Time Capsule Letter
Hola from Costa Rica!
We just want to check in and take a moment to remember the fun times we had together last summer. We miss working alongside the Vida veterinarians at clinic, waking up to the sunrise over the Orosi valley, and all the fun walks we had with the shelter dogs. Hopefully everyone has had a chance to take the knowledge they gained in Costa Rica and take it home to help the animals and community members there.
Remeber our group OMG (One Meaningful Goal) we decided to pursue after going home? It was to use the leadership skills we developed in GLA. Have you found the opportunity to raise awareness, give time, or brainstorm new solutions to make the world a better place? We want to hear the ways you’ve found to “be the change.” We saw how your effort and passion helped the communities in Liberia and Orosi and want to hear how you’ve helped other communities.
Pura vida!
Rose, Rocky, Juan Carlos, and Nia
Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!
Sunday July 21, 2019
Everyone landed in San Jose today and moved in to their temporary rooms in Alajuela. Most students had the chance to visit the park, cathedral, and ice cream shop before returning home to look at the week ahead, play a get-to-know-you game, and get some rest for our first full day in Costa Rica. Sophia M joined us later in the evening and we are so excited to get started learning with Vida Volunteer in the morning.
Buenas noches!
-GLA Staff
Monday July 22, 2019
Today was a travel day. We are all excited to be working with GLA and are looking forward to the experiences to come. Today began with an introduction to the Vida leadership team, and they talked about how we are going to be assisting the veterinarians. We went on a journey to our home base in Liberia, a 5 hour bus ride with a stop at a local restaurant and gift shop.
We saw macaws and had our first introduction with some of the dogs that roam the area. Not too long after we finally arrived at Hotel Wilson. We had a welcome greeting with the owners and soon enjoyed a delicious dinner. We did a quick icebreaker to get to know each other, and reviewed the code of conduct by performing skits. Tomorrow we look forward to our first day of service in the community where we will be doing home visits.
Authors: Nia Edwards (staff), Kari Fenner, Julia Persinger
Tuesday July 23, 2019
Today, July 23, was a marvelous day in Costa Rica! To start the day off with our act of service doing in-house checkups, surveys, and medicine administration to animals in need of the basic necessities of life. They were more than happy to see a fresh face, get a good belly rub, and take some healthy medication to make everyone’s lives a little easier.
The GLA teens learned new techniques to administer medications and how to facilitate survey interviews meanwhile practicing some Spanish! To end the day for the hardworking teens, we took a stroll into downtown Liberia where a little competitive scavenger hunt brought lots of laughs and smiles to their faces. The teens can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store from them!
Wednesday July 24, 2019
Today was our first day of clinic! We woke up,ate breakfast,and hoped on the bus.When we arrived in our scrubs,we assisted in setting up tables and supplies for the day.Patients began piling in and we began our work.We took vitals in the heat and prepped for surgery.We spayed and neutered 6 dogs of all breeds and sizes and one member for each group was the vets assistant.The other 3 moniterod breathing.We headed back to home base for lunch and rest.Some of us made bracelets and the played with the neighbors dog.Then we ate dinner and did leadership activities with mentor groups.We are all looking forward to the activities tomorrow!!
Thursday July 25, 2019
Today, we had excursion day! First, we took a trip to Hacienda Guachipelín and started off with zip lining. We repelled and rock-climbed through the canyons, then headed to the other side of the location for horse back riding. We followed a trail to a waterfall and swam to cool off.
For the second half of the day, we drove to Playa Panama. Some of us finished our swim tests, while others walked down the beach or tanned. Then we were met with a man selling copa, a dessert new to us all! While some enjoyed they’re snack, others met Nacho: a seahorse.
We finished the day back at home base with two very different, but interesting leadership activities. To end the long day, we all made bracelets and relaxed.
-by Sofia Mucha and Kayla Egan
Friday July 26, 2019
Today was our second day at the clinic, it was an eventful morning. We had a lot of unexpected pregnancies with the animals that the vets were working with. Although we had a lot of twists and turns, we ended up saving and bettering the lives of many animals. We also got to work with cats which was also exciting. The vets were very insightful and were knowledgeable about the animals.
It was really cool to work with real hands on situations with animals. We look forward to our last day in the clinic tomorrow. After lunch and siesta, we had a fun spirited game of soccer. After dinner, we had mentor groups were shared our fears and our role models. It’s our last full day in Liberia and although we are sad to leave, we are looking forward to our work that awaits us in Orosi.
-by August Lambrecht, Ryan Morgebstein
Saturday July 27, 2019
Today we had our final day of clinic service. We had many animals including dogs and cats. At the end we reflected on our work and the impact it had on the community. We came back, ate lunch, and siesta(ed). Later we competed in “Space Jams” where we split into 3 teams and went head-to-head in 7 challenges. Soon after, we had dinner and talked about what we would be doing in Orosi for the remainder of the trip. We’re so excited to start our next adventure with GLA!
Authors: Maddy Kassoy and Annie Ganem
Wednesday July 31, 2019
Today we went back to the shelter and walked the dogs and painted the shelter. After our community service we had dance classes and a hike to a waterfall. At the dance classes we learned to salsa dance. On are hike we visited two water falls and they were super pretty to see.
-Adeline and Tina
Thursday August 1, 2019
Today was the last day in Orosi. We started the day off by visiting the dog shelter for the last time. While we were there, we finished painting the dog cages and crafted posters with positive messages about the animals. Next, we traveled to the Turrialba Volcano where we hiked 3 miles and explored parts of the volcano. Finally ending the day we ate our last meal of pizza and Coke and made s’mores by the fireplace.
Authors: Matt Skweres, Charlie Hoke
Today was our final full day in Costa Rica. We left from Orosi to San Jose to visit the artisan market for some shopping and then Zoo Ave after lunch. We finished the day with a final activity called Appreciation Circle and are going to bed to rest for our flights home tomorrow. Pura Vida!
