Last check in from Mediterranean!
July 9, 2024
Happy Fourth of July from Albania!!! For our final day in Albania, we awoke from our slumber bright and early to catch a ferry to Greece! The group packed their bags and came down for our last Albanian breakfast at our hotel. Anna and Caroline left a little early to accompany me (Jake) to purchase some snacks for our ferry ride. It was a beautiful morning, and the group could not have been more excited to arrive at our sixth and final country! We loaded up our bags and hiked down to the port where we went through customs and hung out on the deck awaiting our ferry. We made our way onboard, found a nice spot inside for us all to sit together, and hunkered down for our cruise across the Ionian Sea and into our final destination! We played a game called Celebrity where you name a celebrity and the next person has to name another using the first letter of their last name. We went around for a while until the group started running out of names. After the game, a few decided to spread out and take a quick nap as the boat was rocking them to sleep. Juliana and I played a game of golf (the card game) to pass the time. Before we docked, we made an elite play and packed our stuff up to head to the exit early. We ended up being some of the first ones off and had a short wait in the customs line! After getting our final passport stamp, we were officially in Greece! We had an amazing bus pick us up and take us to the other side of the island where we would be staying. Parker threw on some good ole 4th of July tunes like Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue and others until the group asked for Zach Bryan’s new album. We listened and napped to his new album until we arrived at our accommodations! We threw our bags down, packed a beach bag, and headed out for lunch on the beach! We went to this AMAZING restaurant right on the beach. The waiter said there would be a long wait, but they were actually super quick! The crew ordered some smoothies as a 4th of July treat before lunch. While we waited on food, Alex, Fischer, and Cooper went out to toss their new football around. Smoothies arrived and everyone devoured them! Then lunch came not too long after. We ordered paninis, pizzas, chicken sandwiches (shout out Miss Chicken), and gyros. IT WAS SO GOOD. After we left not a single crumb, there was chatter of this being the groups favorite meal! With some new found energy from some fantastic food, we hit the beach! Today was also cheer nationals, and everyone had to be on point. Parker was coaching up the team making sure everything was in order for us to go out and win. There wasn’t much competition so we won with flying colors. Caroline took home MVP as our flyer. It would not have been possible without support from Parker and Cooper at the base along with Fischer, Alex, Juliana, and Anna providing extra stability. After a nice win, we soaked up the sun on the beach for a little before starting a game of volleyball! With no net, we drew a line in the sand and split up into teams. We had an absolute blast! We could not have had a better day on the beach for the 4th! We wrapped up our beach day to head back to our place for some showers before dinner. The crew picked out another great restaurant for dinner. The sun was setting, the water was calm, it was a picture perfect end to our phenomenal day! We dined on pastas, gyro platters, and of course some bread and tzatziki! After dinner the crew took lots of pictures with the stunning coast and setting sun in the background. When night fell, Parker and I broke out some red, white, and blue glow sticks for the group to accessorize! We passed them out, circled up, and sang the national anthem on the beach! As we were singing, some passer by started chanting U-S-A at us and we all joined in with him! We made our way back for Moonup, led by Alex and Fischer. One of the Moonup questions was to express the US in a pose, and we got some pretty funny answers! Molly did fireworks with her hands, Juliana did the Hamilton logo pose, and Anna did her best impression of a screeching eagle! We went to bed full of some new, amazing memories, and eager to wake up to make some more with our favorite people!
On Day 13, we woke up in our beautiful villa with the sun peeping through our windows. Eager to get out and enjoy the sunshine, we whipped up a quick breakfast ourselves of toast with jams, peanut butter, Nutella, a selection of cereals, mini chocolate croissants, and eggs. Afterwards we packed our bags and walked down the hill to the beach. At the beach, we meet our boat guide and boat captain, both named Alex. We waded in the water up to our knees and quickly climbed the ladder up into our motor boat! Spirits were super high this morning as we could not wait to explore Greece via boat! We blasted good ole Country music, especially loved by Cooper, as our guides toured us around the rocky formations. We saw a couple famous rock formations in the shapes of different animals and passed by pristine beaches. Eventually, we got dropped off a little beachy spot nestled in a rocky cove only accessible by boat. Before we could even put our bags down, Fischer was up on a rock and cannonballing into the water below. Our group has decided that Fischer, is in fact, the main character always. After basking in the sun, we threw on some snorkel gear and began our snorkeling adventure. Molly was mesmerized by the ocean floor and loved her first snorkel adventure! We swam in the crystal clear water to a cave nicknamed “The Love Cave,” after an ancient Greek God story. We held our breaths and dove under and into the cave. The cave was cold and dark but so cool! We could stand and touch the walls and it was so big inside! After exploring the cave for a minute, we ventured on back to our beach. We enjoyed sandwiches for lunch with fresh hummus, veggies, meats, and cheeses and of course a delicious watermelon! Afterwards, we swam, rock jumped, tanned, played card games, read, and did all things beach! Alex, Cooper, and Fischer then started to throw and skip rocks into the water, as boys seem to always do. They created a competition where they were trying to throw a rock at a small buoy in the water. Jake, Alex the guide, and a couple other men on the beach nearby joined in! Finally, one man hit it and the boys went crazy! We wrapped up our time on the beach, and jumped back in the boat. We cruised over big ocean waves, laughing with excitement as we were getting sprayed and splashed with the water. Upon getting back, we sat up shop at the beach below our house. We had both volleyball and cheerleading nationals today that we HAD to prepare for. We put in some serious work so hopefully we make it to final finals tomorrow! Alex, our self proclaimed volleyball team captain, took this game more seriously than anything I’ve ever seen, diving for balls left and right. Anna and Caroline then discovered a little market store nearby filled with Greek treats, snacks, drinks, clothing, jewelry, trinkets, etc. and so we of course all had to go! The highlights included my (Parker’s) lemon soda water, Alston’s peach candy, Alex’s KFC flavored chips, and Anna and Caroline’s sunglasses. They bought some fake Gucci and Celine glasses and now they are entirely new people. The attitude and sassiness that is unlocked when those two put on their sunnies is hysterical. We then made our way back up to the house and started dinner! Avery, Juliana, and Fischer really stepped up and showed off their top notch chef skills! They cooked a delicious pasta dinner with two different types of sauce! It was amazing and everyone got seconds! Dinner cleanup turned into the most legendary dance battle of the century. Jake was killing it on aux playing throwback songs of the century, and everyone was going crazy in our kitchen. We had sunglasses on and were dripping sweat. We hit the quan, we did the dougie, we did the whip and nae nae, we did the Cupid shuffle, and we ended with the cotton eyed Joe. Finally, after cooling off from our dance party, we circled up for Moonup. Alston and Cooper led us in Moonup where we talked about both emotional and physical pain. We really loved opening up to one another and growing closer as a result. Afterwards, we crawled into bed, excited for our sea kayaking day to come!
