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 JUNE 26
Hello from Paraiso, our new home for the next 2 weeks. We had staggered arrivals today and have enjoyed getting to know the students as they arrived. Jude, Maisie and Anna arrived in the morning and spent the day settling in and playing games. Our second group arrived at home base just in time for dinner! We are excited to have the evening to explore home base and get to know each other. We have 9 students in the air or waiting for their flights right now- It has been a day filled with delays and cancellations. We cannot wait to (hopefully) be all together tomorrow.
Julianne, Leo, Amy, and Milena
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27
On the first day of the GLA program, Medicine & Healthcare Discovery, we were all nervous, but these feelings were also filled with excitement. We got to explore all the site of Paraíso’s, the town center with local stands and the market, with all the treats (Oreos!) we need. We first began with brief introductions, getting to know all of the people we would spend our time with for the next 14 days. A game that would be an adequate ice breaker for all of us, besides the general, “What is your favorite ice cream flavor?” is Mafia. This game allowed for playful debate, trying to find the killer among 21 innocent people and 2 angels, who save the lives of those chosen by the mafia. After getting to know more about each other, we began orientation, where our AMAZING mentors guided us through our GLA journey. Through interactive games and activities, we learned more about the rules of our program, Costa Rican culture, like Pura Vida.
After the thrilling orientation, we made our way to the buses that would take us to a dance class. Many of them were hesitant to dance, unsure if we would look silly and coordinated. However, we ended up killing it, especially the boys. After our dance class, where we all broke a sweat, we made our way back to the home base. We finished the last parts of orientation and had a practice session for the vision screening tests that will start tomorrow. We got into our groups of 3-4 and learned/refreshed ourselves on terms and sentences in Spanish.
We ended this first full day in Costa Rica with the Chow Circle, a GLA tradition that is done before dinner. We reflect on the day, through shout-outs and feedback for the leaders of the day, finally ending with one collective clap. We can’t wait for the next 13 days and the journey that awaits us!
Jude & Maisie
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28
Today, we started our day bright and early, with a wake-up call at 6:15 and a delicious breakfast at 6:45. Then, we put on our scrubs and headed to our first day of service, which involved vision testing conducted at a low-income community center. During vision testing, we got to test the local children’s eyesight! It was a great opportunity for many of us to test our Spanish and the kids’ eyesight. This was an opportunity for us to assist low-income families who may not be able to afford vision testing and glasses otherwise. After the vision testing, we changed out of our scrubs and headed across the street to play soccer with many of the local children whose vision we tested. The game was very exciting, and it ended in a tie with a score of 3-3!
In the afternoon, we had a delicious lunch and then headed to Sanatonio Durán, which is an abandoned tuberculosis hospital. The hospital has been known to be the most haunted place in Costa Rica! We took many pictures there and enjoyed the view. To end our traveling time, we were surprised by the new friendships we made in our stop at McDonald’s to get ice cream, as we all laughed together and shared a bit about our outside lives. Back at home base, we had some free time before playing a connecting game called Heads Down 7 Up. Then we had dinner and ended our day with our mentor groups, a time when we split into smaller groups to debrief about our day and the program.
We’re looking forward to the rest of our time in this program!
~Melany & Varsha
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29
Authors: Sienna and Vaughan
Today we all woke up at 6:15 in the morning and had a delicious breakfast that reminded us of home. Some chocolate chip pancakes fresh fruit was a perfect beginning to the day. Then we got our scrubs on and headed over to the Paloma Community Center to conduct some vision screenings. Even though the screenings were mostly meant for younger kids, we also helped some adults discover that they also needed glasses! We spent the whole morning there and headed to our homebase for lunch. Lunch was also delicious! We had Caribbean chicken and rice, with a wonderful sauce. Finally, it was time for some Football (soccer).
We got to the field and played a fun game, splitting the teams among the few locals and finished in a brutal domination, 10-2. Heading home some students had the great idea of getting some McDonalds ice cream. McDonalds was quite unique, unlike those in America, with a small stand which only served ice cream. We were able to shower off after the soccer game and started our preparations for our dental campaigns. We all created some sort of song or skit that we could perform in Spanish for young students to promote dental hygiene. Finally, we ate some incredible Mexican lasagna for dinner and started to get ready for bed.
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30
Similar to the celebrations of Ziva’s 16th birthday in the evening, together was a day filled with memorable activities. The day started off with students awake at 6:45 and delving into a scrumptious, quick breakfast at 7:15. After finishing our food, we eagerly departed for more eye exams at Julian Volio Elementary School and spent unforgettable time helping children for more hours than scheduled. The children were excited to meet us, and numerous students were interested in getting to know more about us, ending with them asking for our autographs!
