So Long from the Mediterranean!
July 28, 2024
We woke up bright and early this morning in the beautiful town of Paleokastriksta ready to get out in the sun! We enjoyed a quick breakfast of cereal, toast with different spreads, yogurt, coffee, and fruit at our villa. We then threw on our bathing suits and packed our daypacks, now turned beach bags! We walked down the hill to the beach to meet our boat captain and snorkel guide! We immediately kicked off our shoes and climbed up the boat ladder! We all gathered at the front of the boat, and were beyond excited to explore the Greek isles via water! Our guides drove us around, showing us famous viewpoints and rock formations! We passed by a famous restaurant and cliff jumping area that is featured in James Bond and Sam immediately spotted a nearby diving board. Before too long, we had all climbed out of the boat and were making our way to the diving board. The water was beyond refreshing this fine morning! Cole cannon balled into the water, Katie did a 360 spin, and Sophie, oh Sophie, she attempted to do some legendary jump and failed miserable. She slipped at the end of the board right before leaping off and went flailing through the sky before belly flopping in the water below. We all died LAUGHING. It was genuinely so funny. Feeling much more awake after an early morning dip in the ocean, we continued our cruise. Eventually, we arrived to a remote beachy cove, only accessible by boat! We grabbed our things and sat up shop. We laid out our towels and I (Parker) joined the girls for a morning reading session. We’ve all been passing around books to each other and debriefing them afterwards! It’s like a mini Moondance book club! Sam and Cole spotted some rocks off to the side and so of course had to go scale them! They successfully scaled them and discovered a perfect cliff jumping spot! After a while, our snorkel guide gathered us for our snorkel lesson and we headed out into the waves! We ventured to a cave that has tails about it dating back to the Ancient Greek empire! It was cold and dark inside the cave but we felt like successful snorkelers upon making it! While others continued snorkeling in their group, Kate, Jayden, Madeleine, Sophie, and I followed Sam and joined him in his cliff jumping pursuits. We created an Olympic Games competition where we announced each other like Olympic divers and graded each other’s jumps! Sam won gold with his self named “duck dive.” We swam up an appetite, and so gathered around to make sandwiches. We had the best bread with homemade hummus from our guide, meat, cheese, veggies, and watermelon on the side! After eating, it was back to tanning, swimming, jumping, reading, etc.! We then hiked up to the other side of the island and swam there for a bit. Jake led the group out into the ocean to check out an underwater cliff. It was a blast! Rather than coming to the underwater cliff, Hays had a main character moment, floating by the shore soaking in the sun. He was upright lying on his back arms stretched wide just floating. He was so locked into the moment, he drifted into a couple swimming nearby and we absolutely lost it watching his reaction to hitting strangers. We headed back to the other side, when Hays and Madeleine decided to put on a show for us. They performed “Lay All Your Love on Me” from Mamma Mia. They were in the shallow water on the shore splashing around screaming the lyrics. Madeleine sprayed water multiple times and Hays threw in a backwards roll. The rest of the group was a little unsure of whether we were suppose to laugh at them, applaud them with amazement, or run away from embarrassment, so we chose a mixture of all! After a wonderful couple hours at the beach, our captain came to retrieve us and we headed back home! We stopped at a local market and grabbed some ice cream. Jayden got a delicious looking ice cream cone with loads of whipped cream on top! Baker opted in for an energy drink instead: a classic pursuit of her’s these days. We headed back to our house and showered up for dinner. We meandered down the streets window shopping on our way to dinner! We landed on an Italian restaurant where we got pizza, pastas, bolognese, and pesto gnocchi. Parker W (now called Miss Parker), Katie, and I ordered the bruschetta to split as an appetizer and it was delicious. After downing our Italian food, Martina surprised us with a treat. It was a Nutella dessert pizza. Our stomachs may have been full, but our hearts and eyes could not leave a crumb beyond. We devoured the dessert pizza, and it was heavenly! After, we headed back to the house and circled up for Moonup. Jayden and Cole led us in Moonup where we talked about goals we have for ourselves in the next 10 years. It was fun hearing how ambitious and determined this group is! After Moonup, we fell quickly asleep, anticipating another day on the ocean and in the sun to come!
Good morning from Corfu once again! Today our activity was sea kayaking!!! The crew woke up bright and early and came down for breakfast. After finishing up their cereal, yogurt, and toast, they made packed lunches to bring with us on our excursion! We threw on our day packs and headed down to the market where our driver picked us up and took us to a new part of the island! On our way, we stopped at a view point and took lots of pictures of the beautiful coastline! Shortly after, we arrived at the Pink Palace (emphasis on pink!). The entire place was covered head to toe in pink paint! We checked in, walked down towards the water, met our guides, threw on some sunscreen, and grabbed our gear! The kayaks were waiting for us by the shore, so we partnered up and headed out into the water! It was a little windy today, so the water was a little choppy. The waves ended up being a little too much for Katie’s stomach, so her and Parker headed back to hangout on the beach while Parker W joined my (Jake’s) kayak! The rest of the group was able to push through and make it to our island stop. We hiked up to the top where we saw a monastery from the 15th century that is only open two days out of the year! There were some benches with picnic tables, so we plopped down to have a midday snack. Madeleine and Baker found a nearby swing and everyone took turn trying it out. Cece and Kate snapped some pictures with Kate’s GoPro before we headed back down to do some cliff jumping! At the end of the little bridge where we parked our kayaks, there was a sweet jumping rock. Everyone took turns leaping off and splashing down into the cool, refreshing blue water! We snapped some more pictures, soaked in