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 JUNE 27
Good Evening to our GLA Family and Friends!
I’m Justin Nichols, the International Director for Global Leadership Adventure’s Initiative for Children Program. We are very excited to get started on our program, serve our community, and grow and develop as leaders.
Each of the students has made it safely to home base at Finca los Corales in San Carlos, and should have access to the internet fairly frequently throughout the summer, keeping in mind our cell phone policy and our rural location.
A look at the next few days:
-Orientation is Tomorrow
-There’s an exciting coffee workshop on Saturday run by our Home Base host, Don Alfredo
-Sunday has us visiting the La Fortuna Waterfall
There are so many more exciting events to come, not to mention a good amount of community service and leadership programming!
Starting tomorrow our leaders of the day will be writing these blog posts. Tomorrow’s leaders of the day are Brooke and Jae!
Thank you so much for sending your students on this amazing program, we are excited to have them and we are sure to have incredible adventures together!
Be the change,
Justin Nichols
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28
By: Jae and Brooke
This morning we woke up to a beautiful traditional breakfast of rice and beans, toast, eggs, cheese, watermelon and pineapple. After breakfast we played some games to get to know each other some more before listening to our orientation! Our lovely local leader Marbella went over everything we need to know about Costa Rica and where we are staying, and the rest of our mentors finished up by going over the rules, itinerary and everything else we need to know about the trip.
After orientation we enjoyed a delicious lunch to fuel us for our swim test in the lake. Everyone passed with flying colors and we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in the lake which is heated because of the hot springs underneath! We worked up an appetite after spending all of our time by the lake and thankfully enjoyed another delicious meal (nothing new from our awesome chefs).
After dinner we put our values and expectations for the group, categorizing them under branches on a tree. Then we displayed our values as words on the leaves! We ended the night by getting into our assigned mentor groups, which we will be in for the rest of the trip, meeting nightly to talk and journal. And of course, our GLA TIFC mascot, Perry the Sloth was along for all of the adventure as well! We’re looking forward to a good night’s rest for our coffee tour and kayaking tomorrow!!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29
By: Maeve and Charlotte
Today was a great day! We started the day off with a delicious breakfast then played a fun game of elbow tag in the field. After that, Don Alfredo, owner of the property, gave us a presentation on his family’s coffee and the general coffee making process in Costa Rica. At the end, we all received a bag of his delicious coffee to bring home to share with our families. Then we played a competitive game of kickball in the hot sun and had a great time. We definitely had to stay hydrated today because it was very hot. We all dispersed for some free time then joined back together before lunch.
Following that, we decompressed and took in the air conditioning in our rooms before heading to the lake. Today, we had some paddle boards and kayaks to use which was really fun. There were people playing card games and reading while looking at the gorgeous view. After showers and changing we gathered for a leadership activity. There were two sides, agree and disagree, and we were read statements and had to choose between them. Then we shared our thoughts about our answers and debated our views. Some of these conversations carried on through dinner and mentor groups where we were able to go deeper into our opinions. Overall, it was a fun and successful day!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30
By: Charlie and Story
Today started off bright and early with breakfast (pancakes and orange juice) at seven, and then we headed out for the day’s adventures! Our first stop was La Fortuna, which is about forty minutes from home base. Justin had warned us that there would be a lot of stairs, but it didn’t register just how many ‘a lot’ meant until the 500+ steps were in front of us. But it was all worth it to see and take in the beautiful wonder nestled within the jungles of Costa Rica. The waterfall cascaded into a pool of water surrounded by slippery rocks, and many of us were eager for a swim – however frigid it was. Nearly three and a half hours later, we headed back to the buses and on our way to the Baldi Hot Springs.
After a buffet lunch of delicious food and dessert, everyone was excited to experience the hot springs! Almost all of us took a dip within the springs of varying temperatures, and many of us braved the four water slides, which practically threw you into the pools below. None of us wanted to leave, but a delicious dinner of homemade burgers and fries awaited us at home base, so we loaded back onto the buses for the final time that day and made the meandering journey back. After a great dinner, we were all beyond tired and ready to get some rest before our first day of service tomorrow. Today was a day none of us are soon to forget.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 1
By: Finley and Naya
We started the morning bright and early to head over to the school for an introduction to service. We worked hard sanding and painting walls and chairs for the majority of the morning. We hopped on the bus to go back to home base to have lunch where we ate yuca, fried chicken, rice and beans and drank delicious passion fruit juice. After a long hot morning, a lot of us took downtime to sleep and swim before doing the leadership activity.
