One last ciao from Italy!
June 20, 2024
Hi families and friends!
We are writing to you one last time from the Venice airport. We tearfully said goodbye to the kiddos this morning, and they are all on their way back to you! It was a true joy having each and every one of them with us for the past two weeks. We had the best time exploring the Dolomites and Venice and creating a family. This group is truly special! The last few days were the cherry on top of an amazing trip!
The last time we wrote, we had just arrived in the quaint little town that would be our home for the next two nights. After a delicious pasta dinner, we walked to a local gelato shop where we enjoyed our sweet treats, played Ninja, and had Moonup in the center of the town. Wells is the Ninja master and was the first to start up the game that soon became a group favorite! We woke up the next morning and had fresh chocolate croissants and tea. The chocolate croissants were some of the best we’ve ever had! After fueling up, the group met up with our outfitter to embark on a morning of canyoning!
With our guides Thomas and Evaristo, the group got fitted into wetsuits and harnesses, and the excitement was tangible. We began our adventure by rappelling straight into fresh, refreshingly cold, and beautifully clear water! Abe descended like a real pro after our days of rock climbing. Slowly but surely, the group rappelled, swam, slid, and jumped through a small stream canyon in Italy! William let out a yell of excitement as he slid from a smooth rock ledge into a deep canyon pool.
After our morning activity, we spent the afternoon exploring the small town and soaking up our time together. Reed and the boys went down to a local soccer field where some intense racing occurred. Evans took the cake in the relays, but Will made a valiant comeback in our long-distance fence-to-fence race. After a good sweat, the boys went to a local supermarket and picked out some local snacks and Gatorades – it was an amazing afternoon!
While the boys were battling it out on the field, Emilia, Marina, and Hailey also took a trip to the market and created makeshift charcuterie boards out of fresh fruit, prosciutto, and other delicious snacks. It was such a great second-to-last day together!
We all woke up eager for another delicious chocolate croissant! After another delicious breakfast, we packed our bags and left the mountains for Venice! On our way to Venice, the girls had a sing-along and listened to Taylor Swift’s songs “22” and “Fifteen” for Hailey and Bonner’s last day of being those ages. The van driver loved our singing and song choices so much that he even joined in and started dancing, which had us all cracking up. Our song lyric masters Weezie and Abby kept the karaoke going the whole ride! Once we arrived in Venice, the girls hit the shops while the boys headed straight for the Golden Arches (aka McDonald’s). We met up again for a delicious banquet dinner at an authentic Italian pizzeria.
We ended our final night together with one last Moonup under the stars. Our LODs, Hadley Claire and Carson, led us through a great Moonup right on one of the canals! We shared our favorite moments from the trip and talked about what we will take away from our experiences and use back at home. The evening ended with superlatives given by Hailey and Reed. It was a wonderful day and everyone soaked in the moments together while exploring the floating city!
We were so sad to send the kids through security, but we are confident that these memories will last a lifetime! It was such a special two weeks! Thank you all again for sharing your wonderful children with us. Each of them brought something unique to the group and made us whole. They are wonderful young men and women, and we had so much fun getting to know them!
Ciao for now!
All our best,
Hailey and Reed
Ciao from Cinque Torri!
June 17, 2024
Hello friends and families!
It’s been an exciting couple of days since we last updated you all! Since we last wrote, the group trekked on beautiful trails enclosed on all sides by stunning mountains towards our Refugio for the night. The group took a cable car up through the clouds to reach the Refugio, where we had a delicious dinner at 2,835-meters with our amazing guide, Marco. After dinner we were surprised by one of the most beautiful sunsets everyone had ever seen. We had an amazing Moonup as the sun slowly sunk behind the mountains. Hailey, Carson, Emilia, Marina, and Reed, braved the cold and walked up a snowy trail to a peak to get a better view; a few tears were shed.
We woke up early the next morning to catch the first tram down the mountain. Hailey, Bonner, Emilia, Marina, and Reed woke up real early to see the sunrise. After watching the sun slowly rise above the snow-peaked mountains, the group ate a hearty Italian breakfast of boiled eggs, pastries, toast, and of course coffee. After eating, the gang took the first tram down the mountain and began our second Via Ferrata! It was a difficult route, but with Evans and Marina leading the way the group crushed it! After the Via Ferrata, the group got to go for a fun hike, where Bonner, Abby, Hadley-Clare, and Weezie kept the spirits high in the overcast weather with their funny voices and beautiful singing. No one was worried about getting lost on the hike because we had our expert hikers, Will and Abe, in the front leading the pack. We arrived to our Refugio in good spirits after a long day, and ate a scrumptious meal to finish the night off.
