Final Update from Maui!

July 9, 2024

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! We began our day of celebration bright and early in true American spirit. This morning’s energy was unmatched as students emerged from their tents eagerly sporting their red, white, and blue regalia. Ready to get paddling, we enjoyed a quick breakfast and headed down the mountain! Rolling up to the beach with the most patriotic paddle boarding outfits possible, our leader’s of the day, Jack and Savy, helped everyone get their boards into the water. Chapman and Thomas began their paddle by taking a dip into the crystal clear water while Tinsley and Lily chose the slow and steady route. Our guide, Brandon, led us around the bay while telling interesting facts and stories about the surrounding islands and ecosystems beneath us. The students were especially interested in his Hawaiian secret treasure hunt adventure he let us in on. Within two minutes of describing his escapades, George and Jack were ready to ditch their boards and begin searching. As everyone began their paddle back to shore, Will D and Heath began a game of “King of the Raft.” Alliances were formed, friendships were tested, and anything goes on the high seas. Meanwhile, Miles used the chaos as an opportunity to get some practice on his surf-style paddle.The group had a ball during paddleboarding and kept the energy up into the next part of our day. With the famous Maui Olympics beginning tomorrow, the leaders made the executive decision to get them training. In the field of at camp, we got to work. After hours of games, laughs, and workshopping, we developed and fine tuned an unbeatable roster. It was a no-brainer to have Slayton do the back pedal in the relay race, and the George-Hadley combo for the piggy back race was unbeatable. Campbell came through in a big way by being Lily’s “barrow” for the wheel-barrow segment while Savy and Hadley were our chosen Spikeball players. Maui 2A got dialed in and put in the hard work to bring home the gold in Maui.

After an eventful afternoon, the group eagerly awaited the chance to be relieved of their cooking and cleaning crew duties at camp and headed over to La Kahea Farm for a tour and cooking class. Upon arriving at the farm’s gate, we were greeted by Winsome, owner of La Kahea Farm. She enthusiastically greeted us, along with a warm welcome from her puppy Basil who quickly became pals with everyone, especially Will. After a quick introduction and getting to know the students, Winsome took the students on an interactive walking tour of the farm. During this, students learned the importance of regenerative agriculture and saw the difference between sustainable farming practices and traditional industrial farming practices. Tinsley was especially impressed and asked such insightful questions that impressed the whole group. This allowed for meaningful conversations throughout the next section of our visit, the cooking class! In the holiday spirit, a chopped salad, taro salad, and sliders were on the menu for tonight! Not to mention, the to die for limeade that would soon be prepared by Chapman and Campbell. And, let’s not even get started on the banana ice cream that was plated beautifully by Slayton. Students were placed in stations and given instructions to prepare their respective dishes. Savy and Maddie deemed themselves grillmasters after crafting and seasoning fifty burger patties! When our meal was finished, we all gathered around picnic tables and went to town on the most fresh and diverse meal we’ve had yet! With satisfied stomachs and smiles on our faces, we left La Kahea more informed and with a special connection to Maui’s agricultural systems.

Although we’ve had a jam-packed day thus far, no Fourth of July is complete without a firework show! To cap off an amazing day, we celebrated with sparklers and ice cream while watching fireworks go off from all across the island! It’s safe to say that this day was a 24 hour “pinch me” moment for everyone.

Gooood Morning! Arguably the most anticipated activity is here! You guessed it… we are surfing today! With a loud and energetic wakeup from the leaders playing music on the speaker and dancing around their tents, the students woke up smiling and ready to go. Upon arrival in Kihei, the kids picked out their rash guards and protective water shoes and hit the grass for an on-land lesson. Campbell was a natural after her surfing trip in Costa Rica and was a huge help in coaching the group to perfect their stances. The students hit the water with all gas and no brakes with Hadley and Lily getting up on their very first wave! George and Jack were also quick to catch their own waves with some instruction from the guides while Thomas and Maddie went tandem on a board. After quickly finding our footing, Chapman and Miles were performing tricks left and right, from 180s to hanging ten, there was nothing they couldn’t do! We spent the last hour of our session looking for the “mother wave” while Campbell and Savy zipped by on the same board squealing with excitement.

