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 27
Good evening families,
Our first day has officially come to an end, and we’re all settled in at the hotel! It was a long day of flights, layovers, and learning moments at the airport, but we made it.
We’ve already had the chance to connect and get to know the amazing people who will be part of this journey. It’s definitely a great group full of unique personalities, open minds, and a lot of energy. You can tell everyone is here to learn, grow, and lead.
Tomorrow, our adventure in Peru begins, and the excitement is real.
We’ll keep you posted every step of the way!
Warm regards,
Isabella
BLOG POST FOR JULY 28
Hi everyone! Today, we started off the day by having a Peruvian breakfast and then having orientation. We talked about the volunteering we’ll be doing, and other activities in the trip. We will be doing triage, handing out medications, educating about public health, and dental care.
After that, we walked around Cusco for an hour and looked at cool buildings and went to cafes.
After lunch, we met the MedLife team, which is the company we’ll be volunteering with! They showed us the Cusco region to help understand where we’re going to be helping. We went to a school, a clinic, and looked at farms.
Then we came back for dinner and more orientation to get to know exactly what we will be doing in the mobile clinics. We learned how to take blood pressure, heart rate, pulse ox, etc. We wrapped up the day by reflecting on the activities.
We learned a lot, understand a little bit more about the context and we are very excited for tomorrow.
We will let you know!
From,
Dominic and Nick
BLOG POST FOR JULY 29
Today, we started our morning at 8:30 a.m. with a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, and ham. Afterwards, we met with our mentor groups to discuss the impact of phone usage and our environmental footprint.
Later in the morning, we explored a local market where we listened to live musicians and purchased coats and small handcrafted jewelry. We then embarked on a walking tour of Cusco, visiting many beautiful and historic sites. Along the way, a dog wearing a red bandana began following us and stayed with us until our final stop.
One of the highlights of the tour was visiting a stunning cathedral, where we had the chance to meet traditional dancers. After the tour, we returned to our home base for lunch.
In the afternoon, we went on a hike and participated in the Pago a la Tierra (Payment to the Earth) ritual. Throughout the hike, we saw horses and learned about rich Peruvian traditions through César, our cultural guide. During the ceremony, we each made wishes using coca leaves and took part in lighting a sacred fire.
After returning by bus, we gathered for our daily sunset circle, where we shared shoutouts, highlights, and takeaways from the day. We ended the evening with a delicious dinner of steak and potatoes, and then went out with to enjoy some ice cream and buy snacks.
We are really excited for our clinic tomorrow.
Warmly,
Devon, Mason and Ben
BLOG POST FOR JULY 30
Hi everyone!
Today was an eventful day in Peru. We woke up early and put on our colorful scrubs to take a bus ride to a town called Chichibamba. In Chichibamba we worked alongside nurses and doctors to provide various medical care for the locals. Everyone got the chance to volunteer at two stations. This care included dental work, prescriptions, education about common cultural illnesses, and showing kids how to properly brush their teeth. The work at the clinic was very gratifying for all of us, allowing us to step out of our comfort zones and interact closely with the Peruvian locals, learning in depth about diseases and struggles many of them face due to their personal situations. After several hours of tedious but fun and educational work, we took the scenic bus ride back to Cusco.
We learned a lot, we enjoyed the day and we are ready for tomorrow!
Warmly,
Dana, Lucia and Jude
BLOG POST FOR JULY 31
We started off today celebrating Jared’s birthday!! The team decorated the cafeteria and, with the staff, we sang happy birthday to him. Right after, we went to — to help doctors and nurses do medical checks on this community. They really appreciated it and the smiles on their faces leaving the consultation made it all worth it. In moments like this is when we reflect about how privileged we are and how grateful we should be to have access to frequented and accessible medical and dental care. We came back after 6 hours of work to rest for a little before our next activity.
Later, we were honored to have a very special guest speaker (Shalini) who spoke about her experiences with GLA and how it helped her with her future endeavors. Following the discussion, many of us went walking around Cuzco to further embrace the powerful culture around us and purchased many cool souvenirs. We dived into a scrumptious meal and had many local deserts including a delicious chocolate cake. Later, we had a blast dancing salsa, bachata, reggae, etc, thanks to one of our fantastic mentor teachers. We ended the night playing games and savoring our wonderful day!
We observed so much and are thrilled for our adventures tomorrow!
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1
Good day everyone!
We had a late start getting a delicious breakfast at eight thirty, and then we got ready for a walk around Cusco which included stopping at a local market allowing us to buy gifts and souvenirs for ourselves and loved ones, we continued on to an Incan museum where we got an in depth explanation of everything we were seeing. It was so cool to learn about Incan culture and see more of the city. We then stopped at another market where we had more time to shop and explore as we listened to the funky beats blasting from the speakers all around. We had some time to launch our common apps for college and relax when we got back. We then gathered in a room and listened to a local teach us about Peruvian music and instruments. We even got to try a couple instruments ourselves which was awesome. We ended the day with a game of mafia and a delicious dinner breaking in another amazing day in Peru.
