If it has to do with the ocean, Sara is usually already there! Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she lives for being outside: kayaking, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and surfing are among her favorites! When she is indoors, Sara is super excited about teaching and learning.
Joey is more than psyched for his first year with Global Works! Trained from infancy in the fine art of camping in the mountains of Pennsylvania, Joey has hiked in Spain, kayaked in Rhode Island, scaled mountains in Maine and biked in Boulder. 
Jessica hails from Central Montana and credits her love of the outdoors to being raised on a ranch in the "middle of nowhere." She has a bachelor's degree in biology and is currently teaching high school math and science at a small rural
school in Monteverde, Costa Rica. 
Braden currently teaches Spanish to middle school students in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He possesses an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and a Masters degree in Public Health. 
Crisley first met our students when he was working on his dissertation at the Poco Sol research station in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Since then, he has traveled all over Costa Rica teaching students about the ecology of Costa Rica. Welcome Global Works travelers, parents and friends. We are excited to share with you trip updates from around the world. As our main office receives updates from the trips we will update the page as we receive news from the field.
The CRX1B Group has arrived safely and their trip is off to a great start! We will be posting in the next few days with further updates and photos. Stay tuned…
CRX1B Update # 1: (June 27)
!Hola Global Works parents and followers! We arrived happy, safe and sound in tropical yet beautiful San José, Costa Rica! After taking in the local weather, city night lights and native plants, we finally reached our tranquil tucked away hotel in Escazú. We spent a fairly uneventful first night due to the long travel day, enjoying some well earned Costa Rican treats before calling it a night in our hotel.
We woke up early today to catch some delicious breakfast which consisted of sweet, sweet local fruit (pineapple, watermelon and small bananas), alongside cereal, eggs and the local favorite, gallo pinto (beans and rice). We then moved our small group outside for some team bonding, learning about each other and setting some ground rules for the trip. After the shop talk we were more than ready to venture down to check out the locals and scenery during the day. On the way down to down we took in the lush mountains in the close difference and the resulting fog from all the humidity in the air. Small brightly painted houses and gates lined the streets as we walked to the town square, taking some minutes to sit with the locals in the central plaza before stopping for a well deserved lunch at a popular eatery. We all jumped at the opportunity to try out new dishes and were even daring enough to order our own meals in Spanish!
Back at the hotel we talked to native speakers to get answers to scavenger hunt questions, another great opportunity to practice our language skills. We then took a break to enjoy some free time, some catching up on some sleep, others playing cards while others took advantage of the pool facilities at our hotel. After voting on dinner plans we made our way back to town to pick up groceries so we could make our own dinner together and get to know each other better. The local market was a truly authentic experience, as each of us had an item to go and find. We then got to preparing our meal which consisted of salad, pasta and pizza (along with lots of exotic fruits and, of course, ice cream). Some of the hits included starfruit, passion fruit, pineapple, papaya and mango. All in all the cooking was an experiment for many of us in many ways, but the finish product was more than worth it. The best part was that we all worked together and got to learn even more about each other. While munching on the ice cream and fruit dessert we listened to our itinerary for the next couple of days and got to packing for our first leg of the trip at San Gerardo where we’ll be hiking and taking in the beauty of the natural landscape. Although it’s only our first day here, we’re completely psyched to try more authentic food, practice some more Spanish and see all that the country’s natural beauty has yet to show us.
Update # 2:
(6/28) – I woke up this morning to the tune of a Mexican hat dance on my door this morning – thank you, Sara (one of the trip leaders decided that a personalized wake up call for all the participants was in order for today). I enjoyed my second breakfast at the beautiful Inn – pancakes and eggs – both being delicious, of course. The surrounding areas of the Inn are completely green. Then we set off on our journey to our second home, San Gerardo. We had a four and a half hour bus ride ahead of us which I was surprisingly looking forward to. We listened to music and played card games almost the whole time. The views were incredible, green mountains on each side and random glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. Our lunch was really good, and the atmosphere of the restaurant (Morphos) was a plus! After a little bit more time spent in the bus we reached the beginning of the hiking trail to our next home, la estación (biological station). The hike was awesome and we even had a view of Lake Arenal and a huge volcano! Hiking was really fun and a good opportunity to talk and get to know the other kids in our group. We arrived to la estación and I was surprised at how awesome and cozy the place was. The night was spent with many fun card games, more delicious food, and sharing stories with each other. Over all I’m having such a fun time with the group and can’t wait to experience all the fun things to come!