Saturday was the groups first day of climbing at the famous Cinque Torri! The Cinque Torri, also known as five towers, is a famous grouping of rocks near our Rifugio, where the group got to hone their rock climbing skills. The weather may have been overcast, but the energy was high! With our three expert guides: Marco, Filippo, and Marica the group learned how to tie a figure eight knot and how to belay each other up and down the wall. Hadley Claire set a speed record in our group for fastest up the wall in an impressive thirty seconds! Will was always eager to try every route, and was the last one on the wall at the end of the day. The crew watched and took notes as Wells and Evans went first on one of the harder routes. We ended the day with another amazing meal at our cozy Rifugio, fueled up and ready to climb again tomorrow! After a great Moonup, the group settled in for the night and got some much needed sleep!
We woke up yesterday to blue skies and sunshine that stayed all day long! It was the best weather we have had all trip and the sun boosted all of our moods! We began the day with another Via Ferrata up to a peak near our rifugio. It was another challenging route but the group banned together to encourage each person up and down the mountain. They have all grown so much and overcome each challenge with a smile on their faces. After another delicious lunch of speck and cheese sandwiches and chocolate, we headed back down to the Cinque Torri for another afternoon of climbing. Although we were climbing more difficult routes, the group continued to show their bravery and willingness to try new things! Carson and Emilia were the first to try every route and William and Abby proved to be expert climbers as they both zoomed up the steepest pitch! While we encouraged each other up the rock faces, we soaked up the sun and listened to music! It was another fantastic day in the Dolomites!
Today we left our home for the past three nights and made our final trek back down into the valley. Our trek started with a walk through the remains of WW1 trenches. Abe made sure to stop and read the informative signs as we went. Then, after descending the mountain, we walked among the beautiful trees while having great conversations. After a few hours of intense hiking, the gang stopped for lunch next to a crystal clear stream. We ate our delicious sandwiches, apples, and chocolate; afterwards Evans and Carson showed us their pristine golf swings with their trekking poles, while everyone else either chatted or played a few rounds of hackey sack! Eventually, after a beautiful descent through a valley covered in dark-green pine trees and tall spruce trees, we arrived back in Cortina, to await our shuttle. But, before that, the group had to say a sad goodbye to our amazing guide, friend, and now a part of our Moondance family, Marco; there were many hugs and handshakes before he drove off towards the mountains. After the hard goodbye we got into our shuttles and headed towards our home for the night: a small Italian town nestled in a valley surrounded by lush mountains on all sides. We had another amazing dinner and went to bed early to get good nights sleep for our exciting day of Canyoneering tomorrow!
Thank you so much for sharing your kiddos with us this summer. Each and every one of them have brought so much to the group and has made the experience special for all of us! It has been so much fun getting to know all of them and we can’t believe that our time together is coming to an end. We are excited to soak up the last few days together as we go canyoning and explore Venice! We also wanted to give a happy late Father’s Day to all of the DOL1A Dads!
A few more words from our crew:
Happy late Father’s Day, thank you for everything you’ve given me including this trip. I’m having a great time and I can’t wait to see y’all. Love you too Mom. – Wells
Happy Father’s Day dad I love you so much, thank you for everything you do. I’m so grateful for you, you’re the best dad ever. I miss y’all and can’t wait to see you! – Hadley Claire
Happy Father’s Day dad, thank you for sending me on this trip. Can’t wait to see y’all soon, love you, bye! – William
Hey Mom and Dad, thanks for allowing me to go on this trip. Happy father days dad, love y’all, can’t wait to see y’all in a few days. – Will
Happy father day dad, love you so much. Thank you for everything, can’t wait to see you soon! – Abby
Happy Father’s Day dad, love you so much. Miss you and I’m thankful for everything you do for me, also thank you for sending me on this trip. – Bonner
Happy Father’s Day dad, I hope you had a wonderful day and I hope you win your golf tournament this weekend. I’m thankful for everything you do can’t wait to see you soon. – Weezie
Hope all is well, love y’all so much. Happy late Father’s Day dad and I love you mom. Miss all of y’all. – Evans
Happy Father’s Day dad, I love and miss you so much. I can’t wait to tell you about the trip when I come back. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to go on this trip, Woo Pig sooie – Carson
Happy Father’s Day dad, I miss you so much. I can’t wait to see you in California, hope you have a great day, love you. – Abe
Hi mom and dad, happy father’s dad. Can’t wait to see you guys, miss you a lot. Been having a great time, I’ve seen so many cool things. Wish you could be here. – Marina
Hi mom and Dad, happy Father’s Day. Thank you so much for sending me on this, it’s been such an awesome opportunity to see and explore Italy. Can’t wait to see you in a couple of days. Love you. – Emilia
Ciao!
June 13, 2024
Ciao from Italy!! We are SO excited to have your kids here with us for an incredible two week adventure through the Italian Dolomites!
