PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
TIME CAPSULE LETTER
Hola chicos!
It’s hard to believe that it has already been so long since our time in Costa Rica came to an end. Often, it feels like yesterday that we were working at Rancho Avellanas shoveling goat poop, surfing Avellanas, and enjoying the amazing club sandwiches at Peace Retreat. We hope that you have all had a great fall starting your next year of high school and that you have all stayed connected and continue to think back fondly on the experiences you had in Costa Rica.
We want to take this opportunity to remind you of your amazing work and the great learning opportunities you took advantage of while there:
Gathering mangrove seeds and collecting trash along Playa Avellanas with Frank after learning an important lesson about the crucial role mangroves play along the Costa Rican coast in the torrential downpour
Turning over the compost beds, weeding the garden beds, and planting new plants in the huerta with Jean Carlos and Luca at Rancho Avellanas
Doing such a wide range of projects with Marcia and the Guanacaste Water Center team at their center and the Los Pargos school – making raised garden beds from bamboo, bagging plants, planting trees, moving heavy pieces of wood, pulling out and replanting grass, removing invasive species, installing signs by local waterways, and so much more
Meeting local community members and participating in a beach cleanup at Playa Negra
Learning in depth about Costa Rican culture through its history and dances, ecotourism and sustainable development, environmental problems and struggles, food, the history of its sports, its people, and language.
We are still so grateful for this group’s incredible positivity and hard work ethic that you brought to each and every service project, no matter how difficult. We were also very impressed by the way you continually checked in on each other, took every situation in stride, and made lasting relationships. We look back fondly on the memories of our catamaran dance party, 4th of July celebration, and flipping over while tubing down the river.
And a friendly reminder about the goals that you crafted with your mentor groups at the end of the program:
– Adrián’s group: Improve our performance and consistency in sports through summer 2025
– Caitlin’s group: Eat and buy food more sustainably with more awareness (this goal was focused on the rest of the summer but I hope you keep it in mind during the winter months as well!)
– Tamara’s group: Remain positive through difficult situations (just as you did while you where in Costa Rica!)
We’d love to hear from you about how you’ve been working on these goals as well as your personal goals! Thank you for helping to make these special memories and the best of luck with improving yourself, your communities, and the communities you explore abroad.
Pura Vida,
Mentors Caitlin, Tamara, Adrián
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 JUNE 26
Hola family and friends!
It was an exciting arrival day today for our 25 Surf, Sports, and Sustainability students. Most students arrived in the late morning/early afternoon, and once everyone got settled into their rooms, we got to know our beautiful home base and began to get to know each other.
We enjoyed a delicious family dinner of pesto pasta and chicken with fresh salad. We ended the nights with creating name signs for our rooms and cabins before everyone went to rest up for orientation day.
Stay tuned for more daily updates coming soon from our Leaders of the Day!
Pura Vida,
GLA Staff Team — Noel, Tiffany, Adrián, Tamara, and Caitlin
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27
Hola family and friends!
We kicked off our first full day with a delicious typical Costa Rican breakfast, a tour of the our amazing home base, Peace Retreat, and practicing our swim skills before surf lessons start tomorrow.
After a lunch of choripan (sausage sandwiches) that was very popular with the group, we learned about Costa Rican culture and got taught some traditional dance moves by one of our amazing mentors, Adrián, and then tried local fruits – cas, starfruit , dragonfruit, tamarind, and guava.
In the evening, we loaded up the bus to visit Playa Negra, where students walked along the beach and played a pick up game of soccer.
They wrapped up the day with a dinner where they tried to squeeze in together as close as possible for a cozy group meal.
Tomorrow begins surf lessons, local service projects, and blog posts written by our student leaders of the day!
Pura Vida!
GLA Staff Team Noel, Tiffany, Adrián, Caitlin, and Tamara
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28
Hola from Costa Rica! 🇨🇷
Blessed with a sunny morning, the group spent la mañana surfing from 8:30-10 at Playa Avellanas. We had lessons from the local surf school. After surfing, we enjoyed local empanadas and virgin piña coladas.
Crafted from our wonderful chefs, we chowed down on some chicken, bean, and guacamole quesadillas for lunch. We continued our day walking through local mangroves, persevering through torrential downpour, learning the 5 types of mangroves (white, black, red, button, and salty stick) and cleaning micro plastics as we went!
We learned that the mangrove trees sacrifice one leaf to absorb salt, turning it yellow. We ate a green leaf and a yellow leaf, comparing the salinity of both. After collecting mangrove seeds we headed back to camp for mentor groups and Indian curry dinner.