the scenery, and jumped and swam until our hearts were full! We loaded back into the kayaks and hit the water to head back to the Pink Palace. Sam and Cece aka Speed Demons shot out of a canon and zoomed back to shore! Nobody could catch them! Parker W and I calmly yet swiftly trailed Sam and Cece. Parker W refused to take breaks and pushed through until the very end! Baker and Hays pushed through the challenge and made it back just after Sam and Cece along with me and Parker W. Madeleine and the waves were not getting along, but thankfully Jayden was there to encourage her every step of the way! They made it back in no time! Sophie and Kate put their best foot forward and made a valiant effort to best the choppy conditions, but could not handle the waves. Halfway back, Cole jumped in the boat with Kate while Sophie joined Martina! These duos were able to handle the challenge and rounded out the our group as they arrived back on shore! We returned our gear and headed upstairs to have our packed lunches! We sat on the outdoor patio overlooking the beautiful beach as we munched on our PB&Js or ham and cheese with hummus sandwiches! We finished up our lunches and headed back up to the bus to head back to our neck of the woods. We returned and stopped at the market for an afternoon pick me up. The group bought their favorite energy drinks along with a snack. We then headed to the beach for our final beach time of the trip! Sam, Cole, Cece, Jayden, and Katie immediately went to the cave from the other day to do some more exploring and cliff jumping! Baker, Sophie, Madeleine, Hays, and Parker W found a gelato place nearby to help cool them off from a long day in the sun! After their sweet treat, they laid on the beach reading and resting. Kate and me relaxed in the afternoon. The rest of the crew wasn’t far behind and made their way back to shower and rest up before dinner! We regrouped and made our way towards dinner! Tonight we went to an authentic Greek spot where we ordered gyro platters, salads, pizzas, and pastas! It was delicious! Sam stepped out of his comfort zone and ordered a beef dish and ate the entire thing! He cleaned his plate so well it looked like it wasn’t even used! On our walk back, we found an amazing ice cream store. They make this ice cream on top of the hill in the town we have been staying in, and it was phenomenal! We made it back to our villa for Moonup led by Cece and Hays. We talked how if we could use 5 of our fingers to dispense any liquid what would they be. Ice cold water and coffee was a common answer along with some of the groups favorite sauces or dressings! We also talked about an epiphany or a-ha moment we have had that changed our perspective on life! It was a great end to our final night in our little island town! We then headed off to bed for one final day on Corfu tomorrow.
The next morning we woke up with the sunrise at our perfect little villa. We made a quick breakfast before packing everything up. We loaded up the cars and headed out for rock climbing, saying bye to our beloved home for the past 3 days. Upon arriving at our rock climbing location, the group was in awe at the pristine beauty of the spot! It was a tall rock wall nestled high above a cove in Agios Gorgios, Corfu. Before long, the guides had set up the ropes and the group geared up in harnesses. Cole and Hays volunteered to go first and impressed us all with their climbing abilities, scaling to the top in no time. After doing multiple routes easily, the guides sat up and even harder route. Cole mastered it with ease! Meanwhile, Miss Parker was shocking us all as she flew to the top of her routes! She is a rock climbing queen. We encouraged her to do the hard route and with much determination and insane strength, she climbed to the very top! Cece, Sam, Jayden, Katie, and Madeleine were acing climbing themselves, successfully completely routes left and right. Sophie was feeling a little nervous about rock climbing but after much encouragement, she got up there with a smile on her face! After rock climbing, we waved goodbye to the beautiful views around us and headed to Old Town, Corfu. We checked into our fancy hotel and had a much needed rest period. Katie and Baker of course played several rounds of cards, while the boys took some quick power naps. Next up, was exploring! Wanting an afternoon pick me up, we strolled down the streets exploring nearby and wandered into a cute little cafe. The group all ordered delicious coffees. They loves their cappuccino freddos, a famous Greek iced coffee. Although Jayden was disappointed they didn’t serve iced caramel lattes like she gets at home, she settled on the European version and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was! Lots of the group got fruit smoothies for a snack, but Hays and Madeleine ordered an egg white omelet to share. Although the group was slightly confused by this choice of theirs, this didn’t stop them from devouring it and leaving no crumbs. We continued on our walking tour before eventually heading back to the hotel. We freshened up for our evening plans in Old Town. We hit the streets again and this time walked along the coastline, passing by old ruins and windmills, until we reached the city center. Old Town is filled with walkable no-car streets, small winding alleyways, hundreds of shops and restaurants, and cobblestone roads. It’s adorable! We did some shopping before dinner and the group found lots of cool things. Cece got a really pretty dress and Hays got a legendary pair of sunglasses. Sam got a new linen shirt and changed into it in the middle of the street! After shopping, we headed to dinner where we gathered around an outdoor table! We downed seven platters of pita and tzatziki before dining on our entrees of pastas, meat dishes, vegetables, etc. Kate was beyond excited to see chicken nuggets on the menu and ordered them with delight. Our dinner was amazing, the food was so good, and many of us joined the clean plate club. On our walk back to the hotel, we of course grabbed some gelato. There was a trumpet player playing right outside of the gelato store and we all enjoyed listening to her as we ate our ice cream! Upon arriving back to the hotel, Madeleine and Katie led us in Moonup where we talked about our hidden talents and risks we have taken in life that have resulted in something positive. Turns out Jayden can jump rope incredibly well, Kate can put her leg behind her head, and Hays can fold his tongue into weird shapes. After Moonup, we headed to bed, looking forward to our flight to Athens in the morning!
