People And Places That Made Saying Goodbye So Hard!
July 9, 2026
Helloooo for one last time! We are in Greece and having just the best time EVER! We cannot believe that our time together is already coming to a close. These past few days have been some of our favorites, and we cannot wait to fill you in!
Today, we were going rock climbing! We made a delicious breakfast with yogurt parfaits, eggs, bacon, and fruit and geared up for another day of amazing activities! We had a scenic drive up the coast, and we then arrived at the rock we would be climbing up! The rock was on a path that overlooked the entire coast. It was the most beautiful view ever! Before starting to climb, the guides took us down to a cave that was shaped like a heart! We climbed up the rock ledge and into the cave and took in the views from above. After taking a group picture, we headed back down and walked up to start climbing! We got into our gear and then lined up to start climbing. They set up the routes from easiest to hardest from the left to the right. Mac didn’t hesitate to jump in to the hardest route they offered! He did it with ease, then once they set up more difficult routes, he continued to conquer those as well! We then graduated to the more difficult routes, and they took down the easy routes and gave us the challenge. The rock climbing was perfectly challenging – it was difficult, but nothing we couldn’t conquer! Dawson also wasn’t afraid to challenge himself, and was one of the last people to stop climbing. We had some watermelon as a snack, and the guides sliced us off some giant pieces! In between climbs, we got it all over our faces, just fully enjoying the moment. Once we physically couldn’t climb anymore, we decided it was time to head back to our place for lunch! We made some delicious Greek bowls with chicken, tomatoes, onions, tzatziki, lettuce, and pita! Obviously, while we were cooking everyone was using New York accents and acting like we were one big family, making nonna’s best recipe! We have been eating all of our meals family style, and it has truly made us feel like we are one big family. We scarfed down lunch as quick as we could, so we could hurry on down to the beach! It was a hot day, so everyone was excited to jump right on into the ocean. It was so blue and refreshing, and it was just what we needed. We threw around the football in the ocean and laid in the sun all afternoon long. The leaders of the day went shopping for our dinner, and we then all walked back together to start whipping up another delicious dinner! Cooking has been such a highlight for this group; we have discovered some hidden talents! Ella spearheaded this dinner, and it was truly amazing! She made pasta inspired by the recipe where you bake pasta with cherry tomatoes, spinach, and boursin cheese. Callan, her co-LOD, helped make chicken, and it was the perfect addition to the pasta. On the side, we had a scrumptious fruit salad with peaches, green apples, and bananas! It was such a good meal – we couldn’t get enough! While the leaders of the day cooked, the rest of the group went to the store to get some snacks for the rest of our time here in Greece! Jack found buffalo wild wing and cheeseburger flavored Pringles, so he obviously got both to try! The cheeseburger flavored ones ended up being the better of the two. The owner of the shop liked our vibe, so then he gave us some free ice creams! We truly have never been offered so many free gifts, and we can only attest it to the groups happiness and positive energy. We went back and had dinner, obviously family style, and then began to clean up quickly so we could make it down to the beach for sunset. Obviously, cleaning up is not a chore with this group, it was a dance party! We had a cleaning rave, and before we even knew it, the kitchen looked as it did before we started cooking. “Paris” by The Chainsmokers has been the song of the trip, and it went triple platinum during the cleaning rave! After everything was clean, we continued into a dance party that only ended because the speaker died. This group loves to dance! We walked down to the beach for moonup and passed by the market, and we just couldn’t miss the opportunity for more ice cream! We got our ice creams and ate them as we walked down to the beach, and we were amazed by the most beautiful view ever. During our moonup, we made another dog friend, who we named Macadamia to continue the nut-themed names. He politely sat right in our circle; it was like he knew what to do! We watched the sunset and then headed back to our place for another full nights rest! Everyday here is just so fun and awesome!
