Final Update from Maui!
July 24, 2024
Hello family and friends, it’s Maui 3C here, writing our final trip update with heavy hearts now that our whole group has left. We have had such an amazing 2 weeks together and are excited to share our final few days with y’all!
Once we finished our acai bowls, we headed back to camp where we ate lunch and then hungout around camp. We ate an early pasta dinner then hurried up to Lavender Farms to catch the most beautiful sunset any of us had ever seen! We took advantage of this and made sure to take lots of pictures to capture the moment. Dean couldn’t resist rolling down the huge, grassy hill, and he caught a good amount of speed, making everyone laugh. After the sun was fully set, we headed back to camp to Moonup and go to sleep.
The next day was our second day of surfing! Everyone was catching waves like a natural and we had such a good time throwing our shakas and hanging ten. After, we came back to camp and our LODs, Jack and Emilia, helped us cook chicken quesadillas for lunch. They were so good that Chason couldn’t help himself and ate 6! We then went to the beach where everyone enjoyed swimming and playing in the sand before we went and got ice cream! Gavin, Lillie, and Gray all LOVED their shaved ice and wanted everyone to try it, so they spoonfed Jack and Warren! For dinner, we cooked asian noodles and got to enjoy a wedding from afar at our campsite before having Moonup and going to bed.
The next morning’s activity might have been one of the coolest moments of all of our lives!!! It all started when we woke up early to go sea kayaking. The weather was perfect and the water was super glassy and clear. We paddled out to a cool snorkeling spot where we saw some fish and turtles. We had all just gotten back in our kayaks when Lillie saw something jump out in the distance. It turned out to be a HUGE pod of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins!!!!!! If you haven’t seen them jump/spin, I’d suggest looking it up – it’s so cool! Immediately, Lillie and Wright began to kayak out to get a closer look and capture some footage on their GoPros. It was such an incredible experience being this close to so many dolphins, and is definitely a moment none of us will ever forget! After sea kayaking, we went back to camp to warm up for the Olympics by playing sharks and minnows, birdie on a perch, and having a couple veggie offs. If you don’t know, the Olympics is when all three Maui groups compete against each other for bragging rights. We were the red team, and we were ready to compete!!!!! Before we got into the competition though, we had to paint up! Dean rocked a Superman logo on his back, and Chason had some awesome scary clown face paint!
Our first event was Birdie on a Perch! Our boys, Jack and Wright, made it to the first Veggie off, where they might not have won, but they did make our whole group laugh til we cried. Our second team to Veggie off was Warren and Gray where they were the scariest ‘angry asparagus’ ever, and won us three points! Next was our relay race, where Sloane crab walked like a pro and Emilia and Gavin sprinted their hearts out. Griff, a former Moondance leader and our sea kayaking instructor, came to the Olympics to cheer on everyone, but really stole the show with his dog, Ula! Next was kickball, which we excelled at! Lucy showed off her athletic abilities by kicking a grand slam! Jack also proved his skills by kicking the game winning home-run that had us all celebrating! Next up, Gavin and Wright destroyed some watermelon in the watermelon eating contest and then Gavin and Warren won boys spikeball. After a long day of competition, Maui C came home with the win!!!!!! We celebrated with cookies and an awesome Moonup!
The next day was sadly our final day of activities. We got to windsurf, and Sloane looked like she was ready to join the USA Windsurfing team by the end of it! Warren, Chason, and Gavin decided to chill and make drip castles, while Lillie ended up going out far into the ocean bycatching a ride on our guide, Mark’s board! Pippa even performed an amazing rendition of “Let It Go” while on her board. While windsurfing, Nelson went to the store to get some surprises for lunch, which ended up being surf and turf!! Everyone loved lunch and had fun getting to hang around camp before we went to the thrift store to shop for our banquet outfits. Gray got to rock some snorkel gear all night, while Lucy, Emilia, Pippa, and Sloane got dressed up as minions! After we all got dressed, we went to the food trucks to eat our final dinner as a group! Everyone’s food looked amazing, and once we were finished eating, we headed back to camp to Moonup one final time. It was so special and funny, as we all shared our funniest memory of the person to our right!
Our final morning was bittersweet as we shared one final breakfast of M&M pancakes and cleaned up camp. Families, we are so thankful that you decided to share your wonderful kids with us this summer! They are all so incredibly special and we leaders have loved every second of our time together. Maui 3C forever!!!!!
Love always,
Coco, Helen, and Nelly
Sunny Beaches!
