Our Final Days in Belize!
July 7, 2024
Well, that’s all folks! In a series of unexpected events, BCR 2B has come to a close. As we write this, we can’t help but be so incredibly thankful for this group and everything that they mean to us. We wouldn’t have wanted to navigate a hurricane evacuation with anyone else! But before we get too sentimental, let’s recap our final days together!
After making it on our flight from Houston, we landed in Belize City exhausted from our super long travel day. But being tired is no barrier for this group so, once we arrived at our hostel for the next few days, everyone was super excited to see the pool located in the corner of the courtyard. Lila and Annie were the first to use the space, running out of their room in their bathing suits and jumping in the water before most of the group had even moved in! Soon after, everyone was joining the girls for a fun pool party. The party was made even better by the fact that Mark and Sheila – the INCREDIBLE owners of the hostel – had already ordered pizza for us so that we could eat dinner while we played in the water. Quickly after getting out, William set up his hammock in the middle of the courtyard. Others soon joined him, creating a small hammock encampment! After a long day, we conquered Moonup before calling it a night.
The next day was one of much anticipation as it brought the promise of starting the SCUBA certification process! But before we tried our hand at diving, we treated ourselves to a slow morning. After breakfast, Lizzie took a group on a bike ride around Placencia (the beach village where we stayed), Harrison took a group on a run, and Reid hung out with a few people in the pool at the hostel. During the run, Porter led the group with his speed and stamina, allowing the group to quickly see a large part of the peninsula. Soon after, we were splitting into two groups to begin learning how to SCUBA dive! While the first group – consisting of Reid, Harrison, Jake, Porter, Sam, William, Addi, Addison, and Annie – learned how to set up their diving equipment and some skills during the morning session, the others headed to a nearby resort for some tropical drinks and lay on the beach. The resort crew made the most of their time, swimming in the pool and jumping in the ocean. Frances led the group, being the first to run into the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean. After lunch, the groups switched, allowing both groups to have a fun day of work and play! After wrapping up SCUBA training for the day, everyone headed back to the hostel and began putting together a shopping list for dinner that night, which would be cooked by the girls. Thanks to Addison’s attention to detail and organization skills, the girls were soon on the way to the grocery store with Mark to start shopping. After they returned, the whole group headed to downtown Placencia to get some DELICIOUS gelato from a store called Tutti Frutti, which Mark and Sheila said was the only gelato place in all of Belize. After our sweet treat, we headed back to the hostel and the girls began preparing dinner. In between line dances and meaningful conversations, they prepared a yummy vodka sauce, meatballs, pasta, and garlic bread. Oh, and don’t get us started on the dessert… chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream! There’s no such thing as too many sweets, am I right? Later on, the group ended the night with more pool time and Moonup before hitting the hay.
Waking up the next morning was super exciting as this was the day when we would finally get to go diving in the ocean! After eating breakfast, we headed to the marina where we took a boat out to Laughing Bird Caye, one of Belize’s national marine parks! There, we redid the skills that we had practiced in the pool the day before to make ourselves more comfortable on the real dives. Soon after retrying each skill, we were off exploring the wonderful, watery world! Bo kept the group entertained, curling up into a ball and sinking to the sandy ocean floor and playing sticks! After around 45 minutes, everyone emerged on the surface, hooping and hollering about everything they had seen. After disassembling our equipment and heading back to land, we ate a delicious lunch before heading back out for the next dive! Flying around a beautiful coral shelf, we were amazed at all the life just below the surface. Soon after, we headed back in for the day. We logged our dives and chilled for a while at the hostel before heading to dinner on a barge in Placencia. Before we ate, though, we had to hit a quick group volleyball game. During the game, Sam once again proved to the group that he is, in fact, good at everything, crushing his serves and passes. Hungry from a tough match, we then headed to the table where everyone treated themselves to sugary drinks; shirley temples, smoothies, cokes, and sprites for everyone!! After dinner, we kept the good vibes going by returning to Tutti Frutti for more gelato. Back at the hostel, we were in for a treat as James and Addison decided to plan a really special Moonup. Opening the space by belly flopping into the pool with WWE music in the background, they declared that Moonup would be in the pool that night. After hearing the declaration, everyone spontaneously ran and jumped into the pool, still wearing their dry clothes from dinner! Addison and James soon ushered everyone out, however, saying they entered the water incorrectly. To enter Moonup that night, they explained, each person had to belly flop into the water. One by one, each student flopped into the pool, but it was Addi who committed the most, winning the competition! After everyone re-entered, Addison and James led a really thoughtful and eye-opening Moonup. Leaving the pool, everyone headed to the showers before some late night conversations.
