Last check in from CRO 2A!
July 6, 2024
Day 12: Happy Fourth of July from Croatia! We woke up in our hostel after an incredible night’s sleep with air conditioning and comfortable beds. We went downstairs to enjoy a delicious breakfast spread on the patio before having an hour to walk around and visit any shops we couldn’t get to the night before. Ella, Leslie, Grace, and Marge did some souvenir shopping and picked up thoughtful gifts for their folks back home. We then hopped in the van and headed to our final activity of the trip: zip lining! This was something many of the students were really looking forward to, and the energy was high on the bus ride down the coast. We played festive Fourth of July music and stopped halfway for a local lunch: Burek, a cheese or meat-filled pastry. After a safety briefing, we headed up the mountain to complete the 10 zip lines. The views were absolutely gorgeous as we zipped across the canyon over the river in Omiš. Chase, Owen, and Emma conquered their fears, and the entire group cheered them on, while Colby showed off his cool tricks on the line. After ziplining, we settled into what I believe to be the most beautiful campsite of the trip. Our tents were perched on a cliffside above the Adriatic Sea, with steps leading down to the water for a swim. Naturally, we all took a pre-dinner swim before enjoying a delicious meal of freshly caught fish and meat. We had live music, and they even played some American classics for us to sing and dance along to! After dinner, William and I surprised the students with some Fourth of July fun. We divided into red and blue teams and played a series of games: bobbing for apples with whipped cream and gummies, a donut-on-a-string eating race, a wrapping paper dress design competition, and American trivia family feud! What a fun day! As always, our LODs, Sims, and Mac, capped off the night by leading an especially thoughtful Moonup before we hit the hay.
Day 13: Today was our last full day together. We got to sleep in a bit and woke up by the water before enjoying a big breakfast of eggs, yogurt, toast, and more at the campground restaurant. After breakfast, we had some time for a morning swim before showers and packing up. We said goodbye to our beautiful seaside home and hit the road one last time toward Dubrovnik. After a couple of hours and a lunch stop, we made it to Old Town, where we would be staying for our final night. We dropped our stuff in the rooms and had some time to walk around town for some last-minute souvenir shopping. Leslie, Russell, Isaac, Ella, and Sims were generous and got lots of gifts for loved ones at home. Kirra bought a super cute new bathing suit to wear for the rest of the summer, and Palmer got his mom a cute bracelet and towel. After a couple of hours of shopping, we headed to a delicious dinner with a great view of the Old Town Plaza. There was a wide spread of meals on the table tonight, including pizza, risotto, carbonara, salads, fish, and more! Banquet dinners are always so much fun because we get to share delicious food and funny stories from the past couple of weeks. After dinner, we walked next door to a popular gelato spot. We had to grab one last gelato in celebration! To end a wonderful night and an even more wonderful trip, we found a quiet spot outside of town for our last Moonup, led by Grace and Chase. We decided to walk back to our hostel instead of taking the bus to get a better view of the city and spend some more quality time together. We bid the group goodnight and headed to bed.
Day 14: Today we packed up after a big buffet-style breakfast and took the kids to the airport. Departure day is always sad, and we hate to see them go. We are so proud of how far they have come these past few weeks, and we know their futures are bright!
Love,
Anna and William
Enjoying our Time in the Croatian Sea!!
July 3, 2024
DAY 8
On Day 8, we woke up in the mountains for the last time before having a quick breakfast and
heading eagerly towards our much-anticipated destination – the beach! We enjoyed a scenic 2-hour van ride down the mountain, with gorgeous views from the windows all along the way. After a brief lunch stop, we boarded a ferry to Rab Island. Arriving at our accommodation for the next three nights, everyone was excited to change into their bathing suits and head straight for the beach. Our campsite is perfectly situated near a large beach and swimming area, and the sunny, hot weather was ideal for an afternoon of swimming and beach activities. We stayed until dinner time, happily taking our first showers since leaving the mountains, before strolling to a nearby restaurant. Dinner offered a wide array of options, from fried calamari and seafood pasta to pork skewers and pizza. Of course, we couldn’t skip the customary first night at the beach without a gelato stop! We walked back to a beachside gelato stand to enjoy double scoops while watching the sunset. Our LODs for the night, Kirra and Palmer, led a high-quality Moonup and introduced the group to a fun new game. Ella emerged victorious after a close competition among Sims, Mac, and herself, rounding off a very enjoyable day. A day in the sun left everyone thoroughly tired, ready to rest up for the adventures planned for our first full day on the island tomorrow.