Good morning from the lovely island of Corfu for the final time! We woke up bright and early to head to the airport to catch our flight to Athens! We drove past the bay as the sun was peeking up above the mountains across the strait. We arrived, checked in, and headed through security! Sam, Hays, and Cece had to take a quick visit to the airport basement to drop their bags since they were too “strappy.” The group spotted a Starbucks sign near our gate and ran to get in line! Everyone ordered their favorite drink from back home to help get their day started. We found a spot to post up before boarding and all popped a squat and waited. Baker and Katie started a game of cards called spit. It’s super high speed and so much fun. Baker and Hays played after, then Madeleine joined and the group played ERS. Parker passed out their letter to themselves and 25 things they want to do before they die so they could have some in flight entertainment. Kate, Cole, Sam, and Jayden took the time to knock out their letters before boarding. We finally boarded after a small delay, and headed to our plane on the runway! Hays and Madeleine ended up sitting next to each other and were being extra silly as we found our seats! After a short flight we touched down in our third and final capital city of the trip! We met back up with Martina to say one final goodbye. We were so sad to see her go. The group adored her and she played a huge part in making this such a memorable trip! We collected our bags, found our driver holding his “Parker King” sign, and hit the road towards the city! We made it to our hostel, checked in, dropped our bags, and ran out to begin our exploring! First stop was lunch, and Parker had picked out an amazing traditional gyro spot for us to walk towards. The line was long which meant it was gonna be darn good! The crew ordered pork and chicken gyros along with some tzatziki, hummus, fries, and dolmas! After only a few bites, the consensus was these were the best gyros of the whole trip! With new energy, we jumped up and headed down the streets of Athens. We found a few stores to pop into for a while before we found this market like street with shops packed together. We weaved in and out of the shops as the group bought gifts for friends and family back home as well as a keepsake from their amazing trip! After the crew was all shopped out, we headed back to our hostel to clean up for our banquet dinner! This group cleaned up realllll nice! Cole wore his new shirt from our shopping spree today and Sophie wore her new dress! We headed out again towards our dinner spot. We arrived at the hotel where the restaurant was housed, and went allllll the way up the elevator. We walked out onto the outdoor patio and were greeted with the most insane view of the Acropolis and Parthenon! Toss in the setting sun and it looked like a default wallpaper picture off our computers back home! The group was in shock! We snapped lotsssss of pictures before plopping down to look over the menu. With all the walking we were doing, we had quite an appetite, so we had bread, meatballs, and bruschetta as appetizers! Cole, Hays, and Sam split the squid since they looooove seafood! For our entrees, everyone had either salad or pasta while Sam stepped out of his comfort zone and got the stuffed zucchini! The food was delicious! We ate everything in sight! We snapped some more pictures as the sun set behind the hill, creating a stunning backdrop for our final meal together! We finished up dinner and headed to a hill on the other side of the Acropolis for some more pictures! We had a 360 view of the entire city as well as the Acropolis. It was absolutely stunning! The sun was setting, the city lights glistened, and the Acropolis was all lit up. It was the perfect view to end our phenomenal journey these last 16 days! Parker and I (Jake) completely forgot to set our alarms and almost missed Sweet Treat o’clock! With plenty of time to spare (cause isn’t it always sweet treat o’clock on Moondance???) we headed down the slippery rocks of our overlook and back into the streets of Athens. On our way down we began skipping and singing down the hill! Hays started running like a gorilla then he, Sam, and Cole started galloping like horses ahead of us! We made it to our ice cream shop and went absolutely crazy with our orders! Madeleine and Jayden ordered these huugeeee waffles turned into cones (think big fluffy waffle folded over not a traditional waffle cone) filled with ice cream and toppings! Katie and Parker W both ordered 3 scoops of ice cream and ate it all! Last sweet treat, best sweet treat! We indulged in our ice cream around some tables nearby and caught a glimpse of the Olympic Opening Ceremony on a TV just across from us. We realized the US had not floated by just yet, so we waited patiently. Once we saw their boat, we cheered and clapped! Some others nearby joined our cheering! We wrapped up our ice cream stop and started the walk back to our hostel for one last Moonup led by Sam and Sophie. After a longggg nug jug story, the nug jug from the entire trip was opened, and we walked down memory lane for a while, giving nugs to all of our favorite moments big and small! We each spoke about something we loved about the person sitting to the left of us and then talked about what we have learned and will take away from this trip. What a special Moonup for such a special group! It was the best way to close out our time together! We finished up with a group hug, and headed into the hostel to attempt an all nighter. After an hour or two, everyone was too tired to stay up, so we all got a little sleep before our big travel day back to the US of A tomorrow!
On our final day of the trip, we woke up bright and early to head to the Athens airport. Potentially half asleep, we loaded up the cars and made our way there. Upon arriving, we grabbed chocolate croissants before heading through security. We said a sad goodbye in the airport filled with tears and many hugs.
Overall, we have had an absolute blast exploring the Mediterranean over the past 17 days. This group is full of immense energy and spunk and kept us on our toes constantly. We are so proud of each of them for living in the moment and embracing the wonderful things Moondance has to offer. We truly had the best time. Thank you again for believing in Moondance and sharing your kids with us for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure!
With love,
Parker and Jake
Albanian Apline Adventures!
July 23, 2024
GOOOOD MORNINGGGG from the Albanian Alps!!!!
