Hola families and friends,

Today was our last full day in Costa Rica so we made the most of it. We started the day off bright and early with a 5:30 hike to the beach to find turtle nests and relocate them. Unfortunately, we found three nests, but no eggs. We did, however, visit the hatchery and enjoyed fantastic views of the beach. We made our way back for breakfast which included pancakes, cereal and strawberry yogurt. We then gathered all of our ripe smelling clothing and hopped on the truck back to Corcovada Beach Lodge in Puerto Jimenez. We ate lunch on the beach and then had some much deserved down-time. Later we took a walk into town to go shopping and get ice cream. We then spent some time on the beach and bonded over boy-talk. Before our pizza dinner, we had our last session in which we learned about ourselves and the different leadership qualities we possess. After our pizza we wrapped up the evening with a final summary of the day. Then we had a candlelit bonding activity in which we each decided what to take away from the trip. We concluded our journey with a very emotional group hug. We are so excited to see you guys tomorrow but we will miss the Osa Peninsula and the people on it dearly.

Pura Vida and much love,
Tess and Sydney <3

Hello dearest squad,

We hope you're doing well because we are surely living it up here in Costa Rica #costavibes. Today we woke up to a lovely serenade from the howler monkeys. We had a uniquely refreshing breakfast of rice and beans (a first on our trip here in Costa Rica) before heading out on a morning hike for roughly 2 hours to collect camera data of the animals here in the jungle. We saw some dope footage! Some friends from the Dos Brazos community also came to visit us and learn more about the wildlife. We had yet another shocking menu item for lunch: rice and beans. We learned about Rios Saludables (Healthy Rivers) and then set out for another short (sweat free, of course) hike. We found different water creatures and tested the water for its cleanliness. We took some (needed?) showers and ate a delicious meal of taco bowls. We definitely missed our rice and beans. We have a quite early morning tomorrow so ta-ta for now!

XOXO
-Makayla, Allie, and Andrea :)

Welcome to the Jungle

Hello friends and fam jam,
This is Maisy and Emily reporting live from the Piro Biological Station. We awoke at zero dark thirty for a bumpy two hour ride filled with songs and games. Our new home at the OSA Conservatory is in the center of over 7,000 acres. We are deeper in the jungle and are surrounded by countless species of wildlife. First, We dropped our stuff off and sat down for breakfast. We started our day with a nice walk in the jungle where we saw MONKEYZ and PLANTZ. We went to the laboratory for an introduction to the area and what we will be doing for the next couple of days. After a hardy lunch we had some time to chill and get summer reading done;). Next we ventured through the jungle for the second time to view the sunset on the beach and swim in a lagoon. The group was struck with a leadership challenge which ended with some yummy PASTA NOODLEZ. We ended the long day with some journaling and more games. 
Pura Vida!
Shout out to Mr. Maddox on turning a year older!!!!!
-Maisy and Emily

Live from Costa Rica

Hello parents, families, and friends! It is Jackie and Sydney coming to you live from the heart of Costa Rica. We had a heartfelt day today. In the morning we had an awesome meal of eggs and cookies and fruit. We also did our laundry so we could be super fresh for the rest of the trip, however Sydney did not know we could wash more than 5 items, so she's already smelling a little ripe. After breakfast, we walked our 10 minute walk to the school to get started on our last day of work. We put cement over all of the wall surfaces. Miguel, the one in charge of the cement said we were becoming professionals. So we are quitting school and starting a cement business. On our break from the tropical sun, we played a friendly yet competitive game of Empire. After finishing our last day of work, we headed over to our homestay families for a well-deserved lunch. Jackie had hamburgers and fries with pineapple juice. Sydney had, yet again, another meal of rice with beans and chicken and some sort of purple egg salad. We all then presented each of our families with a gift. After a quick shower, we returned to the school for a lovely fiesta that the community threw in our honor saying farewell. We played a couple matches of soccer with the kids and then a bunch of Scots showed up and joined in the festivities. It was hard to say goodbye to our families, but we will always know that they will be in our hearts. We returned home after a long day to a lovely meal of chicken, fried pork, potatoes, salad, and a corn dish. Although our hearts are heavy, we know that we will continue to make lasting memories and have wonderful experiences in this beautiful country.

Signing off for the last time as leaders of the day, we hope all is as well in America as it is here.

Much love,
Syd and Jackie <3

July 5 Blog

Hey friends and fam!

