Reaching New Heights!

July 9, 2024

Time is flying here in Thailand, and you know what they say, time flies when you’re having fun! They’re definitely right about that one, because we’re having a blast. Since our last update, the kids have become enthusiastic climbers, their bags more packed with souvenirs, and well versed in group games. Your kids are navigating South East Asia smoothly, taking advantage of the new experiences in front of them. Each day is better than the last, thanks to the positive energy curated by the group going into whatever the day has in store. Our morning quotes and MoonUps are intentional and have fostered an environment for growth and challenge- all driven by each individual. Carter and I are impressed by the bits of wisdom each of the students offers to the group when it’s their day to be Leader of the Day (LOD). They’ve all stepped up and taken the trip into their own hands!

It was a bittersweet end to diving, but our time on the coast was not finished. We still had a few days to soak up the sun and the town of Ao Nang. After a week of traveling, a morning to sleep in was in order. Feeling refreshed and energized, we hit the road for a beach day! Sun shining, not a cloud in the sky, vibes were high on our open air truck ride over to the ocean. High tides called for immediately jumping into the water before walking down the seaside to explore. Frisbee, reading, and sand castles entertained the group for the morning until we headed over to a beach front restaurant for some lunch and an iced cold Coke. We couldn’t get enough of the beach so we went back out for the afternoon, with some snacks from 7/11, and made friends with a family sitting near us. Our typical routine after a packed day is to return back to our hostel and hop in the pool for a quick swim. Sloan is coaching Jack on how to swim more laps without coming up for air, as the whole group awaits updates for dinner each night. After dinner, we circle up for MoonUp in the main room, accompanied by our favorite pet, affectionately named Mister by Carter. We end MoonUp with a game and they have gotten more and more interesting each night. The day of relaxing and swimming was appreciated by all- we have have some big beach fans in our group!

Climbing was up next on the itinerary and was met with a lot of excitement from all. Another day, another longboat ride over to our oasis for the next few days. Railay Beach, popular for tourists and travelers, lives up to it’s hype. The shallow blue water contrasted by the cliffs that appear right on the beach never gets old as it comes into view. A short sandy walk through some caves brought us to our first sight. Once we met our guides and got suited up, we were ready. Will especially befriended our climbing guide, Kong Fu Panda as he is self named, and kept the vibes high with banter. Mimi overcame a challenging overhang and we snapped some pictures of her mid air. Lily was cool and collected as she zoomed up a run that ended in a cave. This group were naturals at climbing, any nerves dissipating after their first climb. The view from the top is magical, if you can work up the nerves to look down! Finn kept going back for more climbs wasting no time on the ground below.

The rainy season is no joke, and as we headed to the beach a rain storm rolled up suddenly. Sloan, Sarah, Mimi, Jack, & Will weren’t deterred by the rain and ran into the ocean to swim with EC & Carter. It felt like we were the main characters in a movie, dancing in the rain with nothing to do except be right where we are. The boys threw Jack’s football, which has quickly become a staple to our group games. We then dried off as the rain passed and headed over to our second climbing spot for the afternoon. This spot was COOL. The walls were very vertical but the kids were quick to conquer them. Mason is definitely the master climber of the group and before most of us could get our climbing shoes on he was already at the top of the first route. He climbed all the routes he could, finishing out the day with the by far hardest and longest route. Everyone was cheering Mason on as it proved difficult, but he finished what he started and touched the top. We stayed as long as we could and caught the last boat back to Ao Nang and bid our climbing friends farewell until the next morning. The excitement of the day didn’t stop there as we taxied to our favorite spot: the night market! The focus this time was shopping for souvenirs and finding the most delicious dessert–both missions accomplished by the time we left. It was an eventful night at the town square with a range of live performers–singers, dancers, & an entertaining fire throwing show. Abby and Sarah got a hilarious caricature drawing done while Will secretly purchased the same Elephant shirt Carter has been rocking, surprising him mischievously. Once back at the hostel, Sloan and Mimi did a haul explaining all that they found for friends and family back home.