DAY 9
As summer progressed, the island grew warmer, and true to form, the sun rose around 5:30 am with the heat following shortly after. We all woke up around 8 am to a delicious breakfast by the
waterfront. Mary, our campsite host, prepares a wide variety of breakfast options each morning to kick-start our day right. We then boarded the vans for our main activity of the day: sea kayaking! Under a cloudless sky, we applied SPF, paired up, and set off in perfect conditions. Paddling 2.5 miles around part of the island, we reached a beach where we stopped for a swim and lunch. After a couple of hours, we kayaked back, completing a 5-mile round trip. The group’s spirits were high, thoroughly enjoying the experience. Grace and Palmer unintentionally led the group in kayak flips, while Isaac and Sims raced ahead. After kayaking, we returned to camp to shower, relax, and then headed to a beachside restaurant for dinner. Naturally, where there’s a beach, gelato follows. Everyone indulged in flavors of their choice, wrapping up the evening with a sweet treat. Our LODs for the day, Marge and Russell, gathered the group at the beach for Moonup before retiring to camp for the night. We can’t wait for the excitement awaiting us tomorrow!
DAY 10
Day 10 marked our final full day on Rab Island before continuing our journey down the coast. We enjoyed a leisurely morning, sleeping in as our schedule included a day dedicated to the beach – a much-needed opportunity to recharge before the final busy days ahead. Following another delicious breakfast prepared by Mary, we eagerly made our way to the beach. Our day was filled with swimming, volleyball, football, soccer, chatting, sunbathing, and music. Ella brought her unicorn floaty and generously gave it to a nearby little girl at the end of the day. Marge and Grace enjoyed chicken Caesar salads on the beach, while Colby and Russell caught up on some rest. After our beach activities, we returned to camp for showers before dinner at a nearby restaurant. Dinner options were plentiful, with about half of the group opting to try another local Croatian dish: cevapi! Owen treated us to Croatian mint chocolates after dinner. Our LODs for the night, Ella and Isaac, fostered another great sunset conversation by the water before we returned to camp to pack up and prepare for bed. Today felt like a significant turning point in our group dynamic, as everyone has grown closer and opened up over the past few days. It’s been incredibly fun getting to know each of them, and we’re excited for what the remaining days together will bring.
DAY 11
Time to hit the road! We packed our bags, dismantled the tents, and enjoyed one last breakfast by the sea before continuing our journey down the coast. After catching the ferry back to the mainland, we drove a couple of hours to lunch and then to a national park for rock climbing. Everyone attempted at least one route, cheered on by others throughout. Isaac, Palmer, and Colby even tackled all three routes, while Emma, Chase, and Owen conquered their fear of heights! The weather was beautiful – sunny but not too hot – and everyone was in high spirits. After a few hours of climbing, we returned to the van and headed towards Zadar. For the night, we’re staying in the Old City of Zadar at a nice hostel. Zadar, a quintessential European town, offered us the chance to stroll around, explore the shops, and enjoy a picnic-style dinner by the river with our takeaway pizza. The River Zadar, home to the Sea Organ, an architectural sound art instrument, serenaded us with music made by the waves. We took a post-pizza stroll along the boardwalk and through the old town before returning to the hostel for Moonup led by our LODs, Owen and Leslie.
We have had such an amazing time getting to know this group so far, and we cannot wait for the adventures to come!!
