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
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BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2
Hi families,
What a beautiful start this has been! With very little delays or changes, all of the students arrived in throughout the day two days ago, and since then, Home Base has been filled with new faces and lots of new stories. After being quiet here for a few days, the first few arrived in the peak of the afternoon, when the sun was shining the brightest and the colors of Costa Rica could be seen all around us. The trees are so green here and the mangos that fruit from them brought Howler monkeys to greet the first crew and stayed with us throughout the day.
Once the second group arrived in the afternoon, Home Base felt much more full of life and we started all to get to know the new friends we have here. So many different people from so many different places! The pool was a perfect place to sit, hang-out and cool down from the strong summer heat and we all gathered there waiting for the sun to set on our first day in Costa Rica. Rain came with the sunset and just in time for us to come around the table for our first dinner. Almost all of us arrived by the end of dinner and with bellies full, we played “get-to-know-you-games” to try and begin learning all of the new names.
Our next day arrived all too quickly and we spent the day preparing for all the Beachside has to offer. We had even more time in the pool and explored the jungle we now call home! For the afternoon, in true Costa Rican fashion, we spent hours playing in the waves and having a great time on the beach!
We are so excited to all finally be here and to get started!
Look forward to more blogs from our Leaders of the Day throughout the week! We are sending you love and good wishes from here!
Your team here in CR,
Michelle, Milena, Emma, Cris, Mireia, Melissa, Marco, Andy, TJ and Digby
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3
Hello Friends!
Today was our first day of service! At Guanacaste Water Centre, we learned about watersheds, before we mixed rice, charcoal, and woodchips into dirt to create soil. Then we labelled bottles of homemade honey which we later tried along with many other kinds that had varying colours, textures, and tastes.
Today the group of GEA met Frank who showed us the school. He took us to the forest where we then cleaned up trash all around. The forest was an area that had suffered many forest fires due to the taca trees planted there. We ended up with multiple bags of trash and took them to playa negro (Black Beach). We took a pit stop and swam in the waves for a bit before going back to cleaning up. On our way back to the bus, we picked up trash all along the beach. Overall, today we really got to learn about the environment in Costa Rica and had a very successful day cleaning it up while practicing our Spanish.
We kicked off our Hatchery conservation services at VerdiAzul by walking across the street to the beach to familiarize ourselves with where turtles live in Costa Rica and how they lay their eggs and dig their nests. We got in groups to experience first hand how different species walk up the shore and dig down to hatch over 120-150 at a time! We played name games and met our service providers, Spencer and Andres and dug holes with fresh sand for new hatchery holes to ensure the eggs will thrive. We took a nice dip in the beautiful blue waves and continued on with our hard work… great first day at Verdiazul!
Today at Uniendo Comunidades we learned through picking up trash on the beach about the Costa Rican environment and its ecosystem and the importance of helping the community through Ester´s stories. We arrived at Playa Blanca to clean up garbage on the beach and learned about all the small life on our beaches that are negatively affected by litter. We were able to practice our Spanish with Ester, our community service director! Afterwards we were lucky enough to have time to swim in the beautiful ocean.
In the afternoon we went to the beach again to play soccer and have fun in the sun. Then we had a great debate where we practiced public speaking in front of each other and learned about the Pineapple Industry. It was a great day!
“It was so fun to try all the different types of honeys and learn about the bees in Costa Rica!”
Freya S.
“I love working with people who speak Spanish, it really makes me feel comfortable practicing in front of them.”
Anna C.
“I have been enjoying my experience with the new people I am meeting and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.”
Abby G.
“I enjoyed learning about how litter negatively affects the ecosystem in Costa Rica and how we can help the animals.”
Roya K.
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4
Hi everyone,
We had an early start today and then we headed off on our adventure day starting with tubing down a river over whitewater on innertubes. It was super fun and a lot of us ended up with wet socks and shoes. Next, we went to a buffet style lunch where we got to try traditional foods and drinks including a potato dish and guanabana juice. Then, we ziplined through the canopies of the forest and rock climbed a wall. We headed back to camp and stopped on the way back for some ice cream and souvenirs. Overall, it was a great day with lots of new experiences and fun times.