Today was probably the easiest day to wake everyone up because they were filled with excitement about the day that lay ahead… BOAT DAY!! Some of the kids said that this was what they had been looking forward to throughout the entire trip! Everyone put on their favorite swimsuits and loaded up into the vans to drive down to the bay! We drove through all of these cute Grecian towns that were filled with colorful houses and flowers! Everyone was admiring them, and we all agreed that Greece is exactly what we expected, which was perfect. We split into two groups and then drove over to the snorkel spot. We jumped into the incredible blue water and got on our snorkels and fins. Everyone was swimming around and trying to dive down and swim around. The snorkel guide brought us over to a spot where we could all sit, and pulled out a giant liter of coke from what felt like thin air! We passed it around and laughed watching everyone try to stay in their seats while being pushed around by the waves. We then followed the guide as he took us around the caves and rock formations. He took us into a cave where we all had to swim in a line to fit into it! It was so cool, and we could see under the water where there were holes in the cave and the sunlight was streaming down into the water. We got back into the boat to head to our next spot! We snorkeled around for a little bit, and we then headed over to the beach to catch some rays. It was a rocky beach, which was perfect because we weren’t covered in sand, but we could also move the rocks around so we were all comfy! Jane and I made ourselves rock beds and had to force ourselves to leave them to go get lunch on the boat! We swam back over to the boats for lunch where we had delicious sandwiches on baguettes! It wasn’t long before lunch turned into an all out dance party! We can always rely on Evie to keep the vibes up with speaker in hand- dancing and singing! Everyone was dancing together on the front of the boat, jumping and diving off of the side. It was so so so fun! We swam over to the rock nearby and climbed up it and jumped off! We listened to all of our favorite songs from 2016 and just enjoyed our time together on the boat. We stayed a little bit longer than we had originally planned because we were having so much fun! We then split back up into the boats and headed on back to the dock. What a perfect boat day. After we got off the boat, we headed straight over to the gelato shop down the street! They hand make the gelato, and you could tell because it was so good! They had all kinds of flavors, from banana to Biscoff to yogurt. We headed on back to our place to chill for a little bit before having dinner. But this wasn’t just any dinner… it was iron chef night! The leaders of the day split up into two groups, then we split up our remaining groceries and gave them 5 minutes to make a shopping list of anything they would need for the rest of the meal. It truly felt like they were on a gameshow, watching them run from room to room trying to collaborate with their teammates. Eventually, dinner was ready!! They made the leaders a judging plate, and we sat on the side and judged their creations. They both ended up making Mexican food, which was perfect because it was just what we were craving! Team 1 was Margaret, Jack, Janie, James, Catherine, Owen, and Dawson. They made a fajita with homemade spicy aoili on top with a side of homemade queso, guacamole, pineapple salsa, pinto beans, creamed corn, and pita bread. James impressively introduced the dish to us in Spanish! Team 2 was Orion, Callan, Ella, Jane, Mac, and Evie. They made chicken quesadillas with bell peppers and onions, with a side of beans and rice and mango salsa. They also made us a bowl of guacamole that they paired with Doritos. We were incredibly impressed!! After long deliberations, where Davis and I could not agree on which team did better, we came to a final conclusion. The chicken quesadilla was the strength of team two’s dish, and their weakness was the beans and rice. For team one, their strength was the guacamole and their weakness was the beans. We ended up picking team one to win – in the side by side comparison, team one’s guacamole stood out. Additionally, they got creativity points for the queso! Margaret was so proud to have been the one who made the game-winning guacamole!! We had a giant Mexican smorgasbord with all of the kid’s creations, but the competition wouldn’t be quite finished without dessert! Both teams made a sort of cookie. Team two’s cookies got slightly burnt, so they thought quickly on their feet and scraped off the burnt parts, and they then rolled up the crumbs to make cookie balls! Team one’s dessert was incredible – Catherine didn’t even have a recipe and made some amazing sugar cookies! Everyone was begging her to use the rest of the dough, so they could have more cookies. We cleaned up all of our dishes then had a Greek god themed moonup that began with a scavenger hunt for the nug jug. We closed it off by telling the person to the left what something we thought they would achieve in their life would be! What a fun day, we cannot believe that tomorrow is our last day of activities!
Woohooooo! Our last day of activities! This was a bittersweet day, because we don’t want this trip to end, but because we were also so excited to go sea kayaking!! We got into the car and played “Paris” to start off, then moved into some more lowkey songs. “Count on me” by Bruno Mars came on, and that was the moment that we truly realized that our special time together was coming to an end. We moved into more energetic music and then arrived at our kayaking place! It is bright pink and covered in murals. We met our guide and then headed out into the water to start our kayaking adventure! We paddled out and around a rock formation and then hung out at the beach across from it for a little bit. We explored the rocks on the island and found places to jump into the water and rate each others’ dives. After soaking up some rays and listening to music, we jumped back into the water and got back in our kayaks to head to shore! By this point, we had worked up an appetite, so we were surely looking forward to the sandwiches we had made for ourselves waiting back at the shore! We scarfed down our sandwiches while soaking up some of the last rays we would get on this trip, and we then got back into our bus to head to town to go shopping!! Everyone has been looking forward to shopping since day 1! We got to our hotel and rested for a little while and got ready to set out on the town. We first stopped to get a coffee and we then headed out to start finding some souvenirs. We went into a jewelry shop and all of the girls fell in love. We ended up buying so much jewelry that the woman who ran the shop bought us gelato from across the street! The boys all got linen shirts for our banquet night tomorrow- they are definitely fitting in with the Greece vibe! Some of them even got matching shirts! After not nearly enough shopping, we headed over to our dinner spot for the night. We got an array of delicious Greek appetizers. Food has definitely been a huge highlight of this trip! We all joined the clean plate club and then continued on to get some gelato!! We shopped around some more on the way to gelato. We finished off the night by walking around in the park, then went and changed into our comfy clothes for one of our last moonups. We spent the time digging deep and getting the most vulnerable we have gotten all trip. It was so special, and we could not believe that tomorrow was our final day all together. We went up to the rooftop to see a view of Corfu and we even got offered a free cheesecake! This group is always being offered free stuff, and we have to attest it to their positive and sociable vibes!
