Bali – Time Capsule Letter
Hi Everyone!
I can hardly believe it has been three months since we were all half way around the world together! Time is going by way too fast! Occasionally Katie, Amanda, and I will call each other out of the blue and desperately cry into the phone “I miss Bali!” a feeling that most people will never truly understand (except you guys of course). The mentors and I reminisce about everything we miss — from the beautiful sunsets, to the weird yet delicious pancakes with chocolate sprinkles. But mostly, we talk about how much we miss the WHITE RICE, it brings tears to our eyes when we think about it for too long, (sarcasm).
We also talk about how cool it was to watch all of you arrive as a group of strangers, but leave as a family. Remembering the volunteering at the schools was one of my favorite memories from the trip. Those kids at the school idolized and appreciated all of you as if you were the coolest kids in town, and we all took notice as your own confidence grew at alarming rates. By the end of the week, all of you were standing in the front of the room, directing and entertaining about 30 middle school as if you’ve been doing it all your life! Its fascinating to see how one experience can make such an impact on an individual (even if the papers, markers, and translations were forgotten on more than one occasion). Those kids will remember you for years to come!
Make sure this year is full of fun and adventure just like the last! I hope this school year is going well for everyone and I hope you are all staying in touch with each other! Until we meet again, remain amazing and make an impact!
<3
Nadia and the entire Bali Crew (including Katie, Prita, Ryan, Amanda, Wira & Agung)
Don’t just relive your summer abroad. Experience GLA in a whole new way next summer, in a country you’ve never been to before. Then check out your Fiji staff’s favorite memories below.
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Favorite Recollections:
Hanging out at Anik’s place while her brother Domingo would get a sing along going
Watching so many of the kids begin to cry on your last day of volunteering
The gorgeous sky during the sunset boat ride
INTENSE Soccer games in the back of Ed-Hotel
Witnessing you become Scuba Diving Champions!
TRASH art in Ketut’s village
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Beachside & Sports – Time Capsule Letter
Hola mi amigos of Costa Rica Beach and Sports!!!!
I’m hoping this letter finds you all happy and healthy! Can you believe it’s already October?! I can’t! There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think back of all the memories of the amazing summer we got to spend together. During my travels through Central America I found myself telling all the people I met about GLA and all of my awesome students (Hey! That’s you guys!), the wonderful mentors, and all of the adventures we went on this summer.
One of my main highlights (of many) included all of the great community service we did. Those 4 gigantic holes transformed into a finished bridge! The school children are enjoying the tire parks we built at this very moment (unless you’re reading this at midnight…in which case they are probably sleeping)! People of the town are admiring the new mural. The community is using the church for great events! Beautifying the surrounding beaches and towns by cleaning up trash and painting the trashcans was so cool! Those high school students are feeling more confident in their English abilities. These and many other projects all contributed to a greater sense of community that we built together. I’m so proud of every single one of you. We did it! Nice work!
What a rockin’ summer! I can’t believe how much we did in such few days! Let’s all take a moment to remember those delicious empanadas (my mouth is watering just thinking about them), the beautiful beaches we explored, all the laughs we shared, all the homemade jewelry we made, the forests we zipped through, Chito and the other local staff we shared moments with, the mud we slathered all over ourselves and most importantly, all the new friends and memories we made.
I hope this summer has left you with sprouting seeds of not only self-development, but also community development. I hope you continue to do great things and you have a greater spark to explore the world and yourself. Don’t’ forget to appreciate the little things in life, because often those are the best.
You made my summer so special and I thank you all so much for it! I came away a different person and it’s all thanks to the students, the mentors and the local community. This summer was simply unforgettable!
I wish you all the best of luck this school year! I hope our paths cross again (I think it’s possible!)
Pura Vida,
Lindsey
Don’t just relive your summer abroad. Experience GLA in a whole new way next summer, in a country you’ve never been to before. Then check out Lindsey’s favorite memories below.
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Lindsey’s Favorite Memories:
- The first crazy boat ride to the island with Tiffany’s group and the boat filling up with water
- Panchito eating everything in sight!
- Dance parties in the busses (BilandooooooooOOOOooooo)
- Ice cream social- scooping ice cream into your hands
- Almost winning the community soccer game! We were so close!
- All of my special airport pickups and drop-offs
- A special someone jumping into the pool with someone else’s bathing suit on
- Making friendship bracelets with Aleisha (Thanks for the homemade cookies!)
- The GIANT bon fire of session 6
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Protecting the Pacific – Time Capsule Letter
Hello 2014 Protecting the Pacific Program members!
We can’t believe it’s already been over two months since the last PTP program ended! You’re probably all back at school, and to many of you Costa Rica may seem like a distant [and warm] memory. To all of us that you worked with here in Bahia Ballena, we see constant reminders of your time spent here: Biogardens, water filtration systems, signs, murals, and new brightly colored buildings, just to name a few. We see the evidence of the Protecting the Pacific program nearly every day, and it reminds us of the many excellent times we had this summer!
Your aim this summer was to help protect and preserve the Pacific Ocean, and what better place to do that than at the footsteps of the Marino Ballena National Park here in Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica. Here, you learned to surf with us at Bodhi Surf School — while all of you did just two lessons, we were impressed at the tenacity that you guys possessed for standing up on your board and riding waves! More than anything, we were stoked that you all had so much fun in the water and began to understand why it’s so important for surfers (and all people who spend lots of time in or near the ocean) to work together to keep it clean, healthy, and beautiful.
