Vinaka Vakalevu!
July 27, 2024
We woke up ready to tackle our first day of surfing! After enjoying a quick breakfast, we threw on our rash guards and reef shoes and had our first beach lesson. Our guide showed us the ropes and the best ways to catch waves. We paddled out to where the waves were breaking and one by one we started catching waves. Cassie was quick to get up, and Robin caught her first wave ever! We spent the morning enjoying the water and waves and then came back to hang out before our island day. We got on a boat and rode for about an hour, enjoying the picturesque scenery. Macy enjoyed the ride, especially when we hit big swells! Once we arrived to Yanuca Island, we anchored and snorkeled around for a little while. The girls took turns jumping off of the boat and taking pictures in the crystal clear water. We made it to the island where we disembarked to lay in the sand and enjoy the sun. Vincent and Preston became friends with a local boy who lives on the island and enjoyed playing soccer with him. We ate a delicious lunch and relaxed before getting on the boat and heading back to our hotel. It was such a fun first start to our surfing section, and we can’t wait to see what the next couple of days hold!
The next morning we beat the sun and woke up for a sunrise surf! The sky was pink and was the most beautiful way to start our day. We geared up and paddled out to start our morning of surfing. Jack is a natural at surfing and caught over ten waves! Violet was also a pro, and she shared all morning how much she loved surfing. All morning we were getting the best waves and many of those contained party waves! A party wave is when more than one person is riding a wave together. Emma and Julia had a party wave together! We came back from our surfing morning and enjoyed some breakfast. After lunch, we were excited to get in our boats and go fishing. The girls were in one boat, where sadly the fish weren’t biting. However, Campbell spotted a turtle and everyone was so happy! On the boys’ boat, they cheered and lifted up their prize fish that Jack reeled in: a barracuda! Everyone was so happy and smiles lit up both boats. We arrived back to the hotel and hung out after a long, fun-filled day.
Our last full day was spent relaxing and reflecting on our trip. As the rain fell in the morning, we sat around the coffee shop enjoying banana bread, hot chocolate, and coffee. We told stories from the trip and laughed at all of the memories that we had made. The sun started to peek out of the clouds after lunch and it turned into a bluebird day! Everyone threw on their swimsuits and laid out to catch a few more rays before our departure tomorrow. Music was playing and vibes were high all afternoon. Before dinner, an intense soccer game broke out between Charlie, Cassie, Emma, Robin, Preston, and Vincent. The three-on-three game had high energy, and Charlie, Vincent, and Emma came out victorious. We enjoyed our dinner together and then sat down for our final Moonup. We spent this time laughing, crying, and recounting our trip together. It was the sweetest way to end our final full day together.
This morning we sadly packed our bags, ate our final banana bread from the cafe, and boarded the bus to take us to Nadi. As we drove, everyone took in the beauty of Fiji one last time. Once we arrived to our day room, we dropped our bags and went to enjoy our final banquet together. At our banquet, we ate some delicious food and enjoyed the time we had left on this island together. We finally arrived to the airport and checked into our flight. Boarding the flight, we can reflect on the experiences that we have had in Fiji and are endlessly grateful for the impact this place and this group has made on each other.
One final vinaka vakalevu,
Lucy + Charlie
Cutlture, Kayaking and Kava Ceremonies!
July 23, 2024
Checking back in from Fiji!
We have spent the past couple of days immersed in Fijian culture during our village stay. Our travels started with a bus ride up the mountains, but not without stopping first for lunch in Sigatoka Town! Most everyone agreed that was the best food we have had yet in Fiji. We shopped around and enjoyed our time in the town before continuing our journey. We changed from bus to safari truck which gave everyone the opportunity to say hello to everyone we passed. Once we arrived at the first village we stayed at, we had a kava ceremony to be formally welcomed into the village. It was such a treat to watch, and everyone was interested in the tradition. We made our way up to our campsite and settled in before sitting down for dinner. Emma and Jack quickly became friends with some local kids, and they were playing all night!