Good morning from Corfu again! We had another big activity day, so it was an early morning for everyone. The group slowly but surely came upstairs to make breakfast and packed lunches. After getting ready for the day, it was off to sea kayaking! We had a decent drive to another part of the island, so we played some chill tunes and rested our eyes for a bit until we arrived at the Pink Palace. If you imagine the Barbie movie sets, that’s how pink this place is. The entire place is pink. It’s actually crazy. We met our guides and grabbed our gear, eager to hit the water! The group was split up into pairs for today. Alex and Fischer were cooking everyone on the water. They pretty much had an engine on board their kayak. Alston and Molly gave their best at being together, but after drifting further and further out to sea, Cooper made a switch with them. Molly entered Martina boot camp while Alston and Cooper competed with Alex and Fischer. Over in the Barbie boat aka Anna and Caroline’s boat, they were cruising and taking in the views. Avery and Juliana were also chilling, just skimming across the water like a pro. We had a pit stop to catch our breath, and Martina jumped out of her kayak and dove down to the sea floor. When she surfaced, she had a new friend with her. She had found a starfish! Everyone got to hold it before Martina returned it to its home. When we started moving again, Fischer and Alex accidentally flipped their kayak! Everyone was laughing hysterically. We kayaked to this island that had a monastery at the top. We pulled in and hiked up to check it out along with some sweet 360 degree views of the coast and Ionian Sea. We headed back down and found a nice jumping rock. Everyone took turns jumping off. It was a great way to spend our afternoon! We loaded up the boats again, and headed back to shore. On our way back, our guides showed us a sick rock we could jump off of! It was massive! A handful of the crew climbed up and took the leap of faith, splashing down into the crisp sea. After another thrilling jump, we continued our way back to shore. We made it back, returned our gear, and sat down with our packed lunches overlooking the beach. We had pita sandwiches with turkey, cheese, hummus, and tzatziki along with some bananas and peaches! A few others made a Nutella sandwich as well for a little sweet treat with lunch. We wrapped up our delicious lunches and hit the beach for a stroll. We found a great ice cream place where of course we got a scoop. We sauntered back to the pink palace where our bus would pick us up from. While we waited, the boys played a game or two of chess. Alex and Cooper tried, but nobody could beat me (Jake) in a match. Our bus arrived, and we loaded up to head back to our side of the island. We got back, grabbed a few things from our place such as the volleyball and football then headed down to our favorite beach spot! On the way, we stopped for an afternoon pick me up. A few grabbed a coffee from this amazing coffee shop just down the street. It was delicious! We had our final cheer performance and volleyball match in the water before MED 2B showed up. They challenged us to a game of two hand touch football, and we happily accepted. With Alex at QB and Cooper as a slot receiver, on our second play of the game, Alex throws a dime to Cooper who ran it in for a touchdown! The game ended 7-0 after a crazy last play of the game from 2B that looked like hot potato before the ball finally hit the sand. MED 2A on top and we won our football back from those thieves of 2B! We concluded our final beach day with a big W, and headed up to our place to freshen up and head to dinner! We went back to our lunch spot from day one on Corfu. We sat on the balcony overlooking the beach while the sunset beautifully behind the tall coastal cliffs. The crew ordered tacos and burgers and pizzas. Once again, it hit the spot! We walked down the beach one last time as we headed back to the villa for Moonup. Juliana and Molly led a hilarious Moonup where we talked about our beige flag and a lesson that life taught us the hard way. It was a fantastic end to our time at our beautiful villa! After Moonup, the gang packed their bags and hit the hay before our last day on Corfu tomorrow!
The next morning we woke up snug in our beds bright and early to prepare for rock climbing. We had toast with spreads, cereal, fruit, and yogurt! The group packed up their bags and we said bye to our beloved Greek villa we had called home the last few days. We loaded up the vans and drove to the rock wall. Our climbing spot was a beautiful rock face high above the water. We were overlooking our little beach, cove area we had been exploring for days. Cooper, Alex, and Fischer, with no hesitation, threw on their climbing gear and hit the wall. They scaled up the rock face with ease, begging for harder routes. Alex was of course channeling his inner monkey, and climbed with energy and expertise. Fischer and Cooper were challenging each other to climb faster and faster, timing each other! Before we knew it, Avery and Juliana (or JuJu as we now call her) were soaring high above the ground showing off their rock climbing skills. Impressed by their abilities, the other girls followed their lead. Anna and Alston followed quickly behind and were at the top before we could blink! Meanwhile, Molly and Caroline teamed up and cheered each other on during their first rock climbing attempts! After all 11 of us successfully climbed without fear we knew it was a good day to be MED 2A. Molly and Juliana, our LODs from the day before, had gone snack shopping with Jake so we of course had to dig in to their chosen selections. We tried some fun new snacks and enjoyed them but all agreed Paprika Pringles still take the lead for the best European snack. After rock climbing, we lunched on some good ole sandwiches and hopped back in the vans to head to Old Town Corfu. Old Town is filled with beautiful ancient architecture, statues, old fortresses, marinas docked with boats, windmills, and cobblestone streets. After checking into our hotel, we wandered the streets in search of a coffee. The group loves a traditional Greek Coffee Fredo and we are constantly in search of them. After finding a delicious coffee spot we quickly reenerergized ourselves. We shopped around and explored the town where the girls found cute jewelry and the boys invested in some new shirts. Notably, Molly and Anna got super cute rings and Alex got a jersey. We wandered on down to our dinner spot and gathered around a table outside. We enjoyed tzatziki of course, pasta, seafood, gyro plates, etc. and left feeling fuller than ever. But you already know we had room for ice cream. After having the BEST ice cream ever. We continued our walk by towards our hotel. Anna and Fischer led us in Moonup where we talked about what set of animal legs we would want to have for a hike. Juliana’s answer of Kangaroo was the group favorite for sure. Meanwhile, Caroline said flamingo and Jake said squirrel, which everyone was very amused and confused by. We then chatted about the impact Moondance has had on each of our lives and how we have grown from our experiences. Everyone individually said in their owns words something about how Moondance had changed their lives in a plethora of ways and shaped them into who they are today. After a wonderful Moonup, we headed to bed, preparing for an early morning flight to Athens!