Round 2 of rock climbing took a turn as we hiked into a cave to start the day. Mason led the boys exploring, while Emme and Lily took in the notable view and took pictures of the cave. Finn was the smartest of us all, bringing his head lamp and lit the way for the group. We traversed many tight spaces and Sarah exclaimed she felt like Indiana Jones. Once at the top, we all gathered before rappelling down below. Sarah bravely went first, showing us how it’s done. The action shots captured with the view in the background look straight out of an adventure travel magazine! Before heading to lunch, we all threw our bathing suits on and took advantage of the beautiful weather for a swim to cool off. Monkey in the middle turned into a giggle fest, as the group took the game to an extreme. Multiple monkeys later, we were exhausted but the good type of tired feeling that you get from playing on the beach all day. One last longboat ride took us back to the mainland and we spent the afternoon at our hostel home for the past week. Emme and Lily soaked up the sun while Will played guitar and others read their books. We reminisced on the trip thus far over dinner with Lily saying her favorite part being scuba diving. Monkey in the middle continued after MoonUp and the darkness added another layer of difficulty. Finn’s enthusiasm for the game brought energy and competitive nature to the crew. With our suitcases zipped tightly and a night ahead of sleep before our morning flight to Chiang Mai, the kids continued their deep discussion of riddles and talked about what they would miss about our hostel. The pool, our restaurant neighbor, and an unlikely friend named Matt topped the list.

An early wake up call accompanied by some tunes on the van ride over made for a great start to the day. Before our morning flight, Emme and Abby did a crepe review vlog with a special feature of Mason in the background. Finn stuck to his roots and got a Thai tea, as did the girls. Chatty plane time and card games with new friends made the day zoom by as we made it to the North! We are so excited for this next section of the trip.

Catch y’all on the flip,

Carter & EC

Shout outs from your kids!

Jack- mom and dad, trip is super fun and the people are great. It has gone by very fast. Thank you so much and see you soon

Finn-hey you guys the trip is going great we are currently on our way to chiang mai, the people that I am with have all really bonded with each other! Can’t wait to see you guys!

Mimi- Hi mom and dad! I’m having a great time in Thailand so far. It is going by so fast and I’m having so much fun with everyone here. I can’t wait to see you soon! Tell everyone I say hi!

Emme- Hi guys!! I’m having sooo much fun this place is awesome! I can’t wait to show yall all the pictures see y’all soon!!

Mason-hi, having a great time in Thailand; it is fun. The group is great and we all get along well. Can’t wait to see y’all.

Sarah- Hey guys! I miss y’all so so much. Thailand is amazing thank you so much for letting me go on this trip.

Will- Sup y’all! We just left Krabi and tomorrow we’re going to the elephant sanctuary. P.S. I got some cool watches!

Lily- Hiii guys! I am having a fun time here and everyone is getting along great. Scuba diving was super cool and I’m super excited to show you guys all of the pictures. I can’t wait to see you guys soon!

Abby- hey! I’m alive! Thanks for sending me here. It’s so fun ! Can’t wait to hear abt our fall break plans 😉 love ya

Sloan – hey guys!! I’m having a Super fun time here!! Scuba was sooo fun and rock climbing was really cool! See you guys soon! I’m so excited to show you all the pics!

Diving Deep in Thai Paradise!

July 5, 2024

Families! Friends! The long awaited first trip update from THAILAND!!! Since you last hugged your kids goodbye, they have become world travelers making the 22+ hour journey to join us in South East Asia. From navigating airports alone, to trying new foods, to meeting their new Moondance family- the first week has been jam packed to say the least.

Even after the long travel day, we were greeted with high energy and eager anticipation at the airport which set the tone for our adventure ahead. Mimi arrived first and then was joined just a few minutes later by the rest of the group! We ate pizza and played ice breakers to commence the beginning of our time together. They already had some funny stories about their travel day and the few hours in Thailand. Catching some much needed Zs was our priority as we all snuggled into our beds (much more comfortable than the upright airplane seats!).

Our first day in Bangkok consisted of settling into our new country. After a filling breakfast, we set out on the sidewalks and headed to Wat Lon Boon. The group caught their first glimpse of the ornate and colorful Thai temples. This temple is also a well known fish sanctuary, and we paid our tribute by feeding the massive cat fish bread. We then headed to a local mall to try one of their specialties- Thai tea! This drink became our favorite cool down refreshing treat over this past week, a recommendation from Carter! Our morning on the streets worked up an appetite so we headed to an adorable cafe next to the hotel and were met with surprising familiarity- 2000s pop hits blasting over the speaker. The group was eager to try their first official Thai dishes and as the noodles, rice, vegetables, and chicken came out one by one, we knew we were in for a treat. We continued to get to know one another over our shared meal and left the restaurant laughing.

Just when you thought we’d be done with traveling , we hopped on a short flight down to the South to settle into our diving section. Your kids are pros at airport travel by now and the journey was smooth. Mason, Emme, & Lily played cards to pass the time, while Jack & EC talked about everything under the sun with Will taking an impressive power nap in the seat next to them. We landed in the South greeted with our vans with light up ceilings to bring us to our next destination. Our hostel for the next week is the perfect place to settle in and get acclimated. Between the pool, ping pong table, guitars, and bunk bed style rooms, it’s safe to say we will stay busy! We realized how incredibly beautiful our view from the hostel is the next morning, seeing our new home in the light for the first time, with mountain cliffs as our backdrop.