We woke up before the sun was even up to head on down to Athens! Wow, we cannot believe we are already here. After an easy plane flight down, we dropped our stuff off at our hostel and then headed out to get some lunch. We got the best gyros and then walked to see the ancient ruins! This was extra exciting for the history buffs of the group who were excited to see some of the history of Athens. We then walked down a trail that was surrounded by more ruins. The walk was filled with laughs, as we tried to decipher which rocks were ruins or just rocks. I think we are professional ruin finders now! We shopped some more to get some final souvenirs for friends and family back home, and we then decided to head back to our hostel to get some rest before our banquet dinner! Everyone got all dressed up, and we walked over to our restaurant! The food was so delicious, and the vibes in the restaurant are even better. Before we knew it, we were singing “Happy Birthday” to Orion, even though it might be a few months early! We had the whole restaurant singing with us, and then he obviously had to make a toast. It was perfect. We walked up to another hill viewpoint of the city and took some pictures with everyone all dressed up. The sunset was incredible – what an amazing cherry on top of an incredible trip. We couldn’t end the night without getting some gelato!! Since it was the last night, we had to get two scoops. It was so delicious! We sang “Can’t Take My Eyes off You” by Frankie Valli in the streets and had our arms all wrapped around each other. This session felt like we were living in a musical! We headed back to our hostel ready for an amazing last moonup, led by our star LODs: Janie and Owen!! We all gathered in the porch area of our hostel, ready for whatever they had planned for this moonup. I have to say, I think it was the best moonup I have ever been a part of. Owen found a guitar, which is just what we needed for our final moonup. They opened it by singing a remix about our trip to the tune of “Count on Me,” a classic tearjerker. We gave nugs to the whole trip and reminisced on all of the good times we have shared together. The silly question they asked was if you could be someone else in the group who would you be and why. The serious question was more open-ended, and they encouraged everyone to reflect on the trip and find a way they have grown, or to think of a way they can continue to feel the Moondance magic after we all say goodbye. We closed it out by giving each individual person in the group hugs and then writing notes to each other in our journals. After a tear-filled moonup, we headed to bed for a few hours before having to wake up and head home.
We cannot believe the time has come. We woke up and headed to the airport, and truly none of it felt real. How has this trip already come to a close?? We walked up to check in for the flight and immediately saw Orion’s mom waiting for him!! From this point on, the tears were flowing. How lucky are we to have something that makes goodbye so hard! We walked everyone to security then gave them their phones that they insisted they never wanted to see again. And just like that, it was time to say goodbye. There wasn’t a dry eye in sight. We cannot thank y’all enough for the opportunity to get to know and love all of your kids on this trip. It felt like we weren’t just a Moondance group, but also one big family.
Adventures in the Albanian Alps
July 5, 2026
Hi again! We are back and have just spent the past 5 days in Albania! We have been having so much fun, and of course it helps that it is so beautiful here!!
We woke up surrounded by the most amazing mountain scenery, and we were so excited to explore the Albanian Alps! We had a delicious breakfast and made ourselves some sandwiches to take on our hike, then packed up our bags ready for a full day of activities! Before it was time to start walking, we passed the time by playing a game of hacky sack with the entire group! Everyone was practicing how to hit it off their chest and then kick it. Margaret showed off a new trick she learned, by kicking the hacky sack then sliding into the splits! This kick started a gymnastics movement throughout the group, and soon enough everyone was trying to do headstands, handstands, and cartwheels. Some people had some sneaky talents that we didn’t know about! After laughing at ourselves, and falling around, it was time to head out for our hike! We first walked over to a grocery store to get some extra water and snacks for our hike. The sun was shining today, so we wanted to be extra prepared! There’s no such thing as too many snacks around here!! After we bought our snacks from the grocery store, we all got into cars… and surprise we were going ziplining!! All of the kids were so excited, a few of them even said that this made their day!! So we loaded up into the cars and drove to the zipline start point! Everyone paired up, determined to see who could make it to the other side faster! We quickly learned that the best technique was to curl up into a ball. Catherine was determined to win, and she was already tucked into a ball before taking off!! This worked because she zoomed down to the end! After everyone had the chance to race, we grabbed our backpacks then started our hike for the day! The hike was pretty flat, but the sun was no joke! We made plenty of stops to hydrate and reapply sunscreen. We continued hiking along a river, then made it to a little town with tons of minimarts. We also passed a ton of bees making honey! No wonder the honey here is so amazing! We walked up to a beautiful river and swimming spot! We decided it was the perfect place to refill our water bottles and stop for lunch before we made it to our final destination. Everyone had worked up an appetite, so we wasted no time finding a shady spot and getting out our sandwiches! After lunch, we made our final ascent to the blue eye!! The blue eye is an iconic destination in Albania, it’s a swimming hole with an insane waterfall and some of the prettiest blue water ever. This was definitely the most challenging part of our hike, so we were excited when the air cooled around us and we walked up to the waterfall! We were so excited to cool off and jump in the water! We threw on our swimsuits then climbed up to the jumping spot, eager to get in the water! And boy did it cool us off! The water was freezing cold, but it was just what we needed after our hike! Half of the group was feeling more daring, so they decided to swim across the water to the “island”! After we were all cooled off, we went down the river to some rocks that we found in the sun and hung out there until it was time to head back. We had some Oreos while we were hanging out, and it was shaping up to be one of the best days yet! Every night at moonup, we give nugs to what we are grateful for from the day. As we were hiking back, We already had so many nugs from today, and everyone agreed! We changed back into our hiking outfits then walked back the same path we came. Except we had another surprise! Instead of hiking all the way back, we got to drive back! Yay! We weren’t done with the surprises for today, so when the cars dropped us off, we started walking in the opposite direction of our hostel! Everyone was so confused, and no one believed us when we said it was a shortcut back to our place. But the day just got better when we stopped to get ice cream!! And we all agreed it was some of the best ice cream we have ever had! The flavors were unique but so good, they had Biscoff, Snickers, yogurt, and more! We sat and ate our ice cream and admired the mountains as the sun began to sink in the sky. We headed back to the hostel then had another amazing meal! Albania is perfect to say the least. We had this delicious stuffed eggplant, tzazitki, a greek salad, chicken, and egg salad. And then for dessert we got bananas, apples, and canteloupe!! It was so delicious. We then packed up our bags, as it was sadly our last night in Theth! Then, we had a hilarious moonup led by Orion and Jane, where they decided to act as each other through out the whole moonup. They opened it by hosting a game show between two teams, where the tie-breaking question was to say Orion’s middle name! We went right to bed filled with excitement and anticipation for our hardest hiking day!