We woke up bright and early this mighty fine morning ecstatic to get outside and get hiking! We circled around the table for breakfast and enjoyed eggs, sausage, veggies, bread and jam, crepes, doughnuts, etc. Madeleine and Baker of course decided to down an energy quick each to get them hyped up for the trail. We laced up our boots, threw on hats and sunscreen, and grabbed our cameras! Off we went! We began hiking through the outskirts of the town, passing a couple of other hostels, farms, and lots of roaming animals! The roosters running was a highlight. We followed the trail over a couple on bridges, through a wooded area, and down a rocky ridge. The group chatted and chatted, entertaining one another on the trail. Hays quickly became the leader of the trial talk, telling life stories from home and explaining the plots of his favorite movies and books. We had to stop many times for water breaks and snack breaks, trying to stay hydrated in the insane heat! Kate kept reloading her pink zinc sunscreen on her face. She had two thick lines under her eyes, ready to go and conquer this trail. Cole and Kate took up the front of the pack the whole first half of the day, setting the pace for everyone. Eventually, we turned on the trail and headed uphill! We locked in and pushed through. I (Parker) luckily got into a lengthy conversation with Sophie, Katie, and Parker W, and we kept each other incredibly entertained going uphill. Although we were all out of breath telling stories, it kept the vibes high! Finally, we saw the sign for the Blue Eye, our desired destination! We kept on chugging along and finally saw crystal-clear water! We had made it! The Blue Eye is a famous Albanian waterfall and swimming area that is SOOOO blue and freezing cold. We cooled off in the shade and enjoyed the sandwiches and protein bars we had packed. Cece had gotten a European bruschetta cracker snack previously that she passed around and shared with the group! It was a big hit! We all have loved trying so many new fun snacks. After eating, the group was eager to jump in the water! Jayden and Cece had no fear whatsoever, despite the intimidating cold water, and so they grabbed hands and leaped into the water. Their excited faces said it all, and so the rest of the group quickly followed their lead! Everyone was jumping in left and right. Sophie and I had to wade into the water and take it slow, but eventually, we went fully under. The boys spotted an awesome cliff-jumping spot and so we of course all had to go. Sam, Cole, and Hays jumped from high above with no hesitation. Coming up to the surface dying laughing and screaming with excitement, the girls followed. Kate and Jayden took a deep breath and went soaring through the sky. The other girls climbed up and jumped too. After realizing everyone had jumped, Madeleine was not about to leave without doing it too. However, she needed some extra encouragement. Sam kindly jumped again before her and treaded water below, waiting for her. Trying to coach her in from below, Madeleine got closer and closer to the edge. After lots of back and forth, the other girls, who had come up to cheer her on, started singing our song of the session “Unwritten.” Madeleine knew this was her chance! We grabbed hands and started singing along and just went for it! All in all, we had 13/13 get into the freezing water and complete the jump! A successful pursuit you could say. We dried off and hit the trail back to our hostel! An afternoon thunderstorm rolled in, ruining absolutely nothing. We just had a big ole trail rain dance party singing and laughing. We stopped for ice cream in town and Baker somehow managed to get chocolate everywhere. It gave everyone a good laugh. Finally, we arrived back at the hostel with tired feet, wet clothes, and happy hearts. We showered up for dinner and the group played cards. Turns out Parker W is sneaky competitive. Better watch out. Afterward, we wandered down the road to a delicious restaurant with an even better view. We had pasta, meats, veggies, tzatziki, etc. Cole adventurously got the trout and was excited when his plate came out with a whole fish on top! Sam immediately cleaned his entire plate and so resorted to trying everyone else’s plates, letting no food go to waste! After dinner, we circled up for Moonup where Parker W and Kate got us talking about our spirit animals. Some honorable mentions are Katie as a chinchilla, Sophie as a seal, and Cece as a wild horse. We then talked about a situation we grew from within the past year and loved hearing everyone talk about their growth. After Moonup, we headed to bed, looking forward to another day on the trail tomorrow.
Goooooooood morning from our little mountain town of Theth! We had a big day ahead of us so we were up before the rooster crowed to get ready to head to Valbona! We were hiking up and over the mountains into a new town! The crew slowly slipped down for our last meal in our beautiful mountain hostel. We had pastries, eggs, bread, fruit, and crepes! A few grabbed a coffee or energy drink to help get them ready for the hike. After breakfast, we packed our bags in the van and sent them off on the road where they would meet us at our new hostel! We then made our packed lunches of PB&Js or ham and cheese sandwiches. Before we hit the trail, Cole led a quick group stretch to make sure everyone was ready to attack the day! We headed out, waving goodbye to our favorite furry friends from sheep to miniature horses to adorable little dogs we met here, and hit the trail! Kate and Cole were our fearless leaders at the front of the line again. They never seemed to get tired! The crew had a lot of energy at the beginning despite it being a steep climb. We were in the sun for most of the first part, but eventually, the trail took us into the shade of the trees to help cool us off. We had some sweeeeeeet views as we made our way up! We stopped in a field and the group stopped for lots of pictures. The views here were insane! Moongram (Moondance Instagram) cover photo here we come! Katie snapped several shots of the views and the crew with her disposable while Jayden and Kate used their GoPros to get those professional shots. We wrapped up the photoshoot and kept on chugging along. Hays, Sam, and Cece struck up story time with their nearby friends on the trail and that carried us all the way to our extended stop by this restaurant on the mountain. There was a clearing in the trees that opened up to the most breathtaking view of the valley below! We cooled off in the shade and munched on some trail mix and Pringles to help fuel our push to the top. We refilled our waters and jumped back on the trail, eager to reach the saddle! On our way up we passed dogs and a lot of horses. There were about 6 horses carrying people’s duffles down and we had to make room for them on the tiny trail! Talk about a traffic jam. It was wild! We rounded a corner and saw the top! We made it!! We hiked up just a little bit more to have the absolute best view possible for our lunch break. The view of Valbona Valley was absolutely stunning! Everyone’s jaw was on the floor. We plopped down, tired but thrilled to be at the top and opened up our sandwiches while we continued to soak in the view. After lunch, we had yet another photoshoot with our unbelievable backdrop. Unfortunately, this photoshoot was cut a little short as some rain clouds started to roll in. We threw on our rain jackets and pack covers and started our trek down into the valley. We had a very light rainfall as we descended down the mountain. We welcomed the rain as it cooled us off after our hot, sweaty push to the top. It was sooooo refreshing! Once again, Hays, Baker, and Katie kicked off some more story time as we headed downhill. We have learned that Hays is quite the storyteller! Everyone is tuned in when he’s telling a story! As we reached the bottom of the mountain, and our trail flattened out, we could tell we were close! Parker threw on some good tunes to keep the energy high as we rounded out our big hike. While we were headed towards the dried-up river bed, Parker and Madeleine gave us their best impression of Miss Albania walking out onto the stage. They sashayed across the trail, struck a pose, and yelled “Albania!” It was hilarious! We made our way across the rocky river bed, and back up into the trees. We went up a hill and arrived at our new hostel! We cheered and high-fived as we walked into the courtyard. We checked in and everyone headed up to shower and relax before dinner! After hanging out and exploring our new home, we settled down at the table for dinner. Tonight we had salad, bread, and chicken and potatoes with a phenomenal cream sauce over top! For dessert, we had chocolate cake! The perfect meal after our big hike! Once we finished our meal, we headed out into the nearby meadow for Moonup. Cece led a great Moonup where we talked about our happy place or home away from home and a mistake we made that has helped us grow! It was a great end to a great day! Baker and Katie were named LODs for our final hiking day!
