Last hello from Croatia!
July 22, 2024
Day 11
Day 11 was our last morning on Rab Island. We had a big day ahead of us, filled with fun, and everyone was in great spirits. We enjoyed one of our most delicious breakfasts yet, thanks to our campsite hosts, before catching the ferry back to the mainland. We then drove about an hour and a half to a lunch spot right by our main activity for the day: rock climbing! We spent a couple of hours in Paklenica National Park, where everyone had the chance to rock climb. There were three different courses—easy, medium, and hard. Watts, Bryce, Jack, and Kate were the only ones to conquer all three courses! Everyone completed at least one route, and we were so proud of the group for being brave and open to the challenge.
After rock climbing, we hopped back in the van for an hour ride to Zadar, a beautiful old city on the water with fun shops and restaurants. We dropped our bags off at the hostel and had a pizza picnic dinner by the water. After dinner, we walked around and shopped for a couple of hours. Maya, Wills, Bryce, Lizzie, Jack, and Sami even bought some souvenirs for loved ones back home. There was a concert near our Moonup location, so we danced and sang along! Everyone had such a fun time but worked up a good sweat, so we jumped in the water and took a night swim under the city lights. We had a soggy but intentional Moonup, led by Lizzie and Watts, by the waterside, before heading in after a long day. Today was such a great one, and I am excited to have even more fun tomorrow!
Day 12
Day 12 was another good one! We woke up in Old Town Zadar, ate breakfast, and hit the ground running. We started our three-hour drive further southeast toward the town of Omiš for our final activity: zip lining! Everyone was super excited for this day, and the students had been talking about it since the beginning. Midway through our drive, we stopped for a lunch break and tried one last traditional Croatian food, burek—a pastry with cheese and meat inside. Bureks are perfect for a road trip because they are quick, easy, and delicious!
Upon arrival in Omiš, we had a safety briefing, put on our harnesses and helmets, and started our activity. We had eight different lines today over beautiful canyons and rivers. On a couple of the lines, students could go in pairs, and we had so much fun yelling into the canyon as we flew across. This activity is one of my personal favorites and such an exciting way to round out our session. After zip lining, we took a short ride to our campground for the night. We loved this campsite dearly because our tents were on a cliffside overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
Dinner time was also so much fun. We had big platters of meat and fish with lots of sides, and a guitarist and singer walked around the restaurant playing American songs just for us! It was no surprise that our group all stood up, danced, and sang along to the music for hours. The sun set, and it was time to head down to a special spot by the water under an (almost) full moon for a genuine Moonup led by LODs Lalah and Charlie.
Day 13
Today was our last full day together. We woke up at the campsite, had breakfast, and then got ready to head to our final destination of the summer: Dubrovnik. We had another three-hour van ride paired with a grocery store lunch stop. We ate our custom-picked lunches at picnic tables overlooking the river to break up the drive.
When we got to the city, we checked into our hostel and got situated before catching a bus into Old Town. We started our tour of the beautiful ancient architecture and shops with a walk on top of the city walls, which offered great views of the old roads and the sea. We had a couple of hours to shop, and everyone got souvenirs and fun gifts for people back home. For our last meal together, we ate at a nice restaurant with great views of Old Town for a banquet feast. The group enjoyed pastas, pizzas, risotto, burgers, seafood, and more! The last night of the session and our Moondance summer was the perfect occasion for a gelato stop on the way back to the hostel—one last sweet treat before heading back to the States!
We hopped on the bus back to our hostel and ended this amazing trip with our longest and most intentional Moonup yet, led by tonight’s LODs, Sami and Henry. This trip was absolutely amazing, but it is the students who really made it special. William and I feel so blessed to have met each and every one of them and to have ended our summers with such incredible memories.
All our love,
Anna and William
Great Times in Croatia!
July 20, 2024
Day 8
How is it already over halfway through our trip? Time has truly flown, and I feel like there is still so much fun left to be had! Today, we packed up the bunk rooms and headed down the mountain after our last breakfast in the mountain hut. We were sad to say goodbye to our beautiful and cozy home but very excited for some beach time. After a couple of hours in the van and a lunch pitstop, we made it to our seaside campsite. Everyone hurried to change into their bathing suits and hop in the water to escape the heat. We played in the water for a couple of hours until it was time to head in and shower for dinner. The boys tried another Croatian specialty tonight, Cevapi, while the girls had grilled chicken and seafood pasta. It wouldn’t be a proper first night on the island without a surprise gelato stop on the way back to camp. We walked by the beach, and everyone got two scoops of their favorite flavors, enjoying them at sunset. Afterward, we played a few rounds of Spoons and BS, with Wills and Watts walking away with wins. To cap off the day, our LODs, Maya and Henry, led an exceptionally intentional Moonup tonight, leaving us all with a greater appreciation for one another and feeling closer than before.
