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 JULY 20
Hi Families and Friends!
Sorry we have taking a couple days to write! Some of us had quite a complicated journey getting here after flights were moved or cancelled but, almost all of us now have finally made it! For those of us who arrived early, we started with getting to know our new friends and our new home directly next to the beach. We arrived already having made some memories because a lot of us met in the airports on the way over. While waiting for everyone, we hung out in the pool and got settled. Our first night, after having our first dinner together, we played some games to get to know each other and start remembering names! It’s exciting there are so many new faces! We were still missing 10 friends when we went to sleep on the first night so home base was a little quieter but still cozy and welcomed after the long journeys! The next day, we spent the morning preparing for the rest of the week, learning all about the community we would be in and getting our first look at the services we would be doing! Two more arrived just in time to go the beach. We were so happy to get to splash in the ocean and run around playing soccer on the beach. Another group arrived just in time for dinner and trivia with our mentors! What an exciting time!
Today we are off to our first adventure day and will report back about it tomorrow! In fact from here, our Leaders of the Day will take over the blog and you’ll hear all about our activities and thoughts as we continue! Check back for our updates. We can’t to have a great 10 days here in Guanacaste, Costa Rica!
Sending best wishes from your Beachside Team,
Michelle, Milena, Emma, Marco, Andy, Melissa, Mireia, Digby and TJ
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Hola everybody!
We woke up bright and early today and had to be on the bus by 6:15 to get to our Adventure Day on time. We were given delicious empanadas for breakfast on the bus! After a 2 hour bus ride we arrived for tubing, where we were informed that we were zip-lining first instead! Everyone was a little shocked but adjusted quickly and we were all pumped for zip-lining.
The course was super cool and included a slide, drop, rock wall, and a rope. Afterwards were had a wait for tubing but it gave room for new adventures! A few people spotted a white-faced monkey and a tapir, then once we finally went down it was a ton of fun! Especially connecting with people we had just met, it was a good way to bond with our new friends.
Tubing was a chaotic experience, people were getting stuck on rocks, falling on their tubes, and there was a friendly spider that surprised everyone towards the end! After that we headed up to the restaurant where there was a large buffet with a variety of amazing Costa Rican foods. Everyone was so ready for lunch after our busy morning. Then we took a quick bus ride to a souvenir shop and ice cream shop. Everyone got some fun gifts for themselves, friends and family. Then we headed back to home-base, during the ride we saw an amazing sunset with a cotton candy sky. Also while passing over a bridge we saw a huge crocodile swimming in the river.
Once we got back to home base we had to rush to dinner then we (todays leaders) got to lead the chow circle before talking with our mentor groups for the first time! We wrote letters to our future selves to read at the end of the week, we were instructed to set goals and list things we are looking forward to during our service projects! Overall our first adventure day was a success and we are looking forward to the rest of the week.
“Tubing was THRILLING ADVENTUROUS AND FUN”
– Dean C.
“I had so much fun experiencing the Costa Rican jungle environment today while ziplining and tubing! I also got a chance to practice my Spanish skills with the instructors where I travelled outside of my comfort zone but I appreciate too so much!”
– Lia L.
“I enjoyed the zip-lining. I loved how the course was unique. I also enjoyed the tubing and seeing everyone helping one another get unstuck! It was all so much fun and a great way to get closer to our peers!”
– Audrey M.
“ I really had a great time zip-lining. It was exhilarating experience with fun and different activities as well as tubing was so so fun! I´m very excited for the days to come.”
– Genet D.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 22
Buenos días!
Today, July 22nd, was our first GLA service day! At the Guanacaste Water Center, the day went by all and of us volunteers grew accustomed to the hot weather and had to use a lot pf sunscreen and bug spray as a result pf being in the dry forest. Towards the beginning, we got closer to our guide, Alberto, who taught us about the significance of erosion and how natural land formations like ¨water sheds¨ help us humans control erosion. According to Alberto and our mentor Mireia, the mission of the Guanacaste Water Center is to combat climate change by informing local communities about the importance of water protection and the harvest of plants. Our main task of the day was to create makeshift ecosystems that were made out of cardboard, plastic boxes, and soil. This was our main task because these ecosystems would be used as a haven for plants like avocado and cashew trees to be able to grow. Alongside myself, other volunteers that I was with like Nicole, Korbin, Arun, and Lola had mentioned that being out in the dry forest was both interesting and eye opening. We are all looking forward to tomorrow´s activities, but can confidently say that the 1st day of service at the Guanacaste Water Center was a success.