We woke up to a beautiful morning in Theth, and we were ready to take the shoelace express to our next trip location: Valbona!!! Again, we made sandwiches to pack in our bags and bring on our hike. It was hard to say whose looked the best! We all went with a savory sandwich, and a sweet Nutella sandwich. We then got hyped up, and we were all ready to rock out on this hike!! We stopped at a gas station on the way and got some snacks to fuel up and keep the vibes up for the whole day. The pineapple juice was a hit with the group, especially Ella! She has been looking for it ever since, and we think she might have found something she likes more than sparkling water. We walked through the town then got to the trailhead where we were almost immediately greeted with a river stream! Everyone dunked their heads under the water to cool off as much as possible before our uphill ascent. We started walking up and quickly made a new friend! It wasn’t the friend you might be thinking of though… it was a horse! So, we had a horse friend following us for a good section of the hike and we liked to think that he wanted to be our friend and wasn’t just following us for food. We passed the time by playing the ABC game where you greet everyone in passing with phrases starting in order of the alphabet. We were in the woods for a lot of the beginning of the hike, so we were amazed when we made it up to a field full of flowers and the most insane view we have seen so far! This obviously called for a photoshoot, so we took some pics then decided to push all the way till lunch! Right before lunch, we filled up our water bottles with deliciously cold water from a river. This was just what we needed, paired with our sandwiches and some gummies. We were now ready to make it to the top! We made another friend along the way, who was the most adorable puppy! We named him Walnut (you may remember Peanut, the other puppy from Bosnia) to continue our dog names theme. We also called him Wally or Walter. He was the perfect companion and motivation to get us to the top. We continued on hiking then saw the Albanian flag and knew we were there. Dawson made the right call, and said that we needed some house music to hype us up and help us make it to the peak! We danced around and he was right-it was exactly what we needed, because before we knew it, we were there! The peak had the most amazing viewpoint; we could see what felt like all of Albania, and we were surrounded by mountains and valleys. We took it all in then began our descent down to Valbona. We listened to music on the way down and soaked in all of the most amazing mountain views around us. As we got close to our final destination, we got caught in a rainstorm! While this would normally dampen the mood of a group, this could not be more different than what happened in our group! We accepted the fact that we were going to be soaking wet, and danced and sang in the rain all the way back to our new home! We then took a moment to shower off and hang our wet clothes to dry, then ate the most well-deserved dinner. We had moonup, obviously still accompanied by Walnut, who had lots of the kids begging us to ask their parents if they could take him home. And just like that, we had another best day ever.
We got a good full night’s rest and got to sleep in! This was exactly what we needed after yesterday’s challenging hike. We wanted to take it easy today, so we walked down to the nearby river so we could explore Valbona. On the way there, we saw some historic bunkers, and we made sure to climb down and see what was going on down there. We made sure to wave to him through the window! We then made it to the river and Janie took her shoes right off, saying that it wouldn’t be right to go down to a river and not put your feet in! So true. We heard some thunder in the distance, and although we had so much fun in the rain yesterday, we wanted to keep that moment special, so we decided to head back to our place. And it was perfect timing, because by the time we got back it was time for lunch! For lunch, we got to try trout that we had just seen swimming in the river, so we knew it was fresh. And after eating it, that was clear because it was so delicious! The rest of the afternoon was spent playing cards, showering, reading, journaling, and just hanging out. It was exactly the reset we needed, and we had the best view ever while we did it! For dinner, we were served an entire roast chicken with noodles, and it was one of the most amazing meals ever. We topped off the day with some ice cream, then had another great moonup before packing up our bags to leave early the next morning!
We loaded up in the minibus, eager to see our next destination! We were headed to Tirane, the capital city of Albania! And this drive was extra exciting because even though we were driving to another city in Albania, we were passing through Kosovo! Another country to check off of the list. We listened to music, sang, and danced in the car then made it to our lunch in Kosovo. Some of our lunch conversations included telling each other what fruits, vegetables, bugs, cartoon characters and animals they would be. All of the answers were hilarious-some hilariously accurate, and some hilariously inaccurate. We continued on and eventually made it to Tirane!! Just when the kids thought we were going to lay down or take a nap, we had another surprise… a cooking class! We quickly got ready then headed down to the kitchen in our hostel where the mom and grandma of the hostel owner taught us how to make traditional Albanian dishes! Jack was a standout cook, and could have been considered the mom’s sous chef. He was ready to chop, stir, or even take pictures. We prepped a delicious meal then while it was in the oven, Owen spotted a diamond in the rough: a guitar!! We were all so excited to hear him sing for the group, and we truly could not get enough. Every time he would finish singing, everyone in the group would request any and every song they could think of. He even had some of the other people in the hostel coming in to listen! We also found out that Owen isn’t the only one with musical talent in our group! Mac wowed everyone on the piano, playing some Mac Miller songs and some originals! He had us all singing along. Just like that, our dinner was ready! We had some stuffed bell peppers for the main course, along with bread and salad as always, then for dessert we had the most delicious tres leches cake! Evie was a huge fan of the cake, and because she told the owner that she loved it so much, he saved her an extra slice! We can always count on Evie to make friends wherever she goes. After dinner, we went to a laundromat to do some laundry, as we were all starting to run low at this point. We spent our time in the laundromat singing and trying to do some accapella. I have to admit, we sounded pretty good! After singing some more, because when we are not singing, we headed back to our hostel to have a rooftop moonup then headed to bed ready for whatever tomorrow could bring!
