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 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
Click here to jump down to the most recent post!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
Buenos Días!
Emily here, ARVP’s International Director! We had students trickle in throughout the day, starting at 7am and ending at 8pm! We spent the day eating delicious vegan food at Lands in Love, playing get to know you games, and walking around the hotel.
Throughout the day, we got to know each other and learned about where each other is from. We can’t wait for an amazing two weeks in beautiful Costa Rica working with animals!!!
Pura Vida,
Emily
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
This is Adam and Toni writing to you about our amazing first day in Costa Rica with GLA! We had an amazing time at orientation where we learned about the exciting content of our trip. Then we enjoyed a fabulous vegan lunch, and took a tour of the gorgeous resort. We saw a wide variety of cute animals from dogs, to goats. Then we completed a swim test. We had a fun time playing all sorts of interesting games as a group. It was a great opportunity to get to know each other. After dinner we had an engaging presentation from Samantha where we learned about Costa Rica’s rich culture and heritage. It was a fabulous first day and we cannot wait for the rest of our trip!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Pura Vida from Costa Rica!
Today we started our first day of service at Lands in Love. The Dog group walked about 90+ dogs today and had fun with them in a field. The Cat group cleaned out the enclosures and got to have cuddle time. The Horse group cleaned out stables, fed, and washed the horses.
In addition, everyone played a game of soccer with the local kids (which we of course lost SPECTACULARLY) preceded by a trip to Walmart for some Costa Rican snacks!
Te amo,
Emery and Sofia
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Hola! It’s Lily and Isabella, today was very eventful. After a delicious breakfast of arroz con leche, we moved on to our service groups for today! After service we had another great meal before heading off to a local cooking class where we learned how to make tortillas and traditional empanadas filled with beans, both equally scrumptious. We then had some free time before dinner, once we finished, we had a lovely guest speaker called Samantha who talked about the Costa Rica biodiversity which was super interesting! We are going to go to sleep early in anticipation for the fun day of hot springs and chocolate tour tomorrow.
Pura vida!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Hey GLA families! Today was extremely fun and busy. We had a day off of service and were given a wonderful tour of a chocolate factory. There we were walked through the whole process and made our own delicious treats.
We then had lunch at the Baldi Hot Springs and had a blast at the various pools and water slides.
To finish off our day, we had a great dinner prepared by the Lands in Love chefs then celebrated Caz’s birthday with some chocolate cake and gifts. We then went to bed tired-out from a very fun dance lesson.
Mucho gusto,
Isa and Reagan!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Hi it’s Lila! Today we woke up early cleaning trails for Lands in Love. Halfway through the hike we were led to a super pretty and humongous waterfall!!! We had such a fun time exploring and taking awesome pictures. After we had a great breakfast and some fun free time hanging out spent playing many rounds of werewolf with the group. Then we had an interesting lesson about phone use right before lunch. Later, we had an amazing tour of all the animals with one of the very sweet founders of the rescue. We saw all of their special needs animals and learned all about how they rescued them and now care for them. We even got to meet some of the paralyzed dogs and hear about their recovery journeys. We ended the night with dinner and reflecting on the animals with our mentor groups. We can’t wait for the next half of the trip!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Hi, it’s Katia and Caitlyn, the leaders of the day today! We started out with an early breakfast before starting our 5 hour car ride to the next home base, Hotel Wilson. We ate lunch at an outdoor restaurant and had an orientation with the Vida team with expectations for the next few days of service. After lunch and orientation, we checked into the hotel and had free time where we could hang out in our rooms or by the pool. We returned to the same restaurant spot for dinner and enjoyed hamburgers and fries. After dinner, we drove to a church where we had a leadership activity about SMART goals. Finally, we walked backed to our hotel to get ready for our first day of service with Vida tomorrow.
Much love,
Caitlyn and Katia
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Hello everyone! Georgie and Katie here!
Today was an interesting and phenomenal day as we worked beside the vets, overlooking surgeries and helping with intake and recovery. We learned so much from watching the team up close. Later on, we had a debate about animal welfare, which opened our minds and led to some really passionate conversations.
In the evening, we wrapped up with a refreshing night swim, and now we’re feeling grateful and excited for service and a waterfall hike tomorrow!
Much love, Georgie and Katie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Hola again!! This is Anna Kate and Abby reporting from Liberia. We started service around 8 this morning after a filling breakfast at the hotel. We watched surgeries, assisted with intake and helped animals in recovery. It was a hot and hard few hours, but like always, we enjoyed this opportunity to help animals in need. After lunch we went to a little waterfall and natural springs where we cooled off.
Tonight we went to a park after dinner where we participated in a few group discussions and explored the area. We can’t wait for another fun-filled day tomorrow!!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Hi everyone it’s London & Dexter!
Today we woke up pretty early, at around 5:30 AM. It turned out to be all worth it because we went out to sea on a boat with the GLA group. We had about an hour long boat drive to the first spot that we stopped and on the way we saw lots of dolphins. We went snorkeling and got to see lots of cool and fun sea creatures like starfish, pufferfish, and a sting ray.
After we were done with that we had lots of time to chill and have fun on the boat while driving back to shore. After we got back to where we were staying we had some down time. Then we got right back into it with an activity where we all draw about what a community looks like to us. After that we got ice cream which was super good. Then we went to bed and got a good nights rest after a super fun day!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Pura Vida from Ry & Caz!
We started our morning early with a yummy hotel breakfast before heading off to do service with Vida. We got to watch surgeries, help prep animals for their procedures, and support them through recovery, it was such an incredible experience.
After lunch, we visited another service site where we toured the grounds, met the animals, and learned so much. Then we helped clear leaves and sticks from the paths and enclosures to support the staff and keep things tidy.
To end the day, we grabbed a little treat from Starbucks, enjoyed a delicious dinner, and made our way back to the hotel. Can’t wait for another day of learning and service with Vida tomorrow!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
Hello from Costa Rica!
Today we had our final day of VIDA service. At the end of our service, we were able to give away all of the extra snacks to the local children. We had our final goodbyes with the VIDA team.
In the afternoon, we had fun doing a zipline and rock climbing course and finished our day off by setting goals for the upcoming year and reflecting on all of our time spent here in Costa Rica.
Muchas Gracias,
Adam and Sofia
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Hey guys it’s Karie and Lila!
Today was our last day here in Costa Rica, but nevertheless one to remember. We started the day off by eating breakfast at the hotel before departing off to our new hotel near the airport. After a long 5 hour bus ride with a quick stop for ice cream and milk shakes, we finally made it to the hotel.
We then had lunch and fun leadership activities. We reflected on our trip by writing notes to each other and participating in an appreciation circle. After that, we all went back to our rooms and got ready for our farewell dinner.
During the farewell dinner, we had time to discuss our amazing experiences during the past two weeks. And after many tears and sad goodbyes, we headed back to our rooms to pack for our flights tomorrow. This final day revealed to us how close we all got to each other. We speak for everyone when we say we are all so so grateful for this experience that allowed us to make friends for life.
Love, Katie and Lila
