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 13
Written by Michaela, International Director for the Costa Rica: Medicine and Healthcare Discovery Program
All the students made it to Costa Rica!
We picked up the students in 3 groups and have shown everyone to their rooms/home for the next two weeks.
We can’t wait to start our adventures together tomorrow morning!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Written By: Abi and Lauren
Today was the first activity filled day. After breakfast, we hopped onto the travel buses and headed into the main city part of Cartago (the old capital of Costa Rica). We learned about the history of Cartago and started off our walking tour at the Basilica. We walked through the church and then around it and saw where the sights that attract many from around the world are, including where the holy water flows from.
To get to know each other better, our task on the way to the market was to complete a bingo sheet where we had to find which fact matched someone on the trip. This helped introduce us to people we have not talked to yet and get to know something about them. Once we got to the market, we had a scavenger hunt in small groups, and we worked to find certain fruits, cafes, and items in the market. Once we finished, we got to walk around some nearby ruins and then got some ice cream.
Back at the homebase we had orientation to go through the important rules for our trip. Then we played some name games to help us learn each other’s names because there are a lot of us. After some rest time and health checks we had a cooking class in which we got to make corn tortillas. Then we had our dinner and free time after to hang around with each other and watch the football finals of Argentina vs Colombia.
Looking forward to starting our service projects tomorrow!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Written by: Katie, Mackenzie, and Aayna
Today we began our service work at the Hogar Manos de Jesús. We worked with the elderly residents there by playing games, dancing, and talking to them. We also got to practice our conversational Spanish with them which was a great learning opportunity.
After, we came back to Home Base and had lunch and had some relaxation time. After this we had a guest speaker named Eduardo who is a lawyer for the elderly population in Costa Rica. We participated in activities that helped us envision what life would be like as an elderly person.
During the evening we participated in more GLA bonding activities where we learned more about our personal and group goals. We finished off the night by meeting with our mentor groups for the first time, which we will continue to meet with throughout the trip. We are excited to return to the nursing home tomorrow and continue our service work.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 16
Written By: Naomi, Leila, and Sarah
This morning, we returned to Manos de Jesus (the elderly assisted living home). With the residents we played Bingo and entertained them with a GLA student soccer game. We did a round robin, finishing with an intense head-to-head penalty shootout for second and third place. After saying goodbye to the residents, we headed back to home base to eat a delicious lunch. After lunch, two physical therapists and two interns led an interactive session, teaching the ways of physical therapy. In this, we got to learn and try out various physical therapy treatments such as checking vitals, rehab exercised, and an electric stimulus treatment. Following this, we visited and toured the local public health clinic, EBAIS. After learning more about Costa Rica’s public health system, we talked with some local parakeets while enjoying a sweet treat from McDonald’s. We then headed home to start prepping our scripts, props, and costumes for the upcoming dental campaign for local elementary schools. After dinner, we finished the day off with a GLA activity focusing on different cultural norms. Now we’re headed to bed to get ready for an adventurous day tomorrow ziplining!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 17
Hey GLA readers! Today the future leaders of the world had a very busy day. First, after a muy rico breakfast, they started their adventure by hiking numerous steps in high altitudes. Through much complaint and pain in the legs, they were rewarded with thirteen exhilarating ziplines. As they flew through the multiple hills, they were left in awe thanks to the view of the outskirts of Paraiso.
After a cachete lunch and a much-needed rest, the travelers ventured to two gorgeous towns in Costa Rica. Lucky for them, the bus ride was short. In Ujarras, they were blessed with beautiful views, and learned the local folktales about the region. In Orosi, they walked across bridges over rivers and were able to try some ice cream to refresh their day before heading to a church. Inside there were pictures of “La Virgen de Guadalupe”, among other catholic saints.
When they got home, they prepared for the Dental Campaign regarding tomorrow’s visit to a nearby school. By performing short skits that they created, they learned how to promote dental hygiene to little kids. After a delicioso dinner, the actors rehearsed in front of the whole room and perfected their skits. Finally, they ended their day with a short mentor ‘check-in’, and rest time.