“Nature and adventure is the best medicine”
-Emily C.
“I loved flying through the trees on the zipline. I haven’t done it in many years and it was an incredible experience”
-Amelia M.
“Tubing was really great. I hope I get another chance to do it again someday.”
-Ellory L.
“I had so much fun today on the ziplines. The trees and the water were so pretty to look at”
-Brian A.
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5
Hello GLA family!
We started this beautiful, sunny morning with pinto, eggs, and some refreshing fruit to fuel our morning of service! Que delicioso! For GEA students, our leader, Frank led us through a local school, Los Paragos, where we volunteered on a series of projects such as picking up and sorting trash around the school community. We especially enjoyed taking a well-deserved break to go monkey spotting! We saw many baby monkeys swinging from the trees and enjoying a mid-morning snack, mangoes, before heading back to service! The diverse wildlife never fails to amaze and amuse us students.
With Uniendo Comunidades, we went to a town called las Delicias. When we first got there, we met a tour guide named Jeffrey who is deeply involved in the community. We started by walking around the soccer field and picking up trash. While doing that, we spoke to a group of children that attended the school. When we took a break, some of us played soccer with the young children and were impressed by their athletic capabilities. We then began painting the inside of two outdoor bathroom stalls. Once we finished, we said bye to the children and got on the bus. Today was extremely fun and rewarding, it was especially nice to meet the children!
Today at Guanacaste water center we prepared 300 trees to prepare them to be donated to the families of 2 local schools so that they can have fruits in their gardens. We saw a big frog and the first duck of the season. The jungle was very humid but we had a great day preparing for tomorrow.
At VerdiAzul we continued to fill and dig holes for the incoming turtle eggs. We also filled up buckets of sand to create a wall-like area to keep the tide away from the hatchery. VerdiAzul has also helped release 50,000 turtles into the ocean this year.
After some much needed rest time whether spent playing cards poolside or exploring Home Base, the group was ready to play games and make empanadas! We tirelessly ground corn in two ways, hand rolling and then a more modern grinder. We then rolled the dough. After filling, folding, and adding our personal touches, we were ready to enjoy. Whether you love cooking or simply just eating, there was so much to enjoy about tonight´s activities.
“I loved making empanadas!”
– Claire
“It was cool to see all the different kinds of trees that are in Costa Rica!”
-Wiley H.
“We aren’t just helping the turtles, we are helping the earth”
– Jozy T.
“I enjoyed playing a game called Caballitos, it was like quidditch”
-Indy W.
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6
Hello GLA Families!
This morning we started off with french toast and pinto to fuel our day. Everyone split off into groups for service where we all contributed heavily to our different projects.
Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas started the day at the beach, where Frank, our service leader, shared some insightful information with us all. He made all of us sit in a circle and explained to us the meaning of this “power circle.” He informed us of the threat of global warming and identified the major causes. The “power circle” is derived from the fact that knowledge, as opposed to ignorance, gives us power – Power to make a change. Then we cleaned the beach with the help of a small black puppy. After the cleaning was done, we took a dip in the ocean to cool off.
Today at the Guanacaste Water Center, we brought some of the trees that we had labelled yesterday to a local school. There, we donated the trees to kids ranging in age from 4-13, giving them the choice between several different types. We were able to practice our Spanish when talking to the kids, asking them things such as their names and ages before handing them their trees. After we had gotten through all of the kids, we walked around their school, exploring the cafeteria, classrooms, and playground. We found that some parts of their school were very similar to ours, while others were vastly different. When the kids got onto their break, we went out to the field and played soccer against them. We lost horribly, but that´s okay, it was awesome seeing how happy the kids were to be winning.
Today Uniendo Comunidades went to a local community to finish the project we started yesterday. We have been painting the bathrooms by the soccer fields to make them look nice and a better space. We split up into two groups so while one group would paint, the other would pick up trash. After we picked up the trash, we would sort through it and put it into either recycling or trash bags. The kids in the neighbouring house saw us picking up trash and decided to help. They ran around their yard looking for trash and then passing it though their fence. All of the little things make a big influence on others and are a big inspiration to keep green and make choices that benefit the whole community.