On to the next! While surfing was certainly a highlight, today’s activities were far from over. The time had finally come for MAU 2A to show everyone what they are made of at the Maui Olympics! Back at camp, the makeover began. Chapman and Heath opted for a blue tie-dyed white tank look while Will D went all in with a head of blue hair thanks to Tinsley and Campbell’s help. Slayton was the MVP of this getting ready party with somewhere around ten heads braided. From french braids to fishtails and everything in between, she got the group looking right. With our cut up blue t-shirts and face paint covering every inch of our skin, our group loaded up in the van and headed toward the park, getting rowdier by the minute thanks to Jack’s song requests. Once the van door slid open, the group locked in and put their game faces on. After a quick round of ice breakers with the other groups where Will and Lily made hometown connections, the real competition began with an intense game of “Birdie On A Perch.” The relay race got everyone sweaty and in the competitive spirit, especially when Savy won the 40 yard dash, which led to a blue team W! After the blue team’s hot start, we competed to keep the hot streak alive during pickleball and football. Jack and George had a Drake Maye to Tez Walker like connection while Hadley’s serve might have intimidated Coco Gauff. To conclude our epic afternoon of cheering, competing, and eating our body weight in watermelon (special shoutout to Heath and Chapman for their help with that), the three groups went head to head in a classic game of kickball. The blue team proved their athletic abilities yet again with Slayton and Jack hitting it out of the park and sending the red team running. Although the group didn’t come out victorious in this event, we walked away wheezing from laughter and ready for a good meal. Tonight’s dinner took the group back to elementary school field day memories with hot dogs, Capri Suns, Doritos, and burgers. Everyone ate while socializing with new friends, and we concluded with the group’s signature picture pose: everyone piling on each other’s shoulders. All in all, the Olympics were a success (we won, but who’s keeping score right?). We headed back to camp for a double header moonup led by Slayton and George. We opened up about what surprised us most about the trip as well as what skills the students are walking away with after this trip. Cooking was a very popular answer, so don’t hesitate to ask your kids to take over dinner one night when they get back home! After our formal moonup, the group huddled up in the dry room and stayed up later than we should have sharing stories and funny memories from the trip. Although we say this about everyday, the leader’s agreed that this one will certainly go down in the books as one of the session’s best,

Surfing DAY TWO!!! With hopes of better waves in our dreams, Maui 2A toughed out another early morning on Haleakala Mountain. LODs, Chapman and Slayton, got everyone in the van in record time to ensure we didn’t miss a single minute of early morning waves. With a day of surfing already under our belts, confidence was at an all time high, and the water was so clear that you could see turtles swim below you as you surfed down a wave. George and Jack continued to push themselves to get waves without the help of the guides while Campbell and Chapman perfected their 180s. Everyone appreciated the support of the Maui Beach Boys guides, but by the end of the day, we hardly needed their help. Heath, Chapman, and Will D. were having so much fun that we thought they might try to get jobs as surf guides. As the waves began to cool off, we surfed into shore and enjoyed some chill hangout time in the water. We went from surfing over turtles to swimming with them.

For our final lunch of our trip at camp, we cheffed up everything we had left over for a lunch medley. Lily, Hadley, and Savy flipped grilled cheese sandwiches while Chapman, Heath, and Miles mixed pancakes. It’s amazing to see how much the kids have learned about cooking, and how much more confident they are in their skills. After lunch we cleaned up and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at camp in the warm sun reminiscing over times that felt like years ago.

After recharging at camp, we hit the road again with the goal to celebrate our last night together. Our first stop on the itinerary was Goodwill. Why Goodwill you ask: to get the least matching, most ridiculous, and wildest outfit possible for dinner tonight. The pictures from this outing might need to be burned, but everyone won best dressed at the awards ceremony.

For our banquet dinner, the LODs polled the group and selected Mexican food. The girls spent the car ride carefully planning their orders to remain under budget and also get a soda. Meanwhile, the guys debated which items were the best bang for your buck in the quantity of food department. We enjoyed quesadillas and burritos galore around a huge table of shared chips and salsa. While we might have gotten some funny looks, strangers were impressed with the kids’ manners when we were inquired about why we were dressed so abnormally. All trip the kids made everyone back at Moondance HQ proud when explaining what Moondance was to friendly tourists and locals. After our stomachs were full from our Mexican fiesta, and the kids insisted that they could eat no more, the leaders quickly changed some minds. Our next stop was none other than Chick-fil-a for milkshakes! We loaded up on frozen treats to cap off our banquet night and slurped them down on the drive back to camp.