Pura Vida Mae! 🌊
GLA Student Leaders of the Day Ainsley, Jonah, Zach
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29
Today we originally planned on going to a goat farm and doing cooking lessons and community work. Instead, after lots of rain, our plans got canceled due to flooding.
So in place of the original plans we did a workout class with Noel and a cultural dance lesson with our Costa Rican native mentor Adrian. Everyone had a fun time and we leven earned some new songs in different languages.
After, we chilled out at the pool and on the hammocks until we had delicious Casado for lunch ( a typical Costa Rican dish). As our afternoon activity we had a yoga class led by Kevin, the owner of the retreat. The lesson was extremely informative and deep, and caused many thoughts about who we are as a person. We learned how to better express ourselves as who we want to be.
After yoga, we went to a market and bought some tasty treats. When we returned, we enjoyed a delicious dinner of chicken burgers with potatoes, followed by watching a documentary. The documentary was a good representation of the plight that tourists bring to the natives of Costa Rica. Due to them causing inflation on real estate prices and driving out the locals from their own homes.
Courtesy of student leaders of the day:
Finn, Isaac, Katie
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30
Waking up before the sun might sound like a challenge, but in Costa Rica, it’s a way to truly experience the natural beauty and serenity of the early morning. By 5:45 am, our group was already wide awake, their excitement palpable in the cool, predawn air. With surfboards in hand, we headed down to the beach, ready to greet the day in the most exhilarating way possible – by catching the perfect wave.
After the morning surf session, it was time to transition from the beach to the farm. As a group we traded our surfboards for gloves and bags, ready to tackle their next task: cleaning up the farm. At the goat farm we picked up and turned over compost and milked the goats udders. This wasn’t just any farm; it was a prize winning sustainable community space that provides fresh produce and a sense of purpose for the locals. Our group’s mission was to help maintain its cleanliness and beauty, and spread the message of the importance of sustainability.
Student leaders of the day:
Rion, Leon, Joe
BLOG POST FOR JULY 1
Hola!
Today we went back to Rancho Avellanas, a goat farm, where we did some hard work like shoveling manure and taking care of gardens. It wasn’t glamorous, but we had fun together, laughing and helping each other out. We learned how important farming is and how it helps the environment.
After that, we made tortillas, a kind of tasty food, together. Then, we worked hard rolling dough and filling it with yummy ingredients. It was a true emersion into Costa Rican culture as made the food with a local woman at her house. Later, some boys played soccer in a field nearby, enjoying each other’s company and having a good time. It was a day full of learning, teamwork, and making great memories.
Pura Vida,
GLA Student Leaders of the Day – Vikram, William, and Addison
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
Our bright and early wake up was at around 6:30 in the morning. To start off the day we had an amazing and nutritional breakfast consisting of cereal and assorted fruits. After our meal we headed over to the beach to start off our early morning surf lessons. The waves were stunning today and we all enjoyed the experience. Our surfing was topped off with some piña coladas and empanadas from the local beach restaurant and empanada man. Then we headed back to a lunch of fish and rice which was a hit with everyone.
Directly after lunch, we had a group meeting to clear things up then we hopped on the bus and traveled to Guanacaste Water Center, where we did service such as planting trees, building plant beds, and having an overall fantastic time! We learned so much from Marcia and got to learn about the work that’s done there. To finish off the day, we had a delicious meal of crispy honey chicken at home base followed by a fun and creative mentor group activity. We’re all doing great and are so excited for the second half of our experience.
Student leaders of the day
Greg, Ryan and Evie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Hola friends and family!
We started off our day early with a catamaran boat ride where we sailed for 30 minutes until we got off. Once we got off we had the options to either snorkel, kayak, paddle board, or just lay out in the water. People that went snorkeling got the chance to see different kinds of fish, mainly puffer fish. Once we got back in from the water we were served a lunch full of pasta, burritos, chips and salsa and cookies. After we ate everyone in the boat joined in the back and we had a fun dance party and had good vibes all around.
At home base a guest speaker, Aldoo, visited us and gave us a presentation where he talked about his life surfing and transition into MMA fighting, along with some yoga and stretches at the end. Then we had dinner and ended our day with a mentor group activity and we presented our ideas on how to develop different sports we would like to go pro in in different countries while impacting those in the countries positively.
Pura Vida,
GLA Students of the Day – Leah, Sasha, and Julian K.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Happy 4th of July from Costa Rica!
Today we woke up at 8 am which meant we got to
sleep in a bit later than usual, which was nice. We ate a traditional American breakfast which was eggs, potatoes, and bread. Our first activity of the day was cleaning up the local beach of Playa Negrq.
