Bittersweet Goodbyes!
July 14, 2023
Snorkeling and end of trekking
Hey everyone!! We have been all over Iceland these last few days! It is safe to say the Iceland Highlands are out of this world. Every turn felt like we were on another different planet!! Everyone crushed the last 15-mile hike
In case you live under a rock like the elves in Iceland, there has been an active lava explosion in Reykjavik! Don’t worry- no one was swallowed by the lava eruptions. We escaped the liquid igneous rocks while we snorkeled through frozen glacier water! 34 degrees Fahrenheit to be exact. The water has been filtered through ancient lava rocks for over 80 years before it reaches the Lake for our enjoyment. Snorkeling was a fitting way to end our trip. One last “river crossing” if you will. Banquet dinner consisted of the most authentic Mexican food you can find in Iceland and a late night rolled ice cream feast. Moonup consisted of sharing our favorite memories from the trip and our go-to BONUS snack orders. Paprika Pringles and FunLight concentrate will be missed dearly back in the states. Everyone is now in the air making their way back to you!! Goodbyes are the worst! Thank you for a wonderful trip, we couldn’t have asked for a better group.
Signing Off,
Ella and Ben
The Treat of Trekking!
July 12, 2023
After a small 4-mile hike to start our adventure, we arrived at our isolated Icelandic hut! Peter and Harrison decided our first Icelandic hut was a 9.2/10! Our campgrounds were surrounded by beautiful lakes where Ella, Helen, Mae Mae, Charlotte, and Isabelle cold plunged into the beautiful glacier waters to celebrate the hottest day In Iceland in a hundred years! Meanwhile, Foster, Annabelle, and Molly explored the highlands for the majestical elves of Iceland! We ended the night with a thoughtful moonup, and the group slept soundly underneath the sunlit sky. The next day we hyped each other up for the hardest hike of the trip! Everyone’s energy and positivity were contagious, and we enjoyed a well-deserved break where the kids frolicked playing tag, throwing the frisbee, and exploring! During our two shorter day hikes we enjoyed Icelandic snacks and yummy sandwiches! Porter and Lion were eager to start our last day of trekking, and always bring up the group’s enthusiasm and positivity! It has been amazing to see how close the kids have gotten in such a short amount of time and how much they have accomplished! They have exceeded our expectations and our guides’ expectations! We have been overwhelmed with a great group and great weather! We are left reeling from a whopping 53 miles over the past few days. Our milage memories consist more of the trail talk, games, and laughs we shared rather than steps walked.
Have you guys ever wondered what the most beautiful sight in Iceland is, a wise man (comparable to Gandhi) once said the most beautiful landscape in Iceland is looking in the side view mirror and watching Selfoss disappear into the distance, into the abyss it goes. Luckily enough we were approaching the southern haunted city of selfoss. Selfoss is full of atrocious organizations such as KFC and Subway. KFC and Subway were not on the schedule during our brief stay in selfoss. Our time in selfoss consisted of public pools and grocery stores. Little did we know how much we could learn while attending a public pool in Europe. Culture was in the air. We came out of the shadows of the locker room confidently and relaxed. Two hours were spent soaking. While our soaking was commenced, our guide, the Lithuanian lion shopped at the most prestigious grocery store in all of Iceland, Bonus! Linas (as he goes by) constructed an absolute gourmet menu consisting of traditional Icelandic cuisine. Shark marinated in lactic acid check, half a lamb head check, salmon dressed in cheesy cream check, and the list goes on. Our naive palates had no idea what they were getting into. The extinction of picky eaters was determined by our Lithuanian lion after our experiences in the Icelandic highlands. We are thrilled for snorkeling tomorrow, but sad to know it marks our last activity of the trip. However, we know we can squeeze in enough laughs and memories in just one day with our incredible group to last a lifetime.
Back with more soon!
Ben and Ella
Caving, Swimming and Fine Dining!