Our first (official) day of activities began with much anticipation: diving! Finn, Lily, Sloan, & Abby completed their first day of diving with contained water dives in a pool. They met their dive guides, Sven & Dylan, and were ready to start this new activity. The day consisted of practicing skills and getting comfortable breathing underwater. The rest of the crew did a refresher course in the pool and spent the rest of the afternoon splashing around playing riddles. Will & Jack have the group stumped on a riddle about penguins paddling in the desert- you’ll have to find out the answer when your kids get home.

Day 2 of scuba is where the excitement really began. Something about starting the day on wooden boats sets the tone for a stellar day ahead. We arrived at our double decker Scuba boat for the next 3 days, the Queen Tiki, and were greeted warmly by our dive guides, along with fresh pineapple and watermelon. We eagerly splashed in and got in the salt water for the first time. Our first site was Koh Haa, a local island not too far off the coast. The visibility was great, affording many sightings of marine life at every glance. Sarah spotted a turtle for her group, pointing the graceful glider out to EC and Carter that even our guide did not see. Mimi & Emme came up with the widest smiles, chatting about what they had seen. Some of the most exciting sights were at our next dive site, Koh See, with 3 neon yellow seahorses and the bamboo shark asleep under a rock.

This group has taken an intentional interest in learning about Thai culture, especially on greeting passerbyers on the street with their newly learned Thai language skills. This aptitude also extends to adventurously eating! It’s been a blast watching them try new dishes, among the many fruit smoothies consumed. Will has befriended the owner of the restaurant next door and says hello every time we pass by.

What’s more American than cowboy hats, patriotic beads, and a continuous stream of country music? Our answer? Doing that in Thailand! The Fourth of July just so happened to fall on our more eventful diving day: the Phi Phi islands. Our two hour boat ride out was perfect for singing along to Toby Keith and getting excited for day 3 of diving. The scenery as we made our way was out of this world, with islands of limestone cliffs jutting out of the sea all around us. It seriously looks like desktop wallpaper. Abby enjoyed taking pictures of the views and could not get over how we are really here!

Descending down to see coral reefs on all sides of you is something I wish all of you could experience- you’ll have to get your kids to tell you all the stories they’ve collected over this week. Our two dives today were some of the most action packed ones yet. Between a school of a THOUSAND fish engulfing us, a black tipped reef shark circling, and many eels spotted, we experienced all that the Andaman sea has to offer. Jack exclaimed that our second dive was the best of his life, and Carter agreed that it was up there! This group has absolutely loved scuba diving. Sloan is a true water bug and is always up for another dive, already looking forward to the next day. She has some seriously impressive air consumption stats- we can all learn from her! Our boat ride home consisted of some naps and a few hands of cards. Before we went back to the hostel, we got a Thai Tea as a treat…. Which didn’t last long as we all deemed them the best we’ve had yet.The boys had a side quest while the girls compiled a master playlist to be the soundtrack of the next few weeks together.

For a taste closer to home, we dined at a Mexican restaurant to celebrate the holiday. Before our chips and guacamole could make it to the table, Jack and Will were singing karaoke with the band! It turned into a whole performance with Will on the guitar strumming some Zach Bryan with a chorus of singers of Sarah, Abby, & Mimi. The impromptu performance for the entire restaurant is just one example of how our group is up for anything and always bringing the energy. After we dined on some good old Mexican, we headed down to the beach for some makeshift “firework” show with red white and blue glow sticks. To end the day, Mason and Lily initiated a heated game of Duck Duck Goose that got everyone fired up before some much needed rest.

For our final day of diving, Will, Jack, & Mason dove with “G”, who taught them to use his underwater camera! The boys felt very scientific and squeezed in some action shots. Sloan recounted many of the animals she saw with the guides, which included a lot of Nemo fish in their anemones. All of our students passed their courses with the highest praises from their guides. A huge congrats to THA 2B with four new Open Water Divers and 5 Advanced Divers! Finn was already talking about when he could move on and get his Advanced with this newfound hobby! We bid our beloved guides farewell, more experienced with marine life and very obsessed with the banana nut muffins served for snack.

The Ao Nang Night Market was most definitely a highlight of our trip thus far. Imagine a mix between street vendors, a market, live music, and a state fair all in one. Shopping for jewelry and souvenirs was a hit and the group could not get enough of the rolled ice cream. We sat and enjoyed some live music from a talented guitarist on stage singing some hit songs with a twist. Pizza, quesadillas, Korean chicken, Pