Unforgettable Adventures and Heartfelt Goodbyes
July 5, 2024
After tearful goodbyes filled with hugs and heartfelt words of encouragement, our kids are now on their way home. These past few days have been beyond words, a perfect culmination to our adventure-filled journey. Since our last update, we conquered the exhilarating rapids of the Pacuare River, even though we did not finish the whole activity due to excessive flooding. The kids handled it like champions, and we had an unexpected but beautiful hike instead. On our rafting adventure on the first day, we stopped at a rock/cliff where they could jump from. Ethan showed no fear by taking charge and leading the group into the rushing water. Shortly after, everyone followed, and we drifted along, taking in the beautiful scenery.
Patrick, Guy, and Dawson led the way on the raft, sitting right up front and indulging in the rapids, making splash wars with other groups, and keeping it lighthearted and fun!
We got the amazing opportunity to stop along the river and trek up to an oasis-like jungle waterfall, where we swam in what felt like a dream. Casey was quite the leader on this hike, bringing up spirits and keeping the conversations flowing!
When we made it to the overnight lodge, the group had a friendly but competitive round of Fishbowl. The teams were divided between youngest siblings and older siblings. Emily showed everyone up with her miming skills and ability to cleverly connect memories of the trip to specific words. We had a very competitive round that ended in a tie.
Our last day was quite the eventful Fourth of July! After a bit of a plan change due to the flooding and tired legs from our hike, we filled the bus with singing and dancing to classics. Mabel, Anabelle, and Liz sprang right up when they reminded everyone that Zach Bryan’s new album was released. They sat right at the front, listening with intent and excitement. Lee shocked all the girls with his angelic voice and knowledge of Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift, bringing up the energy of the bus with laughter and applause.
Later that day, we had some fun in the pool playing “silent swimmer” and chicken fights. We were then shocked and excited to learn that Kaitlin, Haley, and Kaylee could teach an entire complex Zumba dance! The girls indulged in water Zumba until we tired ourselves out and headed up to shower for dinner.
We had an amazing two weeks with these kids and cannot wait for their next adventure.
All our love,
BCR 2A
Marga, Meg, Michael
Student Shoutouts
July 3, 2024
Dawson – Hi mommy and daddy. Love you
Mabel – Hi mom and dad! I can’t wait to see you at home and I’m having so much fun. Love and miss everyone
Haley – Hi mom and dad miss you guys please make sure my card doesn’t run out of money love you
Guy – Hi mom and dad Moondance is fun and I’m excited to come home and tell you all about it
Anabelle – Hi mom dad and drew I miss and love yall so so much and I will see you when I get home
Liz – Hi mom and dad! I’m having such a great time! Love you and see you soon!!
Kaylee – Hi mom hi dad I miss yall so much and can’t wait to see yall soon I want chikfila for dinner love and miss yall
Patrick – What’s up family I hope that all is gooood at home and we just got done rafting and it is a BLAST I love yall so much and I hope yall are doing good.
Caitlin – hey gang wsp c u
Lee – What’s up fam hope you are having a peaceful time without me at home. I hope that Henry has a good birthday and you guys have a good 4th of July. I love you all and will see you soon.
Casey – Love you guys I’m having so much fun, miss soccer so much and Poppy and Juni. Will see you soon again love you
Ethan – Hi guys I love you all, I hope you guys are having fun. I am having a lot of fun in Belize and Costa Rica. See you guys in a few days.
Emily – Hi mom I miss you so much but I’m having so much so fun. I definitely want to come back to Costa Rica sometime soon because I love practicing my Spanish. See you soon!!!
Costa Rica here we come!
July 3, 2024
Hello again!
We are thrilled to share our latest adventures with you from the breathtaking mountains of Costa Rica. The group has truly embraced the essence of Pura Vida as we immersed ourselves in the wonders of this beautiful country.
We had a blast taking our adventure to new heights with Ziplining. We went through multiple lines of different lengths and heights, each one with new sights! Zip-lining through the lush jungle was just the beginning, with Patrick facing his fears and zip-lining for the first time. Transitioning to the coastal town of Uvita, we dove headfirst into the roaring waves for a surf lesson that left us invigorated and refreshed. The kids showcased their natural talent on the surfboards, embodying the spirit of adventure and resilience. Haley and Guy were right at home on the surfboards and tackled the bigger waves, making it look easy.
As we ventured to the jungle bungalow, our hearts were captivated by the serene beauty of the rainforest. Planting cacao seeds, painting our faces with blue clay, and indulging in the rich flavors of the cacao fruit brought us closer to nature in ways we never imagined. Annabelle and Mabel especially liked the natural facial that they got by using the blue clay as an exfoliating scrub.
