GLA Spanish and Service in the Osa: A Life Changing Trip!

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.