Full bellies and tasty treats should be a recipe for some immediate sleep, but the kids insisted on extending the night. We played a couple games of Family together where Hadley won as Nemo! Then, we followed up the game with a paper plate/superlative awards ceremony led by the leaders before winding down for the night. Everyone agreed to do our final moonup and to spend our final night on the basketball court together. Everyone curled into their sleeping bags for the night like an archipelago in the basketball court ocean. The leaders could hear murmurs of conversation and stifled laughter into the depths of night.

Last day, NOOOOOOOOO!!!! Everyone slept in this morning before being put to work by Will and Thomas who made a to do list the size of a CVS receipt. There was trash to be taken out, floors to clean, and tents to pack up. Jack, Campbell, and Tinsley were the first to pack up their own duffel bags and did an amazing job helping complete communal tasks. After packing up camp and wishing temporary home goodbye, we began our final van ride of the trip to the airport. At the airport we said our sad goodbyes and laughed at all the amazing memories we made along the way. We are so proud of the growth that this group showed and their compassion for one another. Each and every one of the kids is so special and brought their own unique character to the group dynamic. The memories from this trip will live in the pictures we’ve taken and the stories we’ll tell, but what we’ll remember most are the relationships that we built along the way. Here’s to Maui 2A, Mahalo!

Birthdays Galore!

July 4, 2024

Aloha again! Maui 2A checking back in after an amazing three days in and out of the water.

While it may have seemed impossible to follow up our first few days on Maui, the past four have been incredible. The group radiates laughter and joy wherever they go on the island, with several locals taking notice of their polite manners and “aloha spirit”.
GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAVY!!! The leaders agreed that Maui 2A had gone soft due to all those lazy mornings sleeping in, so Will, Maddie, and Thomas ordered up a fresh 7:15 meet up this morning with Griff for kayaking. LODs, Savy and Miles brought some excitement to our chilly campground at the break of dawn and woke everyone up. We enjoyed a relaxing morning huddle and a beautiful sunrise before we got rolling. At Makena Landing Point, Griff introduced us to his friend Kyle and prepared us for sea kayaking and snorkeling. They explained that less movement is better and staying still is the best way to see the most wildlife in the water. With this knowledge in our back pocket, all that stood in the way of seeing a sea turtle or a shark was a scenic paddle around the coastline. Griff split us into kayaking groups and we hit the sea. Miles and Savy were cruising across the water, setting the pace. George and Hadley were neck and neck with them and showed some speed in their aquamari Ferrari. Jack and Tinsley had a hilarious flip on the way out to snorkeling and Chapman and Lily went “huli” or overboard in their kayak on the way to shore. Will D perfect his diver flip into the water and the leaders had to practically pry his flippers off to get him out of the water! Everyone had an amazing time with Griff both out of the water and in the water, where we did fortunately see plenty of sea turtles and even a white tipped shark.
After kayaking, we ate lunch back at camp before our busy afternoon of sitting around at the beach and getting shaved ice with Maddie while Will and Thomas restocked supplies and food at Costco. While the leaders were split up, the LODs had to step up to help out even more than normal. Savy crushed the directions in the van and made sure everyone was entertained with games and music. In Kihei, we wandered around the city which is one of the most social parts of the island. Everyone enjoyed shopping for souvenirs and exploring the shops that litter the coastal town, making polite conversation with booth owners and tourists.
For dinner tonight, the kids were missing the constant of cooking breakfast in the morning so we flipped the script and had breakfast for dinner. Savy, Lily, and Hadley were flipping pancakes while Miles, Chapman, and Jack were frying bacon and scrambling eggs. Everyone got some grub, but we couldn’t go to bed without at least a couple games. Tonight we played more Capture the Mascot which has become a classic and Birdie on a Perch which always will be a classic. We ended the night once again with moonup which was especially powerful and one that the leaders hope future moonups build upon.

