TIME CAPSULE LETTER
Hola Ocean Conservation & Surf Adventure friends!
This is Meg, Ingrid, and Amanda writing you to say hello and remind you of all the wonderful goals and achievements you accomplished on your journey here in Uvita.
first off, we want to congratulate you all on the hard work you put into your community service projects. Rain or shine you all were shoveling sand, building signs, planting trees, and cleaning beaches with the goal of bettering the community of Ballena. Wayne sends you all a big thank you and is so proud of the work you accomplished.
Surf class was a highlight for everyone. While some of you were seasoned pros, others experienced their first time on a board! It was so awesome to see this group encourage one another and help each other push themselves to shred bigger waves. It was even more awesome to end class with a fresh coconut, shout out to our loyal coconut vendor. We want to extend a big thank you to your surf instructorās from Bodhi for not only coaching you but instructing your yoga class as well.
One thing that set this group apart from the rest is the amount of wildlife you all got to witness (including Humpback whales on our snorkel trip!). Our backyard had its own pet sloth! The three toed sloth visited us numerous times and students got an up close and personal experience with Costa Rican ecosystems. Not to mention our backyard also had giant red winged grasshoppers, tree frogs, and howler monkeys yelling at us at all hours of the day.
Despite our soccer ball rolling into the river one too many times, our home base hosted many bonding moments such as delicious local meals, dance classes, and cooking classes.
Outside of home base, adventures included ice cream shops, pizza, and even a karaoke night!
Overall, this group fostered friendships with peers from all around the globe that will be cherished forever. As leaders, we are so proud of what you all have accomplished and wish you all the best!
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
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.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
Cell Phone Policy: The GLA cell phone policy is currently in place this summer to help foster meaningful connections between students. This means your studentās phone will be collected every day and returned to them after activities are completed to have with them through the night. Actual tech times and regularity will vary greatly by program location and time zones. During designated ātech timeā, 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 studentsā 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.
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 24
Hola!
This morning, after a breakfast of eggs and hash browns, the Ocean Conservation & Surf Adventure group set out on a 3 hour journey to our home base in Uvita. The road trip was filled with mingling with new friends and a short stop to see crocodiles in the river below our route. Finally, we arrived at our home base, Ukinea Hostel, and immediately sat down for a big lunch of rice, beans, beef, and plantains. We were greeted at home base by a sloth and the students had the opportunity to learn from a real life example about Costa Rican ecosystems in their own backyard! After lunch the team settled into their rooms and chatted with their new roommates (some enjoyed a quick dip in the pool). The students sat down for a trip orientation consisting of water safety, code of conduct, and travel tips. Our activity for the afternoon was a game of āspeed-friendingā where everyone got an opportunity to get to know new peers. Dinner consisted of arroz con pollo and after we split into our first āmentor groupsā where the students had an opportunity to set goals for their new peer community and discuss their expectations for the trip. Needless to say, the group was ready for bed after a long day and are ready for surf tomorrow!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Written by Marcelo
Bright and early at 7am, the students had a delicious breakfast of rice and beans, egg, and avocados. After our breakfast, the students got ready for a full day of adventure and their first surf lesson. Once we got to the beautiful beach of Uvita, they met their instructors who spilt them into 2 groups, demonstrated, explained the importance of surfing and proper safety rules. after the group caught gnarly waves we headed back to home base. After another scrumptious meal of rice and shrimp, we took a quick rest. Feeling rejuvenated, we headed out on our next journey, touring the local town and learning about the rich culture including trying new fruits and cracking open coconuts! On the walk, we met a group of people from England that wanted to play soccer with us, so we did!! We ended up beating them (4-0), soccer skills were on point!!!! Coming back from a sweaty game, we took showers and chilled until our favourite time of the day (SUNSET CIRCLEEE), where we all shared our highlights of the day. Dinner was again exquisite, clearing our plates of burritos and french fries. Finally, we headed to the final destination of the day, a local market to stock up on snacks and other necessary goodies:)
Pura Vida!!! Canāt wait for tomorrows adventuresā¦.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 26
ALOHA!!! The morning started off bright and early at 7:30 with a yummy breakfast of fluffy pancakes and fresh fruit. Around 8:45 the team split up into their mentor groups. Half of us went to yoga and had a great relaxation and a great opportunity to clear our minds. The other half of the group watched a video on tourism and the negative and positive impacts it has on our environments. After the group engaged really well in a great discussion about what they learned. The group also enjoyed playing a new version of monopoly which does not use a board instead it uses cards to purchase homes and make money. Later in the day we had a cooking class which was very enjoyable because they learned about the Costa Rican cuisine. During this class the group learned how to make tortillas which was served with potato stew, they also leaner how to make rice pudding. Later the group ended the night with taking a trip to the creamery and enjoyed homemade ice cream. Day 4 was a success!!! PURA VIDA!!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 27
Today was a very exciting, full and tiring day but mostly fun. We started the day by splitting into two groups. One group went to a yoga class for relaxation and stretching while the other group watched a video on the effect humans have on Costa Rica and its ecosystem. After that we went surfing and some stayed closer to shore practicing turning while others who were more comfortable went further out into the larger waves learning control and balance. We finished our first portion of the day with a delicious quesadilla lunch.
