Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
This blog is for the Costa Rica split session starting July 18, 2022, which includes both the 14-day and the 21-day student group.
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.
Cell Phone Policy: The GLA cell phone policy is currently in place this summer to help foster meaningful connections between students. This means your student’s phone will be collected every day and returned to them throughout the program during designated spaces of time we call ‘tech time’. Actual tech times and regularity will vary greatly by program location. During designated ‘tech time’, your student may use their phones as they wish. Please note that your student may not always choose to use this time to get a hold of their parents. If you are not hearing directly from your student each day, you can assume that no news is good news! We strongly recommend you follow the blog to follow your students’ experience without talking to them every day. If you are a parent and would like to get in touch with your student directly, you can call us at +1-619-758-3031 and we can set up a formal time for you to connect with your student.
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 posts!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
We have made it Montezuma with a beautiful sunny sky and clear blue waters! After a delicious breakfast of gallo pinto, eggs, tortillas and local fruit, students are off for their first day of beach cleaning to clear space for turtle nests. We are excited to have a full team as we await for our last student to arrive today.
GLA Staff
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Written by Scarlett and Olivia
Today we woke up bright and early with the sound of the howler monkeys. Breakfast was served with lychee, which was really good! It was followed up by a med meeting for the medic group. Later we got ready and went to our first community service which I was cleaning the beach of trash, especially plastic. This was for sea turtles to lay and hatch their eggs properly. We came back to the hostel, after an amazing walk back with awesome views of the nearby town and green scenery.
After lunch we played card games as a big group and then rested until our next activities. From card games we went to swimable tide pools steps from the hostel. While we were swimming it started down pouring and got everyone’s stuff soaking wet! We came back and freshened up for mentor groups; where we better understood community service in foreign countries. Later we had a delicious dinner and pet the well known dogs by the kitchen. Our last activity of the day was an educational presentation about Costa Rica. During this, we learned common phrases such as Pura Vida and Tuanis, this translates to thank you and that’s good!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Written by Daniel and Julien
Our one and only Frechman courageously led our GLA team onto the beach once again. Thanks to our team of hardworking and dedicated young minds, we were able to further comb and clear the beach of debris and plastics allowing for turtles to lay eggs and start new generations. Following this, despite the light rain and colder conditions, we were able to enjoy and learn of the bioluminescent algae in Costa Rica. Another day, another victory for our planet and our team.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 22
Written by Libby and Ashley
Hey parents! Hope you guys are doing great!
We have been doing awesome and such a busy day today. We started off our morning bright and early to the sound of monkeys and the really cool waterfall right next to our home base. For breakfast we had fresh passion fruit juice and big omelets full of veggies. After breakfast we had an unexpected visit to a nearby hiking trail with a local tour guide who taught us about the nature and animals in Costa Rica! Our hike started off with mega leg work up a few mountains but soon later we were refreshed with the two beautiful waterfalls that we were able to swim in. To get to the waterfall took some parkour skills and many of us went out of our comfort zones when we walked through a fast flowing river on rocks. However our tour guide led us to greatness and helped us along the way.
On the way back to home base we crossed over very high bridges with views of the waterfall. Once we arrived back at home base we were served a Costa Rican dish which was fish soup and amazing fish pancakes. After our meal we walked over to our service site to learn about the different sea turtles in Costa Rica. One of the volunteers gave a great presentation and taught us all there is to know about the work we are doing and how we are helping. It was amazing to learn more and see where our work is being contributed to. On our way home we had time to shop in the Montezuma town where we had the chance to get ice cream, purchase handmade jewelry, and purchase souvenirs. When we arrived home we had the chance to relax on the hammocks and play games together. Then we had a delicious dinner of burgers and plantain chips, our favourite! We then were surprised with a local band who came to play music for us where we could dance and have fun together! Such a fun day, see you next time!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 23
Written by Mia M and Izzy
We woke up to a delicious breakfast at the restaurant at La Cascada hotel. Everyone on the staff is super helpful and kind and make outstanding meals for the GLA group everyday. After breakfast, we headed over to the Curu National Park with our amazing tour guides. We saw many of Costa Rica’s native animals, such as, Crocodiles and Howler Monkeys. Before we left for lunch, we enjoyed the beauty of Curu’s beach. Then, we drove back to the hotel to have lunch, consisting of rice, beans, pork, and vegetables! After eating lunch we took a stroll down to Montezuma’s beach, where we swam in the water and played volleyball with the locals. Later in the day, we walked back to the hotel to shower and devour some tasty barbeque. After dinner, the GLA group enjoyed dancing with the kitchen staff.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Written by Mia L and Kiera