NUGS TO EARLY MORNINGS!!! The crew woke up with their earliest morning yet, but for a good reason. With no time for food except Clif bars and fruit, the group piled into the van one by one like ducks and hit the road toward Kihei. As we rolled into the boat ramp, we were greeted by Kaika and Jake with the Redline Rafting crew. We began our morning ritual with a quick sunscreen party as always, (the leaders are priding themselves on no burns yet!) and jumped on the boat and headed out towards the famous Molokini Crater. Our guides explained the crater is the same size as an axis aircraft carrier, so it was used as bombing practice by the allies during WWII. The students are always intrigued by the history of this island and ask meaningful questions to every guide. Today, the crater is one of the most lively and scenic snorkel spots in all of Hawaii due to the healthy coral reef and crystal clear water. When the anchor hit the ocean floor, Jack, Campbell, and Slayton were the first in the water. Illuminated by sun beams that shimmered to the ocean floor, we swam with schools of fish and turtles until we could swim no more. However, our snorkel tour was only just beginning. After Molokini Crater we headed over towards Big Beach, where we had a splash party off the boat and grabbed a delicious lunch and cold bev. To get to our next and final snorkel, we rode the boat on a long cruise along the shoreline and enjoyed the speed of the boat and ocean spray. For our last stop Kaiki and Jake surprised us with a visit to TURTLE TOWN. Chapman and Heath snorkeled with a first one in last one out mentality which made them the our snorkel superstars. Meanwhile, Jack and George stumbled upon what looked like a family of sea turtles. They hung out on their back porch for a while and exchanged information so they could stay in touch after the trip. Sadly turtle town was our last stop and we had to return to dry land. HOWEVER, the day was nowhere near finished.
From coastal Kihei to Iao Valley State Park the crew showed they could have fun on any terrain Maui threw at them. We went on what started as a little nature walk and turned into a mandatory polar plunge, thanks to the idea from Maddie and Slayton. Campbell used her cat-like reflexes to jump from rock to rock while some of the boys took a bullish approach and stomped through the water like a grizzly bear. Heath, Chapman, and Miles wandered the furthest up the river and found some sick rapids. Will D., Hadley, and Savy weren’t far behind and enjoyed sitting in the water and letting the rapids crash over them. The leaders had to practically drag the kids out of the water to get them to leave. We used the car ride home as rest time to recharge for the night.
Tonight, Maui 2A played an away game for dinner and moonup in the nearby town of Paia. We gave everyone an hour to go shopping in town before dinner at the leaders’ local favorite, Paia Fish Market. We decided to use our local food stop here, and everyone loaded up on fish tacos and sandwiches. After some much needed food that was cooked by professionals, we headed to Baby Beach for moonup. Baby Beach has an amazing cove that sea turtles like to beach up on at night, so we invited the turtles to join us tonight. George and Slayton were today’s LODs and the group exchanged embarrassing stories and qualities about ourselves that we’re proud of.

Day 2 of windsurfing!! Woohoo!! The squad rolled out early this morning after some solid breakfast bagels thanks to LOD Heath and LOD Lily. As we rolled into the beach, the group was welcomed by our awesome guides who are as always happy to see us. Savy, Hadley, Chapman and Miles picked up right where they left off. Each of them pushed the limits of speed, distance, and maneuverability on the board. The rest of the group enjoyed the sun and wiped out hilariously. The wind began to die down just as it was time to leave, so we headed home for some sammies.
During lunch, the LODs, Heath and Lily, tried to convince the leaders to take everyone to do some laundry. Safe to say, Heath and Lily won. Waiting patiently at the laundromat, the group knocked out our mid trip check ins and postcards to home. In between, the boys had another chocolate milk party that featured George throwing up some crazy dance moves while Campbell organized the girls for a Kumbucha and Starbucks extravaganza.
Straight from the laundromat, the group decided to try out a new beach that turned into a glorified beach hike. The kids had great attitudes the entire time, and we eventually stumbled upon a perfect spot that had the perfect balance of ocean to swim in and beach to throw football on. We set up camp and enjoyed a sunny afternoon of Spikeball, football, swimming, and of course, tanning. Thomas, Miles and Will D explored the beach and practiced their sandwalks just in case there were any sandworms in the area. While the three of them adventured, Heath and George let Tinsley and Campbell bury them in the sand.
After the beach the squad ventured over to Costco for some dinner supplies before a surprise stop in Paia for ICE CREAM!! While waiting in line Slayton and Will D tried as many flavors as they could before ordering. All fifteen of us scarfed down our gelato, and enjoyed our second visit to Paia. Back at camp, Thomas and Maddie led us in a game of Spoons followed by Campbell and Tinsley teaching us Slapjack. The group ended their night with a great dinner thanks to Will C’s Aunt Susan’s chicken alfredo recipe prepared by Lily, George, Will D, and Hadley. Post dinner, the group got some alone time digging into their journals and then had a nice quiet moonup.

