Final and Loving Goodbye!

June 24, 2023

Aloha from rainbow-filled Maui!

We began our last full day with an early morning at Makena Beach for stand-up paddle boarding. This was the perfect morning activity to relax and hang out in the water. While we started off slow just taking in the views, things started to kick into gear when Molly intrigued the group with her paddle board games. This encouraged everyone to jump around on each other’s boards trying to push each other off of them. Gigi and Charlie took charge of the game playing leap frog with each other’s paddle boards. It ended up being so much fun that we had to force them to come back to shore. It is no surprise that an activity that could be considered boring ended up being one of the most fun because of our group’s amazing energy. We are wowed every day by their positive attitudes and high spirits. It has been such a joy spending time with each and every one of your kids.

We ended up spending the afternoon at camp soaking up our last moments with each other. Mason took charge of the card games, teaching everyone how to play Dutch Cup. Lina picked up the game quickly, scoring low (which is the goal) in almost every round. We then headed out to Goodwill to gear up for our final banquet. Everyone took pride in their outfits, specifically Baker. Madeleine showed off her thrifting skills by wearing a matching tye-dye M&Ms set and bedazzled high heels. We then ate pizza at Flatbread Pizza Company, the same place we ate pizza from on the first night. It was such a full-circle moment. Everyone was ecstatic to eat their delicious pizzas, and Maddie had the great idea to order a Diet Coke with lime. Needless to say, many followed her lead. Harris showed off his blouse as well as his manners at dinner, impressing everyone in the group. We all laughed about our memories of the trip and discussed everyone’s first impressions of each other. After having a delicious meal everyone was stuffed—but not too stuffed to stop at Ululani’s, our favorite shaved ice spot. We took our snow cones to the beach to watch the sunset and close out our last full day on the island. While we were watching the sunset, Jack ran into the ocean and jumped in fully clothed. At first, everyone thought he was crazy for jumping in. However, it only took minutes for everyone to follow suit. We were the only people in the water, and it was so fun to play around in the waves for one last time. Brant spearheaded the “sumo” movement, picking everyone up in the air and throwing them around. It was a blast for everyone involved and had everyone cracking up. As the sun set, we were forced to leave the water and head back to camp for one last moonup. This moonup was special to everyone as we recapped our trip and took moments to appreciate everyone and their contributions to the group. Lauren, one of our LODs, finished off the moonup by asking everyone what, omens made them laugh the hardest on the trip. By the time we had gone around the circle, everyone was crying laughing. It is safe to say we were never short of laughter these past two weeks.

After spending our last night under the stars, we woke up to cook up hash browns: another fan favorite. We played cards and hung out all morning at our campsite that now feels like home. Everyone picked up camp slowly, trying to procrastinate the inevitable. We said all carved our names and nicknames into King Julian before giving him one last goodbye. We drove away from camp with tears in our eyes, jamming out for one last time in the van. As the kids passed through security, there were no dry eyes in the group. The friendships and connections made on this trip were truly special. We have had the best two weeks getting to know Mason, Harris, Jack, Lina, Madeleine, Molly, Baker, Maddie, Gigi, Charlie, Brant, and Lauren. The combination of their personalities led to true 1A passion, better known as Moondance magic. It has been incredible watching them grow out of their comfort zones and live in the moment. This trip has been truly indescribable, and we will miss each of them dearly. Until we meet again!

Mahalo,

Caitlyn, Lucy, and William

Maui-Mania!!!

June 22, 2023

Aloha again from magical Maui!

We started off Sunday with a Redline rafting, where we boated out to the Molokini crater. It is actually a cinder cone created from many volcanic eruptions. They took us to four different snorkel spots, all of which were exploding with colorful fish. On the back side of the crater, the currents allowed us to float up and down against the rock, mimicking an elevator. Jack was a huge fan of this and stayed there the whole time. We had to call him back into the boat as he was having so much fun bouncing in the waves. On the way to the next snorkel spot at turtle town, the outfitters had fun driving us in circles and over huge waves. Molly and Baker were sitting on the “adventurous” side of the boat and we were all dying laughing watching them hold on for dear life while also singing along to Levitating by Dua Lipa. At turtle town, we saw eight turtles! It was so cool to see, and Gigi was fascinated by them. She was swimming down to the corals to get a close-up look at the glorious creatures. On the ride back, everyone ate delicious Hawaiian chips and sang along to the radio. It was so so fun. We then headed back to camp to play our favorite card game, ERS. The game always gets super intense and ends with everyone laughing and screaming at each other. After many rounds of ERS, we went to the beach to play in the water and jam out to the infamous 1A playlist. After a long day in the sun, we headed to Lava Rock Grille to eat a very fulfilling dinner. The kids loved having a taste of home, and almost all of them got hamburgers. I’d say it was definitely a success. We ended the day with full bellies and full hearts.