“Being in the forest was very thrilling and fun. Seeing all of the wildlife around us was on my bucket list and I am glad that I could say I was even able to go on a trip like this!” -Kevan P.
We started the day by introducing ourselves and meeting all of the group members that help run the trash pick up program. We then broke into groups, aluminium, plastic, and glass, and started to sort through piles and piles of trash. After a couple hours of sweat, ants, and finding new crawly creatures, we were given fruit and tea by the workers. We were informed that through all the separation, those never-ending cans and bottles, would later be sent to be recycled to then later be created as a service ramp in the community for disabled people in several elementary schools. We then ended off the day by a great dancing and singing performance from a local boy, Liam, that stayed with us till the end of the service, bringing laughter and joy to all of us through a pretty gross and definitely different time.
“Although the trash was very dirty and gross, being involved and helping the local elementary school felt very worth it and heart warming to know that it would go to help the kids” -Natalie B.
A Costa Rican named Frank introduced me and my GEA group to the Los Pargos school. He explained all the symbols on the murals that the previous GEA students had created. The palm trees on the school mural represent tourism, the fish is called a red snapper which is the name of the town, and the boat represent the fishermen in Costa Rica. After Frank showed us all around the school it was time to head to the woods where trash was getting dumped illegally. We all spent about 1 hour picking up cans, glass bottles, cardboard, plastic, Styrofoam, and bins. GEA made a difference in the Costa Rican community today. From learning the school’s history, to playing with the kids, and picking up others trash to clean up. Me and my group feel accomplished in our helpful actions today, and we can’t wait to see what challenges tomorrow will bring us!
“Just remember that each piece of trash that is dropped is either eaten by an animal of left there for over 100 or more years unless we do something.”
-Kelly R.
In VerdiAzul, we left to the beach which was a five minute walk from homebase. We started service off by stretching and warming up then we started talking and learning about different turtles and fun facts about them. Then we were told about what happens when the tides rises and what could happen to the turtles if the water gets up to far. We started filling buckets up with sand so then we could put in a specific area so when the tide rises the turtle eggs won’t get destroyed so that when they hatch, they can go to the sea safely. After about 30 minutes or so we got to take a break where we got to swim in the water at the beach and then we went back to work!
“Leatherback turtles are as tall as Michelle, our director! That was cool to learn about” -Ethan G.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 23
Hello everyone,
Today was a productive and engaging day. For breakfast, we enjoyed a variety of items including cereal, French toast, beans and rice, accompanied by bananas, coffee, and juice. Today’s service in VerdiAzul involved conservation work with turtle nests; we dug out old sand and replaced it with fresh sand to create a suitable environment for the turtle eggs. After a break in the ocean, we returned to our project and learned how some turtles move symmetrically and some move a-symmetrically. We were also taught how to locate turtle’s eggs with a prodding stick to locate the eggs- this day was not only educational but filled with exciting and rewarding moments.
“We learned how some turtles move in different ways and how they burry their eggs.” -Jordan G.
This morning we woke up early and got on the bus to go back to the school. My service group(GEA) meets at the school in the community. When we got there we met with Frank, the leader of our service who lives here in Costa Rica. When we got to the school, we helped Frank weigh the trash we collected yesterday. We collected 170lbs on all yesterday, and we were determined to break our record today. Before we went out and collected trash, we sorted the trash from yesterday into two groups: actual trash and recyclables. We learned that lots of trash can actually be repurposed. Once we labelled the bags and dropped them off, we went back out into the forest to collect more. We spent a little over an hour collecting all sorts of trash. We then returned to the school and weighed our bags from today. In just one day we removed 242lbs of trash from the local community. We broke the record for most pounds of trash collected in one day! That’s 411 pounds in just two days of service, which is just a couple hours work. Everyone was passionate, productive, and dedicated to the project today.
