The Final Farewell!
July 11, 2022
Aloha Maui 2A family and friends,
Our last two days in Maui have come and gone so quickly. Tears!
Our tenth day was spent surfing the waves of Kalama Beach. The waves were small, but this didn’t damper our groups spirits whatsoever. We suited up and jumped right in for our first day of surfing! Everyone popped right up on their boards within their first few tries. This is very uncommon! Our group quickly became naturals on the water and no longer needed the guides’ help with paddling. Watts got to hook up the Moondance GoPro to the front of his board and had some awesome footage of him catching some waves. Lula did a great job of helping Mia get up on her board with some awesome tips. By the end of the day Mia was riding the waves like a professional and had 2 amazing rides! Our guides LOVED the groups enthusiasm and were excited for us to return the next day.
The next day, everyone was back in the water for our second day of surfing. Once again, the group dominated the waves and needed little help from our guides. Ellery even got to learn some awesome tricks on the board! Jackson also quickly took to surfing and could be seen – quite often – holding number one’s into the air and excitedly shouting “yeah!” By the end of the morning, everyone was doing the same. Our afternoon was spent at some local thrift stores finding outfits for our final banquet ceremony. We were able to score neon vests, Christmas pajamas, Maui High School t-shirts, and even some silver high heels. Robert was especially excited about his Christmas onesie! Our group was fully decked out in our best attire – which made dinner all the more exciting.
We feasted on burgers, fish, chicken tenders, and so much more at Cool Cat Cafe. After explaining to our waitress what Moondance is and why were dressed so silly, she bought right into it! After dinner, we made our way over to a lookout point to watch our final sunset together and host our final Moonup. Wills took the time to venture out to the farthest point and have a moment of reflection while we watched the sun sink into the Pacific Ocean. One of our Leaders of the Day, Camilla, did an amazing job of guiding us through Moonup. Our group did an incredible job of opening up and sharing some things about themselves that bonded us even more. We are so proud of these kids for embracing Moondance’s core values and philosophy. Back at camp, we opted for a more silly way to end the trip with star gazing. Sophie and Margaret really enjoyed this, and even had some fun with star tipping.
As our trip winds to an end, and all our chickens are back in their nests, we are sad yet happy. Sad to let these kids fly home, but happy and oh-so grateful to have gotten the chance to spend 2 awe-inspiring weeks with them. Groups like this one are worth remembering, and we hope they continue to stay in touch.
To our chickens – always remember we are SO proud of you and love you dearly. Be good people, and we hope to see you soon.
Signing off for the last time with ALL of the Moondance love,
Kate + Sarah Paden + Harry
One last hello from Maui!
July 9, 2022
Aloha Maui 2A Ohana!
Our last few days have been jam-packed with action and adventure. On Monday, we got some much needed rest and started off with a slow morning before an afternoon of zip lining through a conservation forest. Robert, Mia, Margaret, Camilla, Wills, and Virginia had a great time with leaders Kate and Sarah Paden learning about native Hawaiian birds from the guides throughout the course. The cherry on top? Our guides gifted us with fresh star fruit and mango, yum!!
After zip lining, we headed back to camp just in time for a 4th of July cookout with Maui C. We had a great night complete with firework shows in the distance. The next morning we were up bright and early for our outrigger canoe lessons. Our guides led us out to a great snorkel spot. Lula was even brave enough to hold a pencil urchin! On our way back to shore our resident rower, Ellery, set her team up for success in our canoe race!
Wednesday brought a day full of excitement as we got to celebrate sweet Jackson’s birthday! We kicked the morning off with a round of happy birthday and some yummy muffins. We then headed out on the water for a relaxing morning of stand up paddle boarding. Watts and Parker really took to it and were moving at lightning speed across the water while Sophie enjoyed a more relaxing pace and caught some rays.
Wednesday afternoon we prepared for the Olympic Games with the other Maui groups. Robert did an amazing job as our soccer goalie and Mia loved taking on the role of sports photographer. Our Leader of the Day, Wills, was also the perfect hype man to get the team pumped for an afternoon of fun. Great team work led to many wins for our awesome bunch!
Our kids are so thankful for the fun they’ve gotten to have during our time in Maui and we’ve gotten to experience all the fun activities with them!
All the Moondance love,
Kate + Sarah Paden + Harry
Mia: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip, I’m very grateful. Love y’all.
Margret: hey mom and dad, thank you so much for sending me on this Moondance. I appreciate all you have done for me. See you soon!
Wills: Thank you for the opportunity to come to this great camp. I love you and I will see you soon!
Watts: thank you, the trip has been awesome! Love you guys and see you soon.
Virginia: Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to come to Maui and teaching me to be independent and not afraid to try new things!
Camilla: Thank you for letting me go on this trip! Love you guys so much!
Sophie: Thank you so much, love you guys!
Lula: Thank you for the trip, I love y’all. See you soon!
Parker: I’ll be home soon, thank you so much for the trip. It’s been great!
Robert: Thank you so much for giving me this trip. I love you. I’ll see you soon!
Ellery: I love you and can’t wait to see you. Thank you!
Jackson: Thank you for sending me on Moondance! See you soon!
On Island Time!
July 7, 2022
Aloha everyone!