We were back in the car, but this time saying bye to the mountains and hello to the ocean!! We headed down to Sarande, and we left as early as possible, excited to get there and have ourselves a beach day. We stopped along the way to get snacks and some byrek, which is an Albanian pastry filled with spinach, meat, or cheese. After getting the byrek (and an assortment of ice cream, tiramisu, fruit, chips, and gummies), we were back on our way to Sarande, trying to get there as fast as possible. We passed time in the van by asking would you rather questions and having some debates. Soon enough, we had made it to Sarande!! It is a touristy beach destination for Albanians, and it was exactly what we needed. As quickly as we could, we threw on our swimsuits and headed down to our little beach. We played a few games of hacky sack and walked around to check out our home for the night. We even found a nearby dock to jump off of!! Callan took charge with the camera, and orchestrated an artistic picture of everyone jumping off of the dock! It took a few tries (because everyone was jumping at different times), but he ended up getting the perfect shot. We then got all dressed up for dinner, then walked down to the boardwalk to do some shopping and watch the sunset. When we were walking down, we could hear the group talking about the bumper cars. So what a great surprise it was when on our way back, we made a stop and let everyone get in a bumper car! It was much more intense than we expected, and everyone made sure to hold on tight! We got some great pictures, then continued on to get ice cream. Ice cream has pretty much become our nightly ritual at this point. We got some delicious scoops of ice cream and soft serve, then went back to our place and had moonup on the dock we once jumped into the ocean off of. We had to speak up, but it was worth it to hear the waves crashing around us and feel fully immersed in the ocean! How amazing that we started our day in the most scenic mountain town, then ended it surrounded by the ocean!
We had another travel day today, but this time, we were taking the ferry! We had a delicious breakfast (some said it was the best one we have had yet), then loaded all of our bags onto the ferry and found ourselves some seats up top. The ride was amazing with the wind in our face, then we headed down to grab our bags and head through customs because we made it to GREECE! The time here has flown by, and we cannot believe we are in our final country already. I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun! We drove over to our side of Corfu, then walked over to the most delicious lunch spot! The go-to item was the chicken gyro, and it was a hit! We went back and threw on our swimsuits to spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach! We got on each other’s shoulders in the water and swam around to cool off on such a hot day. We chilled in the sun and listened to music, and the girls buried the boys in the sand. After a great afternoon at the beach, we walked over to the grocery store to grab some food for dinner. We came back and showered, then it was time to get cooking. Oh, and of course, today is the 4TH OF JULY!!!! So, we had to celebrate accordingly. We turned on all of the classic American music, then started making the most American meal we could think of: hamburgers, hot dogs, mac and cheese, baked beans, and watermelon. And after eating the meal, all I can say is compliments to the chefs!! James immediately went dad on the grill mode and threw on a headlamp. It all came to fruition, however, when the hotdogs and hamburgers were cooked to perfection. We had a family dinner and got all decked out in red, white, and blue! After dinner, we walked down to the beach to do moonup. On the way there, we obviously had to stop and get some ice cream! We grabbed some ice cream bars then continued on down to the beach! We were greeted by the most amazing view of the sunset behind the hills on the ocean! We all decided that we had to come back and watch the sunset on the beach. The LODs did an amazing job incorporating the American theme into tonights moonup! The silly question was what does your Thanksgiving plate look like, in the nug jug story they were on the Delaware river with George Washington, and we closed it out by singing the Star Spangled Banner. What an amazing day to be an American (in Greece)!
Thanks for reading, here are some more shoutouts from the kids!
Jack: TY mama this trip has been really fun I hope my bretheren are doing alright can’t wait to see yall again but also dont want to leave this trip yall are goated and da best. pops can’t wait for mustique and i will be getting like MULISSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Love yall ur da best see yall when I get back. Shout out emy btw.
Jane: Hey Mom and Dad!! I just wanted to thank you for giving me the opportunity to come on this trip and make these amazing memories. We have had so much fun exploring and hanging out!! We have seen the coolest views and the food is AMAZING! I love yall so so much and I cant wait to tell you alllll about it! Hope yall have a great fouth of july! LOVE YOU!
Janie: Hiiiii from Corfu Greece! Loving beach life here and having so much fun with the most amazing group of people. Thank you so much for sending me and giving me such extraordinary experiences! Beyond lucky and soaking in all up. Love you more
James: Hey guys just checking in and saying thank you for letting me come on this trip its been pretty awesome. Were going to greece tomorrow and im real exited. Ill let yall know how it goes and cant wait to see you soon. Love you
Mac: Hey, just wanted to say that I am having a blast here and it is so much fun. Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip to meet these awesome people. See yall soon.
