Doesn’t it seem like yesterday that we were jumping off the tower into the lake,
playing with the children, and eating rice and beans for every meal? We can’t believe
it’s been so long since our Costa Rica trip ended but you are still on our minds and
we still have such fond memories of our last Initiative for Children Costa Rica group
and the good times we had this summer. You all definitely finished our summer with
a bang!
We hope you all know time spent in the schools really did make an impact. You
brought joy to so many children with your smiles, games, and English lessons and
spelling bees. We learned from one another practicing our Spanish and helping them
practice English. We’ve been practicing all summer for the spelling bee and your
group actually got to see the final results, which was really exciting!
Santa Teresa Norte has a giant garden that slowly but surely is coming together and
soon will be a great asset for the school in terms of fresh food for the students and
extra income for the school. Santa Teresa Sur has a beautiful completed mural full of
handprints that will last years with all of the GLA students who have come and gone.
Also, they are very very close to having their own greenhouse! Bellavista’s garden is
bursting with veggies that the school uses every day for their students, and you all
helped maintain so they continue growing. And who can forget our English Festival
and Spelling Bee that all the kids worked so hard for. Thank you all for sharing your
time and positive energy with the Costa Rican children and us! We hope that this
experience also impacted you and that you reflect on how you can bring the lessons
you learned about yourself and the world around you into your community and
hopefully carry them with you for the rest of your life!
We couldn’t have asked for a better group to finish off our Costa Rican summer! You
all are wonderful individuals and you each brought a unique energy and perspective
to our program. You quickly became a close-knit group and we had so much fun
together! We basically adopted Canelo into our lives and spoiled him rotten! We had
adventures horseback riding and zip lining at the base of the Arenal volcano with
only a few slight injuries (Gabriela is no longer feeling like an old lady). We tasted
some of the best pineapple in the world and got to go out on the farm to pick our
own. We relaxed at Alfredo’s fountain of youth (aka the Hot Springs) after the most
adventurous weekend some of us had ever had. We rafted down the river and saw
some amazing wildlife that is only unique to Costa Rica as well as having water
fights and throwing people overboard with the crocodiles.
That last afternoon and evening was super special to all of us. At night everyone
dressed up to make our final meal together memorable (and to get some nice
pictures). Who can forget our awesome dance party (even though the speaker was
not cooperating at all)? Juan Ca even came to join the party and danced the night
away with us! There were so many tears that night and even more hugs, because we
knew that these relationships that were made would not be easily forgotten. And the
impact that we had on each other’s lives will have reshaped us for many years to
come!
We all had a great time together and made some memories that will remember for
years. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful summer with us!
Some special moments from our trip:
-Karaoke sessions on the Juan Ca mobile
-Watching dance and singing performances from many talented children at
the English Festival. Some of us even got to participate in some!
-Learning all about coffee with Alfredo
-Buying ice-cream at every super market trip
-Playing pranks on each other
-Seeing sloths, monkeys, tropical birds, and SO MANY BUGS
-Pancakes for breakfast EVERYDAY!
-Juan Carlos climbing on top of the bus to get that perfect sunset picture
-Early morning yoga sessions with Rosie
-Night activities like bonfire and Mama Mia
-Eating the best pineapple everrrr
-Learning the most important Russian words in the yellow house
-The alien necklace that protected us during our journey
-The most entertaining debate we’ve ever seen
-Canelo, Brad, and Stella walking us to and from service
-Learning life lessons
-Supermarket trips that resulted in gallons of ice cream being bought
Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our 2019 programs, or enroll now.