We have had quite the past few days here in Maui. Here’s what we’ve been up to…
Our fifth day consisted of rappelling in the morning and fun games in the afternoon! We headed over to the Garden of Eden to meet our friends at Maui Rappel for some awesome rappelling. The group conquered those rock walls like champions. We even got to see some avocado and banana trees on our way down! Afterward, we made our way back into town to the Makawao Rodeo. The group got to go to Goodwill and pick out some rodeo attire beforehand. We walked in styling and profiling with our jorts (jean shorts), flannels, and silly hats! The kids had a blast getting to experience some Hawaiian culture in their oh-so stylish outfits.
The next day, we met up with our friend Griff at Aloha Maui Kayaks for some sea kayaking and snorkeling! Griff is a veteran Moondance leader who now lives in Maui. The group loved hearing some of his stories from back when he led in the late 90s! Ellery and Wills teamed up in one of our tandem kayaks and dominated the waves. They were in full-on beast mode on the water. Afterward, we played a friendly game of basketball back at camp. Watts and Robert were our lead scorers! Virginia showed off some awesome flips too. We’ve determined that our group is stacked with some insane athletes! We then spent our evening preparing dinner and swapping stories in the kitchen. We most definitely have some strong comedians on our hands! All the while, Margaret and Jackson were amazing chefs in the kitchen and the whole crew chowed down on grilled chicken, mac n cheese, and a veggie plate!
Today was one of the most iconic Maui days – our redline rafting day! Lula and Sophie were so excited to try the water elevator (a wave current that pushes you out of the water) at our first dive spot. Our guide Josh noted how brave our group was for jumping right in with zero hesitation. Mia and Camilla took some amazing underwater photos at our second dive spot where we saw SO many sea turtles. No wonder they call that reef “Turtle Town!” We’re so excited to see how their photos turn out. On our way back to shore, Parker serenaded us with “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd. We’re expecting him to sign a record deal in the very near future.
We have been having nonstop fun here on island time and cannot wait to share countless stories soon! Until then, enjoy some shoutouts from our kiddos!
Wills: Hey dad! Tell the girls and Big Sarah I said hi. And make sure to tell Poppy happy birthday! Love you all!
Mia: Love you all! Miss you Vyom and Nani & Nana!!!
Watts: Miss you, love you, I’m having a great time!
Robert: Hey guys. I love you. I hope you guys are enjoying some time alone. My trip has been fun so far! Peace
Parker: Happy 4th of July! I’m doing great. This is so fun!
Ellery: Hey mom and dad. I love you so much! I cannot wait to see you again. I’m having so much fun here in Maui. Tell Margo I miss her!
Camilla: Hey guys! I love and miss you. I’m having so much fun! Tell the dogs I love them.
Lula: I miss and love y’all! I am having so much fun! I love my leaders and thank y’all for sending me on Moondance!
Sophie: Miss you guys, love you guys! I’ll be home soon. I saw so many sea turtles!
Margaret: Hey family! I wish I was with you for 4th of July but I’m having so much fun here. I swam in the ocean! And I saw an octopus. Tell Flip and Wally I said hi. Love you!
Virginia: Hi! Love you, having fun, see you soon!
Jackson: Hi mom and dad. Love you! Mom, I had fun telling everyone about your food!
All the Moondance love,
Kate + Sarah Paden + Harry
Aloha, Family and Friends!
July 1, 2022
Aloha, family and friends!
Greetings from marvelous Maui. We are having an absolute blast here in Hawaii and cannot wait to share all that we’ve been up to!
Our first full day was a jam-packed one. Leaders of the Day (LOD’s) Lula and Parker opened up the day with an awesome morning huddle followed by a delicious breakfast. The group then piled into the van and made our way over to Kanaha Beach Park for windsurfing! Sophie and Jackson were practically professionals and even learned a 360 spin move by the end of the day. Our afternoon was filled with basketball games, where Ellery was most definitely our MVP.
For Day 2, we packed our day bags and made our way over to Lahaina for our submarine experience. Virginia was amazed at all of the sea creatures, we were so proud of her for overcoming her nerves about boarding the vessel! Robert also had quite the time under the sea and was SO excited to see a shark in the wild. After our sub ride, we chowed down on some dole whip and gelato and then headed back to camp. Watts provided some insightful sports related hot takes while we chatted and made dinner. Mia was an incredible chef and helped us make some yummy tacos!
Today we had the pleasure of working with Maui Culutral Lands and our friend Teje! The group did a fantastic job of clearing a trail through the land and chopping down some invasive plant species. We asked Teje a ton of questions about Hawaiian culture and she was more than happy to answer all of them. We were so proud of the positive attitudes and hard work our kiddos put into the morning! Our afternoon was spent at the beach playing in the waves. Wills got a great game of football going in the water and had some amazing throws. Camilla was also fearless as she jumped into the water off some rocks. Back at camp, Margaret became our arm wrestling champion and we are sure she’ll be our secret weapon during the July 4th Olympics against the other Maui Moondance groups!
As we wind down our third full day here in Maui, we are so excited for what’s to come. This group’s desire for adventure is incredible and we cannot wait to dive head first into some more activities! We’ll be sure to keep you updated. Until then, mahalo (thank you) parents & friends and we’ll talk to you soon!
All the Moondance love,
Kate + Sarah Paden + Harry
Arrived in Maui!
June 28, 2022
Hello Maui Families!
We heard from our leaders late last night that the group has landed safely in Maui! 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 up to three trip updates throughout the next couple of weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip and the students will also give a special shout out mid-way through! You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to this summer!
-Moondance HQ
