Hello Family and Friends of MAD 1B!!!

June 21, 2024

We write to you from the Lisbon airport hearts full and eyes teary as we wait for the gang to board their planes and head back home to the States. The kids are safely through security and on their way back! We had a great time enjoying our last few days in the Madeiran Archipelago!

After we cleansed ourselves with a nice evening dip we rose the next morning to tackle our next grand adventure! Sea Kayaking!! We danced our way to the Porto Santo Marina to the tunes of the early 2010s. Jack S hit an impressive dougie (so good that it gained a honk or two from cars passing by) followed by an impressive Hamilton singalong by Kelsey, Brita, Kate, and Chloe. Following a quick lesson in paddling we teamed up and hit the water. Mason and TJ teamed up to form the dynamic duo of the day proving their speed and skill on the water. They raced along the shore and beat everyone handily to the beach. After the rest of the group rode the waves into shore we took a nice break and played a few intense rounds of a fan favorite game…NINJA! Johnny was the official NINJA champion.

After a beautiful morning kayaking, we explored the wonderful island of Porto Santo. Ice cream, jewelry, clothing, postcards, and Christmas gifts were all purchased. Dripped out, we headed to the beach! Mother Nature knew it was our last full day in Porto Santo because it was the most beautiful weather. We laid on the beach, jumped off the pier, and played mermaids in the water. After soaking in the the source (the sun) for a few hours we made the final walk out of the island haven to the ferry back to Funchal and the mystical island of Madeira. We chowed down on chicken, burgers, and hot dogs as we played card games as we took in the views of the islands passing by. Coco, per usual, won a spirited game of presidents and held the title of President for many many rounds. As we closed in on Funchal we played a game Brita likes to call “salad bowl.” To play you write down a few jokes from the trip and try to guess them by using one a few words, then one word, then no words to guess the joke. By the time we got to the final round not only were we all belly laughing, specifically at Jack R’s interpretations, but had also collected a small crowd of Madeiran school children who had fun watching our goofy acting bits. We were greeted in Funchal by the statue of Cristiano Ronaldo the world renowned soccer player and native Madeiran. We took photos and held moon up around the statue to pay our respects the the GOAT (greatest of all time). We nestled down in our cozy hostel for the night and slept with dreams of rocky coasts and crashing waves as we looked forward to the next day.

We arose bright and early (9:30 am) and filled up with a hearty breakfast of eggs, yogurt, fruit, juice, and mini pancakes before we hit the rocks and ropes. As we approached the face and watched our guides set the routes. We danced to a wide variety of songs, but with a twist….only songs that had the word rock in them. Party Rock Anthem, Rocky Top, I Just Wanna Rock, and Roots, Reggae Rock were among the favorites. Once the cliffs had been roped up it was time to go! Ellie was up first and she shot up the face with ease. TJ and Jack R also dominated on the rocks. Eliza and Chloe took the challenge head on and gracefully made their way to the top before heading down to the beach to cool off in the ocean and once again soak up the source. After everyone had conquered the walls and swam in the sea we headed back to Funchal for one final dinner. We dined a fine meal of foie gras, tuna tartar, steak frites, and seared snapper before having one final serving of everyone’s favorite….gelato. After we watched the sunset over the jungle mountains we had our final moon up before hitting the hay.

We have had such a wonderful time over the past 17 days exploring the culture, mountains, beaches, cities, and towns that the Madeiran Archipelago has to offer. It has been a pleasure and we are sad to say bye to everyone, but we know it won’t be long before we are reunited again.

With all the love in our hearts,

Duke and Brita

Magical Moments in Madeira and Porto Santo!

June 20, 2024

Brita and Duke here! Hello to the wonderful people and parents of MAD 1B. We are checking in after a few of the best days of our lives! No biggie.

Once upon a time, nestled between the lush emerald mountains and the shimmering sapphire sea, lay the mystical land of Porto da Cruz in Madeira, Portugal. This enchanted town was unlike any other, where the crashing Atlantic waves danced with the songs of the Moondancers as they belted out every lyric to Hamilton. The air was filled with the smell of ice cream and our favorite drink, Brisa. If Brisa had one million fans, it would be Jack S and Thomas; if Brisa had two fans, it would still be Jack S and Thomas. And if Brisa had zero fans, well… if the world was against Brisa, Jack S and Thomas would be against the world.