Last day best day! We woke up on island time for the last time before heading to our final day in Athens! It was an early morning, so the group came down stairs with bags packed and big smiles as we began our final hours together. We drove to the airport while the sun was starting to come up. The sunrise over the bay was beautiful! We arrived at the airport quickly, checked in, and headed through security. The biggest surprise yet was just on the other side of security. Starbucks! The entire group immediately jumped in line to get their favorite drink from their favorite coffee place. We sat down at the gate and Parker and I passed out their letters to themselves for them to work on during the flight. We sipped our coffee before boarding the plane and taking off for Athens! A quick flight had us on the ground in no time! We grabbed our bags from baggage claim, but not without a few shenanigans while we waited! Our bus driver met us outside and we were off and rolling towards the city! We arrived at our hostel, had a short wait for our rooms, dropped our bags and hit the town! Our first stop was lunch! We had the perfect gyro place picked out, and we headed straight there. The street where the restaurant was even had a view of the Acropolis and Parthenon! The crew ordered lotssssss of gyros. Alex ordered 4 (by accident). We finished up lunch and headed out to explore the city! Our first stop was a street with lots of shops. The crew was in and out of them all, buying gifts for themselves and friends and family back home! We strolled the streets of Athens allllll afternoon taking in the beautiful architecture, ancient ruins, and historic landscapes. After a long day in the city, we headed back to clean up before our banquet dinner and some night time exploration! The group cleaned up real nice. The girls donned their dresses while the guys threw on their collared shirts or new purchases they made today! We made our way to dinner, the group completely unaware of our amazing dinner spot. We arrived, were escorted up a flight of stairs overlooking allllllll of Athens! Then you turned around and the Acropolis was right there! It was perfect! We sat down, and Parker and I raised our water glasses to a phenomenal trip and welcomed the crew to our banquet dinner! Everyone dove straight into the menu, looking for the best last meal of the trip! Lots of them ordered gyro platters while Fischer, Anna, and Avery ordered chicken skewers or chicken fillet! We of course had some bread and tzatziki as appetizers! All throughout dinner we chatted about some of our favorite memories of the trip. We snapped some more pictures during and after dinner before we wrapped up and headed to an Acropolis viewpoint! We ran up the hill around the corner from our dinner spot and were greeted by some slippery rocks but the most amazing city view with a beautiful setting sun! We snapped lots of pictures with our crew. The group was being extra silly during photo shoots. Not a soul was safe from a wet Willy, a dead leg, or having to moo from our ongoing group game! Anna and Caroline had a photoshoot with their designer glasses. The boys snapped lots of group pictures. Juliana became the group photographer while on the hill as her camera was getting AMAZING pics of the sunset and the city! The sun sank behind the horizon, and we made our way down. We headed out to find one last ice cream shop for our final group sweet treat. We just so happened to pass a Starbucks on the way, and of course everyone had to get something. The group planned to pull an all nighter, so they all needed some coffee to get them through the night! After coffee we hopped over to ice cream. We sat and ate our delicious treat, soaking in the final moments with our group. After polishing off our cones and cups, we headed back to the hostel for our final Moonup! On our way back, and with some caffeine and sugar in our system, we all started belting out some of our favorite songs from the last few days. We sang Tonight Tonight, Unwritten, Pompeii, Rolling in the Deep, We are Young, and soooo many others! We sang, danced, ran, and jumped all over the place. It was easily the best walk of the day. We arrived at our hostel, and settled into the courtyard for Moonup. Alex and Caroline led a fantastic last Moonup that had everyone with both happy and sad tears. We first talked about someone in the group by saying the animal they most embody along with something we have either learned from them or love about them. After that first question, we are a group consisting of a squirrel, ferret, monkey, shark, lion, flamingo, cat, dolphin, and a fish. We will let y’all guess who is who. We followed that up with what we would take away from this trip, and it was an emotional final question. Tears fell, laughs were shared, and at the end we had one big group hug. Oh how thankful we are for this trip, these people, lessons learned, and memories made! These last 17 days that’s truly been nothing short of life changing, and it showed during our last Moonup. The group headed off for their all nighter to soak in their last night of Moondance before waking up to fly home tomorrow.
On our seventeenth day of the trip, we actually did not even have to wake up the group, as they successfully pulled an all nighter. Refusing to waist a single ounce of their last night together, they stayed up and chatted until dawn. We then got ready for the airport and hopped in the bus. The group passed out in the bus before we had even started driving. After arriving to the airport, our group immediately broke into tears and the reality sat in. No one wanted to leave (Jake and I actually begged them not to). We were all so sad. We shed some major tears outside of security and waved goodbye as they headed off to board the plane.
Overall, throughout the last seventeen days, we have had an absolute blast! This group is beyond special and we feel so lucky to have been a part of their last Moondance experience as students. Each of your children brings a unique set of attributes and skills to the group. Our trip would not have been the same without Alston’s kindness, Anna’s wisdom, Cooper’s genuineness, Caroline’s positivity, Avery’s goofiness, Juliana’s girl boss energy, Molly’s love of life, Fischer’s intentionality, and Alex’s curiosity. We are forever grateful for the time and memories we shared. We cannot wait to watch each of them absolutely shine as they head off to college here soon. Thank you again for believing in the Moondance magic! We had the time of our lives in the Mediterranean.