Today’s activity was a teamwork based activity where we had to build the sturdiest and tallest tower with limited communication. After that, we started our cooking workshop with Don Alfredo where we learned how to craft empanadas and ate the food we made for dinner. After cleanup, to end off the day, everyone winded down with mentor groups, talking about our experiences today and playing little games.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
By: Nancy and Andrea
Today we started the day off with breakfast which included papaya juice. After breakfast we went straight to the school and continued our community service. Today we started working on a soccer field and continued painting and sanding in 3 different groups. We had breaks in between the service and afterwards we went to the supermarket and bought snacks. When we got back to home base we had pork for lunch and then 2 hours of free time before we headed off to our dance lesson with Mr. Johan. In the dance lesson we learned merengue, bachata, salsa, and zumba. We all had a lot of fun and really enjoyed this cultural experience.
After the lesson we walked back to home base and enjoyed some more free time where we hung out with each other and played games, swam, or read. Finally, we got ready for dinner which was chicken fajitas and the Costa Rican staple of rice and beans. We had some more pineapple and we all got together to play some more games. At the end, we set a S.M.A.R.T Goal for ourselves that we wish to achieve by the end of this trip. Now, we will head to bed excited for tomorrow’s adventures to the beach!
Sincerely your favorite Leaders of the Day,
Nancy y Andrea
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
By: Violet and Amaya
Today we woke up very early to some beautiful weather. We stopped for breakfast at a great local restaurant for French toast and pancakes. After our meal we headed to a beach.
At the beach we boarded our catamaran which took us around the cove until we stoped to go swimming and snorkeling. The Pacific Ocean was a lovely temperature and we got to see several different schools of fish as well as an eel.
The boat provided a lovely meal including chips, burritos, pasta salad, fruit and cookies. After we ate we headed back to the shore and took the bus back to our hostel.
We all rested while it stormed this afternoon. Once most of the rain had cleared a few people headed down to the shore to watch the beautiful sunset, where we all found a docked boat.
Finally we all headed to the local restaurant to have a variety of food and drinks.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Hello GLA families,
Although today was not the most eventful day, it was still filled with lots of laughter and fun memories. We started our day off by packing up and leaving the Tamarindo beach hostel. We then enjoyed a delicious breakfast and got on the buses to start our journey back to home base. After a few hours of driving we stopped for a nice lunch and ate as we watched the heavy rainfall in the forest around us. Afterwards, we got back on the buses and finished our journey to home base.
After settling back in, we enjoyed some free time to relax after our long road trip. Before dinner, we gathered together for an appreciation circle. We all shouted out people and something they did that we were thankful for. At 7 we had chicken, rice, beans, yuca frita, bread and black berry juice for dinner. Shortly after we gathered together for a mentor group activity where we reflected on our beach trip and discussed our favorite parts and memories. We are now getting ready for bed and preparing for our zip lining and tubing adventure tomorrow.
By Stella and Inés
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
By: Izzy and Sara MB
Today, we woke up and it was a rainy day. We had breakfast at homebase. It felt super great to be back with all our lovely homebase staff. After our meal we were off to go zip-lining and tubing. As our zip lining adventure started, people faced their fears and conquered them! The views over the forest right next to the Arenal Volcano were just amazing. After zip-lining it was time for an amazing lunch, including sandwiches, chips, oreos, and Caprisuns to drink.
Later, we went tubing. We faced some rapids and bruises, as well as fun and laughter. Some stayed behind, and enjoyed a very scenic view at a café. At the café, people had lattes, smoothies, and snacks. Then the whole group met up and left for homebase. We had some free time when we got back, then it was dinner time. For dinner we had burritos, potatoes, salad, and juice. At the end of the night, we did a fun activity of making a poster for the doors to our rooms. The day brought feelings of accomplishment and being out of our comfort zones.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
By: Sarah M and Sarah N
Today we woke up to some beautiful weather that then turned into a rainy morning. We had some delicious breakfast and then hopped on a bus to Juan Castro Blanco National Park.