Dawson: hey mom and pops I love you so much thank you so so much for the opportunity to come on this trip.The people and places are amazing and im aving the best time. I love you so much and I cant wait to see you guys.
Evie: hey, hope you guys had the best 4th!! Tell Logan I love him so much and I’m hoping he had a great birthday. We’re in Corfu right now just like the show and it’s so beautiful. My leaders are just as amazing as I imagined, and I can’t wait to tell you every detail. Love yall!!
Catherine: Hey mom and dad!!! This trip has been absolutly amazing so far!! I am having the best time of my life. Thank yall so much for sending me on another moondance. I have made some of my new best friends and I can’t wait to tell yall all about it all. I love you so much!! -Catherine
Ella: Hi fam!! I miss yall! We’re having the best time ever!! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip its been such an incredible experience!! Ive made so many great friends and Im so excited to tell yall everything! Love yall so much!! <3
Margaret: Hey yall! This trip has been beyond awesome and I am just having the best time ever. I love my group so much and I don’t want to leave!! We have been to around five countries which is so cool! I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity because it allows me to do the things I love most like being in the outdoors and making friendships. Thank you so much for everything and giving me the this opportunity! Love yall so much and I will see you soon!!
Owen: Yo. All is well. Trip is very fun. I think weve been to around 5 countries. I think yall have already left for europe but not sure. Love you. Thank you for this oppurtunity. -OTB
Orion: Yoo, all you guys need to know is this trip is Lit and I’m having so much fun. We have been on the move everyday and doing fun activities. This group is so awesome we are all so close. Can’t wait to tell you guys about it, love ya.
Callan: Hey guys! It feels like no time has passed since I last wrote this. Time really does fly when you’re having some of the best times with some of the best people. This group does feel like a big family and it hasn’t even been two weeks. We don’t stop laughing, dancing or listening to music. We’ve visited FIVE separate countries by now and we’re on our way to the coast of Albania to enjoy a day by the sea. I miss and love you guys so much and hope you’re still having an amazing time in Alaska! See you in a week!
Davis: Whatupppp fam, session 2 is going absolutley swimingly! We have not stopped singing and dancing and I don’t see our energy slowing down anytime soon! Happy 4th, eat a couple extra hot dogs and enjoy the waves twice as much on my behalf! Keep it real.
Coming to You Live from Bosnia!
June 28, 2026
Coming to you live from BOSNIA!! Our first stop of this trip has already been so amazing and we can’t wait to update you on all of the happenings!
As the kids began to trickle out from the baggage claim, we started handing out birthday hats because it was Owen’s birthday!!! Once we saw Owen, we all wished him a happy birthday! This group was already off to an amazing start, as they heard that it was Owen’s birthday and all signed a birthday card for him and sang him happy birthday on the plane. After meeting up with all of the kids, we got in the van and headed on our way out of Dubrovnik and into Bosnia! The car ride was filled with chatter as the kids started to learn about each other. We stopped for lunch at a delicious Italian place among the mountains! Most of the kids opted to get pizza or spaghetti as a comfort meal after a long travel day. Not Jack! He was excited to dive right into the local culture, and got the beef stew. He made a great decision, because it looked amazing! After filling up, we got back in the van and slept the whole way to Bosnia. We pulled up to our campsite on the river, and everyone was amazed. Right as we were walking up to put our bags away, the cutest little puppy ran up from the river bank and greeted our group!! Janie immediately gravitated towards the pup, and decided his name should be Peanut!! She took him under her wing for the rest of the evening! We immediately ran down to the river bank to check out the river! There was a layer of fog lying on top of the river, making it a beautiful scene! A few of the boys jumped in the river, for a quick cold plunge to refresh after the long car ride. We couldn’t believe that this was only day one. The boys were playing cards in the restaurant, so we took this as a perfect time to surprise Owen with a birthday cake with sparklers for his birthday! We walked in singing happy birthday, and he was pleasantly surprised!! We let Owen cut the cake, per birthday tradition, then we all ate the delicious blueberry cake while playing a game of spoons. After one round, where we realized 13 players was a lot for a card game, we moved on to play signs, a game suggested by Owen! We couldn’t say no… it was his birthday after all!! He taught everyone how to play, and everyone picked out their secret sign. After Signs, Ella taught the group how to play a game called psychiatrist. This game consists of the group coming up with a rule for answering questions (the one we did was the answers had to spell out MOONDANCE), and the person asking the questions has to figure out the rule!! Soon enough, it was time for our first Moonup! Yay! We gathered on the “platform” (soon to be our future go-to hangout spot), and had our first Moonup under the stars. Everyone was still pretty jetlagged, so it didn’t take long for everyone to head straight to bed. They all were excited to be sleeping horizontal, instead of in a chair, like on the plane and bus!!