Singing off,
Parker and Jake
A Journey Through the Albanian Alps!
July 5, 2024
We woke up snug in our beds in the gorgeous town of Theth, ecstatic for our first day of trekking in the Alps! We threw on hiking clothes and boots and headed down for breakfast, where we enjoyed doughnuts, eggs, meats, cheeses, crepes, jams, and more! Afterwards, we applied sunscreen and hit the trail in full swing! Our LODs, Caroline and Fischer, guided the way with one in the front and one in the back, communicating with each other the whole time. Anna, Fischer, and I (Parker) took up the rear, spending two hours chatting about our lives and sharing stories from home to distract ourselves from the tough trail. We enjoyed trail snacks, stopped at water springs to dunk our heads, and engaged in lots of trail talk. Eventually, we started a steep uphill trek where everyone encouraged each other to keep going despite the heat and elevation gain. After putting in that effort, we rounded the corner and saw the sign for the Blue Eye, our desired destination. We cheered with excitement! Finally, we saw the beautiful Blue Eye in all its glory—a huge waterfall dumping into a deep crystal-blue pool below. We put on our swimsuits and enjoyed our sandwiches by the water, soaking up the blazing sun before attempting to swim in the cold water. After lunch, we mentally prepared for our next adventure: swimming. Alex wasted no time and, with no concerns, dove into the water. He emerged in pure shock from the coldness but couldn’t have been more excited. The rest of the boys followed his lead. Meanwhile, Juliana coached each of the girls into the water. Finally, everyone made it in! The boys then spotted a cliff jumping spot, and Fischer and Juliana took off up the trail to reach it. The first few fearless adventurous kiddos, along with Jake, leapt through the air and into the water. After seeing them have an absolute blast, I convinced the girls to join me in doing it. I was slightly scared myself, more of the cold water than the height, so thank goodness Anna was behind me encouraging me the whole time. Avery, Alston, and Molly quickly followed Anna into the water. After all 12 members of our group completed the jump, Caroline refused to leave until she did it too. We all went up there with her and encouraged her to jump. After performing a rendition of “The Climb,” singing “there’s another mountain, I’m always gonna wanna make it move,” to her, she finally leapt through the sky and into the water with a smile on her face and a potential tear in her eye. She was so proud of herself; it was amazing! After letting out our giggles and wiggles in the water, we geared up to hike back. We enjoyed more trail talk, laughter, stories from home, and games on our way back. Finally, we made it to our beautiful mountain hut in Theth and enjoyed a fresh shower upon arrival. Afterwards, we ventured a few minutes down the road to an outdoor restaurant for dinner. We started with tzatziki, bread, and a traditional Albanian dinner pastry, followed by a variety of selections from pasta to meat to stuffed peppers! After taking in every last second of our surrounding view, we headed back for Moonup. Caroline and Fischer led Moonup in a field underneath the beautiful mountains and beaming stars.
Good morning from Theth one last time! It was an early start to the day as we had a big hike ahead of us. We were hiking from our current hostel to a new one just over the mountains! The crew packed their bags and brought them down before heading to grab breakfast. We fueled up, packed our lunches, and got ready to hit the trail. We said goodbye to Parker and Avery, who would be taking a different scenic route to our new accommodations! We hit the trail, excited for our big day. We strolled through town before hitting the real trail. We stopped for a quick sip of water and then continued on, but had to pump the brakes because Caroline, not Anna, took a tumble. She laughed it off, and we kept marching on! After warming up at the start, we had a pit stop for a quick stretch led by our fearless LOD, Cooper. I (Jake) played some good tunes to get everybody in the hiking mood! After stretching, we continued the uphill trek, determined to reach the top. We stopped often for pictures as the route was very scenic. We made it to a meadow and took a nice break for pictures and to soak in the view! Cooper, Fischer, and Alex immediately started frolicking through the meadow before snapping some sweet pics. We took lots of videos for Parker and Avery so they could recap the whole day once we were reunited! We wrapped up our photo shoot and continued putting one foot in front of the other on the trail. We eventually found some shade on the trail as it took us through a group of trees. It was a nice little cool down after being in the hot sun most of the day so far. As lunchtime approached, we arrived at our lunch stop! We stopped at a small restaurant with a gorgeous view of the mountains. We dropped our packs in the shade and opened up our packed lunches. We munched on our sandwiches, bananas, chips, trail mix, and of course, some Napolitanke! Near the end of lunch, we had a surprise visit from a horse! Buddy actually appeared out of thin air (we have no idea where the horse came from) and started sniffing around for a bite to eat. He walked right up to us, checked us out, and then went straight for our bags for food. He eventually got a hold of our Napolitanke! We lost like half of the Napolitanke, but thankfully Anna saved the other half! While Anna was saving the Napolitanke, the horse started chewing on her bag! It was actually the craziest/weirdest sequence of events. Everyone was dying laughing at all of it! After our new friend strolled away, it was time for us to get stepping on the trail! We had just a little more uphill before we reached the top. We had a stunning view of the valley where we came from as we marched onward. We stopped at a rock overlooking the valley and took lots of pictures, as well as sitting there to take in the view. After the rock, we rounded a corner and saw the top! The group could not have been happier! We dropped our bags and headed up one last stretch for the most amazing view of the Valbona valley. We got over the crest, and everyone’s jaw dropped! The view was breathtaking! We hung out for a little bit, soaking it all in, proud of ourselves for reaching the top. Alex and Fischer used their walking sticks to hit some “golf balls” off the top. Cooper and I took solo shots of each other to share with friends and family. Molly exclaimed how happy she was to reach the top and that the tough hike was worth it for this view! After some group pictures, we headed back down to the saddle to throw on our packs and hit the trail, downhill this time! As we descended down the mountain, we played some house music to get everyone in the hiking mood again. We had more amazing views as we hiked down along the face of the mountain. Juliana was a strong LOD today, keeping conversations flowing and leading the group at the front of the line. As we strolled down the trail, the music kept everyone going. Alex was dancing and low-key kinda nice with it until he wasn’t. Alex took a tumble because of his dance moves on the trail, and everyone was laughing, even Alex! Fischer was everyone’s hype man, dancing and singing along to all the music as we headed down the mountain. As we trudged across the dried-up riverbed, our hostel finally in sight, everyone got a burst of energy. We strolled in and were greeted by smiles and hugs from Parker and Avery! We exchanged hugs and high-fives, telling each other how proud we were to have finished the hike! We went off to settle into our rooms and take a much-needed shower. We regrouped for a delicious dinner consisting of salad, bread, tzatziki, traditional Albanian pastry, and short ribs with potatoes. All followed by a delectable chocolate cake! After dinner, the group gathered around a campfire beneath the stars. Meanwhile, Jake, Juliana, and I were swinging together when we got the absolute giggles and couldn’t breathe from laughing so hard for 20 minutes. I wish we could share the story, but we swore to secrecy that what happened at those swing sets stays at those swing seats. Eventually, we joined the others at the fire for Moonup where Juliana and Cooper led us in talking about childhood memories. Then it was off to bed before our last hike tomorrow!
