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 JULY 18
Welcome to the first blog post of the Guatemala: Global Health in the land of Maya program!
Today, your students arrived safely at the airport and were greeted with a warm welcome from our team. We then made our way to Antigua, where we are staying tonight. After getting settled and unpacking, we took a walk to the main plaza to take in the beautiful colonial architecture and vibrant colors of the city.
For dinner, we visited a restaurant built in 1650, giving everyone a taste of history alongside their meal. Some students had dinner close to the airport and joined us later, just in time to say good night! We are waiting for the last 3 students on later flights. Now everyone is resting, and excited for first full day tomorrow as we begin our journey together in Guatemala!
We look forward to sharing more updates with you throughout the program.
Best your Guatemala team,
Magdalena/Mag (international director), Alexa (mentor) and Nayo (local director)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
We are finally all together! Travel day was tiring and we today we went from Antigua to our homebase. Our home away from home is located in Quetzaltenango which is also called Xela. On the way we stopped for an amazing lunch at a grill restaurant that has a farm and we saw some bunnies, ducks, chickens and a cow. Many people loved the flor de Jamaica drink which is hibiscus tea served with ice.
When we arrived to our homebase we started with a tour around to orient ourselves then played some games and it was time to rest!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Today was pretty much a “foundation” day. We stayed at home base, doing group activities and had the special privilege to have a local doctor come and speak with the group.
Although breakfast usually starts at around 7:15, but we decided to start a little later today at around 8:00. Everyone seemed to agree that the pancakes, watermelon bites, and freshly squeezed orange juice was the perfect start to the day. Post breakfast we started to get ready for our “orientation” where we did group and team bonding activities and discussed values, morals, and goals for the group. We also reviewed Code of Conduct and the expectations of a student attending GLA.
At around 3:00, our guest speaker, Dr. Arturo, came to home base. He gave us training, which was learning to take blood pressure and using a weighting scale. Afterwards, we had a discussion about diet and nutrition in Guatemala, and some of the challenges the people have with the medical system, and assess to nutritional foods.
Dinner rolled around at 6:30 and we had some of the best stir fry and for many of us a new dish: Magdelena cake. We then closed the night with discussing highlights, group shoutouts, and discussion with our question of the day “How are we going to resolve the challenges of learning about the medical field with a language barrier?”. After our question of the day we broke into mentor groups and talked about our “SMART” goals durning this trip.
Love,
Alex and Aidan
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
This morning, we had our first day of service, working with kids at a local school. We paired up and rotated through different stations, each contributing to a health check for the students. The kids were adorable and excited to interact with us! Many even gave us hugs! We had the opportunity to practice a lot of Spanish, and many of us picked up new words along the way.
After we completed the health checks for the first grade, we returned to home base and enjoyed a delicious lunch. Shortly after, we boarded the bus to visit a family-owned chocolate business where we learned about the rich Mayan culture surrounding cacao. At the museum, we explored that history and traditional process of making chocolate. The Mayans have long used cacao to create delicious drinks, and we got to try three variations. We also enjoyed a chocolate fountain served with fresh fruit. We then went to a salsa class, where we learned the fundamental steps of the dance. Afterward, we returned to home base for dinner and time to unwind. If was a full, fun, and rewarding day!
Love,
Catherine and Sabrina
BLOG POST FOR JULY 22
We woke up at 7:15 in the morning and we went on a hike to a sacred lagoon- Chicabal. We learned more about the Mayan culture and their beliefs- how their beliefs are not founded in religion, but a practice that is connected to the elements and the universe.
The next part of the day we had a short break and some of us played soccer in our free time. Then we went to learn about weaving—the culture and ancient techniques and how the practice had changed throughout time. We learned how to weave a scarf- we each tried this hands-on.
Then afterwards we went to our home base and ate a delicious dinner. Right after dinner we again had our daily “Ring of fire” group circle which is where we give shoutouts, say our highlights, and answer a question that the leaders of the day choose. Today our question was, “how was the sacred lagoon today peaceful for you?”. After our ring of fire we went over the schedule for tomorrow, played more soccer, and will soon be going to bed!
From,
Angelo y River
BLOG POST FOR JULY 23
Greetings from gorgeous Guatemala!
Today was our second day of service! We each cc got new partners and a new medical station. We during recess, we joined we played with all the local students. It was really enjoyable to draw, dance, run, and play games with all the kids! We felt like celebrities as many of the kids came up to us asking for our signatures!