After lunch we went to community service and we painted many signs, sawing and pick up sand. It was a very successful afternoon. before we got back a couple of us had ice cream and then we were on our way back to home base. When we got back we had sunset circle talking about out our day and who we wanted to shout out for the day.. Then we had an amazing dinner. Then we learned about how the ocean is effected by pollution. We also went into a deeper discussion about fast fashion and how that affects pollution. then we got ready for bed.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 28
We all got up early for the day because we had to leave for the Manuel Antonio National Park. After an hour of driving we got there and started our early adventure. We saw lots of animals such as capuchino monkey, rainbow grasshopper, bats, iguana, basiliscus lizard, crabs, etc. When we got to the ocean part of the park we swam for many hours. We left the park and had lunch at the beach. Then we returned to our home base and had some free time. After that we had our sunset circle. And finally we ate a really good dinner.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 30
July 30th was an absolutely amazing day for me and 20 other future leaders as we embarked on an adventurous journey filled with hiking a small amount of hiking, swimming, and environmental conservation. We started our day early, energized and eager to explore the scenic trails. The mesmerizing views and camaraderie made the hike an unforgettable experience.
After the invigorating hike, we cooled off by diving into a crystal-clear river, laughing and splashing around. The joyous moments created a strong bond among us. But before all of that, we actively participated in replanting trees, knowing that we were contributing to the preservation of our natural environment.
One of the highlights of the day was helping to build a turtle nursery. The sense of accomplishment in creating a safe haven for these creatures filled our hearts with warmth and fulfillment. As the day drew to a close, we headed to a local restaurant to celebrate our shared experiences, reminiscing about the adventures and memories we had created together.
The day had been a perfect blend of fun, adventure, and meaningful work, leaving us all with cherished memories and a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature and the power of coming together to make a positive impact on the world.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 31
Today we started off bright and early with a delicious breakfast of rice and eggs. Straight after, we headed over to the mountainous terrain of the Osa region for a fun day of zip-lining. Following this joyful endeavour, we did community service and chilled with Wayne and created a slip n slide, while having a blast as we gave back to the local Costa Rican community! Over all, today was adventurous as well as an exciting way to grow closer with our community and peers.
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1
Today started as every other, we woke up for breakfast then got ready for the exciting day ahead of us. After everyone was on the bus we headed to the national park to start today’s service project – a beach cleanup!! The cleanup consisted of us walking along the shore and throughout town to pick up any waste we saw. Many trash bags were filled with plastic and other litter that was lying around the park. After service was done we headed back to home base for lunch. The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to the community soccer game which was GLA vs. the local community. The GLA team was no match for the kids in the community and the game ended with GLA losing. After the game spirits were still high and we all enjoyed some fruit with the locals. We returned home for dinner which was then followed by some GLA trivia. The night ended with some karaoke!!! We had so much fun singing along to our favorite songs and it was a great way to end an amazing day!!
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3
Hola!! We also got a glimpse of our adorable sloth friend this morning: We started another beautiful day off with a savory ham, cheese, tomato and lettuce sub sandwich wth a delicious Mango+ Strawberry juice made by our lovely local caterers!
This was a great energizer for an early morning surf lesson!
Everyone particiated and was satisfied with their final preformance on the waves. We learned how to track the wave’s patterns, lengths, tide and overall ocean quality!! The scenery was gorgeous! From the sand to the sky, it was very captivating. The iguanas, hermit crabs, various bird species and howler monkeys made great company for our last session!!: Everyone did an amazing job for their last surf lesson and made sure to give a proper farewell and thank you to their instructors.
At community service we paint fences to protect the trees, repainted signs that were fading away, and built more fences. After community service we had time to chill till sunset circle. At sunset circle we said our favorite part of the day and a shoutout to someone. The we had a good dinner by the catering community. We had free time till lights out.
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4
August 4th was a very emotional night for the group, as everyone was getting ready to say goodbye to their friends.
We woke up at 7:00 and had a delicious breakfast of egg with salsa, avocado, and tortilla. After breakfast, the group finished up with packing, as we were getting ready to depart from our home base, Ukinca Hostel. Once everyone was in the bus, we went on a 3 1/2 hour drive back to the hotel we initially stayed at on day 1. On the way, we stopped at many stores and souvenir shops, so the group can get souvenirs for family and friends.
After we arrived at our new home base for the final day, we had an amazing lunch of pasta with sauce. We then got our room assignments and hung out around the hotel, and pool. After having fun for _hours, we went to eat dinner, which was Chicken and Rice with Salad.
After eating Dinner, we filled out a final evaluation of our trip, and said our final goodbyes to those who were leaving late in the night, and had free time until lights out.
We said goodbye to our resident sloth, got smoothies, and finished off singing some of our favorite karaoke songs. Hereās a video from our karaoke night at a restaurant down the street! It was a great end to an amazing trip.