July 12, 2023
What weather we have had here in Iceland! Summer is upon us and we are soaking it all up. The past few days have consisted of lava caves, 5 gate horses, geothermal pools, and waterfall hikes! Here are some highlights that have made everyone smile and get closer than ever before…
Because of the nasty weather in the Atlantic Ocean, sea kayaking was not in the cards this trip, but not to fret!! Big things and sunny days treated us the last 3 days. We took advantage of our new circumstances and explored new parts of Iceland we would have never seen. Ever been in a 5-kilometer-long Icelandic lava cave? We have!! Everyone craned their necks as we felt our way through the cave and came out the other side with echoes ringing in our ears. We warmed ourselves with delicious food, after our caving expedition that felt out of this world! The group decided that garlic is an essential ingredient for many things, including aioli for our grilled cheese post hot spring hike according to Wikipedia. We found ourselves drawn into Iceland Food halls because of the delicious smells of foreign foods wafting our way. The halls were abuzz with people from around the world and filled us with curiosity and wonder! Thank you for sending us your trilingual children, as they have been the greatest assets here in the land of ice.
Be back soon! We are off to trek into the land of ice and elves. In the meantime, here are some shoutouts from your amazing kids!
Sending the very best,
Ben + Ella
Hi mom and dad, I miss y’all. The sun never sets here, it’s so weird! Love you -Isabelle
Hi mom and dad miss you. Iceland is so pretty. Love you! -Charlotte
Hey mom and Dad. I’m having a blast. Everyone here is so fun. I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it. Love y’all, Mae Mae
Hey Family!! Iceland is so cool, and I love the group! Hope the 4th was fun, love y’all, Helen
Iceland is so pretty! And I love our group, we all get along really well. Love y’all so much, Ella
I love Iceland so much, I’ve never seen anything like this place. Love my group so much! – Annabel
Iceland is so cool. I love it here. My group is amazing and I’m having so much fun. Thank you so much!! -love Molly
Iceland has been amazing so far! Foster and I have had a blast. Our group is great and our leaders could not be better. See you soon! -Peter
Dear Mom and Dad, it’s been really fun and I have met a lot of friendly people. See you in a week! Love Foster
Hey mom and dad, I’m having so much fun and have met a lot of great people, it’s amazing here. Miss and Love you -Porter
Hi mom and dad, I’m having such a great time. Everybody here is amazing. Iceland is beautiful. Love Harrison
Dear Family, I am already half way through the trip. I am having a good time meeting everyone. I am excited for the rest of my journey here and also back home! Love Lyon
Spa Day at Blue Lagoon!
July 5, 2023
Hello! We have arrived in the land of a thousand rocks. How’s the weather? I’m glad you asked, it has been fantastic. After a long overnight flight, we were blessed with a well-deserved spa day at the blue lagoon. All girls exfoliated with a nice face mask. While guys sweated out their demons in a dry sauna. Moondance supports self-care. Although spa days are essential, we were hungry for some grunge. Grunge consisted of waterfalls and geysers. Porter and Peter were in awe of the sheer power of these immaculate geysers, and while Foster was impressed, he needed more. The waterfalls provided the satisfaction Foster desired. As the waterfall splashed beside us, Annabel and Molly took pictures of the roaring waters. Exhaustion started to set in. 3 hours of sleep in the last 24 hours tends to do that (even for 12 15-year-olds juiced up on adrenaline). Reykjavik was the perfect setting to end the day. The beautiful Scandinavian city is scattered with quirky shops, delicious restaurants, and niche architecture. The big Lebowski bar caught our eye for a bite to eat to end the day. Lyon (the dude) Juhas destroyed a smash burger and milkshake capping off a relaxing day.
You would think a sunrise would wake us up in the morning, it did not. Mammoths, dodo birds, saber tooth tigers, phoenixes, ligers, and the dark are all extinct during Icelandic summers (while elves are prominent and in good health). Whitewater rafting was in store for day 2. After a 2 hour drive from Reykjavik to the middle of nowhere we arrived at our rafting HQ. We were greeted by Argentinians who were gracious enough to let us try there “South American tea”. This tea instilled the energy Harrison needed to destroy the cold rapids. Harrison enjoyed the tea so much he took some to go for the next morning. After a brisk raft we warmed up and hit billiards. Helen is quite the pool player, taking on all of the Arctic rafting employees.. humbling them. It sure was fun to watch. Although it was enjoyable for us, the employees were not happy! After a quick 30-minute drive, we arrived at our hospitality for the night. Ella, Isabelle, and Charlotte showed off their soccer skills with rainbow and bicycle kicks. While Mae Mae coached and directed. A sweet Moonup ended the day. We shared laughs and smiles and we are optimistic for the rest of our time together. Talk soon!
-Ella and Ben
Arrived Safely!
July 3, 2023
Hello Iceland Families!
We heard from our leaders and the group has landed safely in Iceland! 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
