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.
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 AUGUST 1
The entire group made it successfully to Rinconcito Verde! Maia, Mia, & Maile met Maggie at the airport (we can’t make this up) and headed to the mall nearby to go to the bookstore while waiting for Henri to get it. The four students then went back to the home base with mentor Patrick, had some lunch and chilled for the day. Caroline, Owen, and Frankie got in around 8 pm after a small delay, and arrived to the hotel with Maggie at about 10. They had a quick bite and then fell asleep quickly!
The next day (Saturday), we had an awesome time zip lining in the morning and doing our swim tests and orientation in the afternoon. The group is already getting to know each other super well and we’re very excited for the two weeks ahead! Stay tuned!
VIDEO OF ZIP LINING – WATCH HERE >>>
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2
Today was the first community service project day. Exciting!
Some of us painted tires and others planted tires into the ground and used rocks to make a sidewalk. All in service of our community-based project, which you’ll see more of as we get further along in our work!
Then we visited a local convenience store and got delicious snacks. Later we met our local Spanish teachers, Jafeth and Fanny. We all practiced our Spanish skills and flexed our Spanish muscles. So much immersion all around.
We ended off the day playing cards, eating pasta, and laughing a ton.
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3
We started with a yummy breakfast of french toast and coffee before going into town to work.
We spent two hours painting tires and working on the mural before driving to a nearby clinic to get our covid tests – we were all negative fortunately!
Next, we made a special trip to Walmart to stock up on snacks and drinks. Some of us bought chips and cookies while others found fresh fruit like lychee.
We then came back to home base for a GLA activity before enjoying some downtime. For lunch, we ate rice and beans and the yummiest chicken.
Later in the afternoon we learned parts of the body in Spanish class and wrapped our lessons up with some dancing! We sat down to burritos for dinner and played card games in the evening before turning in for the night.
-Maile Talbert
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4
Today was another chance for meaningful community service!
Everyone was outside working on the mural or lining up tires around the play area for the local kids. We finished up a bit more of the mural and the line of tires.
After we finished our service we took a trip to the local store and went back to the Home Base to swim in the pool while it rained. We had some delicious pork for lunch along with some rice and beans while we dried off.
After our lunch we started our immersive Spanish lesson where Jafeth showed his group how to make tortillas con queso, a traditional Costa Rican afternoon snack.
After Spanish class, we had some dinner, played some cards and listened to some of our favorite songs before heading to bed after a long and eventful day.
-Henri and the GLA Team
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5
¡Hola Maes! (Maes is a slang word used here in Costa Rica that means “bro”).
Today we started our day off by eating cereal and mango. Then, we heard from an amazing guest speaker, José. He taught us about Costa Rican history, economy, culture, the education system, as well as native plants and animal species. He kept us on our toes by speaking a mix of Spanish and English throughout!
Next, we headed over to our service site. Everyone put in the work today painting tires and murals, shoveling dirt, and creating rock paths. We also grabbed some snacks from our favorite local store!
Next, we came back to Home Base where some of us relaxed and others swam in the pool. We then ate a delicious lunch of rice with spinach and chicken. After lunch, Maggie and Patrick led an activity about non-violent communication.
We practiced our communication tactics with each other in English and then again in Spanish class with our incredible teachers. In the middle of Spanish we noticed a double rainbow!
After class we had a quick jamming and dancing session with our teachers. Finally, we had rice, fried fish and papaya for dinner. We finished the night off as we always do, with card games and music. Talk to you soon!
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5
Hola gente!
This morning, after a delicious breakfast of piña and quesadillas de queso, we hopped in the van and headed to the service site. Accompanied by a soundtrack of Y2K bops, we got to work painting tires to look like minions, extending our rock path, and priming some of the mural.
During our break, we visited the tienda down the street and bought paletas (a great treat on such a hot day) and a variety of chips. After finishing service, we took a dip in the pool, had an amazing lunch of taco bowls, and started our leadership activity. We learned about the dos and don’ts of adapting to cultural norms as a guest.
Then, during Spanish we made dessert empanadas and ate them while learning about Costa Rican legends such as La Segua, a cautionary tale about the deceptive nature of appearances. Dinner was delicious beans, vegetables, and rice.
