One last mambo from Serengeti!
June 20, 2024
Sebastian and I have had a blast spending the last two weeks with such an amazing group of girls. On Saturday, we spent our final day at Lake Jipe and had the chance to canoe into Kenya to see some hippos. Anne Frances was a total powerhouse and helped her guide paddle their canoe. Later that afternoon, we visited the local school in the village to plant some trees. We met the Principal, and Lilley gifted him a soccer ball for the students.
The next morning, we woke up bright and early to finish the last leg of our trip. We feel so fortunate to have wrapped up our journey on the beautiful Tanga coast, basking in the sun and sand. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted with hospitality. The girls wasted no time in putting on their swimsuits and exploring the rock pools on the property. We then had a mini pool party, which felt rejuvenating after a long car ride. The following morning, we embarked on an early morning snorkel excursion around the property. One group even spotted a lionfish! Afterwards, we quickly changed and headed to do some service and conservation work in the village. Caroline, Macy A, Lilli, and Lilley started the project of sanding and staining a desk for local village students. They really put some elbow grease into getting the desk into perfect condition. Meanwhile, the other group helped move an artificial coral reef and build a new one. It was fascinating to learn about the Tanga coral reef rejuvenation efforts and actually contribute to creating a dome to assist in this effort.
The next day, we woke up before sunrise to embark on a boat ride to a reef an hour offshore for more snorkeling. Riley was the first to spot and point out the gorgeous blue starfish. The ocean also gifted us with a beautiful giant lobster. The remainder of the day was spent by the water, engaging in an intense game of volleyball. Vivian was her team’s motivator, hyping them up to secure a victory. Having everyone together for a day of games and relaxation was the perfect way to recuperate from all the snorkeling.
Our last day brought heavy rains, but we didn’t let that dampen our spirits. We walked from our lodging to the local village to learn how to make Jipati with the village mamas. Many of the village children joined us, and soon the sounds of laughter and games filled the air. We then trekked back to our lodge to pack up one last time. Sebastian and I were organizing group gear when we heard a flurry of shouting approaching us. Ella, Lilli, Maddie, Lilley, and Finley came sprinting to our door to announce that, since we were soaked from the rain, they decided to jump into the ocean fully clothed. Sebastian and I couldn’t get our swimsuits on quickly enough to join them. We spent the afternoon jumping from the dock, playing categories, and beach volleyball in the pouring rain. It was the most picturesque final day we could have imagined. Ellie, Anne Frances, and Macy K eventually joined us, and music and laughter filled the air. The highlight was the delicious mendezis (think beignets) that the incredible kitchen staff brought us towards the end of the afternoon.
With full hearts and bellies, we all headed off to shower for a special banquet night. Banquet is always a special time to reflect on the trip we’ve had together and how we’ve all grown and changed over the two weeks. We also had a surprise visit—a local band from Tanga performed and taught us their traditional song and dance. We reciprocated by singing them a song that we love, and the girls chose Zach Bryan’s “Revival” to close out the fun beach party. It couldn’t have been a more perfect ending!
We can’t thank you enough for sharing your incredible, strong, brave, and brilliant girls with us. We know they will go far in life, and we can’t wait to see their stories unfold. Our lives are forever enriched because of each and every one of them.
Love Always,
Sarah Paden and Sebastian
Mambo!
June 14, 2024
After a fun journey through the Serengeti the group was excited to head to Manyara to visit a Maasai village. On the way we had the opportunity to stop at the market to do some shopping. Macy K used her negotiating skills to get an awesome Tanzania jersey. The rest of the group stocked up on gifts and souvenirs for their loved ones. We then arrived at our camp for the Maasai experience and were greeted with fresh juice and a lovely meal. We then were guided through a Maasai medicine walk where we learned about the traditional uses of native plants for medical care. The walk ended in a beautiful sunset view and the group snuggled up in their beds excited to visit the bomas (Maasai houses) in the morning.