During service, we unexpectedly faced a power outage, but were able to make valuable use of that time connecting with students by playing games. Close to an hour later, we successfully finished service and headed back for a quick filling lunch, preparing us for the walking tour of the city. As a group, we visited the Basilica de Los Angeles, Museo de la Comandancia, and Cartago Central Market, the last being where we all participated in a scavenger hunt. We then headed back on the bus for a short trip to get traditional ice cream on a stick that we enjoyed outside on the streets of San Rafael.
Prepping for tomorrow’s dental campaign, we headed to Walmart, where the infamous $96 snack run was made. But not to worry, purchases aligned with the service and other investments for the beach were made as well! After a long day full of activities, we were able to head back home.
When we arrived home, we were happily greeted by a homemade Costa Rican dish, which we were all excited to indulge in. Following dinner, all of us chimed together to surprise and sing happy birthday to Ziva’s sweet 16th birthday, which she graciously shared with us. Ending with mouthwatering tres leches cake, we all sang and celebrated with Ziva and enjoyed cake together. Finally, using the materials bought for dental prep, we finished crafting all the items necessary to create our engaging oral hygiene lessons for kids.
We are all looking forward to more days similar to this one!
-Aran and Ziva
BLOG POST FOR JULY 1
Today everyone was happy we got to sleep in, wake up calls were at 6:45. We had a marvelous breakfast, of French toast, and scrambled eggs. After breakfast we left for the school, to finish our eye exams. The kids were super excited to see us for the second day, asking for autographs, and pictures. After we finished the eye exams we went back to each classroom, to give our dental campaign presentations. Our dental campaigns were to promote good dental hygiene. After each presentation we gave the kids toothbrushes!
After we finished our dental campaigns, we came back to our homebase for lunch. For lunch we had Sopa Aztecas (Chicken soup) and rice pudding. We all thought the food was very delicious. After lunch we had a guest speaker, Eduardo Mendez. He was a guest speaker from the elderly care center we will be volunteering at next week. He spoke to us about how elderly people are treated in Costa Rica, and the resources they receive. The speech he gave was amazing and taught us a lot.
For our afternoon activity we split up into two groups. One activity was a cooking class, where we made jam filled empanadas. The empanadas we super delicious! And the other activity was a pulse check. The pulse check was an activity to check in on us and see how we were all doing. The next activity was musical chairs, which we chose for our leader of the day activity. For dinner we had pork chops with a peach barbecue sauce. Then after dinner we got free time until bed to rest for Early day tomorrow as we head to Uvita!
– Cecily and Rylan
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
We kicked off our morning bright and early with a 6:15 AM wake-up call. After a quick but energizing breakfast, we set off on our journey to Uvita, where we’ll be staying for the next two nights. The drive took us through breathtaking views through the mountains.
Midway, we made a short pit stop to stretch our legs and take in the beautiful scenery. After arriving, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and then hit the beach for surf lessons. The water was perfect, the waves were fun, and we even spotted playful monkeys swinging through the trees! Everyone had a blast riding the waves.
Later, we checked in at the hotel which had spacious rooms, a pool, and a cozy restaurant. We felt so happy and relaxed. The day ended on the sweetest note—with some well-earned gelato and lots of newly formed memories.
– Annabelle and Clara
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Today was our second day in Uvita. It was really nice to get some rest after an action-packed day yesterday. We started the day with a stupendous breakfast made by the hotel restaurant. This hearty meal gave us enough energy to hike to our first destination: Uvita Waterfall. This was a beautiful spot to swim in the river water, although it was freezing cold. A friendly local dog followed us down the trail, which was quite steep for such a small dog. Our amazing mentor, Amy, was brave enough to slide down the 20-foot waterfall! Everyone begged and pleaded to give it a try, but unfortunately, it was against GLA rules :(. Despite the freezing water and the safety rules, we still had a great time playing in the water and soaking up the beauty of the rainforest.
After warming up with a lunch of make-your-own burritos, we walked down to the beach. The beach doubled as a national park, and we were told about some of its features, including a sand bar that is shaped like a whale’s tail. At the beach, we soaked up some sun rays and also got crushed by some massive waves. We, the leaders, planned a friendly game of capture the flag that got a little competitive, but we all had a great time. It was nice to have time to relax and have some fun before we head back to Cartago tomorrow.
After the beach, it started pouring rain so some people looked for shelter in the souvenir shop while others traversed through the rain to get ready for dinner. Everyone dressed nicely for some delicious flatbread pizza. Following the meal, we decided to head to a local gelato shop where we enjoyed some homemade treats. We were all stuffed and ready for bed. All of us are sad to be leaving the beach (and the super comfy beds!), but we are excited to see what comes next. Until next time!
