcomed by our gla family!

We are tired, not gonna lie, but we are very excited for the new adventures yet to come!!

We had an amazing welcome dinner hosted by our very kind local staff, which allowed us to get a taste of Balinese food.

Terimakasi that means thank you in Indonesian! We will keep you updated!

Tomorrow we will make sure we share with you a big group picture with everyone, today we had many different arrivals so it was hard to register. But here it is some smiles of us 🙂

With love,

GLA Bali fam

BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Today was an authentic sample sized serving of Indonesian culture. To start the day off, we toured around the local rice farms and we were educated about tumeric and all of its cancer-fighting properties by a very kind local farmer.

Next, we tried lemongrass herbal tea and bought some naturally made shampoos, face masks and ashwagandha at a nearby tea store.

After that, we went to a beautiful water purification temple called the Tirta Empul Temple and learned as we observed aswell as participated in traditional Balinese-Hindu prayers. Next, we had lunch at a gorgeous restaurant called Kintamani overlooking Mt. Batur with a delicious all you can eat buffet of rice, chicken and fresh fruits.

After that, we went to a coffee plantation and tried all sorts of different teas and coffees, some good some bad.

Finally, we ended up at Blahbatuh Palace where we got a lovely tour from a very nice man who lived there before we dined with the princess and king. We then preceeded to ask about the life of a princess and what she does day to day. and as expected when it comes to questions, some good some bad.

We are excited for tomorrow and some new adventures!

With love,

Baruna banjar family

BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Hello Families!

Day 3 invited us to immerse ourselves in Balinese culture. We visited our local Banjar, an essential part of every community in Bali. The banjar is a community center where various culture activities take place such as making rituals, cooking, music, wood carving and even exercise classes!

Below is a photo of us embracing the culture of Bali with instrument practice, dancing, carving, and making offerings.

We first embarked on a yoga journey and found inner peace in the amazing woods that have been transformed into a tranquil paradise for all.

We had a very inspiring talk from the founder of PKP, Ibu Sari.

We learned about her life philosophy, the 3E’s and had dinner, sang, and danced with our new friends, showing love and support for the program.

It was a long, but very special day.

-Gabriel

BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Today we had two leaders of the day as we split into two groups for our service.

Group 1 Leader of the day: Aiden Pham

Arriving at the beach, group one was bursting with excitement, eager to run into the ocean. After changing into proper clothes, we boarded a canoe and admired the scenery. But then, we saw a large mound of trash, a stark reminder of Indonesia’s severe plastic waste problem. Realizing the urgency, we disembarked onto paddle boards and entered the mangroves, crucial habitats now choked with pollution. We immediately began cleaning, removing tangled plastic and planting new mangrove trees. Our baskets filled quickly, and after lunch, we sorted the waste into plastic, ropes, and organic bins. Though unpleasant, our effort paid off, and we felt proud of our contribution. Determined, we set our sights on the next venture;spreading awareness.

Group 2 Leader of the day: Sydney Dymacek

Today group two started off there day by traveling to the Magi Farm which helps transforming food waste into sustainable solutions by using black solider flys also known as maggots. Yes maggots!

There was a presentation about the goals of Magi Farm and we were able to see the process of how they break down food waste by using the maggots and how important the issue of food waste is in mitigating climate change due to the methane gas it emits when introduced into landfills. We learned how necessary it is to only take as much as need.

We also were able to cook a traditional Balinese meal wrapped up in bamboo and were able to distribute the food packages for families who live at one of the largest land fills in Indonesia. This was an eye opening experience as to how our excess waste affects the lives of others.

After that, we meet up with group one back at home base to have a debate about tourism and protecting Balinese culture. We had dinner at home base and were by a surprise trip to play soccer.

We are excited for the new adventures and what tomorrow awaits!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Dear Families,

Group 1: Aaron

We had an eventful day during our second service day on our adventure. Our group visited Magi Farm, an organization dedicated to sustainable food waste management in Bali. We were given a presentation by a speaker who introduced us to the organization and the pressing issue of overloaded landfills. It was disheartening to learn that there were people actually living in these landfills, struggling to obtain sufficient food on a daily basis.