Per usual, we finished off the day with some Cotton Eye Joe and card games.
Hasta luego!
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6
We started today with a delicious breakfast of pineapple and empanadas before getting in the van and heading to the service site.
During our service hours, we took dirt from a large pile and spread it out over a portion of the field.
Hopefully, when we finish, the locals will be able to use the field as a soccer pitch!!
As soon as we left the service site, it started pouring rain. Once we were back at the hotel, a few of us went into the pool while it was still raining. We then dried off and ate a delicious lunch consisting of rice, creamy beans, and pasta salad with tuna.
During our Spanish class, our amazing teachers switched groups and we got to experience a different teaching style. After a brief dance break, we helped Fran, the chef who cooks all the delicious food we eat, prepare tamales for our breakfast tomorrow.
We had a delicious dinner of tomato soup with chicken, cheese, chips, and other various add-ons. We wrapped up our day by listening to music and playing card games. Until next time!
-Owen Stafford
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 8
Hello parents! Today we ate a quick breakfast of pancakes with guava jam and then we were off to Bahia Ballena.
Most of the four hour car ride was spent on roads that winded through the clouds, a surreal experience!
Halfway through we stopped for empanadas de papa and then before we knew it we had arrived at our new hotel Bahia Azul.
After a short rest at the hotel we enjoyed a late lunch of pasta salad, chicken, and yucca fries and headed to the beach. We couldn’t swim in the water but the abundance of souvenirs available for purchase more-than made up for it. Some of us bought crocheted tops while others opted for rings or bracelets.
All of which will be wonderful reminders of the amazing time we will have had on our GLA trip to Costa Rica! Then we had dinner of pork and rice back at the hotel before turning in for the night.
Con cariño,
-Caroline
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 9
Today was a full day at the beach!
After breakfast we got ready to have our surf lesson. When we reached the beach we met Travis, our surf instructor from Bodhi Surf & Yoga, and shredded that gnar.
After our great surf lesson we took a drive to see the Whale’s Tail, a natural landmark off of the coast in the area. Then we headed to the hotel to have lunch. We packed up our things and visited a different beach.
We walked about a mile to the spot where we swam which had lots of big waves and pretty palm trees. We spent about 2 hours swimming at the beach then went down a nearby street to do some souvenir shopping.
After our shopping spree we headed to a different beach to watch the sunset then back to the hotel to shower before dinner. We got all dolled up and went to a local pizza place for dinner. When we finished our delicious pizza, we played some cards, shared some photos, and relaxed at the hotel before going to bed.
Pura Vida beby!
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 10
We had a very busy day today! In the morning we had eggs, toast, fresh fruit, and coffee before our long van ride back to the mountains.
During the ride people napped, sang, snacked, and played games. Once we got back to Rinconcito Verde, we had a delicious lunch of fried fish, rice, beans and vegetables.
After some rejuvenating, we headed back out for a walking tour through the bustling city of Cartago. We got to see the beautiful Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles and the Templo Inconcluso de Santiago Apóstol. We also completed a scavenger hunt competition in a popular food market and celebrated with ice cream and crepes!
Later in the evening we took dance classes where we learned the Bachata, Salsa and Merengue. We sat down to pasta and arroz con leche for dinner.
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 11
Hi everyone! Today is our last full day here in Costa Rica, qué triste!
We woke up this morning and had tortillas and fruit for breakfast. Then we left for our hike. We had an amazing time hiking up some very rocky terrain and saw the most incredible waterfalls.
After our hike, we came back to Home Base and ate a lunch of rice, beans, sausage, salad and coconut flan. Then, we drove over to the service site to say a huge thank you as well as a very sad goodbye to the community. We painted our hands and placed our hand prints on one of the murals at the site.
Then, we played a super fun game of musical chairs! After, Juan gave a great speech thanking us for being there and helping, and we extended our thanks back to him and the rest of the incredible community.
After that, we came back to Home Base and had a great group discussion about what we’ve learned here in Costa Rica. We talked about how we can enforce the philosophy of “Pura Vida” into our life and how we can continue to do service work in our communities.
Then we had our send-off dinner, consisting of burgers and fries. We are spending our night appreciating our time together as a group.
We have had such an amazing trip! Thank you to our mentors and all the GLA staff!
-Mia