The next morning, we woke up nice and cozy in our beds and strolled down to breakfast in our pj’s. Beyond excited for a chill, calm morning, we had a leisurely breakfast and coffee time followed by reading, journaling, and card games. Mid-morning, we geared up for hiking and hit the trail! Fabian, a local boy whose family owns the hostel, decided to tag along and lead the way! We hiked down a long road and then headed straight uphill to our destination! Fabian was entertaining us the entire way. Eventually, we made it to our spot: the oldest building in Valbona where we had a delicious lunch. We had soup, a rice dish, salad, and homemade bread. After eating, we ventured out to the porch where we sat looking out at the beautiful view. Cece was extremely excited to see iced lattes on the menu so recruited the girls to get them with her. I (Parker) got one as well and they were delicious! Katie then got us started on a game of Mafia, being the narrator first. I had the entire group fooled and somehow managed to win! The group was beyond invested in Mafia, tricking each other left and right. After, a competitive hour, we grabbed our things and hit the trail towards home. But of course we stopped for ice cream along the way! Sam upon seeing an ice-cold Coke in the fridge, opted out of ice cream and chugged the Coke in a few sips. Madeleine, Sophie, and Katie also got some cool souvenirs like bracelets, postcards, and stickers! After exploring the shop and eating our frozen treats, we finished the last of our trek. We continued to have our early evening card games, where Parker W proved her competitive side once again. After showering, we gathered for dinner. We dined on short ribs, veggies, potatoes, salad, and bread. A couple of folks were feeling adventurous and opted in for the trout! Katie was in pure shock when the waiter delivered an entire fish, head included, to her. She was laughing so hard at it that she started crying. Martina luckily is an expert on how to tackle a whole fish, and so taught Katie how to cut it! Cole showed off his skills across the table, diving right into his trout, no questions asked! Fabian then built us a fire outside in the pasture, where we migrated towards post-dinner. We chatted and laughed before winding down for Moonup. Katie and Baker led us in Moonup where one of our questions was about our comfort shows. Turns out we all love similar shows!
We woke up in the Albanian Alps for the final time. The crew was so sad to leave the mountains but pumped for Greece and the beach! We had our last breakfast and waved goodbye to our favorite, Fabian! We hit the road, and headed towards our second capital city of the trip, Tirana! To start off the drive, we had some chill napping and reading time. As the group napped, read, or journaled, we rolled into another country (Kosovo), our 5th one of the trip! During our short drive through Kosovo, we stopped at a gas station to fill up on snacks and of course energy drinks. We rolled back into Albania and had our amazing lunch stop. Here we had chicken, fries, salad, pita, and cheesecake for dessert! It hit the spot! We finished up and hit the road to keep on moving towards Tirana. With some good food in our bellies, we had a wave of energy come over the group. We had song requests and sing a longs that carried us most of the way to the city. We arrived in Tirana, checked in, and Parker W and Parker headed out for a quick visit to the dentist for some medicine! The rest of the crew waited for a little while at our hostel until we headed out to explore and catch up with the others. Baker got a card game started with Katie, Hays, Jayden, CeCe, Madeleine, and Sophie while Sam took a nap. We headed out to meet the Parkers at the town square after some intense games of Presidents. We walked around the square and found a DJ booth and had to go dance on the lawn in front of them! We danced our hearts out! We started a dance circle and everyone stepped in and gave the group their go-to dance move! It was hilarious! We were having so much fun, a little toddler wanted to come join our circle too! We continued our stroll around the city before heading to our dinner place. Tonight we were having pizza! Everyone ordered their favorite and we dug in! After another phenomenal meal, we HAD to go prowl around for a sweet treat. We stumbled upon a gelato stand on our walk back and everyone was so happy! We made it back to the hostel after a fun night of exploring, and had a great Moonup led by Sam and Madeleine! We ran off to bed for another travel day tomorrow, but this time final destination was the beach!
The next morning, we woke up in Tirana beyond excited to head to the Albanian coast! We enjoyed French toast, fruit, and a tasty breakfast like cake before loaded up the bus! Hays and Baker of course had some legendary aux requests and so we jammed out to Adele, Bruno Mars, Megan Moroney, Gracie Abrams, and Taylor Swift. The highlight was Taylor Swift’s All Too Well 10-minute version, in which the entire bus, including Jake on some lyrics, was giving it their all. Although Sophie absolutely flamed Hays for messing up half the lyrics, he won the award for being most invested in the song. We eventually saw the crystal clear ocean water from afar and couldn’t contain our excitement! We pulled into our hotel shortly after and checked into our rooms. We headed down the street to lunch, where we grabbed gyros. The group devoured them in a matter of minutes. After a delicious lunch, we headed straight to the beach. It was too hot to be on the beach, so we raced into the water. Sophie, Parker W, and Parker cheerleading stunted Cece and Katie in the water! They got up with ease and it was so funny. Of course, Jayden and Kate had their GoPros out filming everything, not wanting to miss a moment of our first beach day! Kate also kept asking everyone what color mermaid tail they would have and we all got a laugh out of people’s answers. After swimming for a while, the group spotted a nearby crepe stand. We had to get them. They had fruit, Nutella, chocolate, cookies, candies, and more to choose from for topics. We quickly devoured them and boy were they good! After getting our beach fixing in, we headed back to the hotel to shower up and get ready for dinner. We wandered the streets of Sarande pre-dinner looking at all the cute stands we passed and window shopping. We arrived at our restaurant: a classic burger joint and the group was beyond excited. We got burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, sodas, and more! We left feeling incredibly full but also happy. Afterward, we grabbed some much-needed gelato on the way back to the hotel. Parker W went for her classic berry sorbet and Madeleine hunted down the hazelnut flavor. We arrived back at the hotel and gathered in the courtyard for Moonup. Parker W and Sophie led us in Moonup where we talked about our dream vacation and something about ourselves we are working on. Jayden wants to go on a world cruise, Hays wants to do a “Euro summer” adventure, Katie is heading to Australia, and Madeleine and I gotta get our vacay booked because we both said Patagonia. After Moonup, we fell fast asleep in our crispy air-conditioned rooms, beyond excited for GREECE tomorrow!
