Costa Rica: Beachside Service Adventure Program for Teens

When I asked my mom this past summer if I could go to a Spanish language camp, I expected I would be going to classes at my local college for a week. So when she found this Global Leadership Adventures program, we were both ecstatic. I was so nervous because I had never traveled alone before or to a Spanish speaking country. I really shouldn't have been because it was the smoothest traveling experience I've ever had. GLA finds flights for you and has a representative meet you at the airport so there is nothing to worry about. As soon as I met the staff, I was instantly welcomed along with the other students. Throughout the two weeks session they were kind and attentive, but they also gave me responsibilities and challenged my skills to help my Spanish. The most amazing part of this trip however, was the connection I made with the community. Every single day I got to live among the residents of the beautiful Rancho Quemado. These were the happiest, warmest, most generous people I have ever met. They were extremely patient with me as I struggled to be grammatically correct and included me in every conversation and game of soccer. Although the community service I did left an impact on the community, they left a much bigger impact on me. I learned to incorporate more gratitude into my daily life, to enjoy the little things. I still think of the friends I made every day. Not to mention I am now the smartest student in my Spanish class!

My time in Rancho Quemado was unforgettable and life-changing. I went in to the two weeks by myself not knowing what to expect, but from the second I walked out of the airport in San Jose I was immediately greeted with great enthusiasm and excitement from the mentors. This program really stood out to me in that Rancho Quemado reached out to GLA for help rather than the other way around, the way it often is. From this, I truly felt accepted by the community. We were living in their hostels, hiking on their trails, eating their food, and learning about their culture: all of which they were ecstatic to show us. One of my highlights of the trip was playing in the towns daily "majengas", or street soccer games. This really allowed me to communicate with the village members, from 2 year olds to 60 year olds. Other than the community service aspect of the trip with building a library and helping with a garden and recycling project, we learned and improved our knowledge of sustainable tourism and its importance as well as Spanish. This trip and the people I met along the way (from the US and Costa Rica!) has impacted me to become more appreciative of the world and its people. I would 100% suggest this trip to anyone wanting to learn Spanish, support a community, and to have an amazing time doing so.

When I came across GLA online the first thing that stood out to me was the emphasis on connections with the local community that you would be spending your time with. This was one of the most important things to me when choosing a program. Besides that the idea of visiting the Osa Peninsula was new and unique and appealed to me in every way. The preparation for the trip felt very organized and there were contacts always available to answer any questions my family or I had about the trip. The travel went smoothly and I was promptly met with a mentor at the airport. Throughout my time spent in Costa Rica I felt fully supported by every mentor, always felt safe, and most of all was able to build life long friendships and create incredible memories. The program's strong emphasis on Spanish, service, and community relationships was able to motivate students to put themselves out of their comfort zones and learn to their greatest ability. The most valuable thing for me was that everyone on the trip or living in the town was passionate about learning of new cultures and interacting with brand new people. I learned more Spanish and was able to gain new work ethic during the community service portion of the trip. Overall my trip to Costa Rica opened my eyes and changed my life. I am coming out of the experience with amazing friends and I will never forget the incredible experience.

During the summer of 2015, my friend and I went on the GLA Costa Rica Beachside Service Adventure for 10 days. This was one of the most amazing things I have ever done and I will never forget this experience. When I went, I did travel with my friend but you really don't need to. So many people came alone and everyone became so close so fast that it didn't even matter who came with who. I met people that I know I will keep in touch with for a long time and we still meet up and talk all the time. Advice I would give to people who are thinking about this trip is to show up with an open mind and be ready to try different things because I am from NY and the culture there is so different. Also, you really don't need as many clothes as you think you do so there is no need to overpack. The only thing I would say to bring extra of is T-shirts. During service they might get dirty and since there is no wash your best bet would be to have extras. I would definitely say to bring granola bars with you or just foods to snack on because sometimes after service or during free time I would get really hungry. Although I can't pick one favorite part of my trip, I would have to say two of my favorite things I did were the zip lining on one of the adventure days, and going into the town and experiencing the culture. When I was there it was Guanacaste's Independence Day so there was a HUGE festival going on in the heart of the town so that was so much fun. Overall, the mentors are the coolest people you will ever meet and they always have an answer to your questions. If you leave something at home they will find a way to get what you need or you can borrow from someone else because the environment is so kind and caring and everyone is nice to one another. I would 100% recommend this trip! You will make memories for a life time.

last summer I volunteered abroad global leadership adventures protecting the pacific program in costa rica and I'd have to say it was one if not the best experience I've ever had, I learned so much and met so many incredible people I will never forget, Costa Rica is absolutely beautiful and the people are extremely nice, it really was the best summer. I'm looking forward to volunteering abroad Global Leadership Adventures agin soon.

My service trip to Costa Rica through Global Leadership Adventures was for ocean conservation. One of our days was spent doing half a day of beach service and then the other half learning how to surf. After cleaning up the beach and working to prevent erosion, which was much fun and informative in itself, we got to try an exciting activity that was new for most of us: surfing. Being able to be in the Pacific and surf was an indescribable experience and the surfing instructors were passionate and excited about their jobs, which made the experience that much more fun for us. I think that dual-day of service and fun really describes Global Leadership Adventures; it's a program that is all about being passionate about service, but also about experiencing cultures of different countries. Any trip with GLA is one of a lifetime that will leave you with lasting phenomenal memories.

I went on Global Leadership Adventures Initiative for Children, in Costa Rica and it change my perspective on everything. It broaden my perspective on how others in the world. I was able to see first hand how volunteering helped people. I gained a new respect for nature and the country of Costa Rica. Because of this amazing program I take the "Pura Vida" lifestyle everywhere I go. I have gained amazing friendships with people from all over. I have done things I never would have imagined from hiking to a beautiful waterfall, zip lining over tree tops, to surfing on the gorgeous Costa Rican coast. GLA is an amazing opportunity, I encourage everyone to seize it.

I went on this trip not having any clue as to what to expect. It was the first time this program (Spanish & Service in the Osa) had ever been done before. How could I have possibly known I was about to have the most incredible experience of my life? Everyone on the trip was lively on friendly, including the mentors. Their role may have been mentors but we were all enjoying the new and exciting scenery and adventures equally; as it was their first time seeing all of the things as well. The people in the town welcomed us with open arms and were very understanding of our developing spanish skills. Enjoying the culture of Rancho Quemado and eating the local cuisine was one of my favorite parts. Our time doing community service made me feel helpful and put me in touch with some of the needs of smaller communities. In addition to our everyday community service and tours to parts of the area, we took a weekend excursion that was amazing! We kayaked up a river, swam to our hike, hiked to multiple waterfalls, and then it began to rain making the experience a thousand times better. Being in the rainforest in Costa Rica, standing next to a waterfall while water pours down is what I consider a perfect moment.