For the second portion of the day we worked hard on projects with the Guanacaste Water Center at a local school. They consisted of planting new trees and plants, recycling old bottles and cans as an effort to help raise money for the school, and finally, moving big logs and sticks to help create a type of fertilized soil.
To wrap up the day, we had a nice celebration for the 4th of July starting with a dinner of hotdogs and mac n cheese with a cake for dessert. The most exciting activity so far has been the part of the day was the festivities after dinner with included games and dancing.
Today was very exciting and educational. We spent most of the day doing community service which felt very fulfilling and heart warming. Over all the highlight of the day was the community service and the 4th of July celebrations.
GLA Student Leaders of the Day Brian, Jett, and Julian G.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Hola family and friends!
Today was a wonderful day in Guanacaste. This morning, breakfast was at 7, and we all enjoyed delicious frittatas. We left at 7:30 to arrive at Rancho Avallanas to do our first service project of the day. It was bright and sunny out, and we spent our time switching off in groups digging moats and holes for plants, and then putting compost on them and planting them. It was really satisfying to see the work that we’ve done and the garden that we’d finished from scratch.
We left the ranch at 11, and had chicken Casado for lunch all together. Then we met the Guanacaste water center to plant trees, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed and had a great attitude about. First we dug up the grass then put soil and compost on it, then planted the seeds and lined the plot of land with grass.
We went back to Homebase and hung out by the pool until we had Indian curry for dinner. It was fantastic. Then we had mentor groups all together where we talked about the dangers of the production of pineapples in Costa Rica.
Today was amazing, pura vida mae!
GLA Student Leaders of the Day – Corrina, Liv, and Sebastian
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Breakfast was at 7:00 in the morning. It was Huevos Rancheros. Half an hour later, we were on the bus to our last service of the trip. It was at the Guanacaste Water Center. Some people made soil, some planted signs, and others sorted plants/grasses. It wasn’t just us helping, we teamed up with a couple of local high school students. After everyone had finished, we all moved bamboo from the roadside because the Center needed it for their next project. The owner of the Center (Marcia) sold some of her honey to us. The money from the honey sales will be used to buy seeds for reforestation.
We returned for lunchtime where we enjoyed Chifrijo. Up next was yoga with the owner of the Peace Retreat (Kevin). We talked about listening and how it’s connected to your back. He taught us how everything was connected and how much listening/not listening affects people. After the amazing yoga session it was surfing time. The waves were big and rough but it didn’t stop us. Everyone seemed to have a great time.
Then for the last meal of the day it was Chicken Burgers. Everyone enjoyed it. For the final event of the day it was mentor groups. Each group was assigned a different topic about pineapple production. (Environmental groups, consumers, and farmers.) Each group researched their topic and presented it to the others. Tonight we have to pack our stuff because we are leaving to another place for the rest of the trip. Overall, we’ve all enjoyed our stay at the Peace Retreat.
Student leaders of the day,
Isaac, Katie and Jackson
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Hola friends and family!
This morning we packed up all of our things and moved out of our rooms and cabins to get ready for our adventure excursion. Before saying goodbye to our beautiful home base, Peace Retreat, we watched a movie and had one of our favorite lunches again – club sandwiches with pesto.
After lunch we gave thanks to the amazing staff at Peace Retreat and then got on the buses for a 2 hour drive to our first stop for souvenir shopping. Unfortunately, the 2 hour drive turned into 4 due to traffic on the roads, but both buses kept up the positive vibes with singing, dancing, naps, and lively conversations.
At the souvenir store we bought keepsakes and plane snacks, and then got back on the road to go to our new hotel. When we arrived, we had a great group dinner and mentor group where we went back over the goals we set at the beginning of the trip.
We’re super excited for ziplining and tubing tomorrow!
GLA Mentor Caitlin Epstein
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
¡Buenas!
Today was our final full day in Costa Rica and our adventure day. We kicked off the morning with a buffet breakfast before having a blast on the ziplining course. People faced their fears and zoomed through the canyon and over the river.
Then we put on our swimsuits and headed down to the river to tube through the rapids. Even though some flipped over or got stuck on rocks, everyone had so much fun flying through the water.
In the afternoon, we had lunch, played in the pool, and soaked in the hot springs at our hotel. In the evening, everyone dressed up nice for our final dinner, which we enjoyed before our final circle together as a group. It was heartwarming for all to see how close this group got and the meaningful relationships they got to make over the last two weeks.
I am sure that tomorrow will be bittersweet as everyone says their goodbyes to their new friends and returns to their families.
Pura Vida,
GLA Mentor Caitlin
