Our trip to Costa Rica was absolutely incredible and I can’t believe how time has just flown by!
In just two short weeks we did a TON of activities, made new friends, learned more about
ourselves and our host country. Now that you are back home and back to your normal routines,
I hope that you still think about your time in San Pedro and are using all that you learned here to
do something you are passionate about!
As GLA and Green Communities have taught us, it is our job to consider how our communities
can become more sustainable, looking at the pros and cons of everything before making a
decision. It is also our job as global citizens to promote awareness on the changes our Earth is
going through simply because of the materialist nature of our economy. What we hope is that
your time here helped develop you to be true global leaders and that you continue to look for
ways to incorporate sustainable development at home.
But besides the academic portions of the trip, we also have learned a lot about ourselves
through our excursions and service! Some of us learned to embrace the unexpected and try to
look at life through a new lens-whether that was learning how to trust and be brave while getting
flung across the forest at the Adventure Park, putting our differences aside while working with
the locals at service, meeting the mothers that work and live in San Pedro, or being valiant
enough to express our own opinions and ideas during our mentor groups! I’m sure that each of
us gained a bit of confidence somehow, someway, during our time here and sometimes that’s
the most valuable thing you can achieve from a trip like this! So, next time you are in a difficult
or similar situation, I hope you think about how you handled differences, insecurities, debate,
and friendship while in Costa Rica.
We hope that you all think of Costa Rica and the people here often. The sidewalk is getting
longer each and every day. In fact, the town of San Pedro has said they want to contribute
some of their own money to the project to help get it completed faster! We have also fertilized
over 20 coffee farms in San Pedro! The organic coffee will grow to be an amazing product that
not only provides income for the families, but also will be bought from next year’s GLA students
and their families! We are still recruiting more families into switching to organic farming and
thanks to your help, more and more people are willing to give it a go!
Although it may have been a while ago that we were all together at the ecolodge in Copey, your
memories and the friendships made here will remain forever! Here at GLA Costa Rica, we hope
that you are all doing well and going the extra mile in whatever you are passionate about. Keep
up the good work!
Some highlights of our trip:
-Surfing the waves in Dominical
-Seeing the natural wildlife and the National Park and swimming in the crystal clear waters!!!
-Working alongside Alvaro and his constant teasing!
-Our time spent at the Adopt-a-gringo activity
-The last night’s bonfire
-The amazzzzing smell of compost
-Tona’s “Dropping the soap” improve song
-Nicole, Tona, Esteban + Green Communities Staff
Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our 2019 programs, or enroll now.