Porto da Cruz was a place where legends were made and professional surfers and card players were born. The town was ruled by a humble surfing queen and king, who go by the names of Ellie and Mason. They absolutely shredded the water and amazed everyone, including the guides, with their talent and skill. Kate also stood up on the board immediately, like the Florida pro surfer she is. Eliza, the renowned photographer, proudly captured many amazing moments of Moondancers catching waves and the waves catching them. Meanwhile, Kelsy and Johnny dominated in cards. If we had a free 30 seconds in a day, there was already a deck of cards being shuffled. One of our favorite card games to play is Presidents, with Coco often being the president. When not playing Presidents, Queens, Spits, etc., Jack S is performing magic tricks that leave us with SO. MANY. QUESTIONS.

After spending the day on the water, we enjoyed delicious Madeiran meals and refreshing apple Brisa along the coast. Our bellies were filled over many rounds of 21 Questions, where you think of a noun and try to guess it in 21 questions. Although it did take Johnny, Chloe, and TJ about 132,098,439 questions to guess a minion from Despicable Me. After dinner, rocks were skipped, games were played, and veggie-offs were won. Jack R won a veggie-off by acting like the best anxious asparagus one has ever seen. We were sad to leave this perfect magical town, but we knew we had exciting days ahead. The precious cats of Porto da Cruz were incredibly distraught to see their #1 fan, Coco, depart.

It was time to island hop! We didn’t think this trip could get any more magical, goofy, and electric, and then… it did. The island of Porto Santo is the hidden gem of the Atlantic Ocean, known as the “Golden Island” for its stunning stretches of golden sandy beaches. Porto Santo was our home for a few days. Amidst this paradise, one of the island’s most extraordinary features is its natural pools. Carved by time and nature, these pools nestle in the rocky coastline, creating a serene and surreal environment. The pools are filled with crystal-clear water, constantly refreshed by the strong ocean tides. They quickly became filled with Moondancers in awe of this natural outdoor waterpark. Eliza, Kate, Ellie, Jack R, and Jack S were the first to dive into the crystal-clear waters, scrambling along the contrasting cliffs and cannonballing into the wave pools. Chloe and Mason later found shallower pools that basked in the sun and mimicked hot tubs. We spent hours exploring, diving, cannonballing, snorkeling, mermaiding, and floating in these pools that seemed pulled straight from a movie set. That night, we sat around a big table, ate delicious pizza, recapped our wonderful day, and followed up with a Moonup on the pier. Usually, we finish Moonup with a civil game of Mafia, but tonight was different. Our LODs, Mason and Coco, had a different plan. Instead, we jumped off the pier! In our clothes! At night! Coco captured Johnny, Kate, Ellie, Mason, Thomas, Kelsy, Duke, and Brita as we took a leap of faith and plunged into the refreshing salty water. The other folks enjoying the beautiful evening on the pier cheered us on as we embraced adventure and the joy of being alive. The soaking wet, happy Moondancers danced and sang under the twinkling stars all the way home to their hostel. They all fell fast asleep with bellies full of ice cream and Brisa, dreaming of the magic the next day would bring.

HLAW! How lucky are we!

Brita & Duke

Johnny – Hey mom and dad! Just wanted to let you all know that yall are the best for sending me on Moondance again! This was the best overall trip I’ve ever been on and while I am so excited to get home and be back I wish I wasn’t over. Love you guys!

Coco – hi! Thank you mom and dad!! I’m having so much fun on this moondance and I’m so grateful for you guys. See you soon! Love you guys! ❤️

Kate – hi mom and dad!! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip! It’s been so so fun. I can’t wait to tell you guys about everything and show photos. I love you and miss you guys!

Chloe – Hey Mom and Dad!!! Thank you SO much for sending me to Madeira! It has been the absolute best trip ever and I can’t wait to tell you guys about all the fun things we did!! You guys are the best! I love and miss you!!! ❤️

Ellie – Hey Mom and Dad!!! Thank you so so much for sending me on Moondance! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to explore the world!!! I have had so much fun in Madeira and I’m so excited to tell you everything! Can”t wait to see you guys soon!! Xoxo love Ellie❤️

Jack S – hey mom and dad. Thank you for allowing me to come on this trip and I will never forget it. I am extremely grateful and I love you both so much. I hope Hill and Ryan enjoyed my time away as well.

Mason -Hey Mom and Dad! I just wanted to say thank you for sending me on this trip. I have an amazing group and definitely made lifelong friends from this trip because y’all sent me on it, not to mention the amazing activities we have done as well. Can’t wait to see y’all soon. Love you.

Eliza – Hey Momma and Dad!! Thank you so much for sending me on yet another amazing Moondance. Because of this opportunity I have met the best people yet again. I am so excited to come home but also so sad to leave this beautiful place and people. I love you guys so much.