Rise and shine! We have another birthday to celebrate! Lily turned 16 today, and the group pulled out all the stops to make it as sweet as possible! For Maddie, this meant taking Lily on a special errand to Starbucks to get her favorite treat while the rest of the group prepared a breakfast spread of French toast and bacon back at camp. After fueling, the group drove toward Kapalua with their hands in the air singing along to our favorite song, Ridin Solo by Jason Derulo. Eager to get zipping, we harnessed up and decided to do a boys and girls group. The group did six different zip lines with the longest one being almost half a mile! We endured some rain along the way but the panoramic views of the island were well worth it. Birthday girl Lily had a smile the entire time and Savy redeemed herself from past a zipline fail she hilariously told the group about. The boys devoted their time on the zipline course to attempting to beat the guide’s speed record for getting down the fastest. Although it’s safe to say nobody beat the 78 mph record, they were in fact giving him a run for his money. We left Kapalua fearless and with an adrenaline rush from the heights. Especially the 1,800 foot suspension bridge everyone walked across.
On the way home with a free afternoon, our LODs, Hadley and Miles, chose the scenic route and gave the leaders the idea to support the town of Lahaina by popping into a couple local stores. Tinsley led the charge around the shopping center, encouraging everyone to enjoy a little “R&R” as she called it. Every store received a little fashion show from Savy, Hadley, and Slayton in the sunglasses section while Chapman and Thomas got henna tattoos. Tired from the long day of celebrating Lily, the group headed back toward camp for taco night!
The cook crew energetically got to work and leaders sat back in awe of how much growth this group has shown since arrival. Continuing on the trend of making the leaders and families back home proud, the group’s moonup was extra special tonight. Watching the students support and empathize with one another is inspiring. As a little farewell to Lily’s birthday and an early hello to the 4th of July, the group enjoyed some red, white, and blue cookies before bed. Our late night resulted in some students falling asleep in their paper party hats. All in all, the days just keep getting better. We are so grateful that you all are allowing us to spend time with your kids this summer, they rock!

Talk Soon!
Maddie Will Thomas

Update from Maui!

July 1, 2024

Aloha friends and family! Maui group 2A safely arrived in Kahului Airport on Tuesday afternoon, and the leaders were so excited to meet them. Will was our first arrival, so he got the lucky chance to hit the beach before everyone else as a reward for his patience. The rest of the group arrived in waves and slowly joined the group for snacks and some rounds of Wavelength. When our final arrivals joined the group, we loaded up the trusty Uhaul with our duffel bags and the 15 passenger van with kids. We departed from Kahului and headed up Maui’s 10,000 foot volcano, Haleakala. The van fought its way up the mountain and above the clouds toward our campsite and home for the next two weeks. We immediately set up our tents and celebrated our first night with pizza from a local pizza place in Paia. While we ate, we enjoyed watching the sunset shimmer across the ocean water and fade into the clouds. We finished off the night with our inaugural moonup as a group. We discussed the importance of these nightly meetings and what we hoped to accomplish over the next two weeks. We finished moonup by electing Heath and Lily as our first LODs (Leader of the Day). The leaders are so excited to see how each and every student grows as a person while we’re in beautiful Maui.

The crew was up and at them before the sun for our first full day on Maui! Hadley, Lily, and Savy all even got to watch the sunrise. After the team wake up call, our cook crew got straight to work! Heath and Will D. were on pancake duty, flipping them in the air every chance they got. With happy faces and full stomachs, we were ready to roll out to our first activity and hit the water. Our first morning van ride was a fun one with everyone getting to discuss music taste. Miles got everyone singing along with his suggestion of “Santeria” by Sublime. Tinsley gave Maddie the full run down on each of her cameras, connecting on their love of photography. We knew from all the laughter and smiles in the rear view mirror that this group was off to a great start. The excitement grew with every mile as we approached the beach. The group hit the ground running into the water for our first “polar” plunge of the trip. Chapman was the first to jump on his board and give it a go! The students were naturals zipping up and down the beach and cracking jokes at each other while only occasionally running into each other. By the end of our lesson, none of the guides could believe that none of the students had windsurfed before!