Day 9
Today was our first full day on Rab Island! Our main activity was sea kayaking, so we headed to the other side of the island after breakfast to get started. Our LODs, Kate and Bryce, paired everyone off in each kayak. We lathered on sunscreen and were on our merry way. It was a beautiful day to be out on the water, and nobody shied away from jumping off and flipping the kayaks to cool off. Charlie climbed up a cool rock we paddled by, and Jack and Watts loved flipping the girls’ kayaks. We paddled a couple of miles out to a beach area to swim and eat our picnic lunches before heading back. We had a couple of hours before dinner, so we headed to the grocery store to pick up snacks and toys for the beach. Dinner was at a fun, beachfront restaurant, and everyone got to choose from the menu. The majority favorites included chicken Caesar salads, pizzas, and pastas. After dinner, Henry and Charlie bought a football to play with at the beach, while Sami, Kaela, Lizzie, Maya, Kate, Lalah, and I hopped on a nearby trampoline. We watched the sunset and played football before heading back to our Moonup spot right by the water. Kate and Bryce hosted our Moonuptonight, and we wrapped it up with none other than a game of Mafia before retiring to our tents.
Day 10
Today was our last full day on the island. We woke up in our tents and headed to breakfast cooked by our lovely campsite hosts. Today, we had a big beach day on our itinerary, and it was the perfect rest and relaxation we needed to have the energy to conquer the last few activities of our trip. The boys got very engrossed in a new card game, Dutch Cup, and spent hours today playing a tournament with William. Meanwhile, the girls and I took some pedal boats out for a spin and laid under the cabanas reading and talking. It was such a fun day, and everyone was able to do what made them happy with their free time. After a long, fun day in the sun, we headed back to camp for showers and then out for dinner. Dinner tonight was at a restaurant about a 10-minute walk away, and we had some yummy options, including grilled chicken skewers, pastas, cevapi, and more! Since it was our last night on the island, we celebrated with a gelato dessert stop by the beach at sunset. The sunsets on the island are stunning, and there’s nothing better than taking them in with friends and ice cream. We ended the night with a great Moonup, led by Kaela and Wills. I cannot believe we are already heading back to the mainland tomorrow to finish out the final leg of the trip.
STUDENT SHOUT OUTS
Henry – Hey Mom and Dad, I miss and love y’all, but I am having a great time! Croatia is such an awesome country, I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it. Hope all is well in Atlanta!
Bryce – Hey guys I’m missing yall a ton! Having loads of fun here in Croatia with everyone this place is dope! Give the dogs a hug for me!
Unc – Hey dad how are you? I’m doing great Croatia is amazing! Love you and I’ll talk to you soon.
Jack- Hey mom and dad, how are yall doing! How are the dogs?! This place is so fun! I will see yall soon, love yall!
Lizzie- hey family I miss y’all a lot. I’m thriving and having so much fun. It is so pretty here. Ps Kate- how’s elj and I hope u have kept an eye on someone love u and miss u.
Kaela- Hi mom and dad! I miss you guys so much but I’m having such a good time here! I’m insanely grateful to be here in Croatia-it’s so beautiful!! Say hi to Bear and Tucker for me, see y’all soon!
Kate- Hi mom and dad!! How are y’all?? Aside from getting a little sick, I’m having lots of fun so don’t worry!! Love and miss y’all
Lalah- Hey mom and dad!! Miss y’all so much!! I’ve had a great trip!! Hope y’all are having the best time in Montana see yall soon
Sami- hi mom and dad and audrey! I’m having so much fun in Croatia, but the views are super cool!! Hope NC is fun miss you guys !!! (no SALSA in Croatia!)
Maya- hey family!! The trip has been so much fun… so excited to tell yall everything!!!
Charlie- hey mom and dad how are yall doing? I’m having a lot of fun in Croatia with Henry and my group. I’m seeing a lot of cool views and enjoying the activities.
Watts – Hey mom and dad how is everything going? Croatia is a lot of fun glad to be fully recovered from sickness we are about to go rock climbing tomorrow and I am really excited. I can’t wait to show you guys everything from the trip.
Zdravo from Croatia!
July 15, 2024
Today, the students departed from their hometowns and began their travels! We’re currently in Zagreb, Croatia, eagerly awaiting their arrival. After a full day of traveling, we finally met the group at the airport, marking the official start of our trip. The majority of the group arrived around 4 pm, and I (Anna) escorted them back to the campground to settle in and enoy a good dinner. At the nearby campground restaurant, we enjoyed grilled chicken, soup, french fries, and salad. Everyone was exhausted from their long travel days, so we returned to our cozy log cabins for Moonup. With Lalah and Wills as our first LODs, we eagerly awaited the arrival of our last group member, Sami. After some card games with the boys while waiting for Sami, we welcomed her warmly to the group, showed her to her room, and everyone settled in for the night.