The next day began with windsurfing! The first time started slow, but this time everyone knew what to do and was riding around on their boards. Everyone was trying out new tricks like spinning the sail around and doing turns on their board. Lina reached a new high score of 9 spins! Even the outfitters were calling her a pro. Maddie was zooming around on the board, capturing the wind and using it to her advantage. Everyone left the beach raving about how much fun they had. We then went back to Costco, and this time the whole group went in. They all were having a blast trying the samples and coming up with new food combos to try back at camp. In the afternoon, we went to Lahaina and had a town day. There were so many stores that were cool to browse around in and lots of kids bought souvenirs to bring home. Madeleine found a vintage poster store and scored a cool surfing poster for her room at home. Everyone was talking about how much they loved it. We also found a vintage t-shirt shop, where each shirt had a unique story behind its design. We ended our town day with some gelato, where Harris got a Hawaiian favorite—the banana delight. It was delicious and other people ended up getting it too. We then headed back to camp for a late dinner and dance party. We played more ERS and had dance parties before heading up to camp for a great Moonup under the stars.

We hit the road for an exciting early morning activity of ziplining. All the kids were a little nervous, especially upon seeing how high up the beginning point was. Despite their initial fears, everyone left the activity raving about how much fun they had. That afternoon was the long-awaited Olympics. In the Olympics, we got together with the other two Maui groups for a fight for the win. We played them in whiffle ball, water balloon toss, birdie on a perch, and soccer. Mason impressed us by being a beast in every single game. While we took a loss in whiffle ball, we dominated in the other three games. We really secured our win during the soccer game. We were down by four, then had a come-from-behind win. Lauren kept the soccer balls out of the goals for the rest of the game, preventing the other team from scoring on us. Charlie and Brant worked together to score the game-winning point. Charlie passed the ball to Brant, who was able to head butt it into the goal. We believe our win was powered by King Julian himself (our zucchini). After we won, a rainbow appeared in the sky. We then had a cookout with hot dogs and fruit while we watched the sunset. It was truly an amazing night. Since we won, we had to surprise the kids with a gas station stop where everyone got Slurpees and ice cream sandwiches. We played victory songs the whole ride home, and everyone passed out after Moonup. Every day is so amazing here and we can’t believe this trip is coming to a close.

Aloha,

Caitlyn, Lucy, and William

Making Memories in Maui

June 18, 2023

Checking back in from the beautiful island of Maui! We can’t believe we have reached the halfway point in our trip. Time flies when you’re having fun, and we are having a blast. We started off the day with Maui Cultural Lands. Enoku, the outfitter, taught us how to respect the Hawaiian land and culture. We asked the land for permission to enter the breathtaking valley where we saw lush greens and an insane clay wall. After helping weed out an invasive plant species in the garden, Enoku took us on a tour of the plants. He gave us the history or each plant and it was so interesting to see how the Hawaiians used them especially to treat the ill! He put water on the top of a kukui nut and prompted us to try putting it on our lips, and of course, Charlie was the first to step up. Eventually, it got passed around the whole group and it made everyone’s mouth’s so dry we were practically begging for water! We then went to a guava tree, and we were lucky to find some that were ready to eat. Everyone was super hungry and dug right into the seedy, pink fruit. We also learned about the insides of the kukui nut, and everyone used rocks to smash them open. Gigi grabbed a bunch of them and became a pro at cracking them open. He then showed us the noni leaf, offering it to anyone who had a fresh bug bite. The noni leaf carried an interesting smell, but Brant offered up his bug bites to test it out. To nearly everyone’s surprise, it provided an almost instant relief. As a parting gift, Enoku showed us how to make leis out of tea leaves. Jack took the one that Enoku made, then took it upon himself to make another on his own! He then honored our group zucchini, Julian, by crowning him with the lei. We can never say we are bored with this group.

After a fascinating morning, we headed over to our new favorite spot—Baldwin beach. We had a great time playing in the waves and hanging out and listening to music. The girls were all listening to Taylor Swift while catching rays. Baldwin beach is right next to a fan favorite with the group, Ululuani’s Shaved Ice. Madeleine was especially excited to go as she fell in love with her first snow cone. We walked around for a little in Paia where everyone shopped around and grabbed some souvenirs. Maddie was so sweet to buy Hawaiian temporary tattoos for the girls to put on and share. Everyone loves this island so much and they are having a marvelous time immersing themselves in the full Hawaiian experience. Finally, we headed back to camp to have some delicious dinner. We had personal pizzas and a salad that everyone was raving about. Lina was proud to say she picked it out during our Costco trip. We ended the night with a Moonup led by our LODs, Baker and Maddie. Baker had the group laughing so hard we were all in tears after hearing his introduction to the nug jug. After Moonup, everyone snuggled into their tents to prepare for another terrific day.