Upon realizing the gravity of the situation, our group decided to take action by preparing food for the people residing in the landfill. We made a traditional Balinese dish consisting of rice, carrots, beans, corn cakes, tempeh, and eggs. It was a small gesture, but we hoped it would make a meaningful impact on their lives.

Afterwards, we had a quick lunch, making certain not to generate any food waste. We then proceeded to Magi Farm’s warehouse, where we learned about the life cycle of maggots and how they can be utilized as a sustainable solution for managing food waste. Although the smell was quite overwhelming, we understood the importance of this approach for the greater good.

Finally, we made our way to the landfill and distributed the food we had prepared to the people living there. Upon arrival, we were greeted by pet dogs and chickens wandering amidst the scorching heat, seeking shelter in makeshift metal shacks. It was truly heartbreaking to witness entire families residing in such an environment, and to discover that the meal we provided might be their only sustenance for the day. This experience deeply impacted our group, teaching us the importance of mindfulness in our daily lives and the need to reduce waste for the well-being of our planet.

Group 2: Kamara

We left home base and traveled to the beach for our first activity of the day to do a clean up of the mangroves while paddle boarding.

We took a boat ride to the mangroves clean up area. When we got there we got on our paddle boards and went around the mangroves trees and collected trash.(plastics and ropes)

During our sorting of the collected trash one of our Baruna members found snails.

For the final event of today we had a surprise and it was a celebration for the U.S. holiday of the 4th of July and for the belated celebration of Canada Day.

With love,

Banjar Baruna Family

BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Hello Families,

Today, we woke up and got right to work packing our things to move to our next home base, Pemuteran! The drive was long, but we had some great stops in between. After about an hour of driving, we reached Danau Beratan Lake. This stop offered amazing views of the lake and the beautiful mountains surrounding it. We had free time to explore the area before stopping at a local restaurant for lunch.

After a good meal, it was back to the buses to complete the journey to Pemuteran. We made a stop at a convenience store to load up on delicious snacks for the stay. Finally, upon reaching our new home base, we settled in before heading to the beachfront to begin the swimming test. The water was very nice and warm, making it very relaxing.

Once everyone finished their swimming tests, boats were waiting for us to take a sunset ride. This experience was amazing due to the views of the mountains and the beautiful sunset. It was a highlight as we got to jump from the boats into the ocean to cap off the ride. Making our way back to home base, we ended the great day with some delicious food and a fun activity.

Robert Pham

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Dear Family and Friends

Today was a pretty full day, starting with scuba diving fittings for the upcoming scuba adventure. While people were taking turns getting their suits, we got snacks and drinks at a restaurant next door. When everyone was set with the fitting, we went to a turtle hatchery and learned about how to catch, raise, and release baby turtles.

After the turtle hatchery, we had breakfast on the beach. We then had some free time at the beach to swim and relax before going back to home base. We did final preparations for our teacher before having lunch.

After lunch we got to go to the elementary school and work with the local kids. It was very special to see all them because they were technically on holiday and had come just for us. We had previously split into three teaching groups; art, English and sports. The kids we also divided into three groups and we did 45 minutes class with each group. It was an amazing experience for both the kids and us. We then got ice cream and drinks as a treat before going back to base. After dinner, we had a nice chow circle and then due to it being a full day called it an early night.

Sincerely your lovely kids

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Hello everyone!

Today we started off our morning with a delicious pancake breakfast followed by an educational presentation on a bio rock coral preservation project! We learned about coral bleaching effect and other global issues that negatively impact the coral reefs.

After the presentation, we got fitted for some snorkeling gear and made our way out to the ocean! We saw reformed corals which were shaped in many different ways. There were so many small fishes swimming around in the coral when we dove down, proving how successful the bio rock coral restoration is.