Last day in Albania, hello Greece!
We woke up at our hotel by the beach and headed down for one last breakfast in Albania! We snacked on eggs, croissants, cereal, and fresh fruit! We ran back to our rooms one last time to pack and head down to the port to catch the ferry! We had a short wait on the dock before getting in line to board. We found some seats inside, and plopped down, excited for our final country of the trip! Baker started a game of ERS that eventually turned into a game of presidents while we floated toward Corfu. Cole, Kate, and Jayden played hangman in one of their journals during our card game. During our games, we cracked open our snack bag and dug into some chocolate croissants, pretzels, and of course some paprika Pringles! As we approached the dock, we strategically headed towards the exit to be the first ones off. We docked and headed to customs. Everyone received their final stamp on their passport and we were officially in Greece! We had a short drive to our accommodations across the island, so everyone piled in the van. On our drive, we blasted some Mamma Mia to get into the Greek mood! We arrived, but our rooms were not ready, so we quickly changed into bathing suits, packed a beach bag, and headed to grab lunch! We found a spot overlooking a cove. It was beautiful! The water here is so blue! We ordered sandwiches, pizzas, gyros, salads, and smoothies! Hays ordered his favorite Greek dish, Moussaka! An all-around great first meal in Greece! We had our fill and headed straight to the beach after lunch. We found a spot to set up, and ran straight for the water because it was HOT! We saw a cliff nearby and thought it had to have a good jumping spot, so we headed out to explore. It did in fact have a sweet spot to jump and everyone got up there to splash down into the cool, crisp, and blue water of the Ionian Sea! We wrapped up our cliff-jumping adventure to chill on the beach. The group wanted a sweet treat to help cool off after being in the sun for a while, so they found an ice cream spot nearby. Afterwards, Martina took them to a cave she found and everyone tagged along to explore! After the cave, we headed up to our place for showers before dinner. We made a pit stop at the market to grab breakfast for tomorrow, and our LODs Cole and Jayden made shopping a breeze! We showered and regrouped to head to dinner. We went to an Italian place where everyone ordered the pesto gnocchi, pasta, risotto, or a pizza. It was delicious! Martina even surprised us with a Nutella pizza for dessert! The best way to end our first night in Greece! We strolled along the beach after dinner before heading back for Moonup. Cole and Jayden led a phenomenal Moonup before we headed to bed for our boat and snorkel day tomorrow!
Here are some thank-you’s from the students!
Parker – Hi mom and dad!! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip I am having so much fun!! These experiences are amazing. I am feeling so much better! Love you all and miss you all! Thank you!!
Katie – heyyyyyy!! thanks so much for sending me on this trip, i am having the best time and am so happy I got to come here! love and miss y’all and can’t wait to see you! tell Bailey and Murphy I say hi!!!
Sophie- Hiii mom and dad!! I’m having so much fun and seeing such cool things, thank you for sending me on this trip! See you soon love you guys!
Baker- heyyyy! Love u guys and I miss the dogs! See u soooon! I love my group and am having funnnn
Madeleine – Hi mom and dad! Thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip I’m having so much fun and doing the coolest things! I love and miss y’all and can’t wait to tell y’all about the trip!
Hays – Hiiii, I am having a euro summer. Thank you for sending me, I am having the best time.
Cece- hi mom dad and Edith!!! I am on the way to Greece right now and having the time of my life!!! I miss you all so much and can’t wait to see you soon. Thank you for making this trip possible for me!!! I love you guys so much xoxo
Jayden – hi guys!! we are on our way to Greece right now!! We are having such an amazing time on this trip. thank you so so much!! love y’all
Kate – hey fam! Thank yall so much for sending me on this trip! I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it on Saturday. I miss y’all and love y’all. See y’all soon!
Cole – hey guys! I’ve been having a great time on this trip! We’re on our way to Corfu on a ferry right now. Thank you for this opportunity and I’ll see y’all soon
Sam – Hey Mom, Dad, Charlie, and Zeus! I am writing to y’all on a ferry headed to Corfu, Greece! I feel so blessed and I am so incredibly grateful to have this opportunity! I am savoring every moment, finding heart shaped rocks, and doing my best to bond with each person. I cannot wait to see y’all when I get home. See you in 5 days!
Update from Mediterranean!
July 17, 2024
Parker and I (Jake) arrived at the Dubrovnik airport eager to meet our first arrival, Cole! He landed just after lunch time, and was happy to be on the ground, no longer traveling. He hung out with Parker and I while we waited for the rest of the group! The rest of the crew was waiting in Munich to board their flight until it was cancelled kicking off an exciting start to our trip! The Munich group handled it wonderfully getting rebooked on a later flight while few others had a different one. Once we had everything figured out, Cole and I realized we had some time to kill so we headed to Old Town Dubrovnik to go explore! We walked through town, grabbed a bite to eat, and watch the sunset on the cliffs just outside the walls. It was awesome! While we were getting ready to start heading back to the airport, we learned the flight the group was rebooked and was delayed by a couple hours. Cole and I continued exploring until our guide told us we would be staying in Dubrovnik for the night. The two of us ran to check in and drop our bags before grabbing dinner at the restaurant. The group from Munich finally landed just before 2:00 am and we all went to the airport to welcome them to Dubrovnik! We got back to our hotel and quickly went to bed after a crazy travel day!