The next day we were treated to a delicious breakfast that would not have been complete without cake! We tried all the flavors and talked about how great cake for breakfast is. Although the rain came down most of the morning, it allowed us to play games such as Mafia and Psychiatrist. We laughed and continued to get to know each other as the rain slowed. The sun slowly peeked out which gave us the chance to run down and play in the river! The water-cooled us down, and we all enjoyed the scenic views the river had to offer. The slow afternoon gave us the chance to relax and prepare for the kayaking adventure that awaited us the next morning.
We woke up ready to tackle the day ahead! As we hiked down to the river and geared up, energy was high and everyone was excited for what the day would bring. We partnered up, got in our kayaks, and headed down the river. Preston and Julia along with Violet and Vincent led the group down the river. We stopped for a quick Pringles break and cooled off in the river before continuing our journey. Once we arrived at our next village, we brought our boats ashore and sat down for a delicious lunch that was waiting for us. We showered and hung out with some of the locals before joining them for a church service! This special treat allowed us to witness the culture firsthand and participate in the village. Some of the younger Fijian girls shared their hymnals with our group! We went back to the community hall where lemongrass tea and donuts were waiting for us. Cassie was the biggest fan of the lemon tea, and many agreed with her! After that, we spent the rest of the night playing games with many of the children such as card games and taki-taki! Robin, Madding, and Campbell became great friends with some of the kids and were so sad to tell them goodbye. We had another dinner prepared for us by the ladies of the village and then sat in on another kava ceremony. This fun-filled day had us exhausted, and we all fell right to sleep.
The next day we continued our adventures down the river. What waited for us at the end was Fiji’s largest cave system! As we made our way into the cave, the nerves and excitement increased. Once there, our guides told us the rich history of the cave and how tribes used to live there. We were all ears, enthralled by what our guides were saying. At one point, we turned off all our lights to see how dark it would get – we couldn’t even see our hands in front of our faces! We recounted the cool facts about the cave as we sat down for a BBQ lunch outside. Once our bellies were full, we packed in the safari truck and made our way back down the mountains. On our way home, we stopped at another store and many of our students got some cool souvenirs. We loved this section of our trip so much and are so sad to say goodbye to many of the new friends we have made over the past couple of days.
Today we woke up with the sun and ate a quick breakfast before heading off to our next activity, white water rafting! After a long but scenic ride on the open-air bus, we arrived at the start of the Upper Navua River. From there we set out with our raft groups to tackle the white water. From the start, it was clear that Vincent, Charlie, and Emma’s boat was ready to paddle hard. After crashing gracefully through a few rapids we took a break to swim and have lunch. After refueling, everyone decided it was game on for the shenanigans. During the slow sections, everyone began jumping from raft to raft in an attempt to get everyone in the water. Madding proved to be a worthy adversary while Macy conceded quickly. The boys rough-housed and the girls mostly stayed dry, a smart decision. We wrapped it all up with cookies and soda and headed out of the jungle to the Fiji beachouse for the final section of the trip.
We wanted to give them the chance to say thank you, so below we have attached some “Thank Yous” from your kids to you!
Vinaka vakalevu,
Lucy + Charlie
Robin – hey mom and dad!! Thank you so so much for sending me on this amazing trip. I have loved Fiji so much and am so grateful you gave me this once in a lifetime opportunity. I love you guys so so much and can’t wait to tell you all about my trip when I get home. Miss you so much xoxo💗💗
Vincent – Thanks for sending me on this trip love yall.
Violet – Hey hey fam!! Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip and arranging all of it. This trip has truly been so amazing and Fiji is so awesome!! I love all of you so much and I am so excited to see you all! I’m so grateful for all of you!💗💗
Madding – hey mom and dad! I am having so much fun on this trip! The shark dive was the coolest thing ever and rafting today was so much fun! I can’t wait to see y’all!!
Macy – hi mom and dad! thank you so much for sending me on this trip and pushing me to try new things! I have no idea where I would be without you and can’t wait to tell yall all about it! I love and miss you!
Julia – Hi mom and dad!!! Thanks so much again for sending me to Fiji I’ve had the best time and am so grateful for all that y’all do!! Can’t wait to see y’all!