GLA made a huge positive impact on the community of Bahia Ballena through the service projects that it helped contribute to this summer, and really highlighted the program’s goal of promoting sustainable coastal development and preserving the natural surroundings. Through a number of tours, workshops, and talks, we learned that “Protecting the Pacific” isn’t just for those who are located near the ocean: everything ends up in the sea, so we can all do our part to protect the ocean (and the planet!) wherever we may live. Reducing consumption, cutting back on plastic use, preserving energy and water — all of these actions will help to protect our wonderful Planet Earth, the place that we call home, as well as the world’s oceans.
We worked a lot and we learned a lot, but we also had a lot of fun. Whether it was playing games at night, enjoying the soccer game with locals, hanging out with the kids at Forjando Alas, learning to cook at Canto de Ballenas, walking (or dancing) in the rain, showing off our talents, or stuffing our faces with pizza at the end, it was a blast and even better because we got to share it with all you guys — the 2014 GLA teens!
Thank you so much for all your hard work this summer!
-Adrianne & Team Bodhi Surf
Don’t just relive your summer abroad. Experience GLA in a whole new way next summer, in a country you’ve never been to before.
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Spanish Mountains – Time Capsule Letters
Hello dear friends,
All of us are thinking about your group! All the people from Green Communities, Cedrela and San Pedro & San Bernardo are very grateful with the work you guys did.
We remember the work in the communities (everyday I shoveling), the families and the amazing ladies that cooked for the special group still remember and they appreciated the hard work for the children in the School.
Our amazing chef Memo, say hello to everybody!
Still we have a good memories from the program and we continue farming and helping the farmers from the beautiful Los Santos Area.
You guys have to know, that we have our coffee ready! You have to taste it!!!
In name of GC, Jonathan, Carlos and David we just have to say thank you very much! You really make a difference and save the world…
Come back!
-Carlos & Green Communities
Don’t just relive your summer abroad. Experience GLA in a whole new way next summer, in a country you’ve never been to before. Then check out Green Communities’ favorite memories below, and Andrea’s letter to her students from this summer.
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Green Communities’ Favorite Memories:
- Farming with locals
- Playing soccer after work
- Spanish lesson in the community
- Dance lesson in Cedrela
- The monkey bridge!!! amazing for all of you
- The best 4×4 transfer to Manuel Antonio National Park
- White water rafting!!! once again!!
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Hola my amazing students from Spanish Service Adventure Mountains!
I can’t believe it’s already been 2 months since we were together at the beautiful Eco-lodge! As usually happens after incredible experiences abroad, it’s been an adjustment coming home, as I’m sure it has been for all of you! I hope you’re being gentle with yourselves and leaning on each other when you can. I don’t know about you, but reliving the memories from the pictures sure makes me smile (and I also highly recommend checking out the program blogs to refresh your memory on all the adventures we had! You can find the links on GLA’s website).
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work alongside all of you in San Pedro and San Bernardo with Tato, Jonathan and David with Green Communities. They are such an inspiration and a perfect example of people making their dreams into reality in their own communities. I know our direct efforts this summer helped them further the vision they have for the Los Santos region. The children we played with will be safer because we continued their sidewalk. The coffee farms where we shed our sweat can continue with their organic practices because we were there. The community of San Bernardo can continue beautifying and protecting their one soccer field because of our eco-bricks and tire fence. We hold a special place in the hearts of the locals and I know they’ll always have a special place in mine (as do all of you!!).
Throughout our time together we talked about leadership and the different forms that can take for everyone. Remember the activity we did one evening – were you a beaver, buffalo, mouse or eagle? Don’t forget about all the unique gifts you each bring to the table! I was lucky enough to witness all kinds of amazing leadership in our time together! Y’all are SO impressive! I was proud of you then and I can’t wait to hear about all the amazing things you’re continuing to do!
Did any of you do the 30-day challenges we made for ourselves? If you have…think of a new one! Let’s continue to become better versions of ourselves! If you haven’t, why not start this month?! (I’m giving you the mom eyes right now but I still love you! J ) What about the brainstorming for projects in your own communities? Have you made any progress? Changes? Discoveries? If you haven’t done anything with them, better late than never!
Like I said in Costa Rica, you all are an amazing, unique and UNCOMMON group of students! Keep pushing the envelope, or if you haven’t before…now is a great time to start!
I’ll leave you with a quote from one of my very favorite books The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it! Some fantastic pearls of wisdom!). It comes from the section on children, not because I think of you as children, but because I think of you as the future…
“You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.”
Don’t be a stranger! I love hearing what y’all are up to, and if I’m lucky, maybe our paths will cross again on future GLA trips.
Pura Vida!
Andrea
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Andrea’s Favorite Recollections:
- Dance class! We could barely keep up!
- Riding in the back of the pick-up trucks
- Carlos’ guitar playing and Mar’s singing
- Bus rides/dance parties on Mario’s buseta
- David’s laugh (1st program) or Jonathan’s crazy energy and antics (2nd program)
- Cozy movie nights with Memo’s homemade popcorn and hot chocolate
- Seeing the community use the sidewalk for the first time
- Futbol games, cooking classes, cementing, coffee farms and lunch with the locals!
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Check out Carlos’ blog and see more about your Spanish Service Adventure – Mountains experience.
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