We awoke bright and early to experience a morning in the village. We got to pet cows and hold baby goats. Caroline fell in love with each of the baby goats and was ecstatic! We also got to view the inside of a Maasai house. It was then time to begin our community project of building a bathroom house for the kindergarten. We learned how to make the mud they use for structures and how to stack the rocks and wood as the framing. Anne Frances was an all star at mixing the water into the mud! After our morning of service we enjoyed some free time after lunch and prepared for a traditional Maasai dance show and Swahili dinner. Riley and Maddie joined Sarah Paden and Sebastian in watching a Maasai tradition for preparing a Swahili BBQ. Macy A was the first to get up and join the Maasai dance when they asked for volunteers. She crushed it too!
The next morning it was time for our group to head to Lake Jipe to learn more about conservation efforts in Tanzania, native birds, and get up close to some wildlife. We arrived at camp after a long day in the bus and Ella pumped the group up by leading various songs. As we settled in, the girls got acquainted with our farm guests, puppies, chicks, and livestock. Lilley was a natural at helping catch the baby chicks and Vivian named the smallest (and cutest) puppy nugget.
The group got to bed early to prepare for a big hike through the pare mountains the next morning. Ellie was our stellar line leader throughout the hike and kept the morale high during a rather steep ascent to a beautiful lookout. The group then rewarded themselves for their hard work with some sodas from the village store. We then enjoyed some rest time to shower and reset, and Finley rallied the girls from some basking in the sun. As the sun set we embarked on a nature walk around the campsite to view some native birds and plants. Afterwards the group split up into teams for a friendly game of soccer with our guides. Lilli scored quite the impressive goal! Although the hike was tough the day wrapped up around a cozy campfire and the group is heading to bed excited for a canoe trip around the lake tomorrow.
Lala salama!
Sarah Paden and Sebastian
Ellie Hunter: I am having such an amazing time! Thank you so very much for giving me the opportunity to explore places like this. I can’t wait to show you all the pictures and tell you all about my time! Happy Father’s Day; I hope you got your card. Love you all!
Rylie: Hi!!! Still having the best time but I miss you all so much. I am so grateful to be here, thank you all so much for making this possible. These experiences are so unreal, everyday is something different. I cannot wait to show you all the pics I’ve been taking and tell you so many stories, so thank you again! To dad- happy Father’s Day!! I’m so sad I can’t be there with you, but I am so excited to see you soon and hope you have a great day! I hope someone made you a cake. See you all so soon and know I think about all of you everyday! Love you so much!!!
Ann Frances Truluck: Thank you Nana, Mom, Dad, and Papa for the opportunity I got to come and explore Tanzania. I am having a blast, and have truly seen and gotten to do such amazing things. Words cannot express my gratitude that I have to be here, I am absolutely loving it. I am feeling incredibly blessed. I love you all beyond words!! And also, happy Father’s Day! I appreciate all y’all do and cannot wait to see y’all. Miss y’all!
Macy Koziel: Hey guys! Thank you so much for this amazing experience you guys gave let me have. I am so grateful to be here also. Dad I hope you have a great Father’s Day and you get to play lots of golf with uncle John at the beach. I’ll see you guys in a week I love you and I miss you!! Love Macy
Maddie: Hey hey, miss you all sooooo much! I am having the most amazing time and am so grateful to be here and to get the chance to see and do all these things. I can’t wait to show you pictures of everything we have seen and done! Thank you so much for letting me come, can’t wait to see you all super soon! I love you all!
Lilli: Hey y’all miss y’all so much and I am literally having the best time ever! Miss y’all a ton but I never want to leave! Hope dad had a great Father’s Day, so sad I couldn’t celebrate with y’all. I’m so blessed to be here with these amazing group of girls. We’re about to go to he beach and we are all so excited! Can’t wait to see y’all soon! Love you so so much
Finley: Hiiii everyone!! I’m missing you so so much but I’m having the best time deep in the forest and next to lake Jipe. We had a hard hike that was not enjoyable but my group and I are so excited for the beach! To Dad- Even though I can’t spend Father’s Day with you I’m thinking about you all day long. You mean so so much to me and I’m excited to spend time with you when I get back! Love all of you so so much ❤️ Tell chicken I say hi 🙂
Lilley: Hey everyone, I’m having a great time. We have spent so much time in the car but I think my foot is getting better :). Thank you again for giving me this opportunity ❤️. I miss you guys so much and can’t wait to see you soon. To dad – Happy Fathers Day!! I wish I could be with you today but I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate everything you do. You mean the world to me! We go to the beach soon and I’m super excited. Love you all so much and see you soon.