Day 3 marked our first full day together! We woke up the group for a delicious breakfast buffet featuring fruits, pastries, eggs, bacon, and more. Everyone had full bellies to take on our first activity of the trip: river kayaking! After packing sandwich lunches, we set off, received a safety briefing, and paired up for kayaking downstream. Over 4 miles, we navigated 10 waterfalls and 2 rapids, enjoying kayak jumps off waterfalls. We paused halfway for lunch and a swim before continuing. With Lizzie and Maya, I ventured under a waterfall, and we swam in the beautiful water. After another hour, we reached our next campsite on the other side of the national park, where we set up our tents, settled in, showered, and enjoyed dinner at the campground restaurant. Dinner options included spaghetti bolognese, goulash (a Croatian pasta dish), and chicken fillet. A nearby grocery store provided snacks and desserts, and we savored the sunset at outdoor tables. Our leaders of the day, Wills and Lalah, ended the night with our first official Moonup of the session, followed by rounds of Mafia—a delightful end to a fun-filled first full day!
We woke up at camp and headed to breakfast. The restaurant offered eggs, omelets, and sandwiches to fuel us for another exciting day. After breakfast, we explored Plitvice National Park, Croatia’s most famous park boasting the country’s tallest waterfall. We spent a couple of hours walking the park’s trails, admiring 16 waterfalls and beautiful blue waters. Covering a total of four miles, we stopped midway for a trailside picnic. Kaela indulged in a delicious Oreo ice cream sandwich, and Wills picked up new sunglasses at the gift shop. We took a short bus ride back to camp for some downtime, where everyone relaxed in hammocks, read books, and showered before dinner. Tonight’s leaders of the day were Sami and Bryce. Bryce shared one of the summer’s best nug jug stories to start Moonup, ending the night with another game of Mafia—a new group favorite. The following morning, we headed to the mountains! Everyone was excited as we packed up camp, had breakfast, made a snack stop at the grocery store, and took final showers for the next three days. With a couple of hours on the bus to our mountain hut, we stopped halfway for a cultural immersion lunch. It’s been wonderful trying local foods, and today we enjoyed Peka, an overnight-marinated veal and vegetable dish renowned in Croatia. Everyone loved it, and we completed our van ride to the hut where we’ll spend the next three nights. After settling into bunk rooms, we explored nearby, witnessing a Croatian wedding at a beautiful chapel from a nearby peak—a special moment. For dinner, William and I prepared Strukli, a Croatian dish, enjoying the stunning sunset from a nearby trail. Tonight’s Moonup, hosted by Kate and Charlie at the summit, provided a beautiful end to our first night in the mountains.
Day 6 dawned sunny and perfect for hiking. William and I prepared scrambled eggs, toast, granola, and cereal for everyone, helping them pack sandwiches for their daypacks. The hike, about five miles, saw Watts and Jack leading the ascent, with Kaela leading the descent. It was short yet steep, and everyone felt proud at the end. Back at camp, we tried Croatian sodas, played games, and relaxed. Charlie, William, Bryce, and Henry read their summer books on a nearby peak overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Dinner, a group favorite, was chicken and veggie tacos prepared by William, Kaela, and Kate. Watts and Lizzie led tonight’s Moonup after cleanup by Sami and Wills, enjoying a beautiful sunset before winding down for the night.
On day 7, we had an incredible eight-mile hike after breakfast of eggs, toast, and granola. Charlie and Henry helped with cleanup, preparing us for the day ahead. Despite some of the group dealing with minor sickness, everyone supported each other wonderfully. Sami’s positive attitude in trying new things was inspiring to see. Watts, Jack, and Bryce even formed a band called Stick Stick Rock during the hike. After five hours, we returned to the hut, kicking back and enjoying music and conversation for about an hour before dinner. Spaghetti bolognese was a hit, eagerly devoured by hungry kids. After cleanup by Kaela and Bryce, we surprised the group with s’mores around a fire near the hut, celebrating our accomplishments on the trail and our last night in the mountains. Our time at the mountain hut is always a pivotal part of the trip, fostering deep bonds and personal growth. It’s hard to say goodbye to our mountaintop home, but we’re excited to start the next phase of our adventure tomorrow at the coast!
do sljedećeg puta (until next time)
William & Anna
Safe Arrival in Zagreb!
July 11, 2024
**Apologies for the delay. There was a glitch in the website!
Hello Croatia Families!
All students have landed safely in Zagreb and the trip is off to a great start! 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