July 21, 2024
ALOHA!!!! We are SO excited to share all that we have been up to lately! Last time we caught up we had been abruptly woken up by the rain and spent the morning preparing for our first lesson windsurfing. Since then, we have had a packed couple of days filled with adventures in the rainforest, water sports along the coast, breathtaking sunsets, and endless laughs throughout it all.
When we arrived at the beach park for windsurfing, the outfitters quickly got us suited up, taught us some beginner turns, and we were ready to tackle the waves within minutes. Pippa was a natural and impressed us all with how fast she mastered her balance on the board. Soon after, everyone was cruising along the water doing 360s with their sail. Gray wowed us with his skills and Warren and Chason took a 10-minute intermission to make a drip castle on the beach. After their masterpiece was finished, it was time to bring in the boards and they decided to stick together and ride tandem all the way back. As we sailed in, Wright raced us as he swam, ultimately beating most of the boards to the coast. With excitement levels high after leaving windsurfing, we made a quick sandwich lunch back at camp before meeting up with Evan, the owner of Pono Grown Farms. Here, we spent a few hours harvesting vegetables and picking out some weeds in order to prepare for the next round of crops being planted. Jack and Gavin excelled at eliminating the weeds, Lillie pulled out a sweet potato the size of a pineapple, and Pippa, Wright, Chason, and Emilia cleaned off all of the harvested plants while sneaking in a few hose sprays at each other. Safe to say we collectively put in a lot of hard work, which was rewarded with a lot of fun as we got to use Evan’s water slide! Everyone took many turns sliding down feet first, head first, and 2 at a time into the pond below where a belly flop showdown occurred. Chason took the gold medal for best flop and the group decided to take one last run down the slide altogether as a chain. When we got back to the campsite, our LODs, Sloane and Dean, cooked amazing chicken and shrimp tacos and led us in Moonup before going to bed. With a clear weather forecast ahead, the group was excited to cowboy camp again and sleep in before ziplining the next day.
After a restful night, Jack was up before the whole group and had already started tidying up cards and little pieces of trash that had been left out the night before. Next to awaken was Dean, who spent most of his morning trying to persuade us leaders to take him skydiving. Once everyone was up, we started cooking breakfast burritos, making sure to fuel up before our ziplining adventure. Once we arrived at the top of the course, Pippa, Gray, and Sloane started teaching our guides some Tik Tok dance moves while Dean decided to spend his waiting period singing. On one particular line, we were able to hold hands while going down— Coco and Lillie executed this perfectly. Right before the finale, we got to walk over the “Golden Gate Bridge of Maui”, which towers over a beautiful bamboo forest. While the bridge was intimidating, Lucy and Warren faced their fear of heights and we were all so proud of them for keeping up their positive attitudes. After our very fun excursion, we stopped in Makawao for a little shopping. Many bracelets and local prints were bought along with a hat Warren got for a friend but likes so much he might have to keep it for himself! Back at camp, Lucy and Gavin made Mac n Cheese served alongside steak which definitely became a group favorite meal.
The next morning we had another relaxed morning before we had to be at our next activity: rappelling! Gavin, Jack, and Wright were our early birds and we all enjoyed a game of Skip Bo before everyone else woke up. As we cooked breakfast, Lillie perfected her pancake flip, each one better than the previous. Jack paired the sweet chocolate chip pancakes with some savory sausage and eggs, giving us the best bfast combo. After we all filled up on the wide variety of options, Nelson drove us up the mountainous Road to Hana for waterfall rappelling. Shauna, one of our guides, and Dean shared their love for sarcastic humor right off the bat and continued cracking jokes to the rest of the group throughout the activity. Everyone successfully made it down the waterfalls, but Jack showed us up with the quickest dismount and even though Warren and Lillie had some nerves going into the day, they beautifully executed the rappel.
The exciting day wasn’t over just yet… After rappelling we had a cooking class with a local farm in Maui. Here, we walked through all of their produce and Gray and Chason even got to harvest papayas that we later used in a coleslaw for our tacos. Throughout the farm tour, we got to taste a few interesting fruits with Lucy taking a special liking to the finger limes. After hearing our instructor Jakke explain more about regenerative farming and how they sustainably produce organic crops, we hit it to the kitchen to start prepping our meal. Emilia and Warren worked very hard chopping carrots and lettuce for the side salad while Dean made a taro-feta appetizer for us to enjoy while cooking. Before eating dinner, we all indulged in fresh limeade while taking many photos on the kitchen rooftop. Once we made sure we got the perfect flick, we ate the delicious meal we prepared altogether. With stuffed bellies, we got back in the van to head back to camp. Emilia kept the energy up with the best singalong song requests which turned into a pre-Moonup dance party! If we hadn’t already had enough laughs for the day, Lillie and Jack asked the funniest Moonup question: What would the person to your right be famous for? Emilia said Gray would become a SoundCloud rapper and Dean told Chason he would be some type of hair model! We ended Moonup talking about those who inspire us and went to bed right after knowing we had a very early morning coming up the next day.