The next morning, we woke up in Valbona excited for our last day of trekking! We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast together followed by coffee chats and relaxation. We read, journaled, and regrouped for a bit, enjoying our first (and last) slow, easy morning. We then threw on our boots one last time and were off! But this time, we had a special friend with us! Fabian, a local boy from Valbona, joined us on our hike and guided us through the hills! He is quite the chatter and is absolutely entertaining. We hiked down a rocky road and up a steep trail towards our destination: the oldest building in Valbona where we would be having lunch! We gathered inside and dined on soup, bread, and a delicious rice dish! We then sat outside at an overlook and chatted about our insane past 3 days of trekking. Molly joked about the tears she shed on day 2, Alston said her feet would never recover, Alex couldn’t believe he made it to day 3, and I suffered from a bad rolled ankle. I’d like to clarify rolled ankles are not a joke and can be detrimental (all is well now though, but if you know, you know). BUT we also laughed about the hilarious trail moments, marveled at the unforgettable views, bonded even more, and challenged ourselves to accomplish hard things! We wrapped up our time at the viewpoint and made the final trek back down to our hostel, stopping for a much-deserved frozen treat along the way! We showered up and enjoyed a yummy dinner of pork roast, rice, veggies, bread, and more! Afterwards, the group gathered around a campfire beneath the stars. Meanwhile, Jake, Juliana, and I swung together when we got the absolute giggles and couldn’t breathe from laughing so hard for 20 minutes. I wish we could share the story, but we swore to secrecy that what happened at those swing sets stays at those swing seats. Eventually, we joined the others at the fire for Moonup where Juliana and Cooper led us in talking about childhood memories. Then it was off to bed before our last hike tomorrow!
We woke up bright and early to hit the road to Tirana! We waved goodbye to our hostel and our new friend, Fabian. The group was still sore and tired from all of our hikes, so the bus ride consisted of lots of chill music, naps, reading, and journaling. On our ride to the capital, we even got to check off another country! Our drive took us through Kosovo for a little while before we rolled back into Albania and stopped for lunch. Lunch was DELICIOUS. We had chicken, fries, salad, pita, and tzatziki! We were even surprised with some blueberry cheesecake at the end! All this good food really reenergized the group. We hit the road to keep chugging along. The road took us through a long tunnel and the bus had some party disco lights that started flashing in the dark tunnel. Parker played some matching tunes, and the group danced and sang along. We made it to Tirana and got dropped off at our hostel. We settled in for a quick second before heading out to hit the town! We strolled to the town square where there was a Euros watch party going on. Before we spotted a merry-go-round and the whole group wanted to take a ride. We jumped on to give it a whirl. After our exhilarating ride on the merry-go-round, we walked into the watch party and saw the rest of the first half between the Netherlands and Romania! At halftime, we continued walking through town. We saw the opera house, pyramid of Tirana, a communist-era bunker turned museum, lots of sculptures and artwork, and even Mother Teresa Square! We circled back and headed towards our dinner spot. Tonight we were having pizza! We sat down, ordered margherita and pepperoni pizzas, and dug into our delicious meal. Everyone cleaned their plate! Not a slice was left when the dust settled! We left dinner, on the hunt for something sweet. We ran into a great gelato place and stopped to get some scoops. After finishing our night with the sweetest of sweet treats, we headed back to the hostel for Moonup. Anna and Caroline led a fantastic Moonup where we talked about what fictional world we would want to live in and some of the most defining moments in our lives. After Moonup, it was off to bed before another travel day, but this time, our final destination is the beach!!
We arose in the bustling capital city of Tirana! Instead of being woken up by roosters crowing, we woke up to the city cats meowing. We had an Albanian version of French toast and fruit and hopped in the vans to head to the coast of Albania! After a morning drive and gas station snack runs, we pulled into Sarande and checked into our waterfront hotel. We threw on bathing suits and headed to the beach. Along the way, we grabbed gyros, a Greek and Albanian specialty, for lunch and continued down to the shore. We set up shop at the beach and immediately hit the water. We began a cheerleading competition, with Caroline serving as our main flyer. (Gosh, things have literally been so intense the last few days with cheerleading nationals coming up, we’ve hardly been able to sleep). After hitting our stunts and feeling good about our “nationals” performance, we switched up to a game of water volleyball. We were dialed in and not about to lose the game that involved no rules and no teams but was the most competitive thing to happen in 100 years. Alston was showing off her athletic skills, diving for balls left and right. All of a sudden, Molly yells “wait, GUYS” in the funniest voice ever, in a panic after dropping her GoPro. Luckily, Cooper saved the day by finding it at the bottom of the ocean! All is well with her GoPro, but now her famous saying of “wait guys” has become a joke among the group and it’s given us quite the laugh! After practically breaking a sweat from all the ocean games, we spotted a nearby crepe stand. We had to go, of course. We ordered every crepe imaginable and had M&M, Nutella, strawberry, Twix, banana, etc., crepes to share! Alex then spotted a bumper car play next door. In no time, he had somehow convinced all of us to go do it for $2. We couldn’t resist. We all hopped in and went crazy! Our post-bumper car thoughts consisted of wow, that was fun and wow, those things are a lot more intense than any of us remember. After another dip in the ocean, we headed back to shower up for dinner! We went to The Nomad and absolutely DEVOURED burgers for dinner. The names of the burgers gave us quite the laugh, especially Avery’s order of the “Miss Chicken.” (insert a sassy country accent when pronouncing that). We all joined the clean plate club and strolled the streets of Sarande. We saw cute shops and stands and enjoyed looking around! Suddenly, Caroline and I spotted the other Mediterranean group leaving dinner and decided to scare them. For some odd reason, half the group decided to do the Jack Sparrow run from Pirates of the Caribbean, while the other half landed on impersonating a pack of wild monkeys. So there we were, a group of American teenagers, running like Jack Sparrow and howling like monkeys down the streets of Sarande. Shocked by our award-winning performance, the other group tried to compete back but just couldn’t even compare! Much love to them though. We continued on, extremely happy and potentially embarrassed about our evening activities and headed home. We circled up above the water, feeling the ocean breeze, and had Molly and Avery lead us in Moonup. We talked about what alternate world we would want to live in and how we re-ground ourselves when needed. Then we headed to bed for the last time in Albania, eager to venture to Greece, a sixth and final country, in the morning.