The group arrived safe and sound on Saturday and we began our adventure by leaving the city and heading towards the mountains. Our first stop was in the quaint ski town of Cortina de Ampezzo. Cortina was the home of the 1956 Winter Olympic Games and is the next host for the Winter Games in 2026! We spent our first afternoon settling in, exploring the town, and enjoy our first of many pizza dinners of the trip. Our Moonup location was overlooking the beautiful snow capped mountains and rolling green hills that surrounded us, it was the best welcome to Italy ever! Bonner and Evans were chosen as our first LODs, leaders of the day, because of their radiant positivity and kindness they showed right off the bat. We all settled in for a good nights rest to prepare for our first full day in Italy!
Our first full day together was filled with bonding and adventuring as we hiked up to a gorgeous waterfall for a Via Ferrata! The Via Ferrata, also known as the Iron Road, are paths along the mountain ridges where we clip into cables and climb up and down the mountains right on the ridge! Wells kept the energy high as we made our way to the base of a waterfall and then back up where we were able to hike around the back of the waterfall. After another delicious dinner of pizza and pasta, we had our first gelato stop of the trip! Emilia said it was the best ice cream she’s ever had!! One of the biggest topics of conversation today was surrounding William’s love for fondue and the group is now determined to find a fondue spot before the trip ends … we will keep y’all posted on our fondue journey!
After another nights rest, we packed up our things and began our six day trek from hut to hut across the Italian Alps. Will and Carson led the pack as we moved deeper into the mountains and we were all in awe of the 360 degree views around us. Weezie has been our personal photographer with her camera and is always capturing the moment perfectly! Upon arrival to our home for the night, Reed, Will, and Abe went exploring and discovered a cave near our hostel! The whole group enjoyed late afternoon naps followed by a delicious four course dinner and Moonup outside! It was truly the perfect day!
We woke up to gorgeous blue skies and the perfect breeze for our second day of trekking. Hadley Claire and Marina kept up the positive vibes throughout our trek and we all enjoyed trail talking and playing “wavelength” which has become a group favorite game! After an early arrival to our hostel, Reed led the group in a game of hacky sack. Abby, Hadley Claire, and Will are our new hacky sack pros!
Yesterday we woke up in a cloud! After a fueling up on croissants and warm coffee we headed out into the fog for a quick hike before the rain came in. This group handled the rainy and chilly weather like champs and made the most of the afternoon by hanging out, reading, and playing cards! Emilia and Marina braved the afternoon showers to take a nature hike around the lake next to our hostel. The night ended in tons of belly laughs as Wells and Weezie performed a “cringe off”. We’re not quite sure how to describe it, but you’ll have to be sure to ask everyone about it because it was hilarious and the best evening entertainment. Before settling in for bed we received the ultimate surprise – snow in June! After spotting the snow, we all ran downstairs like it was Christmas morning and got outside as quickly as we could. It was an unforgettable experience running outside to snow falling in the summertime in the Italian mountains with our new best friends!
We woke up this morning in a complete winter wonderland! There is snow everywhere! We are currently enjoying fresh bread drizzled with local honey and of course lots of Nutella! There’s no doubt that our trek today in the snow will be a special one.
Reed and I can’t thank you all enough for sharing your wonderful children with us for these two weeks. This group grows closer and closer by the day and it has been so much fun to be a part of. We can’t wait to continue our adventures together and are looking forward to the next days of trekking and rock climbing! Ciao!
All our best,
Hailey and Reed
Here are a few words from our crew!!
Evans: hey mom and dad I miss you so much. It snowed so much last night and I can’t wait to hike in the snow it’s really beautiful outside. The views have been spectacular. I love my group and my leaders it’s been a lot of fun. Miss y’all love y’all.
Carson: hellllllo! This trip has been amazing I really like my counselors and friends. It just snowed and we are about to go on a hike in super excited. I miss you guys bye!
Hadley Claire: hi and mom and dad. I’m having so much fun. Last night it snowed and it’s so pretty. We have been hiking and it’s so fun. Miss y’all!
Weezie: hello mom and dad! I’m having a lot of fun. It snowed and we woke up to everywhere being white. I love y’all and miss y’all! Bye bye
Bonner: hi mom and dad. I miss you so much. We’re about to go hike in the snow it’s been really fun! Love y’all!
William: hi mom and dad! It’s super snowy. Love you and miss you! Bye!
Abby: hi mom and dad! Miss you guys. I’m having so much fun. It just snowed! Love you!
Wells: hi mom and dad. Happy early Father’s Day. It’s snowing here it’s really cool. I miss y’all.
Abe: miss y’all. It snowed. I’m having a lot of fun. I can’t wait to meet you in San Francisco.
Will: what’s up family. We just got a couple inches of snow and it’s been a lot of fun. Love y’all miss y’all.
Marina: hi mom and dad! It’s been a great trip so far. Having so much fun! Can’t wait to see you guys. Miss and love you!
Emilia: hey fam! I miss you all so much it’s so pretty here. The hiking has been great! Love you!!
Safe Arrival in Venice!!
June 8, 2024
Ciao Dolomites Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Venice and is headed to the Dolomites! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories 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