Early morning today (6/29). Woke up to the pristine beauty of the volcano and its luscious surroundings. Breakfast at 7 – gallo pinto (rice and beans), eggs and toast. By 8:30 we set off with the park rangers to help build a bridge and a water drainage system. Today’s activities redefined the meaning of hard work! The environment was simply surreal and it was heartwarming to know we were helping sustain it’s beauty. After many long hours of grueling work and feelings of accomplishment, we headed back up the trail to San Gerardo. Lunch was a delectable surprise, a spicy beef stew with rice, a cabbage salad and freshly cut papaya. After about an hours of rest we were in for a big surprise. We were taken to the “catarata”, or waterfall, to swim and enjoy ourselves. The sheer power and beauty of the waterfall was breathtaking and was most definitely the highlight of my day. On the hike back everybody had a god time. Then we realized for a while and had Costa Rican lasagna for dinner. To finish off a perfect day we were taken on a night hike where we experienced the sounds, smells, and biodiversity of Costa Rica. Today was truly amazing and it only excited me for what’s to come.
Day 9 - July 3, 2010
Today I woke up surprisingly peacefully as I took in the surrounding nature from the cozy little huts we had slept in that night. After quick breakfast and packing up, we were ready to begin our second and final day of river rafting. The previous day´s rafting was absolutely a memorable thrill, so my expectations for today were pretty high. Not only that, but the guides had informed us the rapids would be twice as long, twice as big. Really, I wasn´t expecting much more. However, as soon as we started hitting those class 4 rapids I was proven wrong. The rapids engulfed our raft nearly completely at times while we still had to paddle with all our might under our guides´ commands. About halfway through the rapids we stopped for lunch, which was very cool and very delicious, pre-prepared once again by our amazing guides. Back on the river, when the waters were calm enough so that we could swim and drift in the current, we were going through this canyon, where the view was so peaceful yet spectacular that I felt a breathtaking peace with myself that words couldn’t describe. Once we reached our destination we bid farewell to our guides and rode the bus back where we got a couple good hours of chill time. Our leaders ordered a delicious Mexican buffet for dinner. We then practiced scenarios for our homestay, ended the night with a group circle and headed off to bed.
Day 10 – July 4, 2010
Day 1 with our homestay families….So far, so good! We were welcomed by our families with snacks and smiling faces! After getting to know the people and places we would be staying with for the next 8 days, the group set off on a tour of the town. Something I will miss will be the constant view of the lush, green Costa Rican surroundings. After the walk around town we all separated to our own houses. The language barrier makes communicating difficult, but it´s a great way to work on our Spanish. Dinner was delicious: rice and beans, ensalada (salad), and chicken. After dinner we exchanged family photos with each other and did as much talking as we could. We played Pictionary with our new siblings and got a few good laughs. I’m very happy with my family and am looking forward to what the next 8 days will bring.
Day 11 – July 5, 2010
Today was our first full day in our homestay community. We started our morning with a delicious breakfast made by our homestay families. For some, the meal was great but for others it was a very interesting experience. Luckily my homestay mother is a great chef! After breakfast we headed down to the salon where we shared stories of our first homestay experiences and learned of our days work! We split into groups of two to paint tables and chairs and to scrub benches. After finishing our various tasks we went back to our homestay family for lunch. We ate casados con pollo (with chicken)! Yum! Later, the Global Works group met with local kids for a game of fútbol and other great outdoor activities. We spent the next hours relaxing and getting to know our new family members. We loved exchanging music with our homestay sister! For dinner, I enjoyed sandwiches and pineapple! Afterwards, everyone gathered for tortilla making at the salón (community center)! It was truly a great first day.
Day 12 – July 6, 2010
Today was our second full day in our homestay community and also my birthday! It was certainly a day I will never forget. I was woken up at 6:30am to smiling faces, singing and a cake! We then headed back to the salón to paint benches and the school. It was a lot of work, but very rewarding. After dinner we all gathered in the salón for my birthday fiesta. We ate a funfetti cake made by Sara , Joey and Jessica. I served cake to the filled room and watched kids struggle to break open a piñata. It was truly a birthday I will remember.