Caroline: Hey guys! I’m having so much fun. We just finished a 5 hour hike and it was hard but I’m feeling accomplished. We arrived yesterday at Lake Jipe and we leave in 2 days for the beach. I’m so thankful I got to come here it’s amazing. ALSO Happy Fathers Day to you, Dad! I’m sad I can’t spend it with you, but I’ll see you soon! Miss you so much too mom I’m so excited to see you in the airport yay! Tell Charlie I’ve been thinking about him and I miss him. Love you guys so so much!
Macy Aydelette: Hey guys I miss you so so so much!! We have done a lot of driving the past couple days but it’s been worth it to see all of the coolest things ever. We are at lake Jipe right now, camping. Then going to the beach eagle point. Also happy Father’s Day dad I love you so much you are the best and the most supporting person. Thank you guys for letting me have this opportunity to go on this trip and see all these amazing things. Tell Zach I miss him so much. And I hope he’s having a good time! But I miss all of you guys and I love all of y’all so much. See you soon❤️
Ella Moseley: I miss you guys so much! I’m having so much fun but it’s so hot here… We have been staying in tents but are about to transfer to fish eagle point for the beach! I can’t wait to show you guys picture and tell you all about the trip! I hope Sophie and Jack are doing good. See you guys soon❤️ Also Happy Father’s Day dad! You are amazing and I love you so much! Thank you for everything❣️
Vivi: Hi guys! I am having a blast still! Today we did a day hike up a crazy tall mountain that reminded me of my PNW days lol! It was hard but rewarding at the end to see what we had done! The beach is in a few days and I’m SOO excited! Thank you again so much for this opportunity of a lifetime, I am enjoying every second of it! Dad- happy Father’s Day! I miss you so so much and can’t wait to see you when I get home! Me, you, and auds can do something special so that I can celebrate you, as well! I have lots of great go pro footage and can’t wait to call you as soon as I have my phone back! I love you and can’t wait to see you when I get home:) I also miss you too mom! Love y’all so much and please tell Henry I miss him too! I will be home in a week with so many stories and new friends!
Greetings From Tanzania!
June 11, 2024
Mambo Vipi Karibu Tanzania!
We can’t believe that we have finally made it to Tanzania after a long journey. The girls absolutely powered through a long travel day and after a brief stop In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we finally made it to our gateway city, Dar Es Salam. We got cozy in our hostel for the night and took our long awaited showers before an early wake up call for another day of travel. The next morning we woke bright and early to fly to Kilimanjaro to begin our drive into Serengeti National Park. The reward for a 5am flight? A beautiful sunrise with a view of Mount Kilimanjaro during our decent.
We then started the long drive into the park. Lucky for us, Ella’s positive and bubbly personality kept the group laughing the whole time! At one of our rest stops Lilley even shared her chocolate bar with a Maasai boy. Caroline graced us with her natural talent at finding Coke Zero at any of our multiple safari restroom stops. Sebastian also kept the group entertained by playing the infamous hat game, of which Macy A was a BIG fan. Once we made it to camp, we got unpacked and enjoyed a delicious dinner of beef roast, vegetables and soup. Anne Frances showed great expedition behavior and was a natural leader in helping clean up camp after meals. We shared a moonup around the campfire with a gorgeous view of the Milky Way. Macy K and Ellie were our fearless first Leaders of the Day and as our longest standing alumni, they did an excellent job at setting the tone for the group.
The next morning we were up with the sun to begin our first game drive. And boy did we see zebras, impalas, and wildebeest galore! We also were lucky to see many lions early in the day as well as many bird species. Maddie stayed on top of using our animal identification book to point out species. The day ended with a giraffe sighting and we made our way back to camp full of excitement for day 2. The next morning we started even earlier with the goal of seeing a cheetah, elephants, and a leopard. We are happy to report we saw 2 of the 3! Finley was over the moon when we got to spend time sitting behind a massive group of elephants as they grazed on grass all around us. We then found a shady rock to eat lunch and recap the amazing morning we’d had on safari. We wrapped up with a game of big bootie, won by Vivian in an intense veggie off! We got back to camp sleepy but incredibly thankful for the insane day we had in the park.