When we arrived at the park, a few of us caught some fish in a small lake that we would eventually eat for lunch. Following that, we went one a short but sweet 2 mile hike where our tour guide, Douglas, showed us around the beautiful park. Lorenza and Andrea were super helpful and volunteered to translate what the tour guide was saying to the rest of us. During our tour, we saw local fruit growing as well as some flowers and a beautiful landscape. We then ate a very delicious lunch and had an informational presentation on the different rocks found in Costa Rica.
After our time at the national park, we got back on the bus and stopped at a popular area with a shopping strip where we bought some memorable souvenirs and had some delicious ice cream and coffee. We then headed back to home base where we had some dinner prepared by the amazing staff and did some quick journaling about the last two days of adventure.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
By: Roberta, Austin, Kayla
We started the day with breakfast at 7:00, and we were off at 8:00 for our service. We arrived at the school and got to it. Some people cleaned up a field to create a soccer pitch for the students; some people were painting a kindergarten classroom, and the others were sanding chairs. We then finished up and made our way back to camp where we enjoyed chicken fajitas and fries for lunch. Then we had some free time, which was spent either napping or on the dock playing pool, card games or cooling off in the lake.
We then completed the leadership activity where we got to know ourselves and our leadership styles. This was great as we got to learn about all of our assets and how to work better in tough situations. Dinner was stir fry, rice, beans and potatoes. We then completed mentor groups which were helpful, being able to express our feelings in a safe place.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
By: Brooke and Maeve
Today started off with a delicious traditional breakfast before heading off to community service. We continued sanding and painting the chairs for the students, moving rocks to create a soccer field and painting the outside of the main office of the school. After community service we returned to home base with a fantastic lunch waiting for us. Right after lunch we headed to the buses to go tour a pineapple farm where we learned about how pineapples are grown organically. We also had the opportunity to taste many different pineapple products such as fresh pineapple (taken just from the ground), virgin piña coladas, and pineapple ice cream. We returned to home base for dinner after our tour and ate hotdogs, taquitos, salad, beans, rice and french fries. After dinner we got into our mentor groups to make our team name and flag for the mentor group olympics we will be starting tomorrow!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
By: Jae, Naya, Sarah N
Today, we started with the regular breakfast of Gallo Pinto (beans and rice) and then promptly made our way to the school. At the school today, we started with one group painting chairs black another painting the office pink, and another removing rocks from a grass field. After the service, we came back to home base and had pork and salad with other sides for lunch. At around 2:30, when our lunches had settled, we got back together and started a “pineapple debate” where each mentor group was given a role in the pineapple industry such as the farmers, consumers and environmental associations. Each group got 5 questions that we researched and shared. Once each group shared their questions and answers, the discussion naturally left the original structure of the 5 questions and the students got to debate the issues in their own way.
After the enriching debate/discussion, we scattered for some free time and regrouped at 7:00PM for the first event of our “Mentor Group Olympics”. Today’s event was bar-style trivia that touched on Costa Rica, geography, music, and movie quotes. At the end of the trivia, Christine’s group, team ‘’Oceania’’ won with a 3 point lead. With the trivia wrapped up, the teams talked a bit and started planning for tomorrow’s event, Water-Based Games. Finally, we had some more free time until bedtime.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Hey GLA Family and Friends!
International Director Justin Nichols here again! Just wanted to touch base and give everyone a quick update as we enter the final stretch of our program.
Today was another lovely day in San Carlos, and we began the day at our service school with a fun cultural surprise. A local student dance association was holding their practice in the same gym that we usually use as a painting space, and they invited us to watch them perform. After several exciting dances, they invited us to dance with them for their final number.
We finished our service a little early today so that we could make our way back to home base for a quick lunch before we headed out to the second oldest Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Costa Rica where we saw a puma, spider monkeys, and several Costa Rican Bird species that were being cared for.
As we left the Zoological Society at La Marina, we made our way home for a lovely pasta dinner. To finish off the day, we celebrated Izzy’s birthday as she turned 15 with cake, a piñata, and a party overlooking Lake St.Teresa. Overall, and exciting day to be sure!
Looking forward to the next few days, we have our white-water rafting excursion tomorrow which is sure to be a student favorite. On Sunday, after service we have arranged to watch some of the final matches of the Euro Cup as well as Copa America, as well as have some game day snacks and decorations. To finish up, Monday and Tuesday will be the days where we will get a chance to interact with the local students as they return from holiday and see all the hard work our GLA students have been putting into their school.
