Program Reviews

GLA's Spain program was in its first year this year, and I'm so incredibly happy to have been a part of such an experience. I have no doubt that it will grow and evolve into an even more amazing program over the years.
Regarding community service, when I was in Spain, I wasn't thinking about the hours or what I was going to use them for at all. It felt like a dream, having fun with the kids and teaching them English. It was amazing to pass on knowledge on a language that I never had to learn. It opened my eyes to other cultures, and I really think that we opened their eyes to our culture. What we gave to the kids and taught them, they gave right back. I learned so much about Spanish culture and customs just from going to service every day.
If that's not enough of a reason to go on this trip, the social aspect was the best I've experienced on any summer trip. We were a small group of seven students (mostly 16-18, but there was one 14 year old and she still got on with us very well) and I think that's a big reason why we all felt like a family at the end.
We did a lot over the three weeks, but it never felt like our schedule was packed. We had siesta every day, so of course that helped, but looking back, we still got to do and see a lot. Our schedule was more packed when we went on our weekend trips to Barcelona and Granada, simply because we only had one full day in each city to see as much as we could. Our local director was amazing and found several concerts in Valencia that we went to on one night. She also found a dance festival, where we were able to see some traditional Valencian dance and (try to) take part in it ourselves. With such a small group we were able to shift plans based on what was going on, and if any conflict with our itinerary had shown up, it would've been easy to find something else to do in such an amazing city.
Valencia was also the perfect city to host a program like this, because it's not the touristy Barcelona, so we still got a taste of Spanish culture while staying in a relatively big city.
We were always kept safe no matter what, and our hostels (in Valencia, Barcelona and Granada) were more than sufficient.
I hate to be cheesy, but it really was a life-changing trip. On my flight home, the flight attendant said, "Anyone that needs to get off this flight for any reason should do so now," and I was holding myself back from staying in Spain for a little while longer. It was a trip that fueled my desire to travel, and as my parents keep saying, I caught the "Euro-bug."

Ghana is not called the heart and soul of Africa for no reason. I have never felt so welcomed and so automatically loved anywhere else. While I was in Ghana, I would get at least 10 loving hugs, 20 energetic hugs, and a whole lot of big, bright smiles every day. Every time I walked down the street I would hear people yelling hello or "Abruno!," which means "White Person" in Korobo. Walking down the streets made me feel almost famous! They value our help so much and every chance they get they say thank you, but I should really be the one thanking them.

While I was reading the other reviews to get some inspiration about what to say, I realized all of them had one major similarity, being that every GLA trip whether you go to Costa Rica or Bali (like me), you will have an unforgettable experience that will change your life. And for most that unforgettable experience helps to propel you to do incredible things for the people and cultures that populate the world.

I had the chance to work side by side with people who I still love and care about, teaching amazingly talented and inspirational children. I got to learn the culture of the Balinese people and prayed with them in Holy Temples. I walked around the city of Ubud and made conversation with random strangers on the street, not to mention the GORGEOUS views. I learned from everything around me, and I made long lasting relationships that I hope one day will bring me back.

This trip, just like every other GLA trip will alter your life and way of thinking about the world. If you're even slightly considering going on one, you should stop considering and go.

After a very long flight from New York, I and the other GLA students arrived in Chiang Mai greeted by an excited staff. For the next three days, we visited extravagant temples, a Christian school, and busy markets. My favorite activity in Chiang Mai was visiting the school where we exchanged our American culture with the students by teaching them slang words and they taught us about Thai dances and games. It was uplifting to see the students so happy, welcoming and excited to meet us. Our elephant education began in Chiang Mai where we visited the Elephant Conservation Center and Elephant Hospital. It was the first time I had ever touched an elephant which was scary and amazing!
When we arrived at Thai Elephant Home, the elephants greeted us and we were assigned a roommate and our elephant. My elephant was named Mae Chan and she was a sweetheart! Our counselors took us on a five hour trek where we rode our elephants, played in the mud with them and then took them to the river for a bath. It's daunting the first time you are riding or standing next to an elephant, but the mahouts are right there to guide us. That first day was surreal - I never thought I would actually be interacting with an elephant so intimately. Even though we were all pretty sore the next day from the riding the elephants, we got used to it quickly. All of the staff and counselors were helpful and outgoing. The atmosphere of the home is warm, safe and comfortable. Our days started at 5:30am, but we were always excited to see what the day had in store for us. In the morning, we shoveled our elephant's mess, bathed our elephants and fed them new grass before our breakfast. The food is INCREDIBLE - and this is coming from a very picky eater. Everyday, we did service work (grass cutting or dam building) which was tiresome but everyone participated and no one complained. We did have a lot of free time to get to know each other and I loved hanging out, playing bananagrams and cards. The two weeks flew by and I was sad to leave my elephant and new friends that I made.