See you tomorrow GLA readers! – Kacie, Andre, and Angie OUTTTTT
BLOG POST FOR JULY 18
Written By: Ameen, Abhik, Kevin, Saleem
Today was a hectic, exciting day. We started off early, with a 7:15 breakfast which brought us right to a 7:45 trip over to a local school where many kids suffer from vision problems with no affordable way of fixing them. We got them from their classrooms quickly and efficiently, and gave them vision tests using a computer software, getting accurate results that we could then give to the Optometrist to get them correct glasses or contacts. After seeing children do lots of traditional dances and a hectic school day, we headed home to get a quick lunch before embarking on the highlight of the day. We left at 1:30 for the Montesky hike. After the hour drive, with some interesting music, we set forth on the very steep hike up the mountain. On the way, we stopped at a nice house to get lots of pictures of the gorgeous view in front of us. We then made it through a difficult and slippery hike up to the beautiful waterfall, took lots of pictures and only slipped a few times. We then headed back, fought for the snacks we had, then took a breather and some showers before eating a much-anticipated dinner. We switched up the seating and got to connect with some new people in the group. Then we did a GLA activity to reflect on our values. We ended the day with some more card games, chatting, and eventually lights out at 9:45.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
Written by: Morgan, Seth, and Parker
Hello! Today was a very exciting day filled with many entertaining activities. Our day started with a wonderful breakfast, bright and early at 7:15, before we headed back to the school. We presented our dental care skits, distributed toothbrushes to all of the students, and finished the remaining vision tests with different groups to learn a bit more about each other.
After saying our goodbyes to the children, we returned to home base for a much-needed lunch of potatoes and meatballs. Decked out in our sports gear, we piled into the buses before heading to an abandoned sanatorium. There, we explored the haunted hallways, complete with a few scares from Michaela, Elise, and JP. Following a misty stroll back to the buses, we headed to Walmart, with cheers echoing throughout the group.
At Walmart, we divvied up and conquered the snack aisles (and spent a couple too many Colones), spending an hour at the store before returning to drop off our wares. We then walked in the rain to an indoor court, to play a mix of group sports. After some time, we returned to home base for some supper and made preparations for Elise’s birthday celebration.
As supper came to a close, we gathered our journals for our halfway wellness checks, recording answers about our experience thus far. We ended the night with some celebrations for Elise including a delicious tres leches cake and some fun karaoke. For the special occasion, lights out was at 10:15. We’re looking forward to another week filled with awesome adventures!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Written by: Max and Boden
What is up my fellow GLA readers? On this day we and our fellow GLA members went to do our daily service with more eye exams. In the morning we went to the Orosi Valley Community Center for the service today. There were less children overall but more people in need.
Later in the day, us and our fellow GLA members went on a soccer excursion in which we competed in teams of 6. We were able to play with a few local children in a multiple exhibition-like structure of games.
Soon after this we went to watch a local Futsal game. We watched our local director’s son play, with an amazing atmosphere in the stadium. In the preliminary match for the Costa Rica national youth championship; drums, airhorns, and chants made up this spectacular experience.
Tonight, we finish packing; we leave for the Uvita Trip tomorrow!!!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Our morning started out with some delicious French toast and eggs. We hit the road around 9 and started our long 4 hour drive to Uvita. Halfway through, we made a pit stop for some yummy snacks and a bathroom break.
Upon arrival, we settled into our rooms and got our swimsuits on. Before leaving, we each took a quick swim test so our mentors could be sure we wouldn’t drown. We hopped on the bus and drove to the beach, where we almost immediately started a group beach volleyball game. Some of us went out to the ocean and played in the waves. We would swim under them or jump over them as we admired the beautiful Uvita sky above us. Others sat on the beach, chit-chatting, or learning new gymnastic skills.