After that, Wednesday is departure day, and we will all be headed off to our next adventures.
As always, if you would like to reach out to me for any reason, please feel free.
Be the change,
Justin Nichols
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
By: Sara MB, Amaya, Stella
Today we woke up and had breakfast at 8am. Then we all got ready for our exciting adventure. We rode the bus for an hour to go to the white water rafting. When we got there we received instructions from our guides on what to do and what not to do when we were on the raft. We all chose our teams of 4-6 people per raft and started our descent. We started the river with slow and peaceful waters then the river got a bit more bumpy and a lot of people were able to jump in and swim when the water calmed down. We stopped about half way through to eat some pineapple, mango, lychee and watermelon.
After our special meal prepared by our guides we continued our journey and enjoyed ourselves in some nice cold water. We made it to the exit and got refreshing water and towels before we made to the bus and were on our way back to don Alfredo’s. When we got back we took showers, rested and played exciting games until dinner time. After dinner we talked about our smart goals and wrote letters to our future selves.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
By: Charlotte, Story, Austin
Today started off with another delicious breakfast. After eating, we boarded the buses and headed to community service. At the school, we continued painting the walls and putting the finishing touches on the chairs. It has been amazing to see the school transform as a result of our hard work, and we are all looking forward to seeing the children’s reactions when we meet them tomorrow! After finishing up a great day of service, we hurried back to home base to watch the Euro Cup finals. The staff made watching the game extra special, providing us with a delicious lunch and decorating the room with Spain and England flags. Although some of us were disappointed by the outcome of the game, it was a great time. After the game, we had some free time which allowed the England fans some time to recover.
Shortly after, we began Round 2 of the Mentor Olympics with today’s event being a heated game of Capture the Flag. The game was both competitive and fun! We all definitely bonded with our teams as we strategized. We wrapped up Capture the Flag and relaxed until dinner. As we ate dinner we anxiously waited for the Argentina vs. Colombia game to begin. During that time, we played card games, chatted, and enjoyed our meal. When the game started we all poured inside to watch. Overall, it was a great day full of fun and excitement!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
By: Roberta, Ines, Kayla
We started off the day with breakfast at 8 AM, then headed to service at 9. With some kids in the class rooms and some participating in a PE class, we all loved to spend time with the children. We made so many incredible memories and learned so much about the lives of the kids. We can’t wait to see them again tomorrow. We played musical chairs, hot potato and an intense game of volleyball. After service we went to the market, for probably the final time, and then came back for lunch.
At 2:30 we went to the farm down the road for a lesson about the cows and how they produce milk. Some students had the opportunity to milk the cows. We then headed to the table to learn how the milk is turned into cheese. After that, we headed back to Home Base and played field games as a part of our olympic challenges: wheelbarrow racing, 3-legged race, egg and spoon race, sponge game and getting an oreo from our forehead to our mouth. Then we had dinner and our final olympic game, jeopardy. It was a well-deserved win by Christine’s group, and now everyone is off to bed.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 16 (MORE PHOTOS ADDED)
Justin Nichols here for one final blog post documenting our Costa Rican adventures here in San Carlos.
By popular request of the students, we awoke an hour early to ensure we had maximum time with the students on our final day at the school. Once we arrived, GLA students were divided into groups, helping students with physical education, worksheets, field games and face painting. As a special treat, there was a school wide assembly where the students of the school performed cultural dance, and the Principal of the school Don Edward acknowledged all of the hard work our students had done to help beautify the school over the past 3 weeks.
After some long goodbyes with some of the local students who had become quite attached to some of our GLA volunteers, we returned back to home base to have lunch and begin packing our things for the long journeys home. As a surprise afternoon treat we went to a local iguana cafe, where we watched howler monkeys in the trees as we ate ice creams. Afterward we continued packing our things until dinner, where many of the students dressed up for our final dinner together and took pictures by the lake.
To cap off the evening we had our final GLA leadership activity, an appreciation circle around a bonfire, where we all got to anonymously show our appreciation for some of the friends that have helped us grow during the program. We concluded with s’mores as we said our heartfelt goodbyes.
I have had a lovely time working with this group of students and wish them nothing but the best as they go forward into the world with the memories from their experience here in Costa Rica.
As always, Be the Change.