Chat with y’all soon!!!
Parker and Jake
Hi fam!! I am having the best time ever & Greece is amazing!! Can’t wait for the rest of the trip and to see everyone so soon! Thanks for supporting me and sending me on this incredible experience. Love and miss you guys and cant wait to tell y’all all about it. Tell coop and go go I say hi – Molly
Helloooo! I am having the best time ever here. We just got to Corfu Greece and I love it here. Thank y’all for giving me the ability to go on 6 Moondance trips. This trip is definitely up there and it has gone by sooo fast. Miss you and tell Josie, Emma and Alexis I miss them. Love you & see you soon. Xoxo – Caroline
Hiii!! This is the best trip ever and I’m having so much fun. We got to Greece yesterday and it’s so beautiful. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to go on 5 Moondance trips I don’t know what I would do without them. This trip has helped me so much and has gone by so fast. I miss everyone so much and see you soon! – Anna
Hey y’all!!! I’m still having an absolute blast and so much fun! Everything here is so beautiful! We just got to Greece yesterday and have just been chilling at the beach. Thank y’all so so much for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip. I’m loving my group and all the experiences I’m having! I miss all of y’all, can’t wait to see y’all, and love y’all! See you soon! – Cooper
Hey again I’m having so much fun and I’m so thankful for the experiences you guys have given me letting me go on 3 Moondance trips. Love y’all and miss everyone so much but I don’t really know if I wanna leave. We just got to Greece and every country has been so cool so far but this is definitely my favorite. See y’all soon. – Alex
Hiii!!! This trip has been one of the most beautiful trips I’ve ever taken and everything has really been so unique. I just got back from helping cook dinner and Greece has been so amazing so far. I am beyond grateful to be able to experience this and cannot thank y’all enough. Love and miss you so much! Can’t wait to see you soon. – Avery
Hey y’all! I’m genuinely having the greatest time here! I’m so grateful to have gone on now 3 Moondance trips; these trips have instilled me with a sense of peacefulness and happiness. We are leaving for Athens in only a few days and I’m beyond excited! I can’t wait to see y’all but I wish I could stay here forever! Love you all so much! Cannot wait to see you soon! -Alston
Hiii! I’m having the absolute best time on my trip and I couldn’t be more grateful. Moondance has taught me so many lessons that I wouldn’t have learned at home and it has given me the opportunity to push myself and has made me stronger both mentally and physically. Thank you so much for letting me go on 3 Moondance trips because they have truly changed my life for the better! I love you and I’ll see you guys soon! -Juliana
Hey again! We made it to Greece yesterday and it is one of the prettiest places ever. Thank y’all for providing me this experience. Y’all were right every time during those convos, I owe it all to y’all. Lots of hanging on the beach and rock climbing the past few days and more to come soon. Can’t wait to see y’all and talk about all of our trips the past two weeks. Love y’all lots <3! – Fischer
Shoutouts from 6/29/2024
June 30, 2024
Alex: Hey family miss you guys a ton, hope beba moving in went smooth and your job is going well. Happy birthday Toryn love you and miss you so much can’t wait to come back and celebrate. Im having so much fun tell Milo I miss him.
Cooper: Hey Mom, Dad, and Lillian!! I’m having so much fun and can’t wait to tell y’all all about it! I love y’all and miss y’all so much! Tell Bo I miss him too please. Tell Josey I’m having so so much fun, miss her, love her, and can’t wait to see her! Tell all my friends that I can’t wait to see them, hangout with them, and love them! Can’t wait to see everyone!!
Fischer: Hey mom and dad, having so much fun here and it’s so beautiful. I can’t wait to tell y’all about what we are doing and show all the pictures that we are taking. Hope koa and bix are doing good. Love you guys and Pai! See you soon!!
Alston: Hey family, I miss y’all a lot but I’m having the best time and I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it! Please give Pepper a kiss for me, I miss her tons. Tell Palmer I miss him and am having a great time! I’m excited to see y’all soon. We are getting ready to go to Greece in a few days and I’m beyond excited! Miss and love y’all!
Juliana: Hiii mom and dad! I’ve been having the best time and I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get home. Say hi to Nola for me and I hope Santi is doing well. Los quiero mucho y los extraño!
Avery: Hey mom, dad, and brooks!!! It is beyond beautiful here I wish y’all could see it and I can’t wait to tell you about it when I get back. I hope Mimi is still doing good and getting better and tipsy and Percy are also doing good! Love and miss y’all so much and I cannot wait to see you.
Anna: Hi mom and dad, I’m having so much fun and this is the most beautiful place. I hope the house looks good and I can’t wait to see it!! Tell Bodhi and Gunner I miss them so much. Tell Lily I love my leaders and Caroline is so fun to be with. Love and miss you guys so much and can’t wait to see you.