The next morning we went out for one last game drives with hopes of spotting a leopard. Unfortunately the leopards were quite elusive but nature gave us another surprise…a mama lion and her 4 cubs! Lilli was over the moon to witness that and we thought Ellie was going to try and take one home. Our biggest surprise however was certainly the hyena that sauntered through our campsite and was spotted by Riley. We loved getting so up close to wildlife and witnessing the beauty of the Serengeti. As we move on to this next part of our trip we remain excited and energized for what’s to come! The girls are all so grateful for this experience and wanted to give you all a little shout out below.
Talk soon,
Sarah Paden & Sebastian
Caroline Coleman: I MISS YALL! I never want to leave here though, it’s so beautiful. I’m having so much fun!! My favorite part so far is seeing all of the animals and meeting really sweet friends. It’s been so amazing to wakeup for the sunrise everyday and see hot air balloons over the Serengeti. I don’t miss my phone at all which is super shocking… I’m vibing being unplugged. I’m so thankful I’m able to spend my time here. I miss you so much Mom, Dad, Yummy, James, Charlie, and Lucy. I hope y’all are doing well back at home. As soon as I get my phone back I’ll call y’all. I can’t wait for the rest of my trip and I’m so excited to see y’all soon!
Lilley Sullivan: I love it here! I’ve seen so many animals and have taken lots of pictures for y’all! Everyone is so sweet and the Serengeti is beautiful. I miss you guys so much and I hope Rowan did well in his tournament. Tell Riley and Aussie I said hi! We leave the Serengeti soon to go to the coast and I am super excited! Having the best time and missing you guys extra, I love you! Thank you so much for letting go on this trip, y’all would love it, I’m having such a special experience and I appreciate you guys so much! I hope everyone is well and having a great summer!
Macy Aydelette: Hey guys I miss y’all so much! I love it here it’s so beautiful! I am so excited to see y’all, but I don’t want to leave!!!! I miss you mom, dad and Luke and Bear and Hallie. I miss Zach too and tell him I hope he had a good time in CHS and New York! And we have basically seen all of the big 5 too! And so much more, y’all would love it. I took so many pictures and videos. Everyone is so nice and so sweet. Going to the beach soon and going to see the Massai too. I love you all and I am so so so excited to see y’all! I’ll call y’all as soon as I get service. I am so thankful for you mom and you letting me come and experiencing all of this I love you so much.
Lilli Telleysh: Hey y’all!! Miss you guys so much but I’m having the best time ever, We have seen lions elephants and more cool animals. I never want to leave! We are soon going to go see the Massai tribe and learn about them. I’m getting excited to do all the water activities. Hope you guys got to go down to the beach or mountains. Tell Emmy and Sadie I miss them and give lots of hugs and kisses to the, from me. Love you so so much can’t wait to see y’all in Orlando. Miss y’all and can’t wait to see y’all! Thank you guys so much for this amazing opportunity, I am so so thankful that I am able to be here today!
Maddie McCarthy: Hi guys!!! Miss you all so so much but I am having the most amazing time. It was always a dream to go on a safari and it has been incredible. We have seen so many animals but my favorite was the cheetahs and then the zebras and elephants. We also got to see a lion hunt and kill a wildebeest today and it was the the coolest thing ever. Everyone is so nice and so sweet and I can’t wait for the rest of the trip, I never want to leave. Hope everything is all fun and good at home and I can’t wait to see you all soon. Give the doggies a extra hug for me I miss them a lot! I love you so much and am so so grateful to be here 😘😘
Vivi Waiters: Hi mom, dad, and Audrey, I miss y’all so so much but I am having so much fun here it’s unreal! Every morning we wake up to a beautiful sunrise and go to sleep under a million bright stars. We have seen so many amazing animals really up-close and personal in Serengeti, and our campsite is really nice. I never want to leave and I know I am going to get so tan so just be ready! I genuinely love everything about everyone here and it just reminds me how lucky I am to have this experience and get to have them! Every single person here is so much like me and I have gotten really close with them really fast! Today we got to see a lion stalk, and attack and eat a wildebeest LIVE ACTION RIGHT INFRONT OF US! Tell lulu and Leroy I miss them and give them an extra treat for me! Henry I can’t wait to see you in Wilmington when I get home, I love your letter. I have so much to look forward here, can’t wait to tell y’all all about my trip and show you all the go pro footage. See you soon!