The next morning, we woke up bright and early in Dubrovnik to retrieve the final members of our group. After Madeleine, Cece, and Sam arrived safety to the airport, our group was together at last! We cheered with joy and hopped in the van to head to Montenegro. The vibes were high in the bus, as everyone shared their crazy travel day stories and we anticipated the next 2.5 weeks together. We arrived just in time for lunch and dined on some soup, chicken, rice, salad, bread, and bean medley! Afterwards, we geared up for rafting! Despite the travel hiccups, we were still able to raft as normal! We grabbed wet suits, life jackets, helmets, and paddles and excitedly jumped in the rafts. Sam and Cole immediately befriend one of the raft guides Ogi, and started a friendly raft competition with him. They were trying to knock him off the raft, while he was also out to get them. Meanwhile, on my boat (Parker’s), we sang songs through the river and rapids, keeping ourselves mighty entertained. Hays didn’t miss a word on our raft karaoke. After our afternoon raft session, we eagerly showered up for dinner. We enjoyed chicken curry with veggies and bread and a funky wafer cake for dessert afterwards! After finishing dinner, we circled up for Moonup, our nightly ritual where we gather together to debrief the day and talk about life. Jake and I led the group in Moonup tonight where we passed out some desirable Moondance merch and asked the group why they came on Moondance and what they hope to get out of the trip. We named Cole and Katie Leaders of the Day or LODs for the next day! After Moonup, we climbed into our tents and immediately fell fast asleep after an exhausting few days.
Good morning from the Tara River Canyon! After a short raft yesterday and some good sleep last night, the group was geared up for a bigggg day. We had an early morning that started with packing up our tents and packing the vans. We had a packed breakfast and hit the road! We made it not even 5 minutes down the road before one of our vans broke down. We turned around to get a game plan. While we waited the group hung out by the swing and chatted. After their big travel day getting here, they were completely unfazed by another delay, they just knew it was all part of the adventure and made the most of it! We waited until a replacement van arrived and leapt up to load up and hit the road. We had a beautiful drive through the canyon and the Durmitor National Park in Montenegro. We had stunning views of the Montenegrin countryside as we rolled through the hills and meadows of the national park. There were some of the most insane peaks and landscapes. Sam was in shock the whole ride! Over in Parker’s van, they were having a jam session and Hays was stealing the show with his passionate solo of Since U Been Gone! We arrived to our starting point, sat down for some lunch, then ran off to get our gear on. We hit the water, excited for our big rafting day. The weather was perfect, sunny and not a cloud in sight. The water was a clear, crisp, and beautiful blue. It could not have been a better day to be on the river! We skimmed through the water, taking in our other world like views around us. In my raft (Jake’s raft) we started out with a riddle called grandma loves coffee but hates tea! The group was completely stumped at first, but slowly started piecing it together until they figured it out! Shoutout Baker and Sam for putting in the work to help the group figure it out! Over in Parker’s raft they played wavelength to help get to know each other. Every now and then, our rafts would float close to each other and a raft war would break out. People were flying across the water and rafts trying to knock others off and into the water. It was so funny! Rafts would pick out a target and strategize on how to best get them in the water. Parker’s raft sent Katie to distract the group, so Cole could jump rafts and throw someone overboard. Katie stood up, let out a battle cry, and ran across her raft and jumped confidently toward our raft. Unfortunately, Katie did not make it to our raft as she fell short and splashed down into the water. Everyone including Katie was laughing hysterically! Our guide Martina was also scheming constantly, taking every opportunity to knock someone off. We had one really big war breakout and my entire raft ended up in the water! Not far after, we had another one, but this time our guide Ogi abandoned ship and went to knock off some in the other raft. I (Jake) had to step in and guide our raft while Ogi battled it out on the other raft. Ogi finally returned, but too tired to guide us, so Madeleine stepped up as our captain! She was a natural! After a while, Sam took over the reigns and guided us until the end. During the last part, both rafts started an impromptu singing competition. We belted some of our favorite songs from Taylor Swift and Katy Perry to Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers! It was the boost of energy we needed to get to our campsite! We arrived to our campsite, immediately changed out of our wetsuits and set up camp. Once camp was set we all hung out by the picnic table and started a game of Mafia! Parker W was mafia first, taking out me, Kate, and Jayden before she ended up getting caught! Next round, Sophie was the mafia but got caught the first round! After two games of Mafia, Sam led a game of Can I Bring It that had everyone fooled. Jayden was extra confused, and kept thinking she nearly had it. After a few rounds, Parker and Madeleine figured it out! We wrapped up that game and it was time for dinner! We had a stew with gnocchi and some bread and salad on the side. It was delicious! We cleaned our plates and regrouped for Moonup by the river! Cole and Katie led an amazing first Moonup where we shared a fun fact about ourselves and who or what inspires us! It was a great end to our big day! After Moonup we headed off to bed before another big day on the water tomorrow!
We woke up to the sounds of the river flowing and birds chirping in our tents! We crawled out of our tents and began to pack up camp, as the raft guides started on breakfast. We enjoyed eggs, sausage, fruits, vegetables, spreads, and bread by the river! Afterwards, we suited up in our semi dry gear for our final day of rafting! We hit the rapids with delight, feeling extra strong today! Our boats of course had raft rivalry, where we were out to get each other! Sam got absolutely taken out by none other than our guide Martina, and we all got a hilarious laugh in. Parker W, Madeleine, Baker, Sophie, Hays, and Sam played many rounds of “hot seat” and “wavelength” on my raft (Parker’s)! We discovered Madeleine cannot live without chicken fettuccine alfredo and Hays could eat sushi everyday for the rest of his life. We also played many rounds of raft karaoke singing every song imaginable. Jake’s raft kept getting creative by standing up while paddling, trying to stand up on the edge and balance, etc. meanwhile, Ogi our raft guide was still out to get us all. Some survived, some did not. Sophie went first, getting picked up and thrown into the water, Parker W couldn’t even put up a fight against him and quickly found herself in the water with Sophie, Cole and Hays refused to back down but eventually lost the battle too. We eventually pulled up to shore in Bosnia and hopped out to check out a cool waterfall and cave! The group was so excited to see the cave! Madeleine and Hays wrote their names on the cave wall with clay! Hopefully it’ll last forever, or a least a day or two! Kate filmed the whole thing with her GoPro of course. We played in the cave, cliff jumped into the river, and stood underneath a waterfall all in Bosnia! After exploring the land, we geared back up for the final stretch of rafting. We had a blast playing every game and singing every song imaginable. The last several miles of our section were full of fun, quick moving rapids! We cheered, screamed, and held on for dear life as we flew through the rapids full speed, avoiding rocks left and right! We finally saw our accommodation from below and finished paddling strong! We surfed right up to shore, where we returned our gear and headed to lunch. After having a delicious late lunch, the sky turned and the rain began to come. This stopped no one. The girls, Jake, and me had an absolutely amazing dance party in the rain. Although we might have gotten a few strange looks from other guests, we had the time of our LIVES. Baker even joined freshly showered in a dry set of clothes. They weren’t dry for long! After getting all the giggles and dancing out, we showered up and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon. We read, journaled, played cards, and relaxed. We had a group favorite, pasta, for dinner and everyone joined the clean plate club with ease. Cece obviously, per usual, found the Camp Grab cats at dinner and had to sneak in a few cuddles with them. After dinner, Hays and Madeleine led us in Moonup where we chatted about the best advice we’ve ever been given and our dream concert. Looks like our entire group needs to take a trip to Red Rocks and enjoy a concert there! After hearing about the wonderful advice we’ve received, many from all of y’all, we wrapped up Moonup and headed to bed!
