GLA Costa Rica: Marine Conservation & Sea Turtle Expedition

Hello! My name is Quinn O’Malley and last summer I went on the Global Leadership Adventures Costa Rica Marine Conservation and Turtle Exhibition Trip. One of the highlights of my trip with GLA was definitely the amazing traditional cuisine we were lucky enough to enjoy. Every meal incorporated Costa Rican food and was prepared by the very skilled and kind chefs at each homestay. For breakfast, we mostly had gallo pinto with sweet fried plantains. And to drink, we enjoyed delicious Costa Rican coffee, grown on local farms. For lunch, we tried Chifrijo, a traditional dish consisting of rice, red beans, avocado, pico de gallo and chicharrón. My mentors on the trip really encouraged everyone to experiment trying new foods and we all enjoyed it. Having traditional cuisine for every meal allowed me to immerse myself in the culture and learn more about Costa Rica (although towards the end of the trip we all started to get a little sick of rice and beans). Along with the meals that we ate, there was also the meal that we made. During the last week of the trip we took a cooking class from a woman named LuLu in Uvita, Costa Rica. She welcomed us into her home and led us to the backyard where she had a massive oven and stove for cooking. LuLu dressed us all in flowery aprons and bonnets as we began cutting up corn to cook delicious Gorditas con Azucar, a sweet thick tortilla similar to a griddle cake served with agua dulce, a warm sugar drink made with milk. We all sat down at LuLu’s table enjoying our meal and exchanging jokes with her about our incompetent cooking skills. As we left, LuLu encouraged us to buy bracelets made by students at the local elementary and high schools. The proceeds directly supported their education as well as school refurbishments. LuLu talked to us (through translation by our mentor) about her work helping children and how she often welcomes kids to come study at her house after school. LuLu is a strong leader in her local community and a perfect example of how GLA’s creative activities don’t just reflect the tourist side of the places you visit, but actually interact with the culture of the country and the people within, thus inspiring social change. Across our many planned adventures we met community oriented individuals working to evoke environmental and social change in the country. One of my favorite activities from the trip was our surfing lessons. When signing up for my GLA summer program, I was particularly nervous for the surfing classes because I had never done it before and I was anxious that my fellow students would be more experienced, but it turns out no one knew how to surf and we all enjoyed getting to learn together. By the end of our two hour lesson with the instructors, I could successfully paddle myself out and ride a wave all the way back to shore. Surfing is an activity that I probably never would’ve experienced without GLA and I'm so grateful that I got to learn with my friends. My mentors pushed us to participate in every activity and I feel that I was able to step out of my comfort zone and enjoy my summer experience. Our surfing instructor from the trip, James Jacob, was also a biologist who works for the Costa Rica Coral Restoration Lab, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the massively declining coral population off of Costa Rica's coast. After our surf lesson with him, we all took a short bus ride back to his lab where he explained to us the immense importance of coral for marine ecosystems and the restoration project’s efforts to rehabilitate coral off the Coast of Uvita. We ended up staying an extra hour longer because my entire group was so intrigued. GLA tied all of our activities back into the program's theme and it allowed for a harmonious balance between adventures and learning. The entire three weeks I felt that I got to have a fun and exciting summer with many meaningful friends (that I still keep in contact with today) while also gaining a better knowledge of my program theme. There is truly a great value to learning outside of the classroom setting, and incorporating what we learned into our activities and community service. One of the most special aspects of GLA is definitely the mentors who were two of the most inspiring adults I have gotten to talk to. Apart from their normal duties of making sure we were in bed and ushering us through activities they also played games with us and taught us about their incredible experiences, teaching and travelling. I have forever felt inspired by their mentoring and attitude towards teaching. Each GLA trip has two mentors; a local director and an international director. I really got to connect with my two mentors on a deeper level and had many riveting conversations with them that went beyond the expectations of the program. My mentors set a Precedent for what type of work I could be doing In my early twenties too. I remember on the last night of our week-long stay in Purita, the mentors took us out to the beach to make a bonfire. We all talked and laughed while exchanging campfire stories as the sun slowly set. My fellow students and I had deeper conversations about philosophy, mental health and social justice issues with our mentors later too. The mentor conversations were inspiring and riveting, and a good example of how to speak constructively about differing opinions. The mentors were also really fun, always joking around with us and participating in all of our activities. They became the people kids would go to if they were feeling homesick, having a difficult time or just wanted someone to talk to. Overall my GLA trip made last summer the best of my life and the lessons I learned on my program have made me a more responsible young adult. I feel that I have grown as a leader since my trip and now I have a more open minded world perspective. I would truly recommend GLA trips to any teenager who is looking to have an unforgettable summer with friends.