After snorkeling, we made our way back to home base for lunch, where we had delicious sushi. Then we went back to the elementary school for our second day of teaching service! The kids were so much fun and we had a blast spending time with them and teaching them some new games, English, and art! We ended the school day with the Cha-Cha slide and a Balinese dance that the kids taught us. Overall, we had a very exciting, though exhausting, day, wrapping it up with some fun GLA activities. We are so excited for scuba diving tomorrow, stay in touch!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Hi Family and Friends!

We started our morning by learning how to scuba diving and tested our new skills in a local swimming pool. We got personalized help in groups of two to three with a professional instructor. While some practiced, others spent time in a pool near by playing marco polo and racing down the slides.

Before lunch, we got the opportunity to scuba dive in the ocean as far as 10 meters (30 feet) deep. We were able to see a variety of coral reef structures and fish species. As groups took turns going into the ocean, others got snacks at a restaurant nearby while cuddling up with the most adorable puppies.

As the day came to a close, we worked in mentor groups to discover our love languages. This helped us understand what we look for in others and what we want to receive from others as well. While some of us prefer acts of service others look for quality time instead. We finished our night off by getting some delicious ice cream and then we were off to bed for the night. New adventures wait for us tomorrow!

-Neva <3

BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Good Morning Blog,

Today we had to wake up at 6:20, to go to the Biosphere Stewardship Center. We started off with breakfast at the center and found out that one our friends had to leave which made us extremely sad, but we gave her a big group hug and had a special moment to say goodbye.

Then one of the staff there explained to us exactly what they do here, the challenges they face, and how they plan to solve the issues. After that session we started off our two hour walk into the forest where they showed us the different types of plants and how dry the forest gets in the dry season. We additionally picked up trash that was left on the trail as part of our service.

Later we split into two groups, and started another service – searching for materials which is used to build compost. While one group was cutting down the trees to use as the green, nitrogen rich component of the compost, the other group started by shoveling the cow manure to also use for part of the base. Each group did 30 minutes of each task and switched. We additionally had the chance to build a meter tall slab of compost ourselves. Then we had lunch and some time to rest. After resting we went to the mangroves and picked up trash from around the areas that could be dangerous to the monkeys and other creatures around there.

After that, we headed back to the center and ate a delicious dinner. We then rested for a while and headed down to the Bali Bamboo, which is a zoning out area (gazebo), and watched a documentary about the Biosphere and how they started. We learned about the super technologically advanced Biosphere 2 in Arizona in which eight scientists lived in for two years. We were all very tired and went back to home base to pass out and get some much needed sleep.

Sincerely,

Malak and Jack

BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Hello friends and family,

We started the day off early, going right back to the biosphere we had breakfast and got right to work. Splitting up into 2 groups, the first one started with digging trenches using a hoe along the hill top to trap water for the trees. After an hour or so we switched activities and learned about the invasive plants that inhabit Bali before going to work on removing them.

We go on a tour around the compound seeing how these people live sustainably with the nature.

At lunch we leave the biosphere and get some much needed rest. We take our last swim at this beach before getting ready for a memorable dinner where we sang, danced and walked along the beachside.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Hello Families,

We started the day off by having breakfast which was pancakes with chocolate. It was very delicious and i’d like to thank the staff for this amazing meal.

We then got on the bus to go back to our original home base. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall on the way there and it was heavenly.

We spent most the day on the bus, but to end off the day we did a GLA leadership activity followed by mentor groups.

— Dylan

BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Hello, Everyone!

We began our day with a delightful breakfast at the Ubud Homestay. After fueling up, we made our way to the beach for some exhilarating surfing. Cowabunga! It was an absolute blast. Everyone managed to stand up on their boards at least once, even the first timers. The waves were perfect for beginners.

Following our surfing adventure, we enjoyed some refreshing drinks and delicious food at the beach. We then took to the water once more, this time to float and play around. The water was simply amazing, making me feel as though I was in a dream.

