Parting words from Iceland 2B!
July 14, 2023
Hello families!
The last of the kids have taken off from Keflavik, and although we are sad to see them go, we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend two weeks with these them. We had a very wholesome last two days of the trip, with Wednesday morning beginning with a drive down to the town of Stokkseyri, where we were able to set up camp for the night. Our sea kayaking guide Maggie then took us down to the ocean where we began our next adventure. We got fitted up in all of our gear, before Harris and Dabney led the charge into the water. Jack showed off his super speed mode skills and practically paddled circles around us. After kayaking, we were challenged to a game of basketball by local Icelanders, where William, Eli, and Spencer absolutely demolished the Icelandic blondies (GO USA). Tate made a new friend on a motorcycle and chatted him up the whole game. We then made our way back to our front yard camp and enjoyed Icelandic hot dogs prepared by our lovely guide Rav. He puts something in those bad boys that make them taste just right. Caroline can attest to that, as she repeatedly exclaimed, “these hot dogs are busssssss”. The next day we woke and went for a beachside hike, where Kate led explorations into some uncharted beach territory. Spencer found an air mattress and decided to take it for a spin on the water and was met with great success on this escapade. Mary Sellers and Olivia Cate found an original Icelandic fisherman’s house with a grass roof and led the group inside to see what treasures lay within. We then made our way back to Reykjavik for our town day, where we indulged some much-needed retail therapy before swapping clothes and heading out for our banquet dinner – good ole fashion burgers. Lila and Lauren won the award for best dressed – which really just meant they were unrecognizable when they walked out in their costumes – I think at one point I looked at Lila and asked where Lila was… We ended the day with a reflective moonup where we all shared the impact that Moondance has had on us before the kids made an attempt to stay up as late as they could – cherishing every moment together. We are so proud of how much these kids have grown over the past two weeks and love the bonds they have built. We hope these friendships extend far beyond Moondance and hope to see them all again soon!
Signing off,
Connor and Skyler
Exciting Iceland!
July 13, 2023
Hi Everyone,
After a restful night and incredible sleep in warm beds we began Day 9 with coco puffs cereal and then set off for our next adventure – white water rafting in Kerkingafjoll. Located in the central highlands of Iceland the region is know for its impressive rapids. We split up into two boat teams with William as the first boat captain and Caroline as the second boat captain. We hit the water, successfully carving in and out each rapid, the entire group made light work of the first half of the journey. After about 30 minutes we took a short break for a 15 foot cliff jump! Jack bravely volunteered to be the first jumper and all 15 members of our group successfully completed the jump. As you know, no rafting trip is complete with out a few rounds of raft wars, Tate showed his impressive ninja skills with a flying squirrel sneak attach on Mary Sellers. Spencer sent a celebratory back flip off the raft to cap off his teams victory.
After our 3 hours on the river we chowed down on burgers and hit the road again, this time for an ice cream surprise. We stopped in at a local dairy farm and ice cream shop, Efstidalur, where you can see the cows grazing while you’re eating ice cream! Of the many ice cream flavor combinations the most popular was Lauren’s combo of chocolate and mocha.
We started our Day 10 with a day hike with the Kerlingafjoll Mountain range. This area of Iceland is known for its geothermal heat, rolling painted hills, and dramatic mountain ranges. At the top of the hike our group found a patch of snow for body sledding. Eli showed us the most popular variation of body sledding – feet first, while Harris took the most daring approach – head first. We finished off the rest of the hike and headed to our new campsite home for the evening where we feasted on pizza and tucked in for the evening.
Day 11 began bright and early with oatmeal and hot coco before heading off the snorkeling at the Silfra Fissure. This is one of only two places in the world where you can snorkel between two continental plates that are slowly drifting apart. The water between the plates was crystal clear, allowing you to see as much at 60 meters straight down. Despite the frigid temps Olivia Cate was at home in the water, even spending extra time to explore!
To wrap up the evening Kate and Harris led us in an incredible Oceanside Moonup with a natural rock hot tub. We discussed the moments we’d felt most alive and how to live in the moment in the future. To end the night our group dare devils – Lila, Harris, Dabney, Spencer, Eli, Jack, William, and Tate – competed in a polar plunge with Dabney ultimately taking home the win.
We are having an incredible time exploring Iceland and cannot wait to see what these last moments have in store
Until next time,
Skyler & Connor
Trekking in Iceland!
July 9, 2023
Hallo from Holaskogur hut!