The next day, we had a wonderful slow morning. We cooked up some tasty hashbrowns that were a hit with the group. Some even said it felt like we were at Waffle House! The day began with a bang, but was only just getting started. We then drove to our windsurfing lesson, and the activity was challenging, but turned into a group favorite. Everyone was spinning around in the wind and testing their newfound windsurfing abilities. After the lesson, everyone was tired so we headed back to Baldwin beach to chill out. We all played in the waves, but Mason was a joy to watch as he bounced around in the water and dove into the waves. No matter how tired the group gets, we can all count on him and Jack to spend the afternoon playing in the water. We then headed back to camp for hibachi and Mac and cheese night! Lauren took charge in the kitchen and chopped up a pineapple for everyone to eat for an appetizer. Additionally, since we couldn’t find any Yum Yum sauce at the store, Molly took it upon herself to make “buss buss” sauce. We all thought it was even better than Yum Yum sauce! We finished our night off under the stars again, where our new LODs, Jack and Lauren’s moonup allowed the students to get to know each other and think deep within themselves. Getting to know these kids has truly been an absolute pleasure.

We started off the day with another long morning, so we just had to make M&M pancakes! The kids all helped craft a delicious meal this morning and everyone enjoyed it. Before our hike, we started an impromptu game of spoons. Harris was quick to grab a spoon every time and the game became super competitive. It’s safe to say we will be playing again in a rematch. We then drove over to the north side of the island for a beautiful hike! We walked down to the blowhole on the Nakalele point. It was so amazing to see the water shoot up in the air, and the kids had so much fun exploring the volcanic rocks. The water was so bright and blue, everyone was walking around taking in the view. We then traveled back to our home side of the island for an exciting cooking class. The cooking class was a hit with the group, everyone was laughing with each other while also focusing on how to correctly make the recipe. We made vegetable summer rolls, stuffed bao buns, and a coconut whipped pudding. A lot of us had never tried any of these dishes, so we were so proud when all of the kids were digging into their own creations. A highlight of the cooking class was spending time with the terrific outfitters, Anne Marie and Babs. We left the class with full bellies and new cooking skills that many will take home and use. They even let them take the recipes home so they can go home and share what they learned! The boys finished off their night with an intense game of basketball while the girls hung out and talked. We reflected on our day and within ourselves during Moonup that night. As we reach the second half of this trip, it is so amazing to see the growth that is occurring within each of our students. This group wouldn’t be the same without each and every one of them and we can’t wait to see how they use these final days to get the most out of their trip to Maui!

Aloha and mahalo,

Caitlyn, Lucy, and William

Aloha!

June 16, 2023

Aloha!

We started our amazing trip in Maui with an early morning kayaking and snorkeling. The trip started off strong with Mason and Gigi serving as our first LODs (leaders of the day). They both proved their strong leadership skills by encouraging the group throughout the day and communicating with our awesome outfitters about the plan. In fact, our kayaking outfitter, Griff, is an alumni Moondance leader. After paddling out to our snorkel spot, the group was amazed to see three sea turtles! No wonder they call it turtle town. We spent an hour swimming around the coral reefs looking at the wildlife, and swimming as far to the bottom as our lungs would let us before rushing to the surface for air. Not a bad way to start off this trip. On the way back, Jack and Madeleine showed off their impressive paddling skills by passing all of us and moving in sync. The combination of jetlag and an early morning led to some tired kiddos, so for the afternoon we headed back to camp to set up our hammocks and play some games. We split into teams for an intense game of capture the flag. Charlie led his team to victory by taking the other team’s flag and taking it home. The night was just getting started as we had an incredible taco dinner! It would not have been possible without our great cooking crew, Madeleine, Lina, Charlie, and Brant. The vibes were high in the outdoor kitchen as we had a cooking rave while whipping up some taco meat. The group dynamic has been incredible since the first day, and we can’t wait to keep the happiness and positivity rolling. After a long day, everyone decided to sleep under the stars in their hammocks. Although it was a cold night, they all insisted on sleeping in them again!