After our beach adventures, we returned to our base for a well deserved two hour rest before diving into a fun trivia session. We were divided into six groups and quizzed on all the fascinating facts about Bali we had learned during our trip. Shoutout to the Pumpernipples!!

Dinner was followed by an energetic karaoke session to end the night. Despite being tired, we sang our hearts out and had a fantastic time. We spent the entire evening singing and enjoying each other’s company, before finally heading home. The ride back was quiet, as everyone was exhausted from the day’s activities.

We had an incredible time today and can’t wait to share more updates with you on the blog!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

Hi Family and Friends!

Today we had the honour of being welcomed into our mentor, Yudha’s, family compound for an exclusive cooking class lead personally by his mother. This was an extremely special experience where we got to learn about the insides of Balinese family culture and cuisine. Her secret ingredient: love! We got to cook local foods such as Base Genep, Sop Jamur, Sate Ayam Lilit and several more that we got to later enjoy for lunch!

We then headed to the beloved PKP women’s center for a brand new service opportunity.

After being put into teams of 2 we got to adopt a group of kids each ranging from around 2-5 of them. This was super cool opportunity for both us and for the children at PKP as we got to teach them whatever english phrases we liked and played with them around the garden. We had so much fun bonding with them and then proceeded to move towards the garden area and helped expand their range of planted plants with some additional, chili, lemongrass and pandas. We also helped to remove invasive species in order to make space for future crops.

Around the end, we got to witness an enchanting traditional Balinese dance performance that some of the children had prepared for us. It was very sweet to see the effort and love that they had put into it and the fact that they shared it with us filled us with great amounts of emotion. We then sang the PKP 3 E’s song that we had learnt the last time around very passionately before moving on to a delicious buffet of Indonesian food. We ended the night with a memorable solo dance performance from one of the girls of the center which once again was met with much love and appreciation.

We were so grateful for the warm welcome from Yudha’s family and the opportunity to visit PKP again. Cannot wait for what tomorrow has to offer!

Much love,

Yasemin

BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Dear Friends and Family,

Today in the GLA program we had the opportunity to go on a two hour, 3 mile trek. To get there we drove the bus one and a half hours, but the trip was worth it! We walked past beautiful landscapes. We saw rice plantations, a beautiful mountain and the whole time we were walking next to a river.

Overall, the track was gorgeous and we ended up by a small temple. There we picnicked and had lunch. We continued our walk to a bee farm. There we saw how different types of bees producing honey. We got to taste the honey. There were four different types of honey, including mango and coffee, made by normal bees and black bees! We were able to purchase some honey!

Next, we walked through the indigenous village on the way to the bus. We took the bus to a ginormous souvenir shop, where students had an hour to purchase souvenirs for themselves and their families.

Back at homebase student started packing for our next location while waiting for dinner. After dinner, we had a GLA session where we debriefed on our favorite memories of this trip and continued working on our leadership skills by brainstorming solutions for the problems we’ve witnessed in Bali, for example, coral reef damage and food waste. This brought us to the end of our day.

With love,

Sara Ahlgrimm

BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Dear Family and Friends,

Today is day 18. The day started in a surprising way. We had a Birthday Boy, Danny, today! After the breakfast at Madra Homebase, when everyone thought it was time to leave, the staff, held 2 birthday cakes and started to play the birthday song. And the journey of the day commenced with Danny’s birthday wish and enjoying of the cakes.

Then, we drove to Sanur where we departed to Nusa Penida. It was a long car drive during which people continued their bed-time😴 And before we knew it, we were there! We arrived at Sanur at 11. We had our lunch at a restaurant there. At 1, we got aboard the boat to Nusa Penida. Riding on the boat, we were met with a stunning panoramic view of the sea. Yes, we were in the middle of the sea! As the boat moved up and down along with the waves, we soon arrived.

After leaving our luggage in the rooms and having some chill time, we went to the Crystal Bay in which the water was as surreal as a crystal. There, some were lying down on the sand to tan, some were enjoying the snacks and some were frolicking in the water.