Hi family and friends! Today was our first full day in Parrita, and we started our day bright and early with a wonderful buffet style breakfast of eggs, beans and rice, homemade tortillas, and sweet plantains. After, we headed to a beach side tree nursery and assisted in planting almond and mangrove trees. Later, we had a delicious lunch of Mac and cheese, salad, and toast! After some free time at our beautiful beach side hotel, we headed into town where we picked up the cutest local woman, Lulu. Lulu brought us to a local family’s plant nursery! There, we were served fresh fruit, grown in the nursery, and were given a tour of the land just before we were given the chance to test out our green thumbs and plant some lettuce and radishes for the nursery! After saying goodbye to our friends at the nursery, we headed to el supermercado for some Costa Rican snacks. As soon as we got back to our hotel we jumped right into some relaxation with ocean side yoga. Once our yoga session concluded we had an amazing dinner and finished the night with a group game of hide and seek.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 27
Written by Finn and Sawyer
We got up super early to head up to zip lining, which was a blast! Overall, we were a courageous group; we tried zip lining upside down, while spinning, and almost everyone participated in the special superman opportunity at the end. As we finished up our lunch, we checked out the crocodiles, snakes, and butterflies next to the kitchen. After heading home, we had some free time before we gathered to start the research portion of a debate about a proposed law that aimed to help Costa Rican turtles. Because of the rain that rolled in during the afternoon, it was unsure if we would make it to our nocturnal amphibian, reptile, and spider tour but we finally got the call that we were set! After a bumpy ride, we got to see several kinds of frogs including the red eyed tree frog, a small snake, young caiman, a Brazilian wandering spider, and a kinkajou with the help of our amazing tour guides. After that, we headed home to head to bed, sorely in need of some rest.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 28
Written by Inés and Kaylie
After an early wakeup at 05:45, we trudged sleepily to our morning yoga session led by Mia However, we briskly forgot our fatigue as we saw the beautiful sunrise. The lesson was peaceful and calming, thanks to our wonderful yoga instructor. Breakfast occured as usual, followed by a session of feeding ravenous monkeys (mostly fruit!) wich were perched on the roof of our huts. Service lasted three hours and consisted of planting almond trees on the beach, in order to decrease erosion (therefore giving sea turtles a beach to lay their eggs). We patiently queued for our tech time after lunch., ready to relax by the pool. At 15:00 we met in a gazebo for a cooking class in wich we cooked chorreadas : a traditional Costa Rican pancake eaten with tea. We peeled corn, cut it, milled it, added some sugar and fried it in a pan. The energy from the treat was much needed for a competitive game of capture the flag (inspired by Percy Jackson). Both games were a lot of fun but unfortunately the session was cut short by dusk. We enjoyed dinner, further anticipating the karaoke session later that day in celebration of Tila’s birthday! Although the singing at karaoke was not of opera-quality (in fact it was a cacophony). It was still a lot of fun and we got to eat some chocolate cake. We were glad to tumble into our beds after, though, after such a busy day.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 29
Written by Maddy and Tara
Yesterday, we visited Manuel Antonio Park where we saw a truly impressive number of animals, including iguanas, both types of sloths found in Costa Rica (including a baby!), some spiders and hummingbirds! After, we had time to hang out at Manuel Antonio’s beautiful blue beach. Later in the day we headed to a local school, la escuela el tigre, to donate paint for some colorful walls. After dinner, we had a bonfire with many snacks and smores; brought to us by the snack committee. To conclude the night, we held a farewell ceremony for the 2 weekers who left the next day. We lit candles as we shared our favorite memories from the trip, what we were grateful for, and any last words of appreciation for what we have learned the past two weeks. Next, the 3 weekers head to our final destination: Uvita!
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1
Written by Ava and Jillian
Hey all! This morning we woke up bright and early to go surfing at Marino Ballena National Park. We learned how to surf during our two-hour lessons, then relaxed on the beach for a while. Some of us went swimming while others tanned on the shore. We made it back to home base in time for lunch before returning to the National Park for some service. We dug up and relocated trees to the beach to help reduce erosion. By dinner-time we were all exhausted from a long, fun day in the sun, but we managed to stay up long enough for movie night. In honor of the tropical vibe of Costa Rica, we watched Moana. Then we finally trudged off to bed, sunburnt but satisfied! Pura Vida!
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3
Hey parents! It’s Libby and Ash here back again for the update.
Today started off with a strong storm and bad news that we may not be able to go snorkeling. However, an hour later we were surprised with the amazing news that the storm had cleared and we could still go. We headed down to the national park to get on the boat which took us to the island. The journey was an hour and a half long full of singing and included zooming over big waves. On the way we also got the chance to see Olive Ridley turtles as well as large whales. Once we had arrived we got into our snorkel gear and jumped in the water. While snorkeling we were able to not only see various fish and coral reefs but also stingrays, sharks and turtles. We arrived back at the beach and had a picnic under the sun with fresh fruits and veggies as well as an amazing rice dish. We then hopped back on the bus and headed home to have some pool time. Later on we had dinner which consisted of beans, rice, salad and fried fish. To conclude our amazing day, we played hide and seek around home base and charades all together. Today was a memorable day for all where many were able to go outside their comfort zones to try new things. At the end of the day everyone had a blast! See you next time!!