Even though it was still dark out when we woke up, watching the sunrise as we got ready to depart for our boating snorkel adventure brightened everyone’s moods. Soon we were on the boat, soaking in the sun, and munching on donuts and fruit. When we got to our first snorkel spot, Dean was the first one in the water and soon after everyone else had jumped in, each equally blown away by the colorful array of fish. Thanks to Wright, Lucy, and Lillie we got so much GoPro footage of all the aquatic life as well as fun videos riding on the boat. After a few hours cruising the waves, we anchored at our final snorkeling destination which happened to be the perfect place to spot turtles! Sloane, Pippa, and Chason jumped countless times off of the side while Wright and Dean locked into find the coolest fish. Overall, the morning was an 11/10! Even though we were exhausted leaving the boat, the group got to recharge with naps in the van, followed by chill time in the shade playing cards and reading books at camp. Once we got our energy back up, we made our way to Paia for some souvenirs and dinner! Many added a new t-shirt to their collection, Pippa and Emilia purchased matching earrings, and Dean got a Maui straw sun hat that he was adamant about wearing to surfing the following day. Our Paia excursion ended at Paia Fish Market, where we found food to fulfill everyone’s cravings! From buttered pasta noodles to a burger to fish tacos, everyone was happy with their meal and we were excited to go back and end our amazing day with Moonup. Chason and Gray lead us through the night asking about our “spirit foods” and areas we wish to grow in.
After a day break of cooking and cleaning, we jumped back into our early morning routine for surfing!! Almost everyone got up on the first try and even Lucy and Jack who had never surfed before became experts by the end. Pippa and Emilia challenged themselves by riding tandem on the surf board, which impressed us all. The group moral was high by the end of the session so we decided to treat ourselves to açaí bowls from a nearby foodtruck! This sweet treat topped our morning and got everyone amped up for our adventures ahead. We’re planning on catching an amazing sunset over the mountains tonight and cannot wait to share more in our next update!!
Huge MAHALO (thank you) to all of you friends and family!!! We have had the best time getting to know the group and are so grateful for the countless memories we have made. While we are sad we only have a few days left, we are so excited to touch base again!
With love, Helen, Coco, Nelson and the rest of MAU 3C <3
“Hey! I miss y’all and I’m having so much fun. Hope Eden’s trip was fun and west moving out went well! Tell Elisa I can’t wait to hear about Mexico. Love y’all and the dogs! <3” — Gray
“Hi fam! I miss y’all so much and am having so much fun. Love you guys <3” — Pippa
“Hi Mom, Dad, and CG! I am having so much fun at camp. CG I hope you are still having fun at Timberlake and I love you so much. Love you guys so much and miss y’all!” — Wright
“Hey fam, miss y’all. It’s so much fun! I am tan! Love y’all!” — Chason
“Hey! Imy Mom, Dad, Rids, MC, and Gumbo! HBD Mom! <3 y’all!!! I can’t wait to see you guys and tell you everything! (:” — Lillie
“Hi Mom, Dad, Pinky, Olivia, Thomas, Sugar, Reese, and Sutton <3 I miss you guys so much! I am having a blast here! Happy birthday to Tommy and tell Parks I say congrats!! I miss y’all and I will have surprises for y’all if you add more money to my greenlight…” — Lucy
“Hey Mom and Dad, I miss y’all! Hope the house alone has been nice. Love y’all” — Gavin
“Hey fam! I miss y’all so much and I’m so excited to tell y’all about my trip. I hope the Hamptons have been fun. I also hope Annabel had the best time on her Moondance. Can’t wait to see y’all!! Lots of love” — Mills
“Hey Mom and Dad, I’ve had so much fun and can’t wait to show you around Maui. I’ll tell you everything when you are in Hawaii!” — Dean
“Hey Mom and Dad! I miss you so much. I’m having so much fun. I hope you guys don’t mistreat Sunny. Love you!” — Warren
“Hi Mom and Dad! I love you guys! I’m having so much fun in Maui! I love my group and I think I’m getting tanner. I miss you guys, Love you! — Sloane
“Hey family! I really miss you guys! I’m having so much fun here and I can’t wait to see you guys soon! I love you guys!-Jack
Aloha from Maui!