Signing off for now,
William & Anna
Thank you’s:
Grace Ter Poorten- Thank you Mom and Dad for giving me an opportunity to go to cool places and meet great people. It gives me a childhood that I’ll be able to look back on a smile about. Love you
TP fam see you soon
Ella Milner- Thank you so much for letting me experience this world in such great ways! I love and miss all of you! See you soon!!!! P.S. I miss and can’t wait to see my angel of a pricey poo!!!!!!! Yay
Sims Burke- Thank y’all so much for providing the opportunity for me to go on such incredible trip! I miss y’all so much and CANNOT wait to see y’all
P.S. please tell Cole I’m sooo exited to see him and I miss him soooo much
Leslie Wallace- Thanks so much for giving me the amazing opportunity to be on this trip. I’m so
excited to see y’all and I miss u so so much. I love u sooo much and I’ll see y’all soon
Russell Huber – Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity because I’m really enjoying my time in Croatia. That being said I miss you guys so much and can’t wait to see you all. Love to everyone and again write Mere for me if she’s at camp —- Love you all!!
Palmer Elsas – Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to come on this trip. I am having an amazing time and have met tons of new people. Croatia is beautiful and the weather is great. I hope all is well in Atlanta, and I hope Francie is having fun at camp.
Love- Palmer
Mac McCullough- Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be on this trip. I have made great friends and had a lot of fun. I owe it to you guys. Love- Mac
Owen Hahn- Thank you so much for this trip, it’s a once in a lifetime experience and I can’t thank you enough. I know if we did a trip here it would be very different. Thank you so much and I love you guys.
Isaac Jeffrey- Thank you guys so much for letting me go on such an amazing trip. It’s been really fun and I can’t thank you guys enough. -love Isaac
Chase Phillips- I hope you’re both having a great day today and I wanted to thank you both for
letting me go on this trip of a lifetime! I really appreciate it and I can’t wait to see you soon, I love
you and say hi to the animals! -love, Chase
Colby Pate- Thank y’all so much for pushing me to go on this trip I’ve tried so many new things and met so many new people I’m having so much fun and can’t wait to see y’all soon. Make sure to tell the Guys I miss them.
Kirra Jackson – Thank you guys so much for letting me go on this trip to Croatia. I’m having such an amazing time and have met so many people. Can’t wait to see you!! Love you, Kirra
Emma Dyson – thank you guys soooo much for letting me go on this trip! I’m having so much fun
and I love experiencing so many cool places + meeting amazing people. I’m so so so grateful!! Can’t wait to see you guys!!
Emma
Sarah Margaret Hopper- Thanks Mom and Dad for encouraging me to take every opportunity I can. I am so thankful that I have been able to travel to California, Maui, and Croatia and been able to gain so many new experiences
Love y’all so much!!
Trekking our way through Croatia
June 30, 2024
DAY 1: On this day, the students left their hometowns and started their travels! We are in Zagreb, Croatia and awaiting their arrival!
DAY 2: Today was the day we finally got to meet the group! Our first arrival was Leslie, followed by Grace, and the rest of the group shortly after. Understandably, everyone was tired and ready for a chill afternoon. After introductions and sorting housekeeping away, we hopped in the van and headed to our first stop of the session. The camp we stayed at had cute little huts with 2-3 beds and a nearby shower/bathroom and restaurant. William and I (Anna) handed out the Moondance shirts and alumni gifts before heading to dinner. Everyone was starting to get more comfortable and we enjoyed some grilled chicken, salad, fries, and gelato at the restaurant. It was already getting late, and everyone was ready to sleep after a long travel day, so we went ahead and explained Moonup to our first time Moondancers. Moonup is a nightly conversation that every Moondance group does every night around the world. During this conversation, we start with a quote, give thanks to the day with “nugs”, answer a question to get to know one another better, and end with a closing game or ritual. Tonight, William and I led Moonup, but every night after in the trip, the Leaders of the Day (LODs) will take charge. We nominated Chase and Ella to lead tomorrow night, and ended with a crowd favorite game of Mafia.