Ella Moseley: Hey mama, papa, Sophie and Jack!!! I miss you guys so much and I’m having the best time! It was hard to adjust at first and still is a little bit but my leaders are the best and I’m making so many friends and memories. None of this would be possible without you guys and thank you so much! Today we saw more animals than I knew existed including a wildebeest killing a lion right in front of us! The sunrise is unreal every morning and we have only been to one out of three places. I seriously miss all of you so so so much! Mama if you could please text Nella and let her know I miss her that would be amazing! Tell the pups I said hi (and gill) Miss you too Jack and Soph! I hope the Bahamas is almost as cool as Africa! Love you all to the moon and back 10000 times! Bye❤️💕
Rylie Marquardt: Hi fam miss you! I am having the absolute best time and I can’t wait for the rest of the trip. I’ve had some of the coolest experiences of my life, I am so thankful to be here. Everyone is so so sweet and I can’t believe I’ve only known them for less than a week. Today we saw a live kill by a lion and a cheetah which were such unreal experiences. I cannot wait to meet the Maasai people and visit their village and go to the markets to barter. Tell Jackson and Josie I miss them a lot, and I can’t wait to see you all and tell you everything else we’ve seen and done. This is so awesome. Love you all!!!!
Macy Koziel: Hey guys how is it going? I miss you all. We are all on the Serengeti right now and it’s so so pretty I love it so much! We have seen lots of lions, zebras, elephants, a cheetah and lots of other animals. We are going to the Maasai tribe next. I am wearing lots of sunscreen and lots of bug spray. I hope you all are having fun in Nantucket and hopefully Reese has finished her dive course. I love you all and am having a great time, and will see you soon!
Ellie Hunter: Hi mom dad and Laney!!! I miss you all so much I am having the absolute best time and have met so many amazing people! We saw so many lions zebras cheetahs and elephants. When we got to the Serengeti in the dark we saw a huge lion, but my favorite thing was seeing a baby elephant. It was so cute. I cannot wait to show you all of the pictures that I am taking! I miss you all so much and I love you all!!
Ann Frances Truluck: Hey everyone!! I hope this finds y’all all happy and in good health. I am having the absolute time of my life here in the Serengeti, and have seen some of the coolest things that I ever have. It almost doesn’t feel real. So many awesome animals, great people, pretty sunrises, good meals, and just such cool safari rides. I am so happy here, and cannot wait for the rest of the trip. The girls are so awesome, we got close so fast and just kind of work together. For the past three days we have been camping right in the Serengeti, and waking up early to go on full safari days and it has been so so cool. Tomorrow, we go to Maasai land, and I am literally so excited for that to meet and work with them. I am having fun hearing Swahili, and have actually picked up a few words. It’s a blast trying all these new things and having all these new experiences. I am so beyond grateful to be here. I think about y’all a lot, but am happy as can be here. Cannot wait to squeeze y’all’s necks when I get home. Sending all of my love and more.
Finley Meek: Hi fam, I miss you guys so so much and can not wait to get back and see you! We had long days of travel but I got really close to the girls on my trip and now we’re having so much fun in the Serengeti seeing all the animals. My faves were definitely zebras and elephants. I took a lot of photos of the elephants for you mom. They’re amazing. Next up we’re going to the coast we’re I bet I’ll have even more fun! Hope everything at home is going well and I’m so excited to come home and hug you guys. Xoxo
Safe Arrival in Arusha!
June 6, 2024
Hello Serengeti Families!
We heard from our leaders this afternoon that the group has landed safely in Arusha and is enjoying some rest after their big travel day! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure as they prepare to travel to the coast!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
