Farewell!
June 19, 2024
After a hard goodbye, this trip has come to an end. We shared hugs and some tears were shed, but the kids are safely on the way home! These past two weeks have been unforgettable.
Since we last checked in we have been in Belize! After our long day at the airport we arrived in the beautiful country of Belize where we have gained a new appreciation for the ocean and the wildlife inside! We met our wonderful hosts, Mark and Sheila, and began to settle in for the Belizean leg of our adventure.
After arriving at the hostel, the kids were quick to jump into the pool that was just for us! Charlotte and Ethan had a fun idea of the game categories, which everyone loved! We ended the night with Moonup and pizza. The next day we woke up for a big day of SCUBA! For our first day of scuba training, we took a 45 minute boat ride out to a small island in the Caribbean. The kids overcome their nerves and learned important skills to use at the bottom of the ocean! In the calm waters, the students began to learn the basics of scuba and became more comfortable with the activity. By the time lunch rolled around, it seemed like everyone was experts! Sydney and Tipton even flipped in the water with their tanks! We completed the day by doing a deeper training dive and practicing the skills we learned on the shoreline. After a long day exploring the ocean in a completely new way, the students were sun kissed and exhausted! We finished the night with David cooking burgers, with Eleanor, Maddie, and Clara working as amazing sous chefs!
The next two days were spent practicing our skills in the water and perfecting them before the final dive! We went to many different islands off the coast of Belize, each with features that stuck out! Those including the coral, colorful fish, and even the sharks which were swimming around us! Milo absolutely loved to pet the nurse sharks (which were harmless by the way!) We ended the next two days of SCUBA with smile on our faces. On the last day of SCUBA we got to go for a dive that everyone will remember forever! We got to see a sea turtle which was massive! Apparently his name was Eric and he was 80+ years old! He was very curious about Bridget, and even went right up to her face! Everybody expressed how amazing it was and said it was their favorite dive! What a perfect way to end our leg of SCUBA!
On the last day to celebrate everyone’s certification and how amazing our trip has been, we treated ourselves to a catamaran day! We got to relax and soak up the sun while cruising through the Caribbean! We got to drink many different combinations of juice and were treated to many sodas too! We arrived in the boat on an island with crystal clear waters, and even stingrays swimming around! Eleanor had the amazing idea of playing beach volleyball before lunch, which everyone loved! We ate our best lunch yet of beach barbecue, including chicken, pork, ceviche, potato’s, and much more! With full bellies we spent some time hanging out in the ocean before we headed back on the catamaran! Ellis led the group in jumping off the boat into the water! We listened to good music and made our way back to land. On our final night we had our banquet dinner! We played mini golf, swam, and ate a HUGE dinner with dessert after of course! Lastly we had our final Moonup and packed up before our day in the airport.
We are so grateful we got the opportunity to spend time with these amazing kids and learn all the little things about them. These past few weeks have been nothing short of amazing and we hope that we can reunite some day!
With so much love,
BCR 1B out!
Catherine, Alexa, and David
Hola from Costa Rica!
June 13, 2024
It is so hard to believe we are almost halfway through our trip! It is so bittersweet to leave Costa Rica tomorrow! We have absolutely loved our time in this beautiful and vibrant country, but we are eagerly awaiting our Belize adventures! Since you have heard from us last, we have been running around Costa Rica making memories to last a lifetime.
On day five we woke up in the Costa Rican rainforest with the sun shining through the trees. We filled up on a delicious breakfast of oatmeal topped with fresh mangos and pineapple, both fruits that were grown and harvested from the trees around us. After breakfast, we threw on our tennis shoes to begin our short but steep hike to a nearby waterfall! On the hike, our guide pointed out indigenous Costa Rican vegetation and even an 150 year old tree! Once we got to the top, we took in the sights of the Costa Rican jungle below us and quickly jumped into the water. Our guide then showed us the hydrating blue clay found only in the Costa Rican jungle! All of the students were quick to embrace the new experience and started covering themselves and each other in blue and red clay. It felt like we were all Avatars in the jungle! After we showed off our creative side with clay drawings of flowers, stars, mountains and more, we washed off under the flow of the waterfall. Charlotte even said “I think this is the craziest and coolest thing I’ve ever done.” After a great time experiencing the culture, wildlife, and agriculture of Costa Rica, we transferred to another part of the country to start our rafting trip!
