Best 10 days of my life!

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.