Caroline: Hiii fam I absolutely love it here. I adore my group and leaders. Caitlyn you were right Anna is so awesome. I miss Josie so much it’s insane but there is no place I’d rather be!! Cat and Caitlyn I hope y’all’s trips are going good. Love yall:)
Molly: Hi everyone!! Miss you guys so much and Albania is the most beautiful place I have never seen anything like it! Just did the hardest hike but the views were so awesome. Having the BESTTT time ever and can’t wait to tell y’all all about it. Tell Ricky and coop I miss them and can’t wait to take go go to the library. Love you guys and see u soon! Tell my friends I can’t wait to see them and hopefully they didn’t go to Taco Bell without me
Update from Croatia!
June 29, 2024
Heyo from Croatia! Parker and I (Jake) arrived at the airport just before Alex landed! Alex was first one in after his flight to Dublin then to Dubrovnik. He hung out with us and the other leaders, waiting patiently for the rest of the crew. We even got a hackysack game going while we waited. Not too long after, the group flight landed and everyone was here! We introduced everyone to our guide, Martina, and hit the road, excited to see Montenegro. We had a long car ride and some tired teens, so there were lots of naps taken as we rolled through the countryside. We had a quick stop for dinner where we had pizza, fries, veggies, and salads. We ate until we were full then back in the bus to get to camp! We finally arrived, dropped our bags in our new homes, and regrouped or Moonup! Julianna and Cooper were named LODs for the start of rafting tomorrow and we cannot wait to see how they lead us!
We woke up in beautiful Montenegro and headed down to the riverside eating area for breakfast where we enjoyed eggs, meat, cheese, pastries, and cereals. Afterwards we got fitted for our raft gear and hit the Tara River for rafting! We rafted down the rapids, screaming with joy! We played games like wavelength where you try to guess a secret number by rating things. We solved riddles. We got silly on the rafts by standing up and all paddling together or trying to balance on the edges. After an incredible morning warm-up raft, we headed back to camp. Fischer immediately found a large rock to jump from and climbed up it. He jumped in and out of the freezing cold water with ease, enticing the others to join. Molly, so excited to jump, could not figure out how to rock climb up the side and had us all in tears from laughing. Eventually, with much determination, she hoisted herself up the rock and leaped off the other side! Meanwhile, Caroline was the last of the group to jump, nervous about the height and the cold. After an easy round of convincing and encouragement from the others, she eagerly climbed to the top and screamed with fear and excitement as she headed for the cold water below. Her reaction coming out of the water was hilarious. In order to warm up, we all circled up in the sun on the beach and chatted about life, getting to know one another. We then headed up for lunch, when Avery discovered four kittens belonging to the camp’s owners. She played with them for so long, and even held one during lunch. They became her kittens for the next few days. After lunch, we rested and relaxed, catching up on some much needed R&R after the crazy travel days we had. Jake and I also passed out Napolitanki, a traditional Montenegrin wafer cookie that the group quickly discovered is their new favorite snack. Afterwards, we circled around a picnic table for game time! We played multiple card games and Jake and I both showed off some magic tricks to the group. It’s still up for debate on who’s was better. Cooper then introduced a game called “taps” to us, and we have since been obsessed. It’s a hand tapping game that takes a lot of concentration, serious skill, and some much needed luck. After game time, we dined on pasta, salad, veggies, and bread for dinner before heading to Moonup. Juliana and Cooper led us in Moonup, where we talked about what we are proud of within our lives and what animals we wish we could be for a day. Afterwards, we headed to bed, anticipating the start of our overnight rafting section in the morning.
After a good nights rest we woke up to get ready for a bigggggg day. The group sauntered down the stairs for breakfast by the river and enjoyed some eggs, breakfast meats, doughnuts with fresh honey, cereal and some fruit. The group hung out with their favorite cats, Pumpkin and Munchkin, while they indulged in their breakfast. Afterwards, it was time to collect our rafting gear and hit the road for to head to the start of the Tara. Our drive took us through Durmitor National Park which is absolutely breathtaking. The group was in awe as we headed out of the canyon and into the never ending meadows with the craziest mountains as backdrops. We made a quick pit stop to take some pics and frolick in the meadows. In my (Jake’s) van, we played some super fun riddles like grandma loves and does it touch. Alex was a huge fan of them. We also played some house music and some good throwback jams to sing along. Over in Parker’s van they were jamming out to some sweet country music. We made a quick pit stop for some food for the camping trip, and the group ran inside for a cold drink and some snacks. Napolitanke has become the group snack, so lots of packages of Napolitanke were purchased. Avery and I both got cokes at our snack run and both ended up exploding in our faces. Everyone was dying laughing! We kept on rolling through the Montenegrin countryside, eager to finally hit the water and start rafting. We finally arrived at our launch point, and sat down at some picnic tables by the river for a quick lunch. Fischer ran down to check out the water and on his way up, he stumbled into a massive snake. We respected the wildlife and observed it from a safe distance before plopping down to fuel up for a long day of rafting. We had some chicken, bread, salad, and sweet treat. Delicious! We ran up to throw on our rafting gear and hit the water! Although quiet at first, the rafts got super chatty by the end. In my (Jake’s) raft, we talked about our favorite breakfast, fast food restaurants, and some of our hot takes on food. We eventually started up some more riddle like black magic and road trip that had the whole boat confused! Molly and I knew black magic and had everyone’s mind blown. Nobody figured it out! We also started singing some absolute bangers from Adele. On Parker’s boat, Cooper started a game of 20 questions, Anna performed the entire Riff Off from pitch perfect, Fischer was bamboozled by the hat game, and they sang lots of songs. Parker’s raft guide, Ogi, kept pushing everyone into the water. He even looked at Caroline and said, “You’re next” and he immediately pushed her in. Everyone was laughing hysterically! Caroline, Anna, Parker, Cooper, and Alex hallucinated a sheep on the riverbank up a head and genuinely could not stop laughing at it for the next hour. It turns out the sheep was actually just a white rock. Parker’s boat became pirates of the Tara and tried to kidnap and throw me (Jake) overboard. Luckily, my raft saved me (shoutout Alex Avery Molly and Julianna) before they got me. All they were able to get was one wet suit shoe. It was a long day but a fun day on the water and we finally made it to our campsite. We pulled off, paddle five one last time to celebrate the day, then headed up to change into dry clothes. The guys quickly started a game of hackysack after changing. The group also set up their tents and sleeping bags for the night before starting a game of taps led by Cooper. Juliana and Cooper won the first game then Julianna and Parker won the second game. Each one was settled by a moo off. Cooper came out on top and so did Parker. Dinner was served and we ate until we were full. It was a stew with gnocchi and bread and salad on the side. Parker and I brought out desserts. You guessed it, dessert was Napolitanke! The group ate them on the rafts and chatted about so much it would be hard to fit it all in here. The stars came out and we were all in awe. We circled up on the raft and LODs started Moonup. Fischer and Avery did a fantastic job as we talked about some of our biggest role models/people who have had a profound impact on our lives. We wrapped up with our new favorite way of closing out Moonup then it was off to bed for another big day of rafting!