July 16, 2024
ALOHA FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!
This is Maui 3C checking in after a fun filled first couple of days together! Let’s cut to the chase and get to talking about what we’ve been up to!! Our adventure started with airport day! Emilia and Pippa arrived safely, but unfortunately their bags did not make it the full way. Despite not having them, they were both in great spirits and excited to start having fun! After everyone arrived at the airport, we headed home to camp where we set up camp and then played a quick game of manhunt before we had a delish local pizza dinner. We then had our very first Moonup as a group, and went to bed to rest up for our first full day. The first morning, everyone woke up early due to jet lag, and Warren and Jack used this time to get in a quick bball game. We had a grab and go breakfast of muffins, bars, and fruit, and then headed to our first activity- paddleboarding! On the ride there, Chason and Gavin kept the vibes high by requesting music that everyone loved. When we got to paddleboarding, Wright was our GoPro guy, making sure to capture every moment, including the multiple attempts of Pippa and Emilia trying to jump off the board. After paddleboarding, we went back to camp where our LODs, Emilia and Warren, cooked us yummy grilled cheeses. We then went to the beach to chill and swim, which everyone loved. Gray was especially excited to get everyone involved in a makeshift football game while the sun was still out. After getting worn out at the beach, we went back to camp and played Family, which Chason proved to be an expert at. We also got a very special delivery of Emilia and Pippa’s bags which we all celebrated! We had a sunset dinner of burrito bowls cooked by our LODs who then led us in a Moonup focused on EB and kindness. The next morning, we all got to sleep in! Jack and Gavin woke up earlier than everyone else so they played an intense game of Uno with the leaders, which resulted in the leaders forfeiting, and Jack calling Gavin out for cheating! We had a chill morning with a highlight of breakfast bagel sandwiches cooked by our LODs, Wright and Gray. The arrival of Pippa’s bag yesterday meant that we could all start making friendship bracelets, which everyone has fully leaned into. Lucy has proved herself as our expert bracelet maker and now everyone is requesting one from her! Our first activity of the day was a beach cleanup, where we cleaned and then found a super cool cave to hangout in. On the way back from the cave, Gray and Jack saw a HUGE turtle! Our next activity was cliff jumping, which was Dean’s favorite, shown as he was the first one to jump and the person who jumped the most! Next, we went to Whalers Village for a quick shopping trip! Dean and Chason’s purchase of the day was a giant 1lbs gummy bear which made everyone laugh. Our last stop before we went back to camp was a quick trip Walmart! Sloane bought a giant bag of twin snakes, which everyone shared on the car ride back. At camp, our LODs cooked us a yummy pasta dinner and we had an impromptu dance party where Chason stole the show. We then had Moonup where did a round of peak, valley, and rainbow and then went to bed! The next morning, everyone woke up after a great night’s sleep of eno/cowboy camping! Pippa and Gray said their cowboy camping was some of the best sleep they’ve ever had! This morning,our LODs cooked us a fire breakfast, with Chason cooking our bacon and Pippa cooking our M&Mpancakes. When everyone was full, we headed off to our service activity! The van ride there was full of jamming out with lots of awesome requests from Lillie that had the whole van singing. When we got there, Warren and Lillie immediately went to work with the pickaxes to get out any bad weeds so new plants could be planted. Dean and Wright were super curious and asked a million questions about conservation efforts in Hawaii and the endemic and invasive plants on Maui. We also got to learn about the Noni fruit, which is incredibly smelly, but the kids were all brave enough to give it a try! Before we got back to camp though, we took a surprise ice cream stop! Lucy had a hard time deciding which yummy flavor to get, but Jack was sure of his choice, and loved his mango ice cream! After, we came back to camp for Pizza-dillas for lunch and then just hung out until it was time to make Greek bowls for dinner. Mid-dinner, the sun began to set, so of course we had to have a little photo shoot! We took a ton of pics, and Lucy, Lillie, and Wright would not rest until they got the perfect jumping pic. Then it was time for Moonup and to get some sleep before another exciting day. Today, everyone got up early because we got rained on us while cowboy camping! While we might have been a little wet, it definitely did not rain on our parade!!! Spirits were high as we played some Uno, had a dance party, and ate some grab and go breakfast! We are now on the way to our first day of windsurfing and are so excited to check back in and share some more stories in a couple days!!!!
Signing off for now,
Maui C!
Safe Arrival in Maui!
July 12, 2024
Hi Maui Families!
All students have arrived 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