The first event of the day at VerdiAzul was to finalize the trench we dug to slow the process of natural erosion by making it more difficult for the tide to wash into the metal support beams that allow the tarps that hang over to give the nests shade. After the trench, we took our first water break of the day, where we went into the ocean to cool off. Then, we went back to digging nests and got about half way before we had noticed that the last egg for the year had hatched. We called all other volunteers for the organization to come as we watched “Frederica Mason Hole” swim into the ocean. Then, we went back to digging the last nesting holes until the end of the day before finishing off our work by taking a second swim break.
After services, we all had a blast at our dance class learning traditional Costa Rican dances. It was a great way to get all of our energy out, learn about the culture, and share some laughs. We were able to create our own dances after using the moves we learnt and adding some of our own creativity. Then we headed to dinner where we had amazing homemade tacos. To end the evening, everyone came together for the group-wide talent show where everyone was able to share their special talents. It brought everyone together and we all had a really good time. What a great way to end the evening!
“Seeing the kids´ faces when we handed them their trees made our work feel so rewarding. It´s so much better to be able to see the impact you´re making.”
-Gabriella C.
“All of the little things make a big influence on others and are a big inspiration to keep green and make choices that benefit the whole community. ”
-Mia Y.
“Many hands make light work, especially with buckets of sand!”
-Luca C
“Knowledge is power”
– Natasha
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7
Hello all,
Everyday has been adventurous but today was extra special. This morning Guanacaste Water centre finished up a 4 year project! We placed signs at different creeks and rivers in the water shed. Us having meaning and names should mean that every living thing should as well, nothing deserves to be unlabelled. We dug holes for the signs then repeatedly placed concrete and dirt into the holes to make sure the signs were all going to last forever. Guanacaste water centre is so happy that these rivers and creeks now have names, meaning and importance.
Today in GEA we painted signs to inspire others. We wrote about how anyone can make a change, including us. We cleaned the beach after painting our signs. This week we´ve picked up over 200 pounds of trash with only six of us. We´ve made a difference. We also learned more about plastic´s origin and impact from Frank our mentor. We got to practice our Spanish in conversations with Frank. We learned that a lot of trash comes from other countries and washes up on shore. This further shows how pollution is everyone´s issue and we must make a change. Overall, we had an educational and fulfilling service for today.
Today in the Uniendo Comunidades we had the honour of working with Esther again (the founder and president of Uniendo Comunidades) where we went to a local park and sorted the trash. All of the trash was just thrown into bins without being properly organized and separated. This means that we can’t recycle or we use items and our landfills would be more full. We also took away 3 garbage bins from the park. This way if there are no garbage bins people are forced to bring their garbage back home to properly sort it. This also creates less waste in the bins and park for animals to go into and spread around the garbage. Lastly, we planted some trees and weeded the garden to make it look prettier and cleaner.
Today at VerdiAzul, we dug the last hole in the hatchery and did a beach cleanup. This was one of the most efficient days of the week and I am so glad I could help out the community. The beach was full of micro plastic and we also saw a sea snake washed up on the beach. I am so thankful for the opportunity to work with VerdiAzul and see the difference I can make in the community.
In the afternoon, at the sustainable goat farm, we got to step outside of our comfort zones to milk, feed, and play with goats. We saw so many babies goats who were so adorable and who we got the pleasure to hold and snuggle with them. We then got to eat and try goat milk, goat cheese, and goat yogurt for a little snack to end the day. What a great day!
“I loved playing with the goats and feeding them.”
-Nyella
“I had so much fun meeting baby goats just coming into the world”
-Maude
¨Baby goats are adorable!¨
-Lorelai
“I enjoyed cleaning the beach today.”
-Damon
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 8
Pura Vida!
Today was the last day of service at Verdiazul was sad to leave the hatchery behind. We worked on sorting trash we collected the previous day and then cleaned it to correctly dispose of it. After that we finished the rest of our time adding sand in front of the hatchery to make sure the tide wouldn’t reach the top of it when we are gone. Overall we are all proud of the work we’ve done this past week and know that it will make all the difference during the turtle nesting season in a few months.