After an amazing and much needed night’s rest, we were all excited for our first activity of the trip: rafting!!! Wooohoooo! After seeing the river yesterday, we couldn’t wait to hop on in. We geared up in wetsuits, or leotards, as they came to be known by our group. We split into two rafts and drove down a windy road to the put-in spot! We paddled down lots of different rapids, and the guides made sure everyone on both sides of the raft were getting splashed! The water felt icy cold, but so refreshing on this hot summer day. We also made sure to continuously splash the other raft, to make sure everyone was getting to feel the river!! We kept on rafting back to our campsite. During one of the rapids, the guides instructed the right side to paddle forwards and the left side to paddle backwards. The raft was spinning down the rapids! Everyone was laughing and screaming in delight. Mac and James were one with the river, and took every chance they could get to float down the rapids. I think they spent more time in the river than in the raft! Before we even realized, we were back at our campsite! We ran our rafts up the hill, excited to meet up with Dawson and Davis!! Our 2B family was finally whole! We had a late lunch, which was one of the best meals ever (veal and potatoes), then changed into comfy clothes and played some games for the rest of the afternoon. After passing around the hacky sack, we decided to play fishbowl. After finishing the first game, and coming to a close tie breaker, we played once more to determine who the winner was. We had a delicious spaghetti bolognese for dinner, then had our first Moonup all together!
Today was even more exciting than yesterday, because we had so much fun and we got to do it again! Rafting day 2, wooooo! We did the same thing as yesterday; loaded up into two vans, drove to Montenegro, and got in the river! We floated down the river and did our best to get in the river as much as we possibly could. Catherine took the lead and hopped onto the front of the raft, challenging herself to stay on while we went down the rapids. Today we focused more on swimming around and just hanging out. We all agreed that today was even more fun! We continued on and got splashed by the water, but didn’t care because we were having so much fun. Once we got back to camp, we were so hungry, and excited to see what they had for us today. All of the food has been so good, so we couldn’t wait to see what they had in store for us. Everyone was so excited to see that we had french fries! A little taste of home all the way out here in Bosnia. We went down to the river for the rest of the afternoon! We took some pictures and put our feet in the water and just chatted. Jane taught me a card game called the happy silly fun game, and we did our best to play cards on the rocks so we could stay next to the stunning river. Once she explained all the rules to me, it turned out that I had played the game before! Once the sun was starting to set, we headed back up to the room to shower off before dinner. Dinner was full of laughs, per usual. Evie impressed the group and had everyone laughing with her Stitch impression. It was on par! We had an amazing Moonup led by our LODs, Callan and Margaret, where they asked everyone to describe themselves in one word, and what has everyone’s favorite moment of the trip been so far. We had already made so many amazing memories and it is only day 4! They closed the Moonup by playing night at the museum, where everyone had to be still as a statue and move without the LODs (leaders of the day) seeing them move!
We were excited for today because we were switching up our itinerary! Today, we were hiking!! Yay! First hike of the trip! We had a beautifully scenic drive up the mountains to get to the trail head. The drive was filled with music, but also oohs and ahhs from everyone in the group! On this hike, we brought our passports because we were walking across the Bosnia and Montenegro border. How cool is that?! We began our hike and it wasn’t long before the cameras were out, as we tried our best to capture the beauty we were seeing all around us. We talked a lot about what kinds of music we listen to, and everyone made a music festival lineup of five artists of their choosing. We walked to the border, then the hike brought us down through the woods. We all were excited to see the woods open up to a beautiful valley of blooming flowers! We danced and frolicked around the fields and just ran around without a care in the world. What could possibly be better than this? We then began our ascent uphill to the lake! Dawson and Orion decided the best way up was the fastest, and raced up the steepest part of the hill to see who could make it there faster. From our view, it seemed to be a tie! We all then hiked up to where they were for a quick water break. It wouldn’t be a complete water break without us breaking out in song, of course! After singing “I’m Like a Bird” (really just the chorus because it was the only part we could remember), we got ready for the final push! It was closer than we thought, and before we knew it we had arrived at our destination! We were greeted by more mountains, horses, and some locals spending their weekend by the lake! We found our own private spot and took a quick lunch break with some delicious sandwiches, then wasted no time getting our swimsuits on so we could jump in! We were all sweating after the hike, so this is just what we were looking forward to! We swam out to a log, and tried our best to all balance on it at the same time. To no one’s surprise, this was not very successful. We then swam over to a small rock island, and caught some rays. We then decided to swim back so we could chill next to the water for a little while longer before having to hike back to the van! We were cruising on the downhills, then were met again with the uphill on the tail-end of the hike. But this was no problem for us beasts! Everyone was seriously crushing this hike! During the last ten minutes of the hike, we decided to walk individually and silently. This allowed us to reflect on our hike and just take in the absolute beauty of the land around us. What a special end to such a spectacular hike. Owen has been itching to play the guitar since we got here, so we were all excited for him when he found one at the end of our hike! He played for a few locals, and he could have been famous. Don’t worry, we made sure to get a video! We made it back to the van and had a quick stretch circle before our journey home. We played a fun game in the car where we would describe different moments and pick songs that would fit them and vice versa. Time flew bye, and before we even knew it we were back home! We packed our bags, because it was our last night in Bosnia, then had another hilarious dinner! Throughout the whole dinner, we talked about how great it would be if we had the crepes we had from the first night. We were hopeful, but wanted to keep our expectations low just in case. But of course, it was the best day ever, so we got crepes!!!!! I don’t think I have ever seen anyone as excited for anything as these kids were excited for these crepes. Boy are they delicious! After the cherry on top of a perfect day, we had another amazing Moonup that was both silly and meaningful (just as all great things are). This group is so much fun all the time, and we are so grateful for them! One last night in Bosnia!