The group definitely worked up an appetite after all of the “jibing” and “tacking” we did, so we quickly piled into the van to head back to our beloved camp for a lunch break. Back at our humble abode situated about halfway up Haleakalā Mountain, George and Jack hit the basketball court with Thomas while Campbell and Slayton whipped out a deck of cards to teach the group a few games! As you may have picked up on by now, Moondancers don’t stay in one place for too long, so we rallied the group back into the van for an afternoon on the farm.

To begin our service portion of the trip, we met with our outfitter and Pono Grown Farm owner, Evan. Evan taught the group about sustainable farming practices, the importance of water quality, and just about anything under the sun related to farming. Our LOD’s had their chance to shine as they helped split the group into stations for our activity of harvesting carrots for those who lost their homes in the Lahaina fires. Savy, Miles, Will D, and Hadley were placed in the washing and prepping station. The other half of the group hung out in the field digging the carrots up from the ground shouting “MOTHER CARROT” every time they got a big one. The “mother carrots” always required an assist from our two athletes, Chapman and Slayton, who were operating the forking tool. After countless mother carrots, every student got to take a turn on the famous Pono water slide! Heath went first and showed the group how to hit a 360 into the water while Tinsley and Hadley linked up to go down in tandem. After an hour of sliding and a whole lot of slipping, we repacked the van to head home. To our surprise, Moondance legend Griff paid us a visit and gave the group an interactive lesson on the history of Maui! Griff has a knack for inspiring and passing along his knowledge in a way that the kids embrace. To end our day of festivities, the cook crew whipped up some steak fajitas that quickly turned to table nachos thanks to Tinsley’s innovation. Out of the chaos of group nacho feasting, our meal quickly turned to a dance party that led to a basketball court mosh pit featuring the group’s favorite genre, 2016 rap. It’s safe to say we were ready for a long night of sleep, and the group is beginning to come together perfectly!

Day 3 started off with a, “BANG,” as LOD Chapman likes to say. He and his co-LOD Tinsely brought the energy from the moment we woke up. Both of the LODs helped the leaders on this especially early morning, rustle up the group for an awesome day of service at Maui Cultural Lands (MCL). To prepare for the hour-long drive all the way across the island and a full day of physical labor, we ate a hearty breakfast. On the drive to MCL, we entertained ourselves with the vacation riddle, the pineapple riddle, and the penguin riddle. Despite the kids early struggles figuring out the solutions, we believe a good long hike in our future might spark their creativity.

After arriving at Maui Cultural Lands, our LODs, Chapman and Tinsley, prepared the group to get to work by passing out gloves and water. Today, our guide and the leader of MCL, Ekolu, informed us that we’d be picking invasive weeds out of the ground to increase native species’ chances of survival. Before the work could begin, Ekolu explained that we needed to ask the Honokowai Valley for permission to enter and walk upon the land. To do this, he led us in a chant that set the intention of our visit and ensured a positive energy during our work. Once we got to work, Jack and George looked like Paul Bunyan with the pick ax while Slayton and Campbell waged war on the weeds. The entire group put forth a great effort and left Maui Cultural Land with dirty hands, a couple new pieces of knowledge, and only a little sunlight remaining.

Capitalizing on the opportunity, LOD Chapman and LOD Tinsley made the executive decision to test the group’s limits at Black Rock Cliff Jumping. Thomas and Will used their powerful planning abilities to scheme up the best way to infiltrate the air tight resort security and deliver the group to our beachy rendezvous. In route Lily even picked up a free pair of slippers from a kind employee in the hotel parking lot. On the beach we sized up the cliff and prepared to trek the rocky ascent necessary to mount the cliff face. Once on top, Jack, who was itching to catch some air, made the first splash. The rest of the group quickly followed suit and had an amazing time in the water. The leaders were also proud of Lily and Will D. who overcame their initial hesitations and embraced the philosophy of “Living in the Moment!” We had an exciting afternoon and everyone rose to the occasion during an intimidating activity. We were all tuckered out from the excitement, so everyone fell asleep on the ride home while the leaders picked up pineapples and mangos at a local farmers market. Back at camp, Will D. and Campbell carved into the fruit while Chapman and Jack opted to play fruit ninja with the scraps. For dinner we attempted to make hibachi, but the kids insisted on having another nacho party. We had a blast after dinner playing new group games such as Family and Fish Bowl. The day concluded with another great moonup that ended the day on a restful note.

