GLA Spring Break Session 5!
We miss you all! You are probably off enjoying your summer somewhere, likely still dreaming about laying in hammocks, black sand beaches, and chocolate covered bananas. As soon as you all arrived in Alajuela, there was immediate energy and connection and we knew it was going to be a great session! Though we only had a short time together, everyone seemed to bond quickly and build friendships that will last for years to come.
We started our week of adventure with zip lining through the beautiful rainforest! Remember the scorpion that joined us for lunch?! After a long ride in the van, we finally arrived to the boat which took us to our amazing, rustic home base in the middle of the jungle. Surrounded by monkeys and sloths (and lots of mosquitos and spiders), we settled into life on the Caribbean coast for a few days.
We jumped into our service work as we took to the beaches to clean up the large amount of trash that washes up, and we installed markers at the beach to help ASTOP with the tracking of turtle nests. We also learned about the effects of plastic on the environment and the turtles and brainstormed ideas of how we can reduce our use of plastic back home. Our night patrol walks were physically demanding, but you guys did a great job and we were able to see TWO TURTLES! It was exciting and rewarding to see firsthand the work we were out there supporting.
Teaching English at the local school, swimming in the barrita, daily hair braiding parties, poop buddies (neti pots anyone?), rat showers, and so many more memories were created in our few fun days together. We dove deeper in group activities and opened up with each other in mentor groups. You guys built an amazing, supportive community during your time together. I hope you all have taken the lessons you learned on this trip and applied them to your lives back home in the States. Thank you for your hard work, willingness to be open and vulnerable, and overall awesomeness. We love you!
-Kelly, Hannah, and Rudy
Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our 2019 programs, or enroll now.