We are having a great time!
Warmly,
Samara and Tamara
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2
¡Hola!
Today we started with a pretty early morning with breakfast at 7:20! We came ready in our swimsuits and had a breakfast of scrambled eggs, fruit, sweet potatoes, and bread. We have become fans of making sandwiches with the eggs, cheese, meat, and bread. We head out for a 2 hour bus ride and arrive at white water rafting around 10. We put on wetsuits, jackets, boots, life jackets, and helmets and head out on the buses to the starting location. In groups of 4-5 kids, a mentor, and a guide, we set off! The rapids were levels 1-3 and everyone had a great time. Although Urbano was close, no one fell off although we all got soaked! After two hours of rafting, we changed, spent time in the steamy sauna, and stood by the fire while we waited for lunch. We had a massive lunch of chicken, rice, vegetables, and soup with chocolate pudding for dessert. After a 3 hour ride back to home base, we showered quickly and got ready for a delicious dinner of fried chicken, rice, and vegetables. We ended off the night with a pulse check where we answer questions about how we are doing and our experience so far. We are so excited for our final clinic day tomorrow but sad we are already halfway through our trip.
Adios,
Evy, Lily, and Caitlin
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3
Hi everyone! Today was a day full of purpose, passion, and perspective. We started the morning by volunteering at a local clinic, where we had the chance to support healthcare workers and interact with members of the community. Whether we were organizing supplies, helping with dental or triage, or shadow the doctor and patient interactions, it felt good to give back in a hands-on, meaningful way.
Later in the afternoon, we shifted gears and jumped into a spirited debate about the construction of a road along the Lares Trek in Peru. Each of us represented different groups—from environmental NGOs to local weaving cooperatives—and argued our perspectives. The debate pushed us to think critically about development, sustainability, and the balance between tourism and tradition. After a long, thought-provoking day, we ended with a well-deserved movie night, some time to relax and reflect together.
-Natalie, Madison, and Serena
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 4
This morning started off so good with pancakes! We legit stacked ours with fruit and probably talked way too much about how it felt like the best breakfast ever. Gotta say, pancakes hit different in Peru.
After breakfast, things got serious. We listened to a really interesting presentation about climate change and how it’s affecting the glaciers here. What hit us the most was learning how that impacts small communities in the mountains. It was honestly super eye opening. Then came the first aid workshop, which was actually really cool! We learned how to help people in emergencies like briefly going over compressions and what to do in the case of someone falling unconscious. We even practiced on each other which was really fun. It felt good learning something we could actually use to help people.
In the afternoon, we got to explore San Pedro Market and do a scavenger hunt which was very chaotic but so much fun. The market was full of colors, smells, and stuff we’ve never seen before, like these wild-looking fruits and rainbow alpaca sweaters. We split into teams and raced around trying to check off our list and some of us definitely got competitive. We ended the day with some shopping and then mentor group time, where we got to reflect and talk about everything we did and learned. It was such a packed day, but one of our favorites so far.
Warmly,
Liat and Hattie
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 5
Today was such a fun and busy day in Peru. We started the morning with breakfast, then went to a cooking class where we quickly learned new skills. We were split into groups of two. One group made pastries while the other prepared the main meal. My group made a mix of beef and vegetables, and chicken and vegetables. Everyone helped cut up the ingredients like garlic, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. We used the potatoes to make crispy potato wedges. We also had rice on the side.
The pastry group made something called borlaloriee. It was like a soft cookie bread filled with fruit and drizzled with caramel, and it tasted amazing. We also had fresh juice to go with the meal.
After eating, we walked back to home base and rested for a bit. Later in the afternoon, we had a dance class where we learned about traditional Peruvian dance culture. They taught us a few routines and it was such a fun way to experience something new.
Julia and Evan
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 6
Today are group of 30 kicked off from our home base in Cusco. We took a short ride to a look out where we saw some incredible views. Then we learned how dyes were made at the Andean Colors by a local. We made bracelets and ended with lunch. At lunch we tried guinea Pig for the first time. Many did not like it. After lunch we fed llamas and took off to the Maras Salt Mines. We saw the astounding amount of salt and the workers harvesting it. Finally we drove to our final destination before Machu Pichu, Ollantaytambo, the gateway to the historic site. We explored the town and finished with a great dinner. This was truly one of the best days of the trip. Written by William and Pearl.
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 7
Today was a long travel day, but every minute was worth it. We took the train through winding mountains and along rushing rivers, stopping in Machu Picchu Town for a delicious lunch before heading up to the ruins.
We spent the afternoon walking through Machu Picchu, learning about the Incan people and their incredible history. Being surrounded by those mountains and ancient stone terraces didn’t feel real.
Afterward, we grabbed some more snacks for the road and made the drive back to Cusco, tired but happy after an unforgettable day.
Best,
Vivi and Olivia