“Today we learned that small actions can really make big differences and changes in the world. We beat the record of trash collected in one day in just an hour of work.” -Jessica G
Today was Day 2 of service at Guanacaste Water Center, and I am glad to say it was very successful! Our mission and goal today was to place signs to place to label local rivers and creeks in order to help teach visitors about the area the area and about its bodies of water, such as the River Pargos and River Zapote. We started out by stopping at the Water Center to grab what we needed for the day, which included shovels, cement, buckets, and the signs. With the help of Alberto and his helpers at the Water Center, we headed over to the first river, where we happened to see three howler monkeys, including a baby; it was crazy! We worked very well as a team today, with some of us digging the holes for the signs, while others mixed and placed cement, as well as gathering rocks. It was a lot of hard work but we all found it really fun and fulfilling! Big thanks to the guys at the Water Center for letting all of us pile into one of the trucks to cross the river because we were all wearing sneakers! Some group members described it as a day that went by very fast because it was fun and they really got into the work. Overall, it was a really fun day of service, and we are very excited for Day 3!
“We learned about the importance of teaching people about their environment, and got to witness some of Costa Rica´s natural beauty in its forests.” -Arun P
Today was a an extremely productive and fulfilling day, firstly in my service group (Uniendo Communidades) when we arrived the heat was unbearable, speaking to the director made everyone realize what great of an impact we are doing as a group for this community. We were able to paint the specific place where certain individuals from the town get they´re water. As a team we were encourage everyone to push, the productivity was incredible and it was extremely fulfilling watching every single person with a smile on they´re face even through the heat. With the help of Ester we were able to understand that every step of the way was extremely helpful to make this town more beautiful than it is. We were separated into two groups one group painting the borders and the other group painting the walls we all worked as a team and tomorrow we will continue to finish this extremely big project that is extremely helpful for the community. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity and can’t wait to continue to make a change with my peers extremely excited for the future days ahead of me.
“I was able to step myself into these individuals’ shoes and how I would like to see the community which gave me the energy to make this change.” -Oasis B.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
Hola chicos!
We woke up to the peaceful sound of birds chirping and waves crashing as we started our third service day in Costa Rica! We had a delicious breakfast of muffins, eggs and rice and beans which was a big hit across the group. After breakfast, we headed off to our service groups for an amazing day of community work.
Starting off in Verdiazul, we prepared for our strenuous work by stretching in a circle and listening to the top hits of 2014. Then, we did erosion protection around the turtle hatchery by dumping sand and compacting it. After that, we dug out previous turtle hatching nests to clean them and replace them with new sand. To finish, we refilled the nest and proceeded onto lunch.
At Unidad Comunidades, we finished painted the wall that surrounds and protects the local communities water source, supplying water to about 120 people. We also started to paint tires, which will be used to plant different flowers to spruce up the community. Our group also began to paint the mural that will face the street so many people can see it. Even though we were all covered in paint, the group worked together and were very enthusiastic the whole time!
Then in Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas we started the day off with a warm up game of random hot potato. This woke everyone in our group up and allowed for us to listen to Frank’s talk about the importance of combating climate change. Following this talk, the group split up and collected trash all around the beach. Everybody realized how much climate change affects us all throughout the entirety of the service and we are all so excited to continue making a difference in our communities!
It was also Day 3 at the Water Centre and our Misson today was to relocate plants that have long roots to help stop erosion at rivers. The first step to relocate plants is to dig and collect the plants. So we had groups digging grass weeds chopping the plants in half. The reason for that is because we want these plants to survive and when we pull the out of the ground it breaks some of them so we chop the, so the roots can keep the plant alive. The second step was making buckets with rocks with bamboo for this school we are going to that needs the grass. The buckets were for a perimeter for the road so cars can go around us as we work.