Jack – Howdy fam. Thanks for letting me go to Fiji, I can’t wait to tell y’all about it. Tell Bella I miss her again and I’ll be home soon
Campbell – Hi mom and dad!! Thank you for letting me on another moondance trip! I had the best time and experience such amazing things!I can’t wait to see you all when I get home. I love you so much 💕
Cassie -Thank you to my whole family, my mom my dad annabeth and kaylee!!!! I love y’all so much and can’t wait to see y’all and want to convince y’all to come again next year! Love and miss y’all!
Emma – Hi familia! Thank you so much for this AMAZING trip. I have had sooo much fun. I am super happy and grateful. Love and miss y’all❤️
Preston – Hi mom and dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. I have had an amazing time and have made many memories. I can’t wait to tell you about them when I get home.
Bula from Fiji!
July 18, 2024
Our adventure began at Nadi Airport, where we met all of our students and their bright, shining faces. We made our way as a group to our hotel and sat down for an early breakfast. We got to know each other over muffins, fruit, and croissants while talking about what was to come. Even though they arrived that morning, that didn’t stop us from having a full day ahead! We threw on our swimsuits and headed to the marina for a full day of sailing. As the sun shone down on us, we sang along to Zach Bryan while sailing the beautiful blue water. Once we anchored, it was time to snorkel! Emma was quick to get her fins on and into the water while everyone else followed. As we snorkeled, we saw an array of bright sea life below. We hopped back on the boat and sat down for a delicious lunch while admiring our view. Our day was far from over, and we jumped back in the water when a giant king-of-the-hill game broke out on the floating mat! We fought valiantly, but Charlie came out victorious. More games, such as Star, broke out, and it quickly became a fan favorite. As we sailed back to the marina, we raved about how fun our first day was and how excited we were for the rest of the trip. Once we arrived back at our hotel, we had to test out the pool’s water slide. It is safe to say everyone enjoyed it. We ended our first night with a yummy pizza dinner and Moonup! Moonup is a nightly routine where we sit down as a group to reflect on the day and the trip while also getting to know each other better. It was a great first day, and we can’t wait to explore Fiji with this crew!
The next day, we were up bright and early to make our way to our first section of the trip: scuba diving! On the bus ride there, we didn’t have a quiet moment. Everyone was getting to know each other, playing different games, trying to figure out riddles, and singing along to the music. Once we arrived at our home for the next couple of days, we settled in and put up our enos! Preston was quick to figure out the best armrest for his eno and was very proud of his accomplishment. We decided to go explore the Arts Village and walked through some shops while admiring the local Fijian goods! After that, we put on our swimsuits and went to enjoy the beach. Here, the girls decided to turn Charlie into a mermaid in the sand. Everyone quickly joined in, helped bury him, and made the tail look real. Cassie then took a shot at trying to open a coconut! She was determined to get it open and had some help from her friends. It was another great day, and we can’t wait for our pool dives to start tomorrow!
We woke up this morning with excited energy for our pool dives! Our novice divers, Violet, Jack, Preston, Cassie, Robin, Vincent, and Macy, all geared up and met their guide, Mans. Their morning consisted of learning, practicing, and perfecting skills in the shallow pool. All the divers did great and felt confident going into the open water that afternoon to practice their skills further. After lunch, they headed out on the boat to practice, and they did great! Jack and Violet raved about how much they loved diving already. Once we returned, we had a huge pool tournament where Preston and Cassie came out as our winners. Robin amazed us all with her skills and carried her team far.
Today brought another full day of scuba diving! As our novice divers finished up their final skills in the morning, our certified divers got excited for their first dive of the trip! We ate lunch and got our gear before heading out on the boat for our afternoon dives. Emma, Madding, Campbell, and Julia were eager to hop in and explore everything the dive had to offer. Our novice divers finished all the necessary skills to become PADI Open Water certified! What an accomplishment! We swam around beautiful coral reefs and saw a variety of marine life; it was amazing. Once back on the boat, spirits were high, and everyone enjoyed cookies while raving about the things they saw underwater. The night ended with a thoughtful Moonup led by Robin and Macy. This group continues to amaze us with their intentionality during each Moonup and the thoughtful responses they share.