Today's leaders of the day, Jordita and Olivita reporting for duty. The day began bright and early with some hearty cementing and a wholesome game of NINJA with some pequeñitas. After a hard day of sweat and glory, we visited our homestay families. Activities included were intense games of GO FISH, an hour game of UNO, and a comfortable nap on the traditional cement floor. After much bonding and feasting, the courageous group journeyed on to a scenic catarata (waterfall) hike. This adventure included gold mining (Sorry, haven't made the big bucks yet, mom and dad!) The waterfall entertained us whether during getting those Instagram photo ops, or simply climbing over the wall. It sure was a memory worth telling :) Next, we came home to our humble abode and asked Rosio questions about being a woman in Costa Rica then had a lesson on teamwork. We finished the day off with ice cream and intense games with Rosio's family.

Talk to ya tomorrow!!! Hasta luego :)

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Fourth of July fam and friends!!! Its Tseganesh and Anna Blair as your leaders today! Today we started our community project with the school in dos brazos. We woke up at 7 and ate some delicious fruit, eggs, and cereal. Then we walked to the community and were told our first step was to strip the walls of the school with Super Strip so they could paint the walls a new color. After some hard work we had lunch with our homestay families. In Anna's homestay family there were beans, rice and a delicious chicken meal. In Tseganesh's home stay, the family served fried chicken and mashed potatoes. After two hours with our families, we participated in a local cooking class and got the opportunity to cut corn, chop papaya and make tortillas. We made corn tortillas, a papaya topping and some incredible cheese and bean empanadas. After an exhausting day, we returned to Las Ventanas. We played a really fun charades game and then discovered our friends here got a fourth of july cake!!! We sang the national anthem and appreciated the thunder serving as fireworks (quote from caroline ward)!! We miss you all but are enjoying all of our new friends!!!

XOXO!!
Side note from the teachers: We cannot access email right now, internet is limited to text messaging. In case of emergency contact World Leadership School. Thank you.

'

Arrival in Dos Brazos

Hola families and friends!

Today we left the Corcovado Lodge right after breakfast and travelled to La Finca Kobo, a chocolate plantation. While there we stepped outside our comfort zones and tasted a lot of new fruits from jackfruit to cinnamon bark (even drank straight from a coconut). We also got to follow the entire process of making chocolate from the raw beans to the final product, which is much more delicious than American chocolate. At the end of the tour we got to eat chocolate fondue and cake!

After the tour we travelled to Dos Brazos community where we will be doing our community service. We got to see the school and the computer room where we will be working. We met the local families and split into groups to eat lunch with the separate families.

The families were all so nice and welcoming even though we had only just met them. After a long day we arrived at Las Ventanas where we will be staying for the next four nights. We split into our rooms and put our mosquito nets over our beds. We then enjoyed some down time, learning sessions, in which we learned about our individual leadership styles, and a delicious dinner cooked for us by our host Rocio and her son. We had a great day and are looking forward to the community project we raised money for and other activities tomorrow. 

And Olivia says Happy Birthday Mom!

Pura vida,

Caroline and Tess

Hi friends & family!!!
We had quite an adventurous day today. We had a nice breakfast of toast, cereal, and fruit (and had our first dose of H20 for the day :)). Then, we hit the dock -- and BOY were we excited. Dolphin watching was so FUN!! There were tons that swam right next to our boat! After that, we stopped for a snorkel break and roamed freely (with boundaries) in the water.
During lunch by the mangroves on the boat, we experienced sandwich spread for the first time. DE-lish.
After lunch, we embarked on our kayaking voyàge where we learned more about the mangroves from our guides, Carlos and Willie. We stopped for a snack of fresh pineapple, banana, and watermelon at a beach. Some of us swam in the Pacific Ocean for the first time and then made our way back for a nice dinner.
As you can imagine, we are all pretty exhausted, so we are signing off for the night!!!
Buenos noches!

Colleen & Gillie

Pura Vida!

Hello Friends and Family,
Hour 8: We are all so excited that we have arrived in Puerto Jimenez!!! We had a great time playing bonding games on the beach, eating dinner, and celebrating Mikayla's birthday! After a long day of travel we are all more than ready to rest up for tomorrow's adventures:)
Hasta mañana!
¡Pura Vida!

-Emily, Gillie and Olivia

Students have arrived!

Hello Parents:
The faculty and students have arrived in Puerto Jimenez, where they were met by World Leadership School instructors Maria Selde and Sarah Lavell. They are now headed to Corcovado to rest and get ready for dinner. Please follow their adventures via this blog! Thank you,
Ross Wehner, World Leadership School