Kelsy – Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you so so much for sending me on this amazing trip, I have had the time of my life. I can’t wait to come home and see you both, but it’s gonna be so hard to leave this place and this group. Tell the rest of the family and Brandon that I love and miss them. I am so excited to see everyone soon!❤️

Jack R – Hi Mom and Dad! I’ve had such a great time during this moondance it has been such a crazy experience and I’m so thankful for y’all sending me on this trip. Dad I hope you had a wonderful Father’s Day and Birthday I’m sorry for missing both. I’m excited to seeing y’all in a day or two, sorry not sorry I don’t want to leave. I’ll see y’all soon, and I love y’all.

Thomas – hi mom and dad I can’t thank you guys enough for sending me on this trip, I’ve had so much fun and are ready to be home but I don’t want to leave. I’ve enjoyed all the activities and rock climbing is on the day I’m writing this so we will see how it goes. The surfing was really fun and makes me want to get a wet suit and new board, the wetsuits make such a difference and are worth it. Tell Reid I’m ready for the beach and can’t wait to see yall. Love you both and you will never know how thankful I am for giving me these amazing opportunities.

Duke and Brita – Thank you Hayes and The Heart of The House for giving me the opportunity to have the best job ever. All of your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed! Hi Mom, Dad, Emmy, Bergen, Ward, Johnny!!!!

Magic in Madeira

June 15, 2024

Olá from the most beautiful place on Earth! Brita and Duke here! We have spent the last week skipping, jumping, singing, trekking, canyoneering, and swimming around this island. After we touched down in Madeira, we immediately booked it to the beach! All of our jaws were on the floor when we reached the place where the tall and majestic emerald Madeiran cliffs converged with the serene blue waters. This landscape commanded our attention and was the perfect playground for a fun afternoon. We first filled our bellies with yummy pizza and French fries (a crowd pleaser). We then made it over to the magical beach where we dove into the crystal clear waters, scrambled up onto the rocks, where Thomas attempted to catch fish, and where Eliza, Kate, and Chloe played mermaids. Coco also treated the beach like the spa, where she basked in the sun and exfoliated with the grainy black sand, encouraging everyone to embrace the messiness. This peaceful “spa trip” quickly turned competitive when a sand fight broke out. Amidst the chaos, alliances were forged and broken, sand flew in every direction, and laughter echoed across the beach. The rain and a beautiful rainbow greeted us at a perfect time and washed away the evidence of our sand war.

Our first full day on the island was led by our initial pair of LODs (leaders of the day), Kate and Jack S. They bravely navigated and showed us the way through the steep canyons and cold waters, as we rappelled and jumped off waterfalls into gorgeous natural pools below. We sang songs, played mafia, ate kit kats, danced around in our wetsuits, had “veggie offs,” learned from our guides Ivan, Ruth, and Gonçalo, had “moo offs,” and embraced the incredible beauty around us. Johnny kept the energy high with his contagious positivity and love for making the biggest cannonball splash. Jack R. was the brave soldier of the group by always being the first one to rappel and jump. By the end of day one, we enjoyed a delicious lunch, Madeiran ice cream, and celebrated our new canyoneering skills. We were so ready for day 2 of jumping and rappelling. That evening we also learned a magician joined us in Madeira – Jack S. The group went to bed dreaming and questioning Jack’s marvelous skills with 52 cards. The LODs reigns (a gold and silver chain) were passed to Eliza and Jack R. for our second day.

It was another beautiful day to jump off some waterfalls. Today we applied what we learned the day prior and were absolutely amazed by the caves, cliffs, pools, and rocks that we conquered. Kelsy kept us entertained with her silly voices and Coco led the group in a dance class, while each brave Moondance member waited their turn to descend the jagged and jarring rocks covered by streams of gushing ice cold water. We ended the day by ziplining off the last cliff to meet another chocolate wafer bar of deliciousness – a kit of the kat.

