Time Capsule Letter – October 2016
Time seemed to zip by in the fourth session at Coco Beachside Service Adventure. Within the first couple days, students were already becoming close friends and the nights were always filled with chatter and laughter throughout home base. There was a common sense of newness, but this unease was quickly overshadowed by the anticipation and excitement of being in a new place.
The students showed excitement at service as they dove right into working at their sites. One group went to continue building a bridge which was a project that had been ongoing for the last three GLA groups. Students were meticulous as they helped paint the final metal beams to be soldered on the bridge and dug deep holes for the frame of the bridge. At this site, there was constant laughter as we, especially Logan, talked and made jokes with the locals.
There were also two school service groups. At one school, Escuela La Libertad, students helped make desks new. Ethan even helped electrically cut out wooden planks to form the tops of desks. At Escuela Obandito, students also helped work to finish what past groups had done. Another concrete bench was made and they painted the roof with some of the paint landing on Natalie’s face!
The fourth group had a lot of great times and unforgettable moments. From Amanda recording her braveness at Congo Trail to Libby conquering her fear of zip-lining, there was never a dull moment. The talent show was a final hurrah as Logan free-styled rapped, Jenna and her crew lip-synced and danced to Spice Girls, and Taylor danced swing with Cody. These past 10 days will have a special place when we think back to the GLA trip here at Playa del Coco.
Summer Blog Posts
7.23-24.2016
A heavy thunderstorm welcomed this session to Costa Rica, but it was a welcome respite from the heat. Day 2 started with some glorious sun as we continued the orientation program and prepared the students for the next 9 days. As the students get to know each other in formal activities and during free time, the Costa Rican spirit of “Pura Vida” is already catching on.
Today was a great day in Costa Rica. We got a lot of service work done at the sites. We even got to teach Costa Rican kids some english. Everyone was excited to go souvenir shopping and walk around town. We also got a little extra free time today and got to make snow cones. Altogether today was great day here in Costa Rica.
July 28, 2016
Julia P, Tara V.
Day 6 of the GLA experience has been exciting and gratifying! Daily morning service (which includes helping schools and constructing a bridge) has given us the opportunity of interacting with the children and locals, as well as collaborating as a team. After the hard work, we exchanged our sneakers with flip-flops and toured an amazing animal sanctuary and visited a gorgeous beach. We then ate a traditional Costa Rican meal together, reflected on our day, and ended the night with a spirited game of Pictionary! We are looking forward to what more Costa Rica has in store for us 🙂
July 29, 2016
By Heather & Abbey
Today one of the service groups got split into two groups. Half of the group went to the school La Libertad to teach the kids and the other half went to help paint rails needed for a bridge and dug holes. The other service group went to the school Obandito and finished painting the basketball court, the ceilings, and the benches. They also taught lessons and enjoyed getting to hang out with the kids. It was really sad having to say bye to the kids because of the connections that were made. After lunch we learned the salsa dance and the bachata. We also sang two traditional songs. Ending the day with a TED talk and a group bonding game! Pura vida.
July 30, 2016
By DJ and Ally
Today GLA embarked on a journey to Pailas National Park and hiked through a forest. Some students did a challenging hike on an unpaved trail to a waterfall and some enjoyed a cool dip in the stream. Mid-day we took a hike in the cool rain to a natural hot spring where we did mud masks. The baths were ranging in temperature from 70 to 140 F! Students enjoyed the hot springs, sharing photos and smiles. In the evening some students went to a local concert on the beach, creating a fun ending to a good day.
Pura vida!
