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 posts 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 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 JULY 23
Written by: GLA Staff
Hola familia y amigos, bienvenidos a República Dominicana!
We welcomed our young leaders willing to take on the challenge of new experiences that demonstrate what true leadership is. During the arrival day we picked up the students at the Las Américas airport in Santo Domingo. They showed very excited and curious for this new experience making questions during our ride to the Novus hotel.
We had a first group that had lunch near to the hotel and walked through the colonial zone. A second group arrived during the afternoon directly to settled at the hotel and they were all able to had dinner together. They enjoyed the food, had time to know each other, rest and recover from their flights.
We are waiting for Ryan M. who will join us at our home base in Bayahibe, due a delay on her flight she couldn’t be with us. But don’t worry, she is fine and we are ready to give her a warm welcome.
We have an amazing group filled with lots of good vibes. Excited to begin, tomorrow our first stop will be the Los Tres Ojos National Park and then head to our home base. Where we can talk about the basic details and rules of our new home. So, dear family and friends, please continue to support our leaders on this journey by checking out our daily blogs and showing your love by commenting below.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
Buenos días!
We woke up this morning after a goodnight’s sleep, we were greeted with a scrumptious breakfast buffet composed of scrambled eggs, local fruits and more. From there we began our journey to our home base with a stop at las tres ojos national park, where we saw everything from freshwater cave lakes to spiders and bats. After some group photos we continued on to home base, but not without a quick stop at the market.
During the afternoon, we arrived at home base in the beachside town of Bayahibe where we were greeted by kind and welcoming people. We all got unpacked and enjoyed the scenery surrounding us. After a delicious lunch, we sat for orientation and later played a game of jeopardy, we’re we talked about code of conduct and basic rules for the next days in our new home. Once we finished with that, we had swim tests & then took the time to get settled.
At the beginning of the evening we all gathered for a sunset circle to discuss the highlights, takeaways, and shoutouts of our day. We do this to bring all of the students together and create a tighter community. For example, the highlight of the day was visiting the beautiful national park and riding on the Dominican titanic. We then ate a magnificent dinner and went on to listen to a culture presentation by our local director, Gipsy,introducing us to the wonders of Dominican culture including dancing and Dominican catch phrases. Finally, we all were knocked out asleep after a long day.
– Jadon, Maya, Georgia-May
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Hi family!
We started the morning by eating a great breakfast, then headed to Dominicus beach to help clean up garbage for the locals in the areas, there we met Lidia who was our guide during the service. After all that hard work, we got to enjoy the ocean. Swimming in the clear, blue water was so much fun! We laughed, splashed around, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. It was a perfect way to relax and appreciate the beauty around us. It also reminded us why it’s important to keep places like this clean. We also met Juan who gave us coconuts for the whole group.
The best part of the day was playing baseball with the local kids. Baseball is a big deal in the Dominican Republic, and the kids were really good at it. We all had a blast running, hitting, and cheering each other on. Even though we didn’t speak the same language, we connected through the game. It showed us how sports can bring people together and create awesome memories. After that we went back to home base, We had a moment to relax, play volleyball in the pool and of course bond as a team and get to know each other. Then finished the day having a sunset circle, some great Sancocho with rice for dinner. And by the end of the day met with are mentor groups. And at the end of the day we meet with our mentor groups. We share what we learned today and talk about the goals we want to achieve in the following days of the program. Finally, lights out at 10 pm to rest and recover energy for another day of service.
Hasta mañana!