The next day started bright and early as we had a mission to complete!! With a quick breakfast in our tummies, we headed to the marina and headed back out to Laughing Bird for our final two dives. The dives proved to be quite beautiful, rewarding us for our hard work with rainbow fish and huge corals. After our two dives, we had time to chill on the beach and play in the waves. A few of us decided to go on an impromptu snorkel session. The group swam around the reef and saw lionfish and even a sea pickle!! Back on shore from the detour, we loaded back on to the boats and then headed back to the hostel. We chilled for a little while before a little surprise we had planned. To make up for the days we would miss due to the trip’s early conclusion, we were going on a sunset catamaran tour!! We decided that we weren’t going to tell the students what we were doing, so when we pulled into the marina and saw all the catamarans lined up, everyone was so pumped!! Climbing on board, we were greeted with a wonderful spread of ceviche, hot dogs, hummus, meatballs, brie cheese, sodas, and virgin piña coladas!! We soon set sail and began cruising in the beautiful waters. In between refills, snacks, and naps, we all talked about the trip and how sad we were to be departing the next day. But with this group, of course, nothing could dampen our spirits. Stancil, of course, had the courage to ask the captain of the ship if we could make a pit stop to swim and jump off the roof of the boat. And he said yes!! Soon after, Stancil and the rest of us were jumping off the catamaran into the waters below. It truly felt like a movie ending. After a while of jumping, the girls decided to swim under the catamaran to close out the sailing trip. They tried to convince others to join them, but only Will, with his amazing attitude and commitment to living in the moment, that joined them! Soon enough, we were cruising back to port and saying our thank you’s before heading to dinner on the beach! At dinner, Jake kept himself (and others) busy by trying to open up as many coconuts as possible, making for a delicious pre-dinner treat. After eating and watching James down 19 wings and a ton of onion rings, we headed for one final ice cream stop. Stuffed from an afternoon full of treats, we headed back to the hostel for some final pool time, Moonup, and rest before our crazy next day.
The next day started before the sun was even up! Today we would sadly be leaving Belize and traveling through Guatemala in order to make it back to the good ole USA. In an action packed day, we caught flight after flight before we were ultimately flying to DC. Once we touched down, we exchanged teary goodbyes and final hugs before everyone caught their flights back home.
And with that, BCR 2B has come to an end. While this trip did not play out in any way we could have ever imagined, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Truly. This group of kids was so enthusiastic, energetic, thoughtful, interesting, and interested, and for that we are so thankful. We are so excited to know that each student has a few new members of their village, ones that will certainly support each other through the highs and lows of the next few years. Thank y’all for everything!!
With Love,
Lizzie, Reid, and Harrison
Buenaventura and then onto Belize!
June 30, 2024
It feels like it hasn’t been long since we last updated y’all on our adventures, but MAN has so much happened!! When we last hosted this wonderful show, we had just tried our hands at making real dark chocolate. After a fantastic night, we knocked out Moonup before heading to bed for the last time at Buenaventura.
The next morning was a particularly special one. Why, you ask? BECAUSE IT WAS ADDI’S 15TH BIRTHDAY!!!! We woke up on Day 5 ready to attack what’s arguably the most challenging hike of the entire trip. The hike, however, had an alluring reward for those who dared to embark upon it: the opportunity to turn oneself into a character from Avatar!! After breakfast, we began the journey, hiking up the steep slopes of the mountains surrounding Buenaventura. With Addison leading the pack, we were soon at the mountain’s peak, cruising along the ridge line. Soon after, we were arriving at Toucan Falls, where balls of blue clay awaited us. Everyone jumped at the opportunity to cover themselves in a thick layer of the clay before applying it to their hair. William and Porter entertained the entire group by using the clay as a hair gel, fashioning their hair into a unicorn spike! After a little while playing with the blue clay, we were able to use orange clay to body paint each other. It was truly hilarious, and sometimes impressive, to watch everyone attempt to paint their best designs on their friends. After washing off, we headed back down the mountain and showered off before lunch. At lunch, the leaders had a very special surprise: a cake for Addi’s birthday! Arguably the best part of the treat was the chocolate drizzle on top of it, which came from the chocolate we had created the night before! Will especially loved it! After lunch, it was unfortunately time to head out. As we loaded back into the 4 x 4 trucks, we couldn’t help but think about how grateful we were to get to experience our time together at Buenaventura. Once we got back to paved roads, we hopped back into our bus and headed out. As we drove deeper into Costa Rica, the greenery only got thicker and more vibrant. Along the way, we had plenty of gas station breaks, giving us time to stock up on snacks and candy for the ride. Finally, after a long day of driving, we arrived at the town of Turrialba, where we ended the day with a MASSIVE pizza dinner. Even with this ravenous group, we couldn’t finish all of it! But, hey, it was Addi’s birthday!
