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
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BLOG POST FOR MARCH 29
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 30
Hey family,
Today was really fun! We started off our very first day by waking up and having breakfast with a beautiful view of the beach. After that, we did orientation which included fun games to get to know each other and information with an outline for the rest of the week. After orientation, we all went to the pool and enjoyed the coconut trees and sun and swam. We then went to lunch and got ready for the beach!
We went to Playa Negra just up the coast from us. Here we played volleyball, enjoyed the big waves, and got to talk to Cato, our lifeguard. We then stopped by a small village called Rio Seco where they were having their annual local horse festival, and watched the Tope (they parade by w their nicest horses and dress) and saw vaqueros, the cowboys. We came back sandy and happy, enjoyed a delicious dinner, got ice-cream, and enjoyed thirty minutes of phone privileges. We then did mentor groups and called it a night. Today was so much fun and we can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds!
Best,
Ani Zoley and Lucinda Ernst
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 31
Today we woke up early, prepared to work and got ready to help the community. We drove to the Guanacaste Water Center to see it and pick up tools and then went to a farm with horses. The water center focuses on reforestation and we were using shovels to gather fertilizer- horse manure! We all worked diligently knowing that we were helping the conservation center.
After working efficiently, we finished the loading fast and packed the bags of manure to be transported back to the water center. We ate delicious food there and then helped out with making compost and planting seedlings. We also got to try local honey made on the farms around us.
When we came back from our service, our group was lucky to have the chance to release freshly hatched olive ridley turtles to the ocean. The moment of releasing the turtles was nothing less than cathartic to me (Max). Later we met up to hear Juan Carlos talk about Costa Rican culture, then some of us had a quick swim and off to bed. Zip lining tomorrow!
Maxine Burns and Max Mitchell
BLOG POST FOR APRIL 1
Hi everyone,
Today was really fun. We went to do a zipline tour, which included a mini bungee jump, a swing and 10 zip-lines through forest canopies. It was exciting, especially when we saw a marine iguana hiding in the trees, only a few centimeters away.
Afterwards, we headed to a beach called Playa Conchal. It was beautiful, with clear blue waters in a bay filled with shells and lush greenery.
When we arrived back to the hotel we ate some yummy tacos. Then we had a mock debate about the development of the Costa Rican coastline. We were in teams representing locals, tour guides, environmental groups, developers, and the government. We debated and came to a compromise to support a decision about a new resort while also weighing the pros and cons. Overall it was a very full but exciting day.
Kaelana Calvo & Swan Sun
PURA VIDA!!!
BLOG POST FOR APRIL 2
We started our day with french toast and fruit. After, we went to the beach to help with the turtle hatchery where we dug sand to create a bank so the water wouldn’t reach the hatchery. We also got to release 72 baby Olive Ridley turtles. Then we walked back just in time for lunch. After lunch we had some free time to enjoy the pool, play cards and rest.
After our free time we each did our own research project on different species of turtles and animals. We each had some time to study our animal and then we presented them. Later we took the bus to our cooking class where Anais showed us how to make empanadas in her home. We got to pick mangos from her mango tree and cut and eat them. We also had a coconut fall right next to us while researching for our presentation so we opened that while we were there. When we finished making empanadas we went to the soccer field outside of her house by the local school to play some soccer. A lot of the local kids joined in- they were really good!
When we got back we had some time to get ready for dinner and then we ate. At the end of the night we had our mentor talk where we wrote down our personal goals and our group goals as well. Then we played a quick game. When we finished our mentor talk we all went to sleep early as for we had to wake up early in the morning for our catamaran trip. ¡Adios!
Clara Perry-Villa & Livia Gray
BLOG POST FOR APRIL 3
Today we set off by 6.45 am, heading about an hour north to a beach to meet our catamaran. We took a smaller boat out to the catamaran, and then enjoyed a cruise along the coast and islands.
We anchored in a little cove where we snorkeled, explored the beach, and enjoyed the stand up paddle-boards.
We had a nice lunch onboard with fresh fruits, wraps, pasta salad, different kinds of fresh salsas, and lots of different tunes to listen to. Then we headed back to homebase to get packed, rest, enjoy the pool, and had some nachos as a midafternoon snack. And get ready for our dance class!
We learned some Caribbean and Latin steps, then went out for a final local folklorico dance on the beach at sunset.
Afterwards we stayed on the beach just enjoying the view and taking pictures all together for one last evening. Then we had a nice dinner together and some farewell activities to reflect on our time together and all the things we’ve done and accomplished.