After arriving back at our hotel, we jumped into the pool. We played mermaids and practiced our Spanish, all while splashing around.
After showering, we drove to a local restaurant for some mouthwatering spaghetti. It was so terrific, many of us went back for seconds.
We ended the day with free time in our rooms, complete with a game night. We’re looking forward to surfing tomorrow!!! Bye!!!!
~ Vanessa and Aashna da coolest
BLOG POST FOR JULY 22
Today we woke up bright and early to go to our surf lessons! As we battled the waves, we learned about just how much precision is put into the seemingly care free sport. Our instructor first taught us about the dangers to beware of, and then, we moved onto the physical aspect of keeping balance, and perfect posture.
Everyone had a blast, and was able to catch some waves. After leaving the surf beach, we headed straight to the waterfall. The view was incredibly beautiful, and we were able to spend quite some time swimming in the fresh water and jumping from the rocks. We relaxed with some smoothies and milkshakes before heading back to the hotel for a quick break.
We ate lunch at our usual spot which consisted of a make-your-own burrito buffet. We then made our way to the beach again to go swimming at the whale tale beach. Even though it was cloudy, and a little rainy, we all made the most of it and had fun in the warm waters. Time was well spent as we played volleyball in the waves, felt the rain on our skin, and overall, had childish fun. After an—too short— hour, we finally hit the roads once again, and made our way to the souvenir shop.
We exchanged oo’s and ah’s as we made our way around the small shop. Blue, red, white, green, yellow, and pink. Bright colors caught our eyes as we obsessed over the cute jewelry, magnets, and tourist mugs.
Before dinner we dressed up and went to a breathtaking lookout point that oversees the ocean. We relaxed there for awhile before finally heading to dinner to enjoy some comforting delicious pizza.
by: Jayne Choi and Sammi Sassi
BLOG POST FOR JULY 23
Written by: Anika & Ella
Today we drove back to Cartago from Uvita. The drive was beautiful but very foggy. Once we got back, we had a few hours of free time before going to the soccer fields. We played a few games with the locals. Almost as soon as we got back it was time for dinner. We had chicken soup, salad, and chips with guacamole. After dinner we had a debate about private health care versus public health care. A winner was not decided but it was very informative about the pros and cons of both systems.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
Written by: Cyrus and Gus
Today we woke and had a good breakfast of delicious eggs. After eating we drove to San jose. Visiting the Costa Rica national museum, everyone admired the history and artifacts of costa rica. Furthermore, we walked through a gorgeous butterfly greenhouse and old jail cells in the museum. Then, we walked over to souvenir market, buying jerseys and other accessories to remind us about our wonderful time in Costa Rica.
Upon returning to base camp for lunch, We drove over to a gym to learn the basics of latin dancing. We danced with each other in pairs and learned the salsa, samba, cumbia, merengue, and bachata. After a long day of adventures, everyone was excited to go to sleep and wake up for tomorrow.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
¡Hola!
Today we had a relaxing and sad last day here. We began the day with a delicious breakfast of pancakes and strawberries. After breakfast, everyone hung out, played cards, made bracelets, or played volleyball. Then we had an amazing lunch with a tortilla chicken casserole and sweet fruits, like mango, pineapple, and papaya. After lunch, those who felt up to it braved the cold and went on a short hike to Volcan Irazu where we were met with a beautiful view. We came back and reflected on our inspiring stay here in Costa Rica. We then created a group goal for what we plan on achieving when we go back home. Afterwards, we did a final bonding activity where everyone anonymously tapped people that inspired them in any way. We then had a delicious final meal of cheeseburgers and fries. We also celebrated André’s 18th birthday with a surprise party and brownies! Everyone said their goodbyes to each other and sadly ended one of the most life changing trips with the most kind and welcoming friends that will last a lifetime.
Muchas gracias GLA for such a wonderful experience! We will never forget this journey.
-Elena and Gabi