-Lolly and James
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Today we left Uvita at 9:00 am and headed off on a four-hour drive through the scenic Costa Rican mountains to return to our homebase in Cartago. We made one stop along the way at a small store, leaving Uvita’s tropical environment to colder weather. Many people bought chips, candy, and lots of chocolate. We got back to the homebase and took a few hours to unpack, shower and regroup.
Then we had a guest speaker, Melissa Gamboa, a physical therapist who we will be working with during our upcoming volunteering at the local daycare center. Through her presentation we learned about the Costa Rican healthcare systems, including the public and private sectors. Also, we learned and practiced various activities we will be participating in with the seniors. One fun game we learned was a number game where everyone was given a number and had to form larger numbers within their respective groups. Thanks to Veronica for aiding in translation throughout this activity.
Even though we aren’t in the USA right now, mentors planned a very exciting night of Fourth of July themed games and challenges. Home base was decorated with red, white, and blue, with many American classics playing in the background like Sweet Caroline and American Pie. Three groups of our 25 were formed and we played games like chubby bunny, charades, and song battle. In the end, the white team came out on top of our Fourth of July Olympics. Regardless, everyone had lots of fun and tried their best. While today started off fairly calm, we ended off with an energetic Fourth of July celebration and lots of laughs.
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BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Hello Millie and Landers here,
This morning, we left home base at 8 and packed into the buses for an hour-long drive to go ziplining. After a hike up a mountain that was essentially a stairmaster machine we prepared to zipline back down. We did many ziplines but our favorites were the long ones with incredible views. At the end of the course we got 2 “surprises” which ended up being large drops from a tree. Next we headed to a park where we were met with a delicious picnic lunch. Some of us played volleyball while others played on the playground and used the outdoor gym. We even met the infamous cat in the trash can. Our time was cut short due to storms, but don’t fret, that just meant we had enough time to go to Mcdonald’s for our daily ice cream run. Before dinner we played a heated game of “Guess that song,” for our amazing Leader of the Day activity. After a delicious dinner of fish and patacones we had a meaningful mentor group meeting and headed to bed for the night.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
The day started with an early start at 7:15 with a delicious breakfast to help us get our energy for the long hike ahead of us. We then departed at 8 am with a one-hour and a half drive to the volcano hike. At 9:30, we arrived at the national park, Hacienda la Central, to begin our hike up the Turrialba Volcano. During our hike, we were able to experience beautiful and majestic views of nature around us, as we conversed and created deep and meaningful conversations. Once we arrived at the top of the volcano, we were able to enjoy the full experience that our hike was all about. After our long and steep hike, we were able to relax and decompress with a delicious snack at the café.
After arriving back at the home base, we were able to relax and evaluate our thoughts on the hike and our experience due to the extremity of the hike with our peers, and also take some time alone to be with our thoughts. Later on, as our leader of the day activity, we decided to have a calm movie night and to watch “The Parent Trap” with homemade popcorn that the wonderful kitchen staff made for us. After watching “The Parent Trap”, we called it a night and were in our rooms at 9 o’clock.
Veronica and Gigi
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
We started the day a little later today with breakfast at 7:45 where we enjoyed savory cheese and bean empanadas. After a fulfilling breakfast we headed to El Tejar Elderly Day Care Center where we engaged in various activities as well as physical therapy screening. We started off by warming the senior citizens up with dance moves to songs that reminded them of their younger years. Following the warmup exercises, we broke up into groups where we completed a physical therapy screening with them helping to identify their likelihood of falling and prevention of it. Finally, we ended our day at the elderly home by playing traditional Latin American games that were important to them and helped them trigger memories from the past. This time period allowed us to engage with them in various conversations in Spanish.
We then returned home and a hearty lunch was waiting for us before our trip to San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. We started off at the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum and were able to explore various exhibits. We then headed over to the souvenir market where we were able to shop for our families, friends, and ourselves. After that we indulged in some sweet treats whether that was McDonald’s, Moyo Frozen Yogurt, or Starbuck’s. We then had a long bus ride back and were all ready for a scrumptious dinner. Then after dinner, we engaged in a closing reflective GLA activity where we reflected on our experiences thus far and set some future goals for ourselves and the group. We can’t wait for tomorrow’s final day before we depart on Wednesday!
-Maya and Margaux
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Thank you so much for sharing your students with us for the last two weeks. We had an incredible experience and homebase feels so empty without all of the laughter (and screaming) that we have enjoyed the last two weeks. Wishing everyone a safe flight home ❤️
Julianne, Leo, Amy and Milena