Time to trek! Today’s LODs were Thomas and Ellie! Although the weather was not on our side Ellie kept the spirits high. Quickly into our hike we met a huge, beautiful waterfall and before we were able to take in the beauty, Thomas was already swimming and encouraging the whole group to join him. We all lived by the Moondance rule – if you see a body of water you must get in it. Once we arrived at our campsite, Ellie and Mason were so helpful with making a scrumptious dinner. It was cloudy with a chance of burrito bowls. We filled our bellies by going to a makeshift Chipotle line and then played hours of mafia where Johnny dominated. The next few days consisted of lots and lots of singing, dance parties, trail talks, riddles, caves, and Nutella biscuits as trekking fuel. Chloe did work up an appetite for a grasshopper as well, which she compared to a ripe blueberry. After a few days of trekking, we successfully summited Pico Ruivo and climbed the stairway to heaven…and what a jumble of WOW moments. As we ascended above the clouds, we were immediately greeted by breathtaking panoramic views and what seemed to be steps that endlessly stretched into the sky. It was just the clouds and us on top of the world. The trail was filled with “OOOs” and “AHHs.” Other full words could not be formed, nor would they do the views justice. Our breath was taken, and our socks were knocked off. It was a day none of us will ever forget, especially thanks to Johnny for capturing so many beautiful moments. As we made the final descent from the mountains it was decided that we had walked enough, and the group had earned a rest. We decided to take the fun way down to Funchal! As we rounded our last turn on the Royal Path of Madeira, a 19th century cobblestone trail, we were greeted by the pilots of the famed Correios da Madeira. These hundred year old wicker toboggans once gave the locals of Monte a 2 kilometer commute from the mountain village to the city center of Funchal, but now shuttle tired Moondancers worn down from a week high in the hills. We all climbed in and slid our way down the steep streets whooping and hollering as we sped down hills and around corners. When we got to the end we were greeted by the smiling faces of Kelsy and Coco who had won the race and were already enjoying treats by the time the rest of the group got to the bottom. We all joined them and sipped our favorite new soda, a Madeiran classic called Brisa, before a short walk to the city center to embrace the culture of the capital city.

We have officially made it out of the clouds and to Porto da Cruz. We showered, played lots of card games, filled our bellies with a yummy dinner by the beach, and played a good game of “bird on a perch” thanks to our game master Mason. We have had the absolute best week and can’t wait for what else this magical island has in store for this group!

Shoutouts:

Eliza: Happy Father’s day Dad! I am having the absolute best time in Madeira and miss and love y’all so much.

Kelsy: Hi everyone! I am having the absolute BEST time here in Madeira. Mom and Dad, I miss you both so much but don’t worry because I am having the time of my life. Trekking was challenging but so worth it, also I am a card game god now so yay. Brandon, happy 6! I miss you and I love you, can’t wait to see you soon.

Ellie: Happy Father’s day Dad! I am having the best time in Madeira and have met so many new friends. Can’t wait to see y’all soon. Miss and love y’all.

Chloe: Hi Mom, Dad (Happy Father’s Day), Hadley, Emma, and Coleman! This trip has been so awesome so far! All the people in my group are so fun and I love them all! I miss you guys so much but will definitely be missing Madeira when I get back! We just finished up trekking and the views are absolutely insane because of how many mountains there are. Right now we’re playing a card game in our hostel in Funchal and I’ve bought way too much Apple Brisa (order some immediately it’s so good) Anyway I love and miss you all so so much and give Briar, Woody, and Smu a hug and kiss for me (Funchal has so many cats so I’ve been missing Briar so much) SEE YOU GUYS SOON!

Mason: Hey Mom and Dad! I am having the best time in Madeira and just wanted to say Happy Fathers Day! Love both of y’all so much.

Johnny: Hey mom and dad just wanted to let yall know that I love you guys and miss you so much! Let juju know that I have been thinking about her and am so excited to get breakfast with her when I get back. Tell dad that I wish him a happy birthday and happy fathers day! This is the best Moondance trip yet! I hope you know that I love you guys with all my heart! Can’t wait to see y’all in a few days!

Kate: Hi! Happy Father’s Day Dad! Madeira is the best and I am having the greatest time. Love and miss y’all!

Jack R: Hey Mom and Dad! I’m having a great time on the trip, so far we have traveled in canyons and hiked for ages. I’m not sure what we are doing next, but I’m very excited because now we get to stay in hostels for the rest of the trip. Dad happy belated birthday sorry I missed it also happy fathers day. I don’t know what day it is today, but hope you have a wonderful day. Love y’all.

Jack S: Hi mom and dad. I am very thankful for the opportunity and I miss everyone at home. I am having a great time and will see you guys soon. I got over my fear of heights. Happy fathers day, I love you.

Coco: Hi guys! I am having so much fun in Madeira with my new best friends. Happy Father’s day dad. I miss you guys and will see you soon!

Thomas: Hi mom and dad, I have so far enjoyed this luxurious trip you allowed me to go on. I am very excited for the activities upcoming, including rock climbing and surfing. We have just completed the trekking, which I have deemed a challenge but I have, again, completed. I have fallen in love with this new soda called Apple Brisa, in which I will be buying when I get home. I have very much enjoyed my group and my counselors. I am dreading the day I have to leave this amazing trip with these amazing people.

Talk soon!

Brita and Duke

To the Island They Go - Day 1!

June 6, 2024

Hello Madeira Families!

We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Lisbon and is off to Madeira! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure as they dance around the island.

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