After our best night sleep of the trip so far, we were up and at em ready to head to Albania! The crew packed their bags and had them outside their room before heading down for our final meal by the river. We feasted on pastries, eggs, fruit, cereal, and bread with jam! We filled our bellies and ran back up the stairs to pack the vans and head to Albania! Hays started off our bus talks by giving everyone an in depth recap of his book he finished last night. Hays is a phenomenal story teller and had everyone on the edge of their seat! Following the book recap, the group rolled into some story time led by Jayden, Cece, and Baker! The group looooooved story time, it had everyone dying laughing! After lots of laughs from story time, the group had some nap and reading time before we arrived for our lunch stop! We stopped in the capital of Montenegro and went to an amazing pizza place. Cole ate an entire pizza all by himself! Everyone had their fill, and we headed off to the grocery store for a snack run for the remainder of our bus ride. With some fresh energy after naps, a meal, and a snack run, we had a rambunctious bus ride. Parker put on some party tunes, and the crew sang their hearts out! We crossed into Albania after a long wait at the border, and everyone cheered! The vibes were high for a while until we fell into some more nap time. We took a turn and headed into the Albanian Alps and the group knew we were close. We drove up and over this pass and were greeted by the most amazing view of the valley! We had a quick pitstop to take in the view and snap some pictures. We even ran up to a restaurant that had a sweet overlook and took even more pictures there! The crew was in awe of our surroundings! Major WOW moment! We jumped back in the bus and headed down into the valley, eager to see our new accommodations. We arrived, unloaded the bus, and headed up to our rooms to check it out. The group looooooved their rooms! After dropping their stuff, they ran out into the field to meet the pony that was tethered there. While greeting the pony, a rain storm blew in and it started raining on us. The group ran back to the porch and rooms until the guys went out there to play in the rain. The girls quickly followed! They ran out there, danced, did cartwheels, and started singing! Impromptu dance party in the rain in Albania! No better way to start our time here! Parker and I (Jake) joined quickly after and we sang our favorite songs like Unwritten, Umbrella, Before He Cheats, and many, many more! After singing and dancing our little hearts out, we headed inside to dry off, shower, and get ready for dinner! We regrouped and walked across to our dinner spot, excited for our first meal in Albania! We had chicken and pasta! Madeliene said it smelled exactly like chicken noodle soup and tasted like it too! Everyone had clean plates at the end! After dinner we headed off for first Moonup nestled between the mountains led by Sam and Sophie! We talked about our B+ superpowers and the happiest moment from our past year! From college acceptances, to friend group nights, to graduation parties, we talked about it all! It was a real feel good Moonup that had everyone in high spirits as we headed off to bed for our first hike tomorrow! We will catch y’all up after our trekking!!!
Bye for now,
Parker and Jake
Shoutouts!
Baker- hey tell Molly I miss her, happy birthday mommmm: I hope Lou is doing ok 🙂
Hays – Hiii, love you guys hope Kate is having fun! We are currently in Albania hiking and staying at a beautiful hostel in the Alps. Rafting was amazing and I’m having the best time. Hope you guys are doing good with the food situation. Love – Hays
Sophie- Hey guys!! I have been having so so much fun and seeing such cool stuff! Love and miss you! Happy birthday mom! Can’t wait to see y’all!
Samuel Duncan Zakaib – I have been having the best time! I am writing from a small village in a valley of Albania. It is breathtaking. I love and miss y’all so much! Thank you so much for being the best family and providing this opportunity for me.
Jayden – hey guys!! having so much fun! can’t wait to see y’all and thank you for sending me on this amazing trip. P.S tell Greta I love and miss her
Cole- Albania is so cool! The rafting in Montenegro was so pretty and I practiced my Spanish with the guide. It’s been great to see Sam and meet the new group. love y’all and I miss y’all!
Kate – hey guys! I am having a lot of fun and I miss y’all. I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it. Tell everyone at Blue Water Hi! If you see Maddie or Kainen tell them I miss them! I love y’all!
Katie – heyyyyyy!! I’m having the BEST time, my trip is so so awesome! love and miss y’all! Tell Bailey, Murphy, & Maggie I say hi!!
Cece- hi mom dad and Edith!!! I am having the time of my life and can’t wait to tell you all about it!!! I miss and love you guys so much!!! Give Wooley and Trisha and Hunter and Braxton big hugs for me!!!
Parker – hi familyyy!!! I am having so much fun and the views are gorgeousss!! I can’t wait to tell you all about it, we are in Albania right now:) Tell my friends i love and miss them! Love you all so much and can’t wait to see you!!!
Madeleine – hi!! I am having so much fun this trip is the best! Happy late birthday mom and Chris! I miss everyone so much and I can’t wait to tell y’all all about this trip! Tell my friends I love and miss them
Safe Arrival in Dubrovnik!
July 13, 2024
Hello Mediterranean Families!
All students have landed safely in Croatia and the group is headed to Montenegro for their first activity! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