The next day started the most anticipated section of the trip: whitewater rafting!! After waking up in Turrialba, we quickly loaded onto the bus and headed to our drop point on the Pacuare River, the river we would be cruising for the next two days. After a safety briefing, we were on the river, floating deeper into the jungle. About halfway through the first day, we stopped for a CRAZY waterfall hike. After we climbed up a section of slippery river, we were rewarded with a majestic waterfall and natural pool where we could swim. As we played around in the pool, a slight drizzle began to rain down. Looking up through the canopy of the jungle, you could see the small raindrops illuminated by the sunlight, making for a truly cinematic experience. With such an epic backdrop, Frances decided to show off her acting skills, cosplaying for the entire group! It was genuinely so hilarious!! Once we were back in the rafts, we cruised to our eco-lodge for the night, an epic jungle hideout built into the side of the mountain. After we arrived, we scurried up the slopes and settled in before heading to hang out on the balcony that overlooked the river. It was a wonderfully relaxing afternoon, laying in hammocks, playing card games, and making friendship bracelets. Lila proved to be a huge asset to the group, helping everyone make their bracelets! Soon enough, everyone was working on braiding their strings into beautiful patterns. After dinner, the leaders announced to the group a special night time activity: a SPONTANEOUS TALENT SHOW!!! With partners drawn from a hat, each group had 10 minutes to come up with a talent to impress the entire group. While there were many great talents, Jake, Bo, and Sam’s rendition of “Hakuna Matata” made the group cry laughing. Another highlight was definitely Stancil and James’ silent dance show, which made everyone confused in the best way. The best performance, however, was awarded to Annie and Addison for their dance to “TikTok” by KE$HA. We ended the night with a great Moonup and a scary story before calling it a night.
The next morning, we woke up for another day of rafting. This day promised huge rapids and good times. After a slow morning with delicious Costa Rican coffee, we headed down the mountain towards the river and hopped back in our boats. Today’s rapids were WILD, clocking in at class three and four. As we navigated the waves, it was amazing to watch every boat work as a team. After a few hours of rafting, we pulled on to the river bank where we had lunch and hopped back on the bus. And, with that, the final activity in Costa Rica came to an end. But that doesn’t mean the fun did!! As we drove back to San José, we entertained ourselves with carpool karaoke, stories, and (of course) making friendship bracelets. How could we forget the creepy clown encounter on the side of the road, though! Ultimately, once we arrived back at our hotel in San José, we decided to head to a nearby Mexican restaurant to watch the final minutes of the Costa Rica vs. Colombia game in the Copa America, with a side of chips and guac of course. After enjoying our appetizers, we headed for one final Costa Rican dinner at the hotel before hitting an early Moonup and bedtime due to our EARLY flight the next morning.
Maybe it would be more accurate to our experience to say we had a super late flight on day 7 than it would be to say we had an early flight on Day 8, as we all woke up at 1 AM to head to the airport for our flights to Belize. Anything for the adventure, right? After flying through the San José airport (nugs to all the students for making it SO easy), we had some time to shop at a great spot in the airport and get some breakfast before our flight to Houston. Once we arrived in Houston, we were entered into a fun new sport: airport triathlon! Airport triathlon is a fun sport where you have to navigate customs, security, and run through a bustling airport to reach your connecting flight just in time. Thankfully, it turns out, we were all naturals at the event, even having enough time to get some food along the way!
See, didn’t we tell you that a whole lot could happen in just a few days? We’re currently on the flight to Belize and are so excited for the many adventures that are on the way!