DAY 3: Our first full day!!! Everyone had a great night’s rest in the huts, and we woke the group up for breakfast. Breakfast was also at the restaurant, consisting of a wide buffet of fruit, eggs, pastries, yogurt, cereal, and more. Everyone got fueled up for our first activity of the trip: river kayaking! We had some time to pack up and hop in the bus and drive to the river. After our safety briefing, we paired off into boy-girl duos and hopped in. We started right away on a waterfall and everyone did an incredible job, despite being nervous for the first one. We had a total of 10 waterfalls to jump in the kayaks and a few areas of rapids to maneuver. It was so much fun watching everyone conquer their fears and encourage each other along the way. About halfway through, we stopped for a riverside sandwich lunch before finishing off the route. Everyone had so much fun, and I love that this activity is our first because it opens everyone up so well. We dried off, snacked up, and hit the road to our second campsite on the other side of the national park. Everyone got nice and cozy after setting up camp and we had a couple hours to chill before dinner time. We took a field trip across the street to the grocery store. The girls bought local candies and made a “candy salad”, and the boys tried out some Croatian snacks. After dinner, the group played on the campground playground before concluding the day with Moonup, led by our LODs. What a great first activity day! Everyone is already warming up to one another and spirits are high.
DAY 4: This morning started out a little drizzly out, but it wasn’t long after our omelet breakfast, that the sun started to peak out and we were on our way to Plitsvince waterfalls. This park is one of the most popular in the country, of equal equivalence of the Grand Canyon in the US. We took a 4.5 mile loop around the park, and a ferry ride, to see all 16 of the waterfalls the park has to offer. It was absolutely stunning, and we took lots of photos for y’all to check out when your students get home! Once we returned to camp, we had some much appreciated free time. We got snacks, laid in the hammocks, played some soccer, read summer reading, and took naps before dinner. Dinner was back at the same restaurant, there were a variety of options. Kirra and Ella even tried a traditional Croatian goulash, essentially a penne pasta with beef stew. When we went to grab some ice cream after dinner, it started raining while we were in the store, so we decided to make ourselves at home at the covered outside tables. It was getting late, so our LODs, Sims and Isaac, made the executive decision to host Moonup there. Moonup concluded, and so did the rain, so we walked back to camp with full bellies and hearts! Everyone is very excited for the next leg of our trip that starts tomorrow: the mountains!!
DAY 5: We were able to sleep in a bit and enjoy a late breakfast at camp before heading to the mountains. Everyone learned how to pack up the tents, and our LODs today, Colby and Grace, were especially helpful getting everything together and cleaned up. Our drive to the Velebit Mountain Hut is a couple hours, so we broke it up halfway with a lunch stop. We think it is important for the students to have the chance to try a lot of local dishes, so we made a reservation at a restaurant that offers Peka. Peka is a traditional Croatian dish, with veal and vegetables that was marinated for a day prior. After a big lunch, we finished off the drive and arrived at the mountain hut! We made the trek up with our groceries and got settled in to our new home for 3 nights. To top off our day of trying out Croatian eats, we cooked štrukli for the group to enjoy. Everyone can now say they’ve tried a wide variety of foods here when they return!! Sims, Kirra, and Marge were on dish crew and helped us clean up the kitchen after dinner. To wrap up the night, our LODs, Grace and Colby, decided to rally the group up a nearby peak for a very special Moonup location.
DAY 6: Our second day in the mountains was a big one!! We slept in a bit and enjoyed a breakfast of eggs, cereal, granola, and yogurt and packed some lunches before hitting the trail. Energy and anticipation was high for today because we were about to conquer the longest hike of the trip: a 10 mile summit! We had 4 miles out to the peak, an extra mile to a famous spot on the trail, Rossi’s Shelter, then turned back toward our mountain hut. I especially love the trekking portion of the trip because it gives everyone a great opportunity to speak with each other on a more individual level without much distraction. It took us about 4 hours to complete the out and back, so that gave everyone plenty of time to play trail games and have quality conversation with a wide variety of people. A big yummy dinner of teriyaki chicken, veggies, and rice, was in store after that big day. Sims and Grace volunteered to help us prepare the chicken and Ella, Russell, and Emma did a great job on clean up duty. After dinner, LODs, Owen and Emma, led another great Moonup before we went back inside to get ready for bed. We have one last day of trekking in store tomorrow before heading down to the coast.