We began day 6 by waking up early to some fresh fruit, pancakes, and scrambled eggs. Ethan and Tipton raved over the orange juice with breakfast! We packed our day packs for an overnight rafting trip. Once we got to the river, the students were overflowing with excitement to hit the rapids! Bridget and Sydney even came up with a chant for the rapids! On day one of rafting, we went 5 kilometers down the river, stopping at a little cove to take a hike. We hiked over a creek and through the rocks to a hidden waterfall a few minutes from the main river! The students quickly jumped in to cool off from the hike and we swam in the serene and crisp water. We could even fit under the waterfall and all jumped under to watch the stream together! After the rapids, we docked our raft in the most serene and beautiful side of a mountain in the Costa Rican jungle and had the rest of our day free to explore! Maddie and Eleanor were the first to explore the lodge and lounge in the hammocks! We took naps by the rushing streams, took millions of photos, and played games together under the surreal stars. The place felt so unreal we had to keep reminding ourselves it was our reality. We fell asleep listening to the river below and dreaming of another day rafting!
Day 7 began with fresh fruit, pancakes, and juice by the water, preparing for a long day on the water! On the second day of rafting we went 20 kilometers down the rapids! Separated into 3 different rafts, we all formed teams that took on the tough but exciting rapids together! Milo was quick to jump into the front of the raft to experience the best of the rapids! We floated through some absolutely gorgeous parts of the Costa Rican jungle, seeing waterfalls and wildlife along the way, including toucans! We stopped for sandwiches beside the river, and even got to feed pieces of our bread to little fish by the shore! Connor and Clara even tried to catch the fish with a plate! After a hard day of paddling the rapids, we got back onto our bus to make our last stop in Costa Rica! We capped off our adventures in the same place we started, reminiscing on the wonderful and crazy times we have had here. We had a big dinner of chicken, rice, and veggies, and finished off with a rich chocolate cake with cherries on top to celebrate our first leg of our adventure. We did a cheers to Costa Rica and the memories we have made together. After dinner, we tucked into bed early to prepare for our mid trip flight! We can’t wait to experience the wonderful country and culture of Belize! We asked our students to write a little message home and express their gratitude to those who helped them experience Moondance! We hope these bring some smiles to all of you reading at home!
Eleanor – I’m having so much fun! I really loved surfing and white water rafting the most! All the places we have stayed were so cool, definitely different from our family trip though! Mom and Patrick I hope your end of school went good and Dad happy Father’s Day! I miss you guys a lot and can’t wait to see yall but especially clemmie! ❤️Eleanor
Clara- Hey mom and dad! This trip is poppin for real. I saw a hummingbird today at the white water rafting place and thought of y’all. I can’t wait to be home with y’all and Willie. A guy in my group’s sibling is on Smith’s trip! Happy Father’s Day el padre!Miss ya’ll lots!❤️ Clara
Maddie- Hi mom, dad, and Jack! I’m having an amazing time sunset surfing and white water rafting. I’ve seen so many cool animals and we’ve been all around Costa Rica. I can’t not wait to see you guys and chewy! Mom I hope you had a great time in NYC, Jack have a blast at the US open and tell Mikey I say hi, and Happy Father’s Day Dad!!! Tell Ian that I’m am sort of in swim shape because I’ve tried to swim wherever 🙂 Love yall so much ❤️❤️ Mads
Milo- hello mom and dad I miss you guys and the dog 🐕. I hope you are having a great time and good food. And happy almost Father’s Day dad.
Connor- Hi Mom and Dad! Miss yall so much and I’m also having so much fun here! Thank you guys so much for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip. I hope yall are having a great time without the kids fighting (especially the girls). Love you guys. (By the way Dad, happy Father’s Day)
Tipton- hey mom and dad, miss yall so much and it has been the best week I could ask for so far. The people and leaders are amazing and we are constantly doing new activities. Miss yall so much and can’t wait to tell you about it, Happy Father’s Day!
Bridget – hey mom and dad, miss yall so much. This has been so much fun and I have made so many friends. I love the leaders and all the activities we do. Can’t wait to see yall soon. Also happy birthday and Father’s Day dad.