After lunch, most of the group went to the beach. At the beach we swam in the ocean and played soccer and volleyball. The waves were huge! After, we watch the beautiful sunset. To end the night, we did a talent show where people danced, sang, performed skits, and played instruments. It was so fun, and really bonded the group. Overall, it was such a great day!!
“The ocean was a perfect way to relax after dealing with buckets of sand”
-Dean & Sarah
“Working all day in the sun and with all of the local people really gives you respect for all they do for this place” -Korbin
“Knowing that you are helping people and seeing the people in the community light up seeing all of our hard work makes all the work worth it.” -Eliza
“Picking up the trash on the beach was so calming and made me see the beauty in cleaning the environment!” -Alicia
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Buenos dias!
We woke up to a sunny warm morning and had pancakes, cereal, and rice for breakfast. Then we got ready for the day and headed to our service groups for a good day of work.
In Verdiazul, we walked in the mangroves collecting trash which lead to the beach where our group collected so much trash! Each member worked very hard and collected at least half a bag of trash. The work did not end there though, we then went back to the base of Verdiazul and cleaned out the sand in one of the turtle nests and then replaced the sand with bacteria free sand for the turtles. The team was tired but we powered through!
It was Day 4 at the Water Centre and our mission for today was to first pick up lots and lots of trash. We then planted a variety of trees and bushes for the sake of erosion and the ecosystem. Although the day was tiring, we persevered as no tree or bush is too big for the GLA Community to conquer in order to save the environment.
In GEA we got to design and paint signs to hang in the community with reminders of positive change and encouraging notes to the community members. We then began sorting trash into plastic, glass and glass completing our purpose to reduce reuse and recycle. We were surprised with a performance from the local kids primary school celebrating Guanacaste unification with Costa Rica 200 years ago today. Filled with kids dancing, songs blasting, and laughter flowing.
In Uniendos Communidades we all arrived to finished our project that we started to work on, on the second day. We’ve been transforming something ugly like a tire into something beautiful like a colorful flower bed and painting murals on what used to be boring walls. It was a lot of hard work and everyone seemed uncomfortable at first, but seeing our progress has made it all worth it. All of the seemingly endless trash we’ve picked up, all of the shovelling we’ve done, and the painting that’s finally been completed, has made us feel like we have made a difference on this community. Helping to actually change this place to make it more spectacular has truly been so fulfilling and impressive. Seeing the gratitude on the community members faces and the feeling we all feel after the work is done is indescribable.
After the work was done, we headed on home to get ready for cooking class and rally games at a local center. We participated in traditional Costa Rican games with the kids and made home made empanadas. We learned how Costa Ricans used to grind corn in the older days and used platano leaves to form the empanada shape. The end of the day was filled with mentor groups and fun shout outs to appreciate other people. Altogether, the day was so eventful and filled with entertainment.
“I`ve never sweated so much in my life however, it was fun experience in all”.
-Emmanuel
“Soccer was so much fun!” -Sierra
“I guess you could say our group in the best at playing pato pato gonso (duck duck goose)” -Ella
“Nothing can compare to homemade empanadas and a fresh strawberry drink after a long day!” -Cristina
BLOG POST FOR JULY 27 (JULY 28 BLOG ALSO ADDED)
Buenos dias!
We started off our eighth day in Costa Rica with our usual morning routine: an early breakfast of fruit, rice, eggs, and cereal. Then, we got ready for our fifth and final service day!
In Uniendo Comunidades, we started the day off by walking over to a playground, which was by the beach. We picked up microplastics for a few hours, then walked back to a playground to clean up coconuts, leaves, and more trash. After all of that we went to a beach and swam.
“I´m so happy from the new connections I have made on this trip and how I am able to help out the community” -Lyndon
For our final day working with Frank in Grupo Ecologico de Avellanas (GEA), we learned about the importance of our work and how it will impact the surrounding community. Frank began by informing our group about Costa Rican culture, society, and tourism. He explained how our generation has the ultimate superpower of TIME, since we are the ones who can change the future of the world. Then, we took a trip to the beach, where we hung our painted, inspirational signs to spread awareness about environmental issues. Afterwards, Frank led “El Examen Final”, which was a fun game to test our learned knowledge about Costa Rica. We played beach volleyball and of course, had a mini photoshoot with Frank and Elvin! We ended our service with ice cold smoothies as a reward for our dedication to helping the community this past week.
