PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
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
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BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
Hola todos,
This is our first blog. This will be a way for us to share our daily experiences, learnings and adventures! We hope that you enjoy this blog as a way to experience this journey alongside us throughout the next week.
Wow! What a day! The arrival day was both tiring and exciting all at once. All of the anticipations that were built up exploded today. Our group has all safely arrived at our hotel for the night. We played so many games for everyone to get to know their new friends! We also did the swim test and had some pool time which was great for bonding.
There’s so much excitement from students to start working with our local partners. They are all so excited to support turtle conservation and other environmental projects. Everyone is also looking forward to many great adventures ahead of us. Our group is so ready to learn about the local culture, language, and environment (and of course turtles!) from the locals.
Tomorrow on the way we will stop for zipline adventure on the way to Parismina!
The next blog post will be written by our leaders of the day! Stay tuned! Pura vida!
Until next time!
Sea turtle initiative team (Mag, Alysse, and Marco)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Written by Sam, Ethan, and Grace
Hola amigos!
Waking up today, there was a Costa Rican holiday where we saw traditional dancers and a hand painted ox car that was historically significant to Costa Rica. Following breakfast, we split into two buses for a travel day with a ziplining adventure in the middle of it. The longest zip line was half a mile!! In the middle of the six hour car ride we stopped at a local market and everyone was able to get out and buy themselves snacks.
We ate on the bus and played some music on the rest of the trip to Parismina, arriving to the river for a 20 minute boat ride on the river in order to get to Home Base.
Throughout the boat ride, we saw wildlife and different vegetation, and at one point got stuck in the river due to low water levels. The reward was seeing a big family of spider monkeys! Post arrival, we settle in our rooms and went over cabin rules before visiting the black sand beaches. The boys tried cracking open a coconut. We also played games like soccer, volleyball, and frisbee while exploring the beach. We came back for a spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad dinner.
Pura Vida from Parismina🤙
BLOG POST FOR JULY 26
Written by Hudson, Ellery, and Jazlyn
Hola!!
On day 3 we started off the day by having breakfast. After we had breakfast we all went on a farm tour. On the farm tour we saw different types of animals like Birds, Slothes, Caimans, and many other animals. We started off the tour by picking lemons from the lemon trees that we later enjoyed as part of our dinner. Then we cracked open a lot of different types of coconuts and tried different kinds of foods; we even tried termites.
We were able to see a Caiman and a turtle in the pond on the farm. Afterwards, we had lunch and finished orientation. Soon enough we were on the beach for some time in the sun! We swam and played volleyball on the beach. We had so much fun! We enjoyed our dinner, had a chill circle, and a listened to a turtle talk from the turtle organization, ASTOP, all before we had our first night of night patrol.
Adios!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 27
Written by Ruby & Gabby
Holaaaaa!
Day four started off with a beautiful sunny morning. We woke up and ate breakfast in a rush as our plan to begin the boat tour was disrupted by the low tide. Therefore, we took a beautiful 20-30 minute hike, parallel to the beach, to catch the boat in the lagoon. The boat tour was filled with a variety of wildlife (Including a group of about 7 spider monkeys!). As the boat tour reached its conclusion, we began to arrive at the town of Parismina, where we would begin the town tour. Each group was accomanied by one local as we walked around the town, learning about its culture. At the end of the town tour, each group was led to a local’s house, where they were taught how to cook delicious empanadas.
Afterwards, the groups headed to a local café, where we enjoyed a refreshing round of smoothies. We then began to make our way to dance class. Being led by a local dancer, we enjoyed learning many different types of dancing styles. When this was concluded we went to the ASTOP hatchery for a turtle workshop. During this activity we learned the entire process for turtle nest relocation, including how to dig the nest!. We also learned how to identify different turtle tracks!! Next, we chilled on the beach and went to pulperias in Parismina, these are little shops that have snacks and various items. After the shops we were on our truck ride back to homebase. This ride was a super fun experience. We arrived at home base for dinner, tech time, and turtle debate. Once we finished up the debate we headed to bed for a good night of sleep!
Hasta Manana!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 28
By your boys Jonah, Alex, and William
To the families at home, today has been a successful and rainy day. We started off with a great breakfast of fresh fruit and pancakes. After that, the king of the woods, Jerry, showed us the way to his organic vanilla farm. On the way there, we released a snake that was found in a pile of clothes in of the girls’ dorms. At the vanilla farm, we learned the process of growing and pollinating vanilla without the help of pesticides.
Once we arrived back at the Eco Lodge, we were given a briefing about vanilla and the importance of organic farming, but it was interrupted by a sudden storm. Once our meeting had concluded, we were each given a vanilla bean to taste or bring back home. With our stomachs full of vanilla, we returned to our rooms or the hammocks for a quiet/nap time. We were awoken by the beautiful smell of traditional Costa Rican cuisine which included, fried rice with chicken, black beans, and freshly squeezed lemonade with the lemons we hand-picked earlier in the week. Next up was our beach cleanup. We divided into groups and collected a total of 21 trash bags full of various items ranging from plastic, Styrofoam, paper, and even shoes that washed up on the beach. We then gathered to organize the trash and learn the value of recycling.
After that we cooled off at the beach. We played a heated match of volleyball and took on the wonderful and warm waves of the Caribbean. We worked up an appetite in the sun and came back home to eat beef stew with rice and beans. We are now preparing to embark on our second night patrol to not only protect the turtles, but also their potential hatchlings. We are working with ASTOP, a local turtle organization, to guide us on our journey. We are very excited to save more sea turtles! We hope all the families back at home don’t miss us too much. We’re having a great time and can’t wait to see you.
<3 (PURA VIDA)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 29
Written by Jordan, Julia, (and JD)
Hola familia!
On Friday morning we woke up to pouring rain. After a filling breakfast, we relocated tree saplings around our home base. We then took a truck ride to town to paint benches. We made our way over to the Casona to eat lunch and support the locals by visiting their beatiful art fair. We got hair wraps and many people bought bracelets, wooden sculptures, and other various items. We all engaged in a scavenger hunt around town to immerse ourselves in the Parisminian culture. We ended our day in town by playing a fun game of soccer with the locals as well as bingo. Our day concluded with a night patrol on the beach and a breathtaking view of the night sky. We were lucky to see one leatherback turtle, which was found this morning during exhumation of the nest!
See you soon!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 30
Written by Sierra and Lily (+ Fin)
Hey!!!
On Saturday we went to festival de Baula. Throughout the day we had the oppurtunity to seperate into small groups to explore the festival. At the start of the festival a local artist Jerry taught us how to make sand sculptures, including a dolphin, turtle, mermaid, and crocodile. We also participated in traditional games and watched a Calypso performance. We enjoyed food and drink throughout the day. This included empanadas and smoothies! At the end of the festival we watched a fire show, it was incredible. It was a great way to end the festival and go into our last night patrol where we saw a green turtle nesting!
Hasta manana!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 31
Written by Mackenzie, Alexa, and Logan
Hey parents <3
Today we had to wake up at 6:45 and afterwards for breakfast we had scrambled eggs and arepas. Then we drove to Pacuare river for white water rafting. We saw lots of beautiful waterfalls and jungle during our trip. We also spotted a aracari toucan! We stopped for a picnic lunch of sandwiches and burritos. We finished our rafting trip and did some swimming, then we headed back to the lodge for some chill time until dinner. We ended our day by reflecting on what we have learned during this trip and what we can do to improve our actions at home.