We woke up with the sun in our cozy tents. After sleeping through a crazy thunderstorm, we were glad to wake up to the sun peeping through. We enjoyed a camp breakfast of veggies, fruits, bread, sausages, eggs, hummus, and jam before gearing up for our last day of rafting. We hopped in the rafts and hit the river! Warming up, we practiced our good paddling strokes and jumped in and out of rafts. Alex served as co-captain on his boat, repeating everything the guide Amaro said. Alex was his wing man yelling “FOWARD” time and time again. My boat (Parker’s) boat played every game imaginable and sang song after song. Meanwhile Jake’s boat was focused on solving riddles. Caroline and Jake kept as much distance as possible between them, scared they were going to get thrown in by one other. A game neither won and both lost to! We stopped at a really near waterfall and cave spot. Fischer swam through the dark and cold cave waters to the other side and the other boys followed his lead. Afterwards, we wandered to the waterfall and everyone stuck their heads in the cold water. After getting our wiggles out here, we jumped back in the rafts. The teams paddled and paddled down the Tara for miles! Cooper kept our boat moving with speed thanks to his back-home rowing experience. After lots of paddling, we stopped on a Bosnian beach for a quick break before hitting the last section of the river with quicker moving rapids. We locked in for this section and hit the river one last time! We surfed through large waves and weaved around rocks, screaming with excitement and joy! Jake fell off in one of the rapids and everyone got a good laugh at the situation (or maybe at him). After conquering the river, we pulled up to shore back at our accommodation and unloaded everything. We fueled up on a late lunch of chicken, potatoes, soup, salad, rice, and bread. After some reading, journaling, and relaxing time, we headed to the field for a game of soccer. Things got intense. The group was ALL in. Tricks were done, passes were made, goals were shot, balls were lost, balls were found, falls were had, etc. This was the most legendary soccer game ever. Alston, Juliana, Anna, and Cooper carried their teams. Anna took a crazy slide / fall trying to stop the ball, adding to her fall count. So far we are at 4 falls from Anna: the campsite muddy hill fall, the slippery stairs fall, the soccer mud slide fall, and the Albanian restroom stair fall (She’s all good do not worry). Anyways, then a couple Irish kids, whose families were staying at the same place, asked if they could join in and play an American vs. European game. Of course we said yes. Cooper, who was on the way to shower, turned back and said he could shower later this game was too important. After winning by a landslide, we headed down for dinner. We had chicken curry, veggies, bread, salad, and cake for dessert! Our LODs Alex and Alston led us in Moonup by a campfire where we talked about characteristics and traits we want to work on in ourselves. Towards the end of our Moonup, we overheard the Irish families playing some tunes on a guitar so we headed over to join them. They played “Proud Mary” for us, and then Cooper took over and played some Tyler Childers. After some good laughs we headed up to bed, eager to head to Albania the next morning.
Today we woke up one last time in our beautiful camp by the Tara River. The crew packed up their bags before heading down to breakfast because we are headed to Albania today! We had the usual, eggs, sausage, fruit, cereal, and doughnuts. The doughnuts were definitely a fan favorite these last few days and they will be dearly missed. We loaded up the bus, waved goodbye to our first stop of the trip, and headed up and out of the canyon. Our scenic drive took us back through the canyon and countryside before we reached the capital of Montenegro. We had a quick lunch stop at the mall. We had some darn good pizza before hitting up the grocery store for some road snacks and future trail snacks. Inspired by their soccer game at camp, Cooper, Alex, and Fischer decided to stop by the sports store to get a ball for the rest of the trip. After our little shopping spree, it was time to hit the road again. The group was up and at em after getting some good food. Cooper kept Parker queuing all the good songs. Parker and Anna performed the Pitch Perfect Riff Off for us and everyone joined in as well! Shoutout Juliana for also knowing every single word. We had lots of sing a longs as we crossed into Albania. Not long after we were heading up the pass into our new mountain home! We got to the top and the view was BEAUTIFUL! Everyone was in shock. The mountain peaks were breathtaking! We pulled off for a quick photo session and to take in more of the view. We jumped back in the bus to head into the valley and see our new accommodations. We pulled into our new home for the next few nights. Alex said this was the coolest place he had ever been to! Cooper said the valley looked like a default wallpaper on computers! After dropping bags and checking out our new home, the crew started a game of soccer out in the yard. After getting our sillies out, we came back to the rooms for a hangout session. Parker and Caroline were being extra funny during our hangout. We chatted up until it was time to get cleaned up for dinner. We regrouped at the dinner table and sat down for our first delicious Albanian meal. Tonight we had pasta! Julianna took one bite and said this reminded her of chicken noodle soup! It was amazing! Everyone cleaned their plates. We continued chatting after dinner before running off to start Moonup. Anna and Molly led an awesome Moonup! Anna had everyone laughing hysterically with her nug jug story. We talked about our B+ super powers and there were so many great answers! Avery would want a super strong immune system. Alston wants to be able to take a nap of exactly any length and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go! It was a great end to our big travel day. After Moonup it was off to bed to rest up for our hike tomorrow!
Until next time,
Parker and Jake
Safe Arrival in Dubrovnik!
June 24, 2024
Hello Mediterranean Families!
All students have landed safely in Dubrovnik and they are on their way to Montenegro! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure!
-Moondance HQ