“We are so grateful for Frank and his passion for GEA! We had such a fulfilling week learning about our ability to benefit the Costa Rican community and environment!” -Tatum
For our fifth and final day at the Guanacaste Water Center, we traveled to the nearby school of Guaposte to help them with their ongoing garden project. We split into a couple different groups to complete all of the tasks. One group painted a “pollinators hotel” that bees would move into: the roof was red, the walls were white, and they doodles flowers and swirls all over the sides. Another group put together bamboo homes for the bees in the “hotel.” A third group sanded down and painted varnish over signs for the garden. We had some people planting cucumber plants, some turning dirt to make it better for the plants, and some taking weeds out of another section of the garden. A final group made a fence out of wires to protect the garden. Overall it was a busy day, and we got a lot of work done. Before leaving we played a bit of fútbol with some local kids, and the man that runs the Water Center— Alberto— gave us some sacred leaves to sprinkle over the ground as we made wishes for our and everyone’s futures. We greatly enjoyed working with the Guanacaste Water Center, and will treasure our time with Alberto and all the memories we made.
“I feel that the work we did at the Water Center made a great impact in this community and the health of its natural resources.” -Sophia
Today at VerdiAzul, we picked up trash and dug holes for turtles. It was very rewarding and accomplishing. I am very grateful to have been a part of this experience. I’ve learned a lot about turtles and conservation of marine life. In verdiazul we also sorted through 460 pieces of trash.
“I think I’ve made friends for life” -Dara
After lunch, we hopped into the vans and took a fun little trip to visit a goat farm! Even in the pouring rain, we were able to feed the goats, milk the goats, and even drink the goat milk! We also saw the cutest baby goats, some as young as seven days, and got to eat fresh goat feta cheese. It was such a cool experience and we were all pushed outside of our comfort zones getting to milk the goat!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 28
Hi Families!
Writing to you as we sit here sipping our coffees on the morning of departure day, 10 days after we had the joy of meeting this crew. The goodbyes today will be so bittersweet because we know how excited they are to reunite with you (and hug their dogs!) but also, sad to see such a great group go!
Luckily our last day, yesterday, brought just as much excitement and curiosity as we had here, learning and growing together at Beachside. We started the day early to get to the boat on time to enjoy the entire morning sailing on the ocean. As we started, we noticed we weren´t heading directly towards our island spot and we all realized why when a juvenile Humpback whale came to greet us at the surface right next to the boat! It´s early in the season, and we haven´t yet seen them in our other groups so we were all watching in awe. As we continued on, dolphins and a sea turtle were also spotted, making it easy to feel completely surrounded by the Costa Rican wildlife that we have come to know and love. We anchored near a hidden beach and all dropped happily in to snorkel and swim. Some of us even jumped off the boat. We wrapped up our amazing sailing adventure with a BBQ lunch and a calm cruise back in the sunshine!
After lunch, we got back to Home Base to pack and get all dressed-up for our Feria, or our artisan fair, which had local vendors for us to buy last minute gifts. While we were getting ready, we got a call that 100 baby sea turtles had hatched!! We all finished as quickly as we could and ran to watch the little one’s crawl to waves and swim away to start their lives. What a special surprise and that was only the start of an incredible afternoon! After, at the Feria, a dancing school performed traditional Costa Rican festival dances and the marimba, a traditional instrument was played. Some of us even went to try to play it ourselves!
The last sunset was full of beautiful smiles and the first farewell hugs given to our service and mentor groups as we organized photos for memories. A delicious dinner was followed by our Appreciation circle and a pool party; allowing us to truly celebrate these 10 days in the fullest fashion. What an incredible trip! We will miss you all so much!
Sending love from your team here in Guanacaste,
Michelle, Milena, Digby, TJ, Emma, Melissa, Mireia, Marco and Andy