At 6, we headed to the restaurant which was on top of the mountain where we enjoyed the sunset and the sea breeze, affording us a sense of calm and peace. The fun part there was not only the view, but again we had our birthday boy, Danny. During the dinner, when the food was offered to him, all of us sang the Birthday Song for him, uplifting the whole vibe of the night. Lastly, the night ended up we driving back to our hotel.

That is it for the day. Hope you find this happy! Bye, family~

Best wishes,
Danny

BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

Hello Families,

After our first night at the Arsa Santhi Hotel located on Nusa Penida Island, right off Bali’s shore, we kicked off the day with a small breakfast from 7:00 to 7:45 am. As we finished, we counted everyone to make sure those who could and wanted to attend the snorkeling were present. We then proceeded by car to get our gear fitted.

Once we got our gear, we headed to the boats where we embarked on four different snorkeling adventures (in order): Manta Bay, Crystal Bay, Permata Bay, and Gamat Bay. We explored each bay for around 27 minutes, making the entire journey last around 2 hours.

The four spots, although each different in their own way, were of paramount beauty, equal to no other.

Manta Bay was filled with a variety of different species, home to beautiful fish, coral, sea turtles, and manta rays, of course. Manta Bay was arguably the deepest bay we visited. From the surface of the water, the bottom appeared crepuscular and gloomy; however, when approached, the light suffused the surrounding areas as a large variety of corals would start to flicker, and the colors would intensify.

Crystal Bay, which we had visited the preceding day, was quite the opposite. The water was quite shallow, and the reef was well lit. It was easy to spot large fish, and the details were abundant. It was an easy swim for most at this spot, and it seemed that everyone was enjoying their time.

Permata Bay was a half-sandy, half-reef bay. The depth was probably around 3-5 meters (9-15 feet), and the snorkeling was a lot of fun. If anything, it was practically the hybrid between Manta Bay and Crystal Bay, though a little sandier. It was the perfect depth to free dive, meaning we were able to stare at the reef near the ocean’s floor. There was a giant boulder of coral, and if deep enough, one could peek under and see the beautiful fish hiding. Permata Bay could be deemed a beginner-friendly snorkeling spot.

The last spot, named Gamat Bay, was a spot to push oneself to their limits. The distance from the surface of the water to the sea floor ranged from 10-30 feet. The reef was flat in some areas as it then started tilting, leading to the sea floor in others. As most were trying to benefit from their last swim of the trip, many were fervently swimming, fatiguing themselves with their last chance to view such beauties.

Overall, the snorkeling was an exciting experience and certainly one of the most beautiful activities during this trip.

After the snorkeling, we headed towards Happy Eating Penida where everyone ate well and could order additional food and beverages if wanted. Everyone had a great lunch.

Once everyone finished eating, we decided to head back to the hotel and take a 3-hour break, allowing each other to relax and recuperate our energy. During this break, many slept, and others swam in the hotel’s pool. This break gave everyone enough energy to do the following activity.

Energetically, those who met the conditions to enter the Balinese temple took the car to the Goa Giri Putri Temple. This temple was special because it’s located in a cave, and figures have been carved and embedded into the cave’s walls. Down in the cave, it was very humid and hot due to the fact that the water from the surface trapped the heat. However, the beauty removed all nuisances as it made us focus on the details. The lights lined up along the pathway throughout the temple emphasized the details. Ultimately, the lights blessed the temple with dazzling beauty. The walk throughout the temple was something to remember.

Once we finished exploring the temple, we directly headed towards the dinner place, Coco Penida, to enjoy our last meal at a restaurant. While waiting for the food, we walked along the shore and admired an impressive view of Bali’s tallest mountain. The food here was extraordinary, and this last beach and sunset dinner did not disappoint.

Once dinner was over, we headed back to the hotel, and everyone acquired a good night’s sleep.

– Julian