After a rejuvenating afternoon, we had a farm to table full circle moment, where we tasted delectable chocolate from the cacao beans that grew right behind where we slept. The process consisted of roasting, skinning, and grinding the cacao beans. Lee was especially an all-star at skinning the shell from each bean at a record pace. He then put his strength to use by grinding the beans into a delicious cocoa powder. We then ended the activity by learning the proper way to taste the complete chocolate profile on our palates. This was a wonderful Willy Wonka experience that each student will be able to use in the future to impress their friends and family!
Engaging with the El Brujo community was a gratifying and humbling experience as we worked together on different projects, from cleaning the community center to helping build new fences. Each member of the group displayed remarkable dedication and teamwork, making a positive impact on the community and forging lasting connections. Kaitlin and Kaylee were eager to help clean the community center and did it in good spirits seeing that every 2 min a new song was sung and the project was finished in no time. Dawson and Casey put their physical strength to the test by digging 3 ft holes to plant poles that will support the new fence. Liz and Ethan also helped make way with digging the fence. Each strike of the shovel proved to be a challenging yet rewarding task. It was a strenuous job, but teamwork makes the dream work!
Our journey culminated in a scenic hike to Toucan Mountain, where we adorned ourselves with natural blue clay and reveled in the beauty of a rejuvenating waterfall. Emily was eager to showcase her artistic painting skills. As we prepare for our thrilling overnight adventure of whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River, the excitement and camaraderie among the kids are palpable.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to embrace the magic of Costa Rica and create lifelong memories together. Pura Vida!
Belizean Wonders
June 29, 2024
Hello Hello!
Here we are writing from a luxurious boat in the Caribbean, surrounded by unbelievably blue water, and great vibes all around! The past few days in Belize have been absolutely amazing and the group could not have meshed better!! Right off the bat, Dawson used his great energy and charisma to bring the group together on the bus ride with all kinds of animated stories! When we arrived at the notorious Royal Rat hostel we were greeted by Mark and Sheila, the hostel owners who are from New Zealand and England. They took an immediate liking to Lee, so he was our designated water jug guy! Thanks to him we stayed hydrated throughout the duration of the hot Belizean days. What would we do without him and his strength!?
The first day of Scuba was off the charts, Kaylee and Mabel joined our advanced diver certification where we delved right into the skills portion. This included going on a deep dive where we spotted sharks, rays, lobsters, and lots of colorful fish. They both reached 100 feet in depth! It was absolutely incredible to experience going that deep into our vast ocean!
The rest of the group, who did the open water certification, saw and pet some reef sharks, and swam with sea turtles. Emily was especially impressed by how close we could get to these amazing animals. Ethan noted that it almost feels like we are swimming in a big fish tank in the aquarium with all the sea creatures and beautiful corals surrounding us. It was truly like being an extra character in Finding Nemo. Our outfitters were amazing and got along with the kids so well, while encouraging them and making them feel safe at all times. Kaitlin and Anabelle had a friendly banter going on with Moses, the dive instructor, who also gave them some good answers to any questions that arose, and did not shy away from two girls trying to test his knowledge about scuba.
We decided to host an impromptu workout session called, “Muscles with Meg, Mike, and Marga,” to get the blood flowing and the muscles moving. Every single person decided to be champs and join in for a nice sweat. It turned out to be an amazing afternoon. They crushed it!! Patrick, who has had the biggest appetite so far, especially enjoyed the workout. He powered through every push-up, squat, and plank, with a smile on his face, asking what the next exercise was.
One of the nights, the group decided to go into town. We ended up finding a great soccer field where we played a massive game of capture the flag. Everyone put their game faces on, and let’s just say the competition was fierce. Liz took the cake for being a defensive warrior when it came to guarding her team’s flag. She takes her job very seriously when it comes to the attempted capturing of her flag. Haley also had a record number of tags, locking down any opposing teammate in her sights. Casey used his super speed to race past enemy lines and stir up trouble for the opposing team. Guy was a strategic genius. While the other team was distracted he snuck around the side of the field to capture the flag. Needless to say, it was an eventful evening and the kids all slept soundly that night.
It has been a magical time in Belize, and we cannot wait to see what Costa Rica has in store for us.
Best
Marga, Meg, Michael
Safe Arrival in Belize!
June 22, 2024
Hello Belize + Costa Rica Families!
All students have landed safely in Belize and the group is headed to their first activity! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