This is my second trip with GLA and I didn't think it was possible, but it was even better than my first. The service you do, the people you meet, and the adventures you experience are absolutely unforgettable. One moment you're singing camp songs with the local children and the next you're snorkeling with sharks. You then end the day sitting at a bonfire with you're new friends coming from all over the world just to do one thing; be the change.

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.

Over the summer, I went on the 21-day GLA Dominican Republic: Building a Sustainable World trip. It was a great experience and I had an amazing time. From meeting the locals to talking about how we impact our environment, I was able to learn a lot of new things while getting to know some pretty exceptional people. I thought that 7elements and GLA did a great job integrating an educational factor to the trip and that it was a perfect mix of service and fun.

The lodging was beautiful and it was really close to the beach, so we were able to go to go the beach after long days of building basketball courts or constructing green houses. The work hours were really fun and interesting because of all the exposure to the Dominican culture and lifestyle.

My favorite experiences were the service hours we completed because I really felt like we made a difference. Turning cement for hours can be vigorous, however, the outcome was more than worth it. We were able to help establish a water filter/tank for a local batey. A batey is a community made of both Dominicans and Haitians and they are usually very segregated because of all the political issues the countries have had with one another. It was great seeing our progress, especially after witnessing the quality of the water the community uses on a daily basis.

Other than the service, I loved all of the excursions that were offered. We were able to go cliff jumping into lagoons, hike mountains, snorkel, sightsee in Santo Domingo, go to waterfalls and beaches, tour a water filter factory, go to a Haitian market, and go on a cable car. There was always something to do or see, so you could never be bored. Every excursion helped get you out of your comfort zone and brought you closer to the people around you. Whether it was jumping from the 30 ft. cliff or struggling through the Haitian market, you knew you had people behind you.

This program made me reflect on my life, figure out what I am passionate about and discover what I want to accomplish in the future. It’s one thing to see the conditions that these people live in and it’s another thing to witness them. There are no words to describe the feeling of entering the Haitian side of the batey, where barely any of the kids were clothed and families of 5+ lived in windowless, 1-room houses, and have all of the kids run to play with you.

Overall, I had an amazing time on my trip and I think that it helped me grow as a person. It’s revitalizing to experience these moments and to learn about how we can help one another on a local and global level. I hope that I can use what the program taught me and help make our world a better place. For all of these things that I was able to learn and experience, I would absolutely recommend this trip to other kids who want to broaden their horizons and who genuinely love to help others.

This was the most amazing experience of my life. Not only did I immediately fall in love with Thailand, but I fell in love with the people, the culture, the language, and the elephants. I was greeted at the airport by Joon, who was super funny and was so welcoming. He gave me this flower necklace that smelled amazing. That day at the airport I met my forever best friend. From the 3 days we stayed in Chiang Mai in the Imm Hotel, I knew I wanted to come back with all of my friends and family. We got to experience some of the culture first hand. We went to authentic Thai restaurants, holy temples, and even the schools. We got to interact with the people and the children and they are always just so happy and friendly and welcoming. I have never felt safer or more at home in my life! The staff did an awesome job at making us all feel super comfortable and made sure we were always happy and learning new things. When we went to the first elephant hospital in the world and got to meet elephants for the first time, we were all silenced. These animals are so breathtaking and have such beautiful souls. This is when I first discovered that I want to be a large exotic wildlife vet, and work with elephants and other endangered species like them. Our group bonded extremely well and we were always so eager to go out and learn and experience Thailand and the culture. At the Thai Elephant Home, my life was changed. My elephant changed my life. She was so kindhearted and we formed an extremely unique and beautiful bond. Her mahout didn't speak a word of English, but we still managed to become the best of friends and we learned so much from each other. Being able to care for your own elephant was just the most extraordinary experience. Our service, which was cutting and planting grass and building dams was so incredibly rewarding. We were all more than happy to give a little back to the Thai people and the elephants. There was never a dull moment in Thailand, no matter how tired we were, we were ALWAYS having fun and learning so much from each other. It's so important to get different perspectives of other people from other places in the world, and we did just that. We learned a lot about elephant conservation and we got to all form our own opinions about it, which was awesome. I learned more Thai than I know in the language that I have been taking for 7 years. This was just the most incredible experience and I am forever thankful for it.

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.