Today was a much needed late start. As the group rolled out of bed, we all met up on the basketball court and discussed the plan for the day with LODs Jack and Hadley. For breakfast Chapman and Jack worked on the bacon while Savy and Hadly knocked out the eggs. To complement their hard work, Maddie and Tinsley pulled out the toaster and started loading bagels rapid fire. Heath and Miles rounded out our breakfast by making some light and fluffy Cracker Barrel level pancakes.

After we cleaned up camp, the squad jumped in the van where we headed down the mountain for some stops at Walmart and Costco. At Walmart, the boys agreed they had been missing chocolate milk the most, so they loaded up on whole milk and chocolate syrup to mix their own proportions in the parking lot. At Costco, Thomas led the LODs in a shopping spree for lunch as well as dinner. While the three of them were inside, the rest of the crew unloaded the van and put their art skills to the test. The girls made sure Moondance slogans and scenic displays of nature covered the van while the boys filled in the empty space with inside jokes and drawings of chocolate milk.

After our errands, the LODs decided to let the group have a relaxing beach day. Will D. and Miles led the charge into the ocean and immediately spotted three enormous sea turtles. While Maddie and the girls took a stroll in the afternoon sun, the guys threw the football, swam, and played spikeball. Jack and George’s chemistry is truly off the charts in spikeball, and they insist on challenging Thomas and Will to games every chance they get.

When we got back to camp with a little extra daylight, we got into some amazing games led by the one and only Campbell Queen. She taught us the game Capture the Mascot where you work with your team to capture an item from the feet of a watchful person who’s “it”. The group had an amazing time testing new strategies until the moment we started dinner. Chicken pesto pasta was on the menu, and while Chapman cut up the chicken, Savy and Hadley worked on the pasta. Meanwhile, Slayton led the rest of the group in some fun card games. After dinner we played another great game thanks to Campbell called Murder in the Dark or better known as Manhunt. Our night of games led into some journal time before moonup where today’s LODs, Jack and Hadley, picked Will D. and Campbell as tomorrow’s LODs!!!!

Day five might’ve been the group’s favorite yet! Enjoying our last leisurely wake up of the trip, the group gathered around the picnic tables to enjoy Heath’s famous french toast! With Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson humming in the background, everyone recounted the funniest moments from game night. After fueling up, we packed in the van in birthday order and began our journey down Maui’s legendary Road to Hana. Miles and miles of winding road and breathtaking scenery later, we were greeted at the Garden of Eden by wild peacocks! Our day of canyon rappelling began with a safety briefing and some tough “call sign” decisions for our helmets, the fan favorite of which being Lily’s “LilPil”. Descending into the forest, the group was collectively in awe of the 50 ft waterfalls in front of us. Not to mention the fact that we would be rappelling down them in the next five minutes! Tinsley and George showed their bravery by volunteering to go first. After a straight down drop on the dry rappel, it was time to test our limits on the waterfall rappel. With water crashing down upon our faces and guides shouting at us from above, Maui group 2A went 15/15 on the waterfall rappel. Miles, Will D., and Chapman even got the chance to swim up underneath the waterfall once we reached the bottom. While the rappelling was the highlight of the activity, credit to the peacocks and the crawdad adjacent prawns who were a fun feature at the Garden of Eden. We journeyed back to camp with a car full of sleeping kids. Back at camp though, the energy was back to its typical sky high standards. The boys played a few games of football and spikeball while the girls enjoyed the sun and prepared for dinner. To cap off a special day of overcoming our fears of heights, the dinner had to be special. LODs Will D. and Campbell made the delicious decision to have everyone make BYO Pizzas on the stove. The group had a great time crafting their own creations. We ended the night with some more games before moonup and a good night of sleep before our early wake up for kayaking with Griff the next morning.