The next morning, we were able to sleep in and enjoy a slow start. After breakfast, we rushed to get our swimsuits on and headed to the beach. The sun beamed down on us, and the sky was full of blue as we swam in the water and enjoyed the beautiful weather. The good vibes of the morning continued into the afternoon as we made our way out for our dives. We were surprised with a change of dive sites and ended up at “The Bistro,” our shark dive site! Nervous and excited energy filled the air as we geared up to jump in the water. As we descended, we could see several nurse sharks sleeping and some bull sharks swimming around. We swam around the reefs and even saw two shipwrecks! It was such a great day, and we are getting sad about our last dive tomorrow.
This morning also allowed us time to sleep in and catch some extra rest. Luckily, the clouds stayed away, allowing us to enjoy another beautiful beach morning! Some of our group made up a board game to play in the sand, and it was a hit. We laid on our towels, swam, and hung out. It was a relaxing and fun start to our day. The afternoon brought our last dive of the trip. During this dive, the group played in the water and got lots of great GoPro footage. There was no shortage of videos, flips, and barrel rolls underwater. Finally, we said goodbye to our dive guides and thanked them for all their help and wisdom. We finished off the night by bringing pizza back to our lodging and celebrating the end of our first section of the trip. Nothing could be more celebratory than a slightly messy pizza party followed by huge bowls of ice cream. We are thrilled to continue our trip and look forward to our village section.
We wanted to give them the chance to say hi, so below we have attached some shoutouts from your kids to you!
Vinaka vakalevu,
Lucy + Charlie
Robin – hi mom and dad I love and miss y’all so much!! I am having the best time and I’m officially SCUBA CERTIFIED!!!! Than you for giving me this opportunity love you.
Vincent – hey, mom and dad love y’all miss you.
Violet – hey fam! I am having the BEST time here!! I miss you all sooo much and I love you guys so much! The scuba was so cool andddd I swam with sharks! This is actually one of the best places I have ever been to! Can’t wait to see you all💜💜
Madding – Hey mom and dad! I’m having so much fun!my group is amazing and the shark dive was the coolest thing ever
Macy – hi family!! I miss you all so much but I don’t want come home! I went scuba diving and after struggling with my ears I finally realized how to do it and have fun! I love my group and don’t know why I was so scared. Tell Berkeley, Boston, Mattie, and Benny I miss them! I love you all and thank you for the experience!
Julia – Hiii mom and dad!! I’m having so much fun in Fiji and am so so excited to see y’all when I get back! Love and miss y’all so much 💗💗
Jack – Hi fam. I survived the shark dive and it was the best thing of my life. Thanks for letting me come love y’all. Tell Bella I miss her and I’ll be back soon
Campbell – hi mom and dad!!! I miss you so much and am having the best time! I love our group and am having a much better time then my Smithsonian trip! We are at our first location which is scuba and we dove with sharks! It was amazing! I can’t wait to see you guys! I love you so much but am having an amazing time and tell Connor I miss him!
Cassie – Hi fam!!! I love and miss all of y’all!! Can’t wait to see Bella and mom and dad and Annabeth and Kaylee!! I love it here soooo much can’t wait to see y’all…mom don’t be mad but I swam with a bull shark!
Emma – hi mom and dad! And happy birthday George ! I have been having so much fun and I can’t wait to tell you guys all of the fun memories I have made. Give Ryder all of my love while I have been gone. I love fiji sooooo much! Please don’t forget to feed my fish, speaking of fish I have tried some new fish and I still don’t like it, lol sorry. But I miss and love you guys so much! And I hope George does good in his swim meet and mom you have fun at the mart! Love and miss y’all ❤️❤️
Preston – Hey mom and dad! I love you and miss you so much! I am having an amazing time and making lots of memories. I can’t wait to see you soon. (I haven’t gotten sunburnt or lost my retainers).
Safe Arrival in Nadi!
July 12, 2024
Hello Fiji Families!
All students have landed safely 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 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