Sydney- hey mom and dad I miss yall so much I am having the best time!! I hope y’all are having a good time w no kids and has a great time in Wrightsville for the week. Have a amazing Father’s Day love you both ❤️❤️🙌🏻🙌🏻🔥🔥🔥🥰🥰🥰🤩🤩
Charlotte – hey mom and dad and AW!! I miss yall so much but I am having the best time ever here! It is soooo much fun thank you sm for letting me come here! Hope everything is good at home and Happy Fathers Day dad!! Love you guys 🤍
Ellis- hey mom and dad I miss yall so much! I have had a great time in Costa Rica. Thank you so much for sending me here and I can’t wait to see you guys soon. Hope you guys are having fun at home (and Reagan). Love you guys so much!! And happy Father’s Day ❤️😜😜🤩🔥🔥🧚♀️🧚♀️🌊🌊🐟🐠🐙
Ethan- Hey mom and dad I’m having the best time here. We’ve done a lot of fun stuff and I’ve met new people. I also found out someone on my trip has a sibling on the same trip as riley. And happy Father’s Day! ❤️
Soaking Up the Sun in Costa Rica!
June 10, 2024
These past few days in Costa Rica have made time fly! This group is full of adventurous and outgoing kids who know how to make every moment special. Our time in Costa Rica has consisted of ziplining, surfing, and learning about the vast agriculture of this beautiful country. On the first day of our trip we got to experience ziplining through the tropical rainforest! Milo was the first student to hang like a monkey upside down on the zip line, and the others were fast to follow! After starting our day off by going down 10 thrilling zip lines with the most insane viesws, we sat down for lunch. While eating delicious cheeseburgers, Ethan pointed out the two monkeys who were playing in the trees above us! How cool! Afterwards, we drove to the beach for our next activity of surfing. The surf instructors taught us a lesson about safety before the group was fast to run into the waves! Eleanor and Connor were surf pros as they caught the first waves of the day. We were lucky enough to experience one of the most beautiful beaches anyone has laid their eyes on. Maddie said it was something she will remember forever. As the sun was setting, we headed back to the hotel, where the group was quick to jump into the pool for games before dinner!
The next day we woke up bright and early for another round of surfing, because we just couldn’t get enough! After some hesitation, Bridget and Sydney embraced the adventure and even caught a wave together! We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the beach and loved being able to surf in Costa Rica together. After surfing we ate a late breakfast with waffles and freshly squeezed orange juice, we packed our bus up and headed back in to the luscious green rainforest. During our bus ride, Clara shared her friendship bracelet string with the group, making the time pass quickly! We arrived at our new location, where we drove right up the mountain, seeing the incredible views of the mountains and even some waterfalls! In the afternoon we learned about the agricultural importance of Costa Rica, including the cacao trees! Every student got to plant a new cacao tree and even taste the plant itself. After planting the trees, we got to feed bananas to a horse named Cacao! For dinner, the group learned how to make Pupusas, a traditional dish from El Salvador! We licked our plates clean and swiftly jumped into an intense game of Uno. We ended the night under the stars listening to the rushing water of the river close by. Our stomachs hurt from laughing, but we quickly fell asleep after another exciting day in this amazing country.
On the third day we woke up and had a quick breakfast including freshly cut pineapple, toast, eggs, and juice, and got ready to spend our day hiking in to the El Brujo community. On our hike we admired how grateful we were to be surrounded by the extraordinary landscape of Costa Rica. We arrived at the El Bruno community and began to help take one of their fences down to be replaced. Tipton quickly jumped in and wasn’t afraid to sweat as we hammered away at the fence! After taking down and rolling up the fence, we had a wonderful lunch which was served by the women’s group in the El Brujo community! We got our fuel in and battled it out on the soccer field with some of the local kids, allowing for the group’s competitive side to come out! Charlotte also got to practice her Spanish skills with the kids. We sweat it all out and said goodbye to our new friends in the El Brujo community. We are so thankful they let us in to experience their culture and community. Thankfully, our LOD of the day, Ellis, had the amazing idea of swimming in one of the rivers we passed on our way back and we couldn’t resist. We jumped right in with our clothes on and splashed around! As soon as we got back we hit the showers and jumped into another game of uno! We shared popcorn and laughed until we were lucky enough to learn how to make chocolate! Our friend Harlow taught us how to transform into Willy Wonka by making chocolate for our chocolate class. We even got to taste one of the natural cacao chocolate bars which was made from a batch of only 200! The rest of the night consisted of a delicious dinner of spaghetti and garlic bread, which the group loved and devoured! Every last crumb on their plates was gone!
We are so excited for the next few days of adventure with this special group. They know how to make every moment last, and spend the most of their time here. Our cheeks hurt from smiling, we are so lucky to be their leaders! We cannot wait to soak up the rest of this trip with this awesome group.
Signing off for now,
David, Alexa, and Catherine
Safe arrival in Costa Rica!
June 6, 2024
Hello Belize + Costa Rica Families!
All students but one have landed safely in Costa Rica and the group is anxiously awaiting Milo’s arrival this evening! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