DAY 7: Another morning on the mountain! We rose and shone to a big breakfast and fueled up for our last hike of the session. Colby and Isaac helped us clean up the breakfast dishes while everyone got ready to go. Today we had a very steep 5 miles in store for us. Our group does a fantastic job getting hyped up for the hikes and we had the playlist bumping on the speaker. We tackled two peaks today, and on the second summit, we made a long pit stop and ate our sandwiches while soaking in the great views. Palmer did an especially great job bringing the group’s spirit’s up and encouraged the group to keep up the positive energy. We returned to the mountain hut in the late afternoon and everyone was more than ready for some chill reading and napping time. After a couple hours, everyone was super excited to chow down our big yummy spaghetti bolognese dinner! Our lovely clean crew tonight consisted of Mac and Chase, and they had some of the most efficient dishwashing skills yet. Because it is our final night in the mountains and the group did such a great job on both hiking days, we surprised them with a fire and s’mores after Moonup, led by Mac and Leslie. What a fun way to wrap up this section of trip and jump into officially the second half of the trip tomorrow! The coast awaits!!
Trip shoutouts
Ella Milner- I can’t wait to share all of my Croatian experiences and experience more. See you soon and love you always Price, Mommy, daddy, Annie, animals, ETC.
Sims Burke- Hiii everyone I miss y’all way too much. I am having a great time and hope y’all are keeping busy in Memphis please please tell Cole I hope he had the very best birthday and I love him so much!!!! I miss all of y’all so much see you soon mom, dad, Patrick, Cole, animals, etc – simsie
Marge hopper- Hi Mom and Dad!! I miss y’all and love y’all so much and am so excited to tell y’all all about Croatia!! Tell Caroline I read her message and laughed and I miss her!!! Have a great rest of the week -SM
Grace Ter Poorten- HEYY GUYS!! I love you guys very much and cannot wait to tell you Dad about the mountains and Mom about the new food I’ve tried. I hope Lucy is okay sleeping in J’s bed and hope y’all are all doing well. Love you guys SO MUCH! The most love in the , T-poo
Leslie Wallace- Hey Wallace Fam! I couldn’t miss y’all more. Im so excited to see y’all! HBD Claire & Mary Mack! Henry, Charlie, and Dad I’m so excited to give y’all the biggest hugs & I hope Mom and Claire made it home safely and everything is going well at home. I’m praying for y’all every night
Kirra Jackson- Hi mom, dad, jj, alexa and ozzie!! I’m having such an amazing time in Croatia! I love it so much! I miss you guys and can’t wait to see you! We have to come back here as a family because it’s so so pretty. Love you – Kirra
Emma Dyson- Hi mom, sterz, Julian, and Lexi! I miss & love you guys so much! I am having sooooo much fun here in Croatia but I also can’t wait to see you guys!!! I hope everything is going well at home and I can’t wait to tell you guys about my trip! Give lex extra treats for me
Mac McCullough- Hey I’m having fun and meeting cool people. Hope you guys are having a good time without us.
Owen Hahn- Hey guys, I’m having so much fun and loving Croatia. I miss you guys and ginger a little more. I love you guys and hope you’re not having too much fun without me.
Isaac Jeffrey- Hey guys Croatia has been really fun and I’ve made a bunch of good friends. I hope u guys are having a lot of fun and I can’t wait to see you guys soon and tell Bronzely I miss her.
Palmer- Hey mom and dad Croatia has been absolutely amazing. I’ve met a bunch of new people and have had a ton of fun. I hope y’all are having fun at home. I hope you had an amazing birthday and that everyone is having a good time in atl.
Colby Pate- Hi Mom, Dad, and Ains croatia has been a blast so far. Thinking of y’all everyday hope you’ve been having fun without me. Make sure to tell the guys I miss them very much. Love y’all.
Russell Huber – Hey everybody, I miss you all a lot and can’t wait to be back. I’m enjoying Croatia a lot though and having a great time. Make sure to write Mere to tell her I say hello and I love her and tell Harris the same. Love you all and have a good time.
Chase Phillips – Hi mom and dad! I hope you’re both having a great week as I certainly am! Croatia is awesome and I can’t wait to tell you all about it, I love you both so much!
Safe Arrival in Zagreb!
June 24, 2024
Hello Croatia Families!
We are so excited to report that we just heard from our leaders after a long travel day, and all of the students arrived safely in Zagreb! We are so excited to hear more stories from their adventures over the next few weeks!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next 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