We had a long morning on day 2, so we decided to cook a delicious breakfast. The bacon was a hit with the group, and they were all begging for more. Then we headed out on the windy Road to Hana where we got to rappel down waterfalls. The outfitters taught us how to lean our hips back then let our feet follow. We were so proud of Lauren for facing her fear of heights head on by rappelling down the 50-foot waterfall! By the end of it, she was a pro. We couldn’t have done it without encouragement from the group, especially from Baker. He made sure everyone was being cheered on and encouraged. His great attitude and cheer rub off on everyone and helps keep the energy high. We then headed up for a sandwich lunch accompanied by peacocks! Every day we are amazed by the wildlife here on Maui. We then headed down to the beach where it was super windy, but the boys were able to make the most of the experience by bodysurfing the waves. Eventually, everyone got in the water to bounce around in the huge waves. As a fun surprise, we headed into town to have a local treat—shaved ice! All of the kids were huge fans and were begging us to go back and get more. Back at camp, we had a luxurious hose shower then had a delicious spaghetti dinner. It was a 10/10 day to say the least.

Even though our next day was an early morning, it was to everyone’s delight as we headed out to the most anticipated activity yet: Surfing! The outfitters supplied us with colorful face paint which everyone had fun putting on each other’s faces. Everyone except for Baker had surfed before, but you wouldn’t even know it as he was such a natural on the water. Maddie showed us her toned surfing skills by riding every wave back to the shore! And every time she would walk back out to catch another wave, she was always cheering someone on. The surf instructors were encouraging everyone to ride the tandem board, and Maddie, Gigi, and Molly all hopped on and caught a wave! We were all so impressed by their surfing skills. After riding many party waves, we put our boards up and headed over to the beach to eat a delicious lunch with lots of Nutella — a group favorite. Then, we explored Makawao and headed over to do the Waihou Spring Trail. Lina, Mason, and Jack led the way as we explored the forest, and we were able to find some waterfalls! This impromptu hike turned into an amazing experience. During the hike, Molly’s positive attitude and high energy shone through her fatigue and helped encourage the group to reach the finish line. We then headed back to camp to enjoy another delicious dinner. Everyday seems to get better than the last!

Another day of surfing was a hit with the group, and the waves were even bigger than yesterdays! Now that the kids had learned the basics of surfing, they were ready to ride the waves and even do some tricks. Harris and Mason finally mastered the art of tandem boarding and showed off by hanging ten. It was epic! We then headed to Costco to pick up some quick groceries, where the girls were able to show off their shopping skills and even pick up a few samples along the way. Back at camp, we cooked up a huge smorgasbord of meatball subs, Mac n cheese, and lots of fresh fruit. The food in Maui has been outstanding, especially the pineapple. The girls finished off lunch with a fun dance party before we headed off to Pono Grown Farms. At Pono, the kids were able to give back to the earth by planting some sweet potato seeds and exploring the green house. Evan, the owner of the farm, even told us that touching the soil sends serotonin through our bodies. Needless to say, everyone got their hands dirty and dug into the farm. As we explored the garden, we got the opportunity to see the chickens, and hold them. Then, as a fun surprise after helping out at the farm, we got to go down a water slide that Evan made just for Moondance—and our group was the first to try it out! The kids had so much fun seeing how many ways they could twist and turn down the slide and into the pond. We then headed back to camp to cook up some well-earned breakfast for dinner. Maddi was a chef in the kitchen and made some amazing pancakes that were a hit with the group! Everyone made sure to let her know how good they were. Then, as we typically do in this group, we ended the night with a dance party. We are having so much fun in Maui and can’t wait to keep creating inspiring new experiences!

Mahalo!

Caitlyn, Lucy, and William

Hey! Having so much fun – Lauren

Hey mom and dad I miss y’all so much having too much fun!!-Gigi

Thank y’all for sending me on this trip, it’s a lot of fun – Jack

Mom and Dad this is so fun I never want to leave – I LOVE U GUYS – Molly

Hey Mom and Dad I’m having a lot of fun!!  That doesn’t have a hidden meaning I love Hawaii. Love you guys -Maddie

Hi!! I’m having so much fun! Thank you so much! -Lina

Hey! Having so much fun love and miss y’all! Thank you for sending me on this trip! -Madeleine

Thanks for sending me on this trip, I am having so much fun. I love you. – Mason

Hey mom and dad I’m having so much fun! Love and miss y’all say hi to platt for me- Harris

Thanks for sending me on this trip, having so much fun. Love and miss y’all! – Baker

Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip, I’m having a blast! – Charlie

Hey Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this awesome trip. I’m having so much fun! Say hi to trey for me – Brant

Arrived Safely in Maui!

June 11, 2023

Hello Maui Families!

We heard from our leaders and 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