In Uniendo Comunidades, we spent the morning on the beach collecting coconuts and tree branches. We collected these to turn the local area near the beach into a more enjoyable place to be. Then, we headed to the beach where we picked up microplastics and other larger pieces of trash. Ester, our service leader talked to us throughout the day about contributing to the community and what our work means to her. She mentioned how grateful she was that we were helping her throughout this week. We went around and shared that this service has taught us about not just picking up trash, but protecting the life.
Our team for the last day with Guanacaste Water Center was a combination between our service group, another group of Spanish-speaking high school students and the children from the school we visited. All together we cleaned up and helped the garden at the school. As some kids helped plant beans and some helped plant corn, others did composting or helped create a new fence. Together we all as a community helped the garden thrive to its fullest extent.
Today at GEA we hung up our recently painted signs about spreading awareness for environmental consciousness. We also had a talk about why the climate is changing the way it is and our service leader Frank gave us his insight on what he believed to be the problem and solution. Soon after, Frank gave us a test on everything we learned that week, with local fruits as the prize to answering a question correctly.
In the afternoon, we had some well-deserved beach time at Playa Negra. We had a beach Olympics, and played in the water with our friends. The waves were incredible and we played sports like limbo, soccer, javelin, and long jump.
After some free time when we got back from the beach, we had our last leaders of the day pass the torch to the entire group so everyone had the chance to pass the service torch. We also had our last mentor groups of the trip where we read letters, we wrote to ourselves at the first meeting and discussed goals we made at the beginning of the trip and our goals for once we leave. It was a bittersweet day where everyone reflected on the memories we made during our service groups and the last of many activities.
“I learned so much about the environment and the lives we are saving through Ester”
-Leah
“My favorite part wasn’t just helping the garden but being with others to create a place that can provide and educate kids”
-Khloe
“I learned so much about the true harms to the environment which will be able to help me find solutions in the future”
–Ava
“I am really happy with the friends I made at Verdiazul”
-Sam
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 10
Good morning,
We´re writing this to you on the last morning of the summer and for us it is truly a bittersweet ending. We´ve had so many touching moments here and it seems all-too-soon that they are coming to a close. We started and ended this session with so many beautiful and happy faces and now, have memories that will last a lifetime. Get ready to hear all about them when we finally get back!
Our final moments were just as special and left us felling full-hearted going into travel day. We rose with the sun (maybe a little bit later but it felt like it!) and got ready for our journey to Tamarindo to board our catamaran for the day. The boat and it´s huge mast greeted us and it only took a few moments of putting on sunscreen before we were ready to set sail. The true Costa Rican colors were brighter than ever today with the ocean as a bright, mixing turquoise and the floating islands as a vibrant green. Before arriving to our snorkel spot, we came upon some turtles and dolphins who happily greeted us at the surface! They were being so playful and jumped across the side of the boat, showing-off by doing jumping tricks. With the sun so hot, we were very excited to swim and snorkel when we arrived! We all jumped in with our masks and went over to the nearest rocks to discover some local fish, a lot of sea urchins and some even saw a sting ray! Afterwards, while some swam to the empty beach we had found, other jumped off the boat until it was time for our delicious on-cruise BBQ lunch. Barbeque chicken and pico de gallo seemed to be the best to fill our stomachs before our calm cruise back and some naps along the way!
When we arrived back home, we had a last afternoon in the pool and spent some more quality time with our friends. Even though it has been only 10 days, this session has gotten so close and will hopefully stay in contact when we get home! Our feria (or fair in Spanish) was next so we all got dressed-up to meet local artisans and buy last-minute gifts for all of you waiting at home. The best ending to all of this was running to watch the sunset on the beach and sharing our last moments with a rose-tinted colored sky.
Like we said, we have said such a beautiful and incredible journey with all of you! We can´t believe the days flew by so fast but we know they did because we enjoyed every minute with you! We are so proud of everything you have done and we can´t wait to hear about the amazing humans you become!
Sending Pura Vida and the best wishes from our jungle home in Junquillal,
Michelle, Milena, Digby, TJ, Mireia, Melissa, Andy and Emma.