Today, we had to say goodbye to our first home of the trip. Although it was sad, we were super excited to make it to our next destination: Albania! What could have been a boring car ride was nothing of the sorts with this group. We started off the journey by making one of the longest song queues known to man, including all different genres. We were bouncing from rap to country to indie to house music. It was electric. We tried our best to all stay awake and sing and dance together, but it wasn’t long before a few of us dozed off. We crossed the border into Montenegro and then once more into Albania! We switched vans halfway through our journey, and spent our time having a dance party and playing Little Sally Walker. This group surely has the best moves! We drove the rest of the way with the windows down and music up. Once we got to our campsite, we threw on our swimsuits to walk over to a swimming spot! We jumped off the rocks into the river and watched the sun rays dance over the mountainous valley. We explored around the rocks and soaked up the sinking sun then headed back for our best dinner yet! Albania was already knocking our socks off! We headed to bed early for an amazing day of hiking tomorrow! Yay, we are so excited to be beginning the trekking portion of our trip! We have no doubt that these kids are gonna crush it!
Thanks for tuning in, here are some shoutouts from the kids!
Owen: All is well. I’m having fun. Got some good pictures. I hope the blackberries aren’t done growin. Maybe freeze some for me? Miss y’all and dogs. I’ve got my friends to pick me up from JXN airport, so poppy and khaki don’t have to. I am in Albania. Played guitar on Montenegro peak. I might buy a cheap guitar here with my own money. I’m having withdrawals. love you. I’ll see you soonish. -OTB
Jack: Sup y’all hows it’s hanging. Its pretty litty here in Bosnia a great country btw. I really love this trip it’s “very nice”. We have made lots of jokes and the local people here say that I look like the onceler from the Lorax and Kevin Hart, both amazing. If y’all are in Dallas rn let Miss Emy know that she’s the best and I’m keeping the journal going. This trip has been worth the wait thank y’all so much for sending me on it I know its a huge opportunity and gift. Love y’all can’t wait to see y’all soon. See y’all at some point idk when. Love your best and oldest Son Jackington Nelly Webberson.
Callan: Hey guys, I miss you tons but I can’t lie I’m having a freaking blast. We’ve made so many memories that I don’t think I’ll ever forget (you’ll see in the pictures of course). I hope the puppies are doing great and that you guys are having an amazing adventure in Alaska. We’ll have to trade pictures when I get back. Love and miss y’all; We’ll talk all about our trips when I get home.
Dawson: whats up fam.I miss you guys but I’m having a blast. this is the prettiest place I’ve ever been. the mountains are insane. everyone is supper nice. we are currently having a dance party. I love you guys so much see you soon!
James: Hey mama, just writing to tell you everything’s great. Group’s awesome and I’m having a great time. Talk to dad matthew and sydney for me and tell em I miss them. Can’t wait to see y’all again. Love you!
Mac: Yo what’s up. Having a great time and if you were worried about me I really like this group and I feel we’re all getting along super well. I’m excited for what’s coming next and I’ll tell y’all about it when I get home. See ya.
Orion: Yoo, miss you guys a ton but im having the best time ever. This is the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life. This group is also awesome. We are all super close and I’ve never made friends so quickly in my life. Don’t worry about me, this is amazing and hope it just gets better and better. Love you guys, peace.
Janie: Hi from Albania??? Passport and heart are very much full so dont worry about me. 7 miles to a lake in Montenegro yesterday, but still hype for minoqua. lots of animals to love here but still miss my girls so tell them i love them. im proudly representing the midwest for us but very much loving southern music taste, dad would too. peace love smiles ill try and come back to you eventually!!!
Jane: HEY HEY HEY! This place is amazing!! We have had the best time getting to know each other and exploring Bosnia and Montenegro! I miss y’all so so much and can’t wait to tell you all about our adventures and everything. I hope summer is going well at home and i’ii see y’all soon! LOVE YOU!!
Ella: HIIIIIIII!!! I MISS YALL!! We’re having so much fun and I’ve made so many new friends. Tell Chloe I said happy birthday when she gets home!! I can’t wait to tell y’all about everything!! Give Murphy and Bailey a kiss for me!! LOVE YALL!!
Evie: Hey guys, were in albania right now and im pretty much just with all my best friends traveling AMG; which you can assume is just amazing. We did a 7 mile hike yesterday to this insane lake and i cant even describe the view. I am having the best time of my life and im so thankful. The dance parties are infinite and insane. Love you guys, see you soon !!
Catherine: HELLO from Albania!! This trip has been absolutely amazing so far. Our group is so so awesome, I love everyone so much. We are currently on the way from Montenegro and Bosnia to Albania and I think we will start more of the trekking portion of the trip. We spent a while white water rafting and hiking in Montenegro, and stayed in a fun hostel in Bosnia. Can’t wait to tell y’all more when I get back!! LOVE YALL!
Margaret: HEY Y’ALL! I am having the absolute best time of my life. All of the people in my group are SO SO AWESOME and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my leaders! Bosnia and Montenegro were absolutely beautiful, and I loved white water rafting! I hope everything is going great at home, and I will see you when I get home!!! LOVE YOU!
Safe Arrival!
June 25, 2026
Hello AMG Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely! Davis and one student who experienced travel delays are headed to meet the group.
The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure! Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