Since our last update, we’ve absolutely smacked up some trail time. Our first day of trekking began with a warmup hike, where we set off on a brisk 6 miler through the lakes of Alftavotn. With our legs properly stretched out, we all enjoyed burgers under the Icelandic sun that never sets. William and Mary Sellers led us in Moonup that night before we headed to bed for some much-needed sleep. The next day, we woke up bright and early for the biggest day of our adventure. We clocked in a whopping 17 miles – give or take 0.5 for some roundabout navigation. Along the way, Tate made many friends with the sheep, walking with them in an attempt to snap a photo. About two miles from the campsite, the group found a natural hot spring and relaxed in the sulfuric haven – a much needed change of pace from the glacial rivers we were crossing. Jack was the gazelle of the group, leaping over each river crossing as if his legs were made of springs. Our fearless Leaders of the Day, Harris and Lauren, kept us on the right path and ensured spirits were high throughout the trek.
The next day we set off again on a 9 miler to the Strutur campsite, passing through the Canyon of Fire on our way. Upon arrival to the campsite, we were met with great joy when we learned we were able to set up our dinner inside a barn, where we enjoyed salmon pasta while playing games of cards – Dabney absolutely cooked us in a game of B.S..That night, the land of fire and ice (Iceland baby) hit us with an incredible double rainbow that stretched over our campsite. Eli screamed/yelped/cried? with joy upon such a sight. Dessert consisted of hot chocolate, Kremkex, and licorice chocolate (Caroline’s favorite). After some much-needed rest, we hit the trail once again for our third day of trekking – another 9 miler. This day we strutted through the black desert on our way to Emstrur, where we basked in the sun and belted out some tunes on our hike to fill the time. We enjoyed a spaghetti Bolognese upon arrival to Emstrur.
The next day, you guessed it folks, another day on trail! This was the last of our trekking session, however, which was both nostalgic and celebratory for our screaming feet. We hit some massive hills and some epic river crossings, and in almost no time we reached our last campsite in Thorsmork valley. We enjoyed a lamb dinner, where Lila and Tate surprised us with a beautifully set table, including flowers and multiple centerpieces. That night, the kids made friends with some local Icelandic kids, and Kate wrecked a few with her soccer skills, sending them back to their tents to wipe away tears. Today, we made our way back to Selfoss, where we explored the town and found a local festival happening! We then made our way to the hut for the night, where we get to sleep on a mattress for the first time and enjoy some Icelandic hot dogs. Much hot chocolate is being consumed, many cards are being thrown, and a plethora of Taylor Swift’s new songs are being critically discussed on whether they have merit or belong on a TJ Maxx ™ playlist. Write in and let us know your take. Spencer, Olivia Cate, and Lila are our fearless Leaders of the Day and have effortlessly navigated corralling the group in town, keeping spirits high, and leading us through an impactful moonup.
We begin the next phase of our adventure tomorrow, heading into some extreme watersports, and will keep you updated as we go along. Until then!
Sé þig seinna!
Connor and Skyler
Hello from Reykjavík!
July 3, 2023
Góðan daginn Everyone, Welcome to Reykjavík, Iceland!!
After arriving at the Reykjavík Airport we set off to our first adventure – a trip to the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Located within a lava field in Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula of Southwestern Iceland, Blue Lagoon is famous for its silica rich waters and distinct blue color. Once at the spa William, Harris, Eli, & Spencer took full advantage of the spa environment with Silica Mud Face Masks! While relaxing in the lagoon, Lauren had the genius idea of starting a Moondance Vlog for our trip, and with the GoPro in hand she rallied the team for the first vlog entry.
We left Blue Lagoon, and headed over to Hamragardur Park for a Picnic Lunch and a stroll along the trails. We came to a very large tree in the park and somehow Jack convinced everyone to climb into it, the crew piled up and posed for the first group pictures! We feasted on pizza for dinner at the local pizzeria Devitos, Olivia Cate showed incredible Expedition Behavior keeping our group hydrated with an endless supply of water! On our way home we walked by a park and in true Moondance fashion we had to spend some time there. Dabney showed off her zip lining skills and Tate took a spin – quite literally – in the park’s spinning cup! Our first Moonup was filled with explanations of our goals for the trip and why we came to Moondance. It was an awesome time getting to know each other and forming friendships. To wrap up our first Moonup, Mary Sellers and William were named our first pair of LODs (leaders of the day)! At the end of the night, we tucked into our beds, excited about our first activity.
We began Day 2 bright and early; after breakfast we piled into the van and set off for our first adventure – Trekking! Kate and Caroline showed off their vocals during the Taylor Swift portion of our carpool karaoke! We stopped at a Black Sand Beach for lunch and Lila bolted to the waterfront with everyone else close behind her. We spent the second half of lunch walking along the beach, skipping rocks, and adding to the vlog.
After a 2.5 hour drive we arrived at the Trial of Strutur where we will start our four day trek through the Icelandic Highlands. We cannot wait to tell you all about all the amazing adventures we get up to!
We are so incredibly excited to have this amazing group of students with us for our trip! And we so greatly appreciate you all giving us the opportunity to meet and experience the beauty of Iceland with your kids.
Until Next Time,
Skyler & Connor
Greetings from Iceland!
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