*Synchronized Clap*,
Lizzie, Reid, and Harrison
Shoutouts:
Frances: hey mom and dad!!!!!! I’m having so so much fun and love everyone so so much!!!!!! Tell law and maye Morgan I said hey and I miss them so much and can’t wait to see them! Love y’all bye!!!
Porter: hey y’all it’s so much fun here and I’m having a blast! Can’t wait to see you guys and talk to you.
Lila: hey mom and dad! I’m having so much fun and never want to leave but I miss y’all! Tell Greta, William, Mimi, and Poppy and everyone I said hi! Love you!
Stancil: hey mom and dad!! I miss y’all! Tell Grandma, Aunt Lisa, and Grandad I miss them. I’m having so much fun and the group is great. Love y’all!!!!
Will: Hi mom and dad I am having so much fun in costa rica and belize. All the activities in costa rica were really fun and I can’t wait to start scuba diving tomorrow. I love y’all so much and I can’t wait to see you on Friday.
Annie: Hi Mom, Dad, and Grandmommy!!! I am having SO much fun, and the river was amazing!! I miss y’all so much (but Rosie more) and hope you are having fun in Oregon!!
Addi: Hi mom dad and ella! I miss you guys so much! I’m having a lot of fun! See you soon and love you guys!
Addison: Heyy parents I miss y’all so so much but I don’t wanna leave. I’m literally having the time of my life and I made so much new friends. Tell crosby and carter I can’t wait to see them and tell y’all all about it. We just got to belize and going to scuba tomorrow. See y’all soon love y’all!!
William: having a great time on the trip so far and we are driving to our place in Belize right now. I have loved the surfing the most but I’m super excited to scuba dive tomorrow!
Bo: Hey guys I’m having such a fun time. We are driving to our place in Belize right now and will be scuba diving tomorrow. Can’t want to tell y’all everything about the trip!
Jake: thank you guys so much for all you have done to get me here it is truly amazing, will tell y’all everything when I get home 🧌
James: Hello Mom and Dad ,thank you guys so much so much for sending me to Moondance this summer. I just wanted to let you guys know I’m having a great time. Can’t wait to see you!
Sam: hey mom and dad thank you for sending me out here, we are having so much fun and my counselors are great. Can’t wait to play some golf when I get back. Love you!
Livin' the Pura Vida Life!
June 27, 2024
YOO-HOO!!! It’s real! We’re doing it! We’re dancing on the moon!!!! Moondancing, some may say…
Bienvenidos, weh di gaan an, bienvenue, and welcome to our first trip update for BCR 2B 2024!!! We are Lizzie, Reid, and Harrison, and we’ll be your hosts for these trip updates for the next two weeks as we lead this wonderfully talented, amazing, perfect, enthusiastic, and energetic group. The past four days have been an absolute whirlwind as we’ve navigated the beaches, jungles, rivers, and skies of Costa Rica… wanna hear about it?
When everyone touched down in Costa Rica, it felt like we were meeting a group of 13 people who had known each other for a lifetime!! One flight from Atlanta to Costa Rica can be incredibly bonding, apparently. After cheers and hugs, we were soon on our way into San José for our first night together. After arriving at the hotel for the night, we quickly headed to lunch for some DELICIOUS pizza at a nearby restaurant. Fueled up and ready to go – thanks to an extra stop at a convenience store – we decided to attack the hotel pool. As we jousted with pool noodles and played fun pool games, we couldn’t help but feel like it was a prophecy of how fun the next two weeks with this group would be! After showering and making the group playlist, we watched an amazing sunset (arguably the best one of the entire summer) and headed to dinner before crushing our first Moonup. Moonup, if you don’t know, is a very special time at the end of every Moondance day in which we give compliments, ask get-to-know-you questions, and choose the next day’s Leaders of the Day. After Moonup, we headed to bed, exhausted from a long travel day.