The leaders are continually impressed with this group’s ability to have fun, but also lock in and get the job done when necessary. We’re grateful for their ability to take care of adult tasks such as cooking and cleaning up after themselves in a timely manner. We’ve been to every activity on time and have had plenty of time to have fun at camp and at the beach. The credit for this goes all to the kids. Only five days into the trip, we’re so excited to see the group bond and grow on an even more meaningful level from here on out!

George:

I have had a really fun time so far at moondance and we have done a bunch of different exciting activities. My favorite so far has to be windsurfing, including seeing Thomas fall a lot. Also one of my favorite things on Maui is the amazing views and the early sunrises. Can’t wait to see William!

Will:

Hey guys, I’m having so much fun here and I’ve done a boatload of fun stuff. Today we went kayaking and snorkeling and I’ve made so many new friends!! I hope y’all have gotten some good photos so far. So far my favorite activity is snorkeling and a memorable moment so far is when we went cliff jumping! I miss you lots and I can’t wait to see y’all!!

Chapman:

I have had the time of my life here in Maui and wish I could never leave. Today was awesome. We went with Griff kayaking and snorkeling and saw your sea turtles Mom! The people are amazing and my favorite thing so far definitely been rappelling down the waterfalls Love y’all.

Heath:

Hey, family I love yall so much! I’ve met so many amazing, talented new friends. My favorite activity so far was kayaking with my partner Campbell, we were very quick! I miss yall so much and can’t wait until our reunion. George has great music taste! I hope Gracie girl, James, Carter is doing well and mom and dad. Love you!

Miles:

Hi, family. Love and miss y’all so much. I have met lots of people.

Jack: Hey mom and dad, I have had a lot of fun in Maui and done a lot of different things. I have met and got close to most of the other campers and made a few connections through raleigh people and mccallie sports camp. Love yall.

Tinsley:

Hey Mama!! Ive made alot of cool memories and I can’t wait to see y’all in a week. I hope y’all are having fun in Florida! The views are super pretty and I can’t wait to show you all the pics. Tell you all about it when I get home. I love yall so much. Tell Slayden, payton and lovie I said hey!! P.S please make sure my flight is with witt and warner! See you soon!! XO

Lily: Hey!! I am having so much fun. Hawaii is sooo pretty. The ocean is so clear and warm. I love it. I got free 4 season quality slippers. We went snorkeling and kayaking today and our kayak flipped over. I learned how to use the gopro and have gotten some cool videos. I turn 16 in a couple dayssssss! (caroline- look forward to the debrief! Four seasons Orlando) MISS YOU GUYS; xoxoxo.

Savy: Hey!! I am having so much fun and can’t wait to tell yall all about it! Today is my birthday and It has been so fun. Today we went snorkeling, the water was so clear and warm. We saw a shark and a sea turtle. I am most looking forward to surfing. I miss yall so much and can’t wait to join yall in the Hamptons.

Hadley: Hey guys!! I’m having so much fun, it’s so pretty here. My favorite part of the trip has definitely been cliff jumping! And skipping the hikes. Can’t wait to see Ellie when I get home and get to go to Leland with everyone! Miss everyone so much and hope life with no kids has been amazing. Food has been good, don’t worry! Can’t wait to see you guys, love you all!!!!

Slayton: Hey y’all!! I’m having so much fun! It’s so pretty here and the water is so clear. I have gotten some sun but have done my best to keep sunscreen on. We’ve had a few free afternoons where we have just messed around and done some fun stuff like cliff jumping. I was also able to get a fresh pineapple and it was pretty good but a bit tart. I love and miss y’all and can’t wait to see y’all again!!

Campbell:

Howdy y’all! I miss you guys so much! Thank you so much for sending me to all these incredible places! I love it here and everything is so fun! Have so much fun in Telluride and if you see Anna before I get there tell her I miss her! I can’t wait to see y’all for more than 3 days! PS, please pack my tan ILIA mascara along with my stack of clothes. I love yall so much! See you soon!

Safe Arrival in Maui!

June 26, 2024

Hello Maui families,

We have heard from our leaders last night that the group has landed safely in Maui. 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