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
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BLOG POST FOR MARCH 15
Dear GLA Costa Rica Spring Break Service Adventure Families,
Hello – We are so glad all students have arrived!! Yesterday we got settled into our beautiful beachside resort in Junquillal, Costa Rica. We will be busy over the next days with orientation, our first day at the beach bodyboarding and maybe beach volleyball, ziplining, learning local dance moves in a dance class, making some local dishes at a cooking class on a local farm, and a catamaran trip with snorkeling.
Our first service day is tomorrow at the Guanacaste Water Center where the work changes with the seasons. We will work with their tropical plant nursery, learn about and mix different kinds of organic soils, and sort and prepare seeds for the seed collection of different species that are useful for watershed management, habitat, and as foods and even medicines.
Student leaders of the day will be writing a blog post every one to two days to keep you updated about all the great things they have been up to. Our schedule is packed so besides the blog we won’t be on phones very often. We truly hope the students enjoy a break from their phones and immerse themselves in life on the beautiful Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.
We have 3 staff directly with the students, plus the support of our very experienced homebase staff, and of course the 24/7 support of the office staff. We look forward to a great program and keep your eyes open for the first student blog!
Best,
Clint, Juan Carlos and Nina
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 16
Today we woke up at 7 and got ready for breakfast which was gallo pinto (typical Costa Rican dish), scrambled eggs, fruit and yogurt, and then we had orientation learning about homebase, service and excursions.
We went to a beach and had a tonnn of fun boogie boarding with friends, some beach soccer, and a short lived beach volleyball game because Charlie popped the ball (bless his heart, a stray hit and it landed on a huge cactus), it was hot so we then had smoothies under a giant palapa on the beach.
Next we saw the coolest thing ever which was a sea turtle release and even got to release some of our own, along with a super neat explanation of what they do when released.
Then finally we had dinner which was pork loin w apple-bbq sauce, mashed potatoes, veggies and salad. Then we broke into smaller groups for reflection and some fun. Then got our phones back and then that’s it!! 😀 And tomorrow morning we start service!
Carson Burleson and Mati Mereles
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 17
Today we woke up at 6:45 to a breakfast of pancakes and sausages and fruit and yogurt. Then we got ready for our volunteering.
We headed to the Guanacaste Water Center for a full day there. A long day but also a lot of our service work completed for the week. We were split into groups of 6 and each group learned different jobs like shoveling up gravel from an area where road work had damaged the property and using the rocks to prepare a level ground for plant nurseries with good drainage, mixing compost for the plants (lots of ingredients! Charcoal, sawdust, active microorganisms etc they grow there) and replanting sprouts. We learned about all the different projects the center does and also learned some gardening and environmental skills.
We had arroz con pollo (rice and chicken) for lunch at the service site and then continued our service in the afternoon with a break for popsicles. Then we headed back to home base with a stop at a local store to see what Costa Rican snacks they had, and chilled in the pool after. We played some frisbee and threw the football around. Afterwards, we went to the beach for the sunset which we haven’t got to see yet due to the clouds in previous days.
At 6:30 we went for dinner and had pasta, salad and garlic bread. After dinner, we had a mini leadership session which started with a fun game that required observation and team work. After, we broke into 6 teams of 3 and collaborated to curate a business plan to benefit our communities. We were able to exercise essential leadership skills including public speaking.
Tomorrow we will be having a fun activity day where we go zip-lining, play sports and have a dance class.
Hazel Lim and Justin Young
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 18
The main event today was zip lining in the jungle. There were 10 courses in the zip lining park and they were built up in the top of the huge native trees, the Guanacaste or “tree that hears” in the native language as we learned the other day. This made it more interesting because the platforms swayed in the wind over the forest. Which caused everyone to be more focused and pay attention with their surroundings.
After the zip lining we went back to base to get ready for the beach. When we arrived to the beach the sand was hot since the tide had been out, but the Pacific was cold and we could cool off. On the beach we played some games on the wet sand and some soccer but then decided to head to the homebase pool in the shade. Then we got ready for dance class. We were learning the native dances such as salsa and some folk dances and we then had chow circle and had a dinner of tacos we could fix ourselves. After dinner was time for a presentation on Costa Rican culture and learn about the natives and the land and then we split into mentor groups for more discussion and then time to get ready for an early start tomorrow at the turtle center near us.
Ava Wayne, Alexander Sprungmann
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 19
Today we walked to the nearby turtle nesting area and saw how the local organization protects them and learned what kinds of turtles nest here. Unfortunately the head of the turtle program was not feeling well so we headed instead to a nature preserve on the coast at Avellanas beach.
We went on a 5 kilometer nature walk with a conservation program called Oropopo. Our guide was Cello, a biologist who taught us about the dry rainforest unique to Guanacaste, then we walked through the mangroves, an estuary, and along the tidal area as the tide went out so there were lots of sea creatures to learn about on the beach.
After our long hike we cooled off in our swimming pool. Then we went to a small farm in a nearby village and learned to cook local foods. We ground fresh corn and then used it to make empanadas using banana leaves to shape them. Then we played soccer with some local kids which was fun.
Finally we had a stir fry for dinner and then learned about ecotourism in Costa Rica and had a debate about the different issues from the point of view of business owners, locals, and environmental groups.
Tomorrow up bright and early to go on a catamaran!
Charlie Swagert and Elisabeth Wilson
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 20
Today we got up nice and early to get on the bus and drive to the catamaran, eating breakfast on the way.
We arrived to the coast and took a boat out to the catamaran, then spent about an hour going out past islands to to a beautiful cove, where we stopped and snorkeled, swam and paddle-boarded and just hung out. We were served a delicious lunch on the boat with fresh fruit to snack on throughout the trip also. After lots of swimming and snorkeling, we turned around and headed back.
On our way back to homebase we decided to stop to explore a little town, where we got souvenirs and ice cream. Even though we had been in the water all day, we still wanted more, so once we got back, we got into the pool for a bit. Sadly after it was time to start packing. After, we got all freshened up and went to the beach for our last sunset, getting lots of final photos. For dinner we had burgers and fries.
Afterwards, we made our way to the appreciation circle, which was a very nice activity to conclude our program and share our thoughts and reflections with others. We spent the rest of the evening by the pool, sharing pictures from our time together and laughing about the funny and enjoyable moments we shared. This program was an amazing opportunity that has made a significant impact on our lives, and we hope to carry the things we have learned with us into the future.
Marcus Eades and Alex Volesko