Day 2 started off with a bang as we got to not only go ziplining but also surfing!! As we drove from San José to the ziplining spot, we couldn’t help but admire the beautiful beaches on the right side of the bus and the towering green mountains on our left. In the middle of our journey, we stopped at (another) convenience store and picked up our favorite road trip snacks. Bo, however, decided to not only get some snacks but also a monkey neck pillow which quickly became the group’s most desired item. Soon after, we arrived at the ziplining spot and were preparing to fly through the Costa Rican jungle! After zipping down ten different lines, we were back on the ground and headed to our next adventure. We soon arrived at Uvita Beach for our first surfing lesson. Surfing proved to be an AMAZING time, even in the rain!! Lizzie shared with the group that Hawaiian legend says when there’s water below you and water above you, you’re more connected to the waves and become a better surfer! And after watching this group surf, that just might be true. Despite it being her first time, Lila proved to be a great surfer, quickly getting up on the board. Addison soon followed, popping up on the board with ease! Looking across the waves, it was amazing to watch everyone getting up and gliding across the water. However, we couldn’t help but be amazed at Sam’s surfing skills. Sam was crushing the biggest waves and, on day 3, took on a wave so big that his board snapped in half!! Isn’t that gnarly?
Day 3 started with a morning surf session, hitting the waves before we even had time to eat! The morning’s waves were great for beginners, allowing us to hone our skills. Will quickly began improving his abilities, even learning how to rotate 180 degrees on the board! Frances and Lizzie, meanwhile, were riding the waves together on the same board! Before long, we were (too) quickly exiting the water for the last time. After surfing, we hopped back on the bus and headed to our next adventure! We drove through the mountains of Costa Rica once again but were still absolutely amazed by how beautiful the landscape was. After a little bit, we were meeting the 4×4 trucks that would be taking us to Buenaventura, the eco-lodge near El Brujo, where we would be staying for the next three days. As we sat in the back of the trucks, we sang our favorite songs to pass the time. Upon arriving at Buenaventura, we were greeted by Harlow, the owner of Buenaventura. He led us across the rope bridge and up the hill towards our beautiful refuge that we would now call home. After getting settled in, we started the first section of our community service: planting cacao trees that will be used for a reforestation project in the future! Before working, however, we were able to apply clay that is good for your skin, fights against bug bites, and helps prevent sunburn. Porter and William really embraced the clay, applying it all over their bodies… including a few handprints on their backs, thanks to help from friends. After rinsing off the clay and dirt from the trees, we then headed to cooking class! Harlow taught us how to make pupusas, a traditional Salvadoran dish that consists of cheese wrapped in a corn dough. A little later, we were munching on our delicious creation. That night, our Leaders of the Day, Stancil and Porter, led a wonderful Moonup in which we talked about our favorite things to do in our free time and what our families look like. It was awesome how authentic and open everyone was, allowing the group to grow even closer!
Day 4! LET’S GOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Today has been so amazing for the group as we have all bonded and gotten to know each other better. Waking up to the sounds of the Costa Rican jungle, we moseyed over to breakfast in order to fuel up for the day ahead of us. Today, we would be going to work in the El Brujo community, right down the road from Buenaventura. As a part of our community service project, the group was split into two teams; one would be tasked with painting the community’s church while the other would be digging holes to place fence poles in. Addi proved to be especially helpful with the church painting, as her attention to detail assured that the walls would look as good as possible. After a quick break to eat some fresh pineapple and watermelon, we headed to the community’s soccer field for an intra-group match. It was a close game that came down to penalty kicks, but ultimately it was the Cougs that took home the victory!! After eating lunch in El Brujo, we hiked back to Buenaventura. During the walk, James took the opportunity to get to know EVERYONE better. In fact, his outgoing and charismatic personality ultimately led to him being selected as tomorrow’s guy LOD. When we got back to Buenaventura, we spent the afternoon chilling in a hammock village that we set up. Jake appeared to have more fun than most with the hammocks, swinging himself and others high into the sky! After a much-needed nap time, we were back up for our next activity: chocolate making! Harlow showed us how to properly consume dark chocolate before we began roasting, peeling, and grinding the cocoa beans ourselves. Also, as a special treat after dinner, we got to try more chocolate that Moondance groups earlier in the summer got to make. How cool!
Wow, what crazy lives we have lived these past four days! We’re genuinely so lucky. While we still have a few days left in Costa Rica, we can’t help but reflect on how special of a place this is and how much it has impacted all of us. This group has been so energetic and enthusiastic; we couldn’t ask for better!
Pura Vida,
Lizzie, Reid, and Harrison
Safe Arrival in Costa Rica!
June 23, 2024
Hello Belize + Costa Rica Families!
We heard from our leaders last night that all students have landed safely in Costa Rica 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 weeks! 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