Back at home base we had an intellectually stimulating debate regarding the uses of traditional and modern medicine in Guatemalan healthcare. There were four groups, each representing a different Guatemalan perspective, and two moderators who guided the discussion on these issues. In the end, we all left with broadened horizons and a new view of approaching controversial conversations.
Despite the daunting rain, we decided to go on an excursion to the Xela Plaza. Here we learned about the fascinating history of Xela and enjoyed some delicious ice cream!
– Miri and Clara
BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
Hello again from beautiful Guatemala,
Today we started our service bright and early at the school. Our confidence in our Spanish abilities has definitely improved and we’ve enjoyed immersing ourselves in different stations each day. Again, we had fun learning new games from the students during recess and playing lots of soccer.
After lunch, we journeyed up to high altitudes to enjoy the relaxing hot springs. During our time at the hot springs and on our drive back we were encompassed by clouds creating a beautiful scene.
After dinner, we did shoutouts, highlights, and a leadership activity. This activity made us silently reflect on the importance of our phones on this trip and in our lives. As we’ve reached the halfway point, we’ve recognized that by minimizing our phone usage, we’ve allowed ourselves to connect with each other in a way that we aren’t used to back at home, and we learned to be more productive during our free time. We had another amazing day at Guatemala, and we’re so excited to see where our adventure takes us next.
Best,
Sameena and Kacie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Hey! Today we started off the day with breakfast at 7 am and then headed to the bus to have our activity of the morning: ZIPLINING! Everyone was so excited and the bus ride was full of singalong songs as we drove to the course. When we got there, we split into our mentor groups to go up to the zip lines and both groups did 10 zip lines. It was so fun and had amazing views of mountains to look over.
We then headed back down to the bus and off to home base! After lunch and a break we headed back out to go to the supermarket. We got in groups of three to shop and found so many Guatemalan snacks that we had never tried before! Then we headed back to home base, had dinner, and went to sleep.
Love,
Orli and Maya
BLOG POST FOR JULY 26
Hey guys!
Today we started off with a 7 am breakfast that buzzed with the excitement of a weekend trip. After we all finished last minute packing of our small bags, we headed onto the bus and started traveling. The views were spectacular as we drove through towns, cities, forests, and finally around the lake. Lake Atitlan was expansive and beautiful, and we all admired it as we drove.
We reached our hotel and started walking to the dock to board our boat. As we sped across Lake Atitlan we admired the view of the volcanos in the distance and the villages dotting the side of the lake. When we arrived at the town of San Juan we walked around and did some souvenir and snack shopping. We then headed back to the hotel for lunch. After we took a quick rest before heading out again to explore the area by our hotel.
We stopped for frozen yogurt and walked more around the lake during sunset. Then we returned to the hotel where we ate dinner, played cards, and relaxed before heading to bed.
Love,
Noa and Kaiden
BLOG POST FOR JULY 27
Hi from Guatemala!
Today we woke up in a beautiful hotel in Lake Atitlan and traveled to the Chichicastenango market. We spent time exploring the stalls filled with local goods, from fruits to handmade bags. We visited two local churches, which bordered the market that had a fusion of Christian and Mayan religion. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and talked to some gorgeous parrots.
We traveled back to home base and switched roommates, to continue to get to know more people. We then played some Guatemalan trivia in our mentor groups: “Hey, Alexa” and “Mag’s Minions”. We ended the night with shoutouts and highlights, reflecting on our time at the lake and market. Overall, today was a day full of novelty!
Love,
Sameena and Maya
BLOG POST FOR JULY 28
Today was our second to last day of service! We figured out how to maximize our efficiency and got through 8 classes today! After service we went back to home base where we bagged oatmeal to give to students at the school. The lovely kitchen staff taught us how to make to tortillas from scratch! We started with raw corn and ended with delicious quesadillas. Later, Mag guided us in a yoga class which left all of us extremely relaxed. To top off the day we enjoyed dulce de leche ice cream and mango sorbet!
Love,
Clara and Alex!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 29
Today was the very last day of service! After we finished up with all of the classes, they surprised us with a dance that involved them each pulling us up to go dance with them. They also gave us adorable decorated pens as a parting gift. Afterwards, we handed out medicine and nutritious gummy’s for the underweight children. When we arrived back at home base we typed up all of the children’s names, height, and weight so the school could have a records of our visits and each students health records. We then had a quick and informational CPR course where we all got certified by the Red Cross.
Love,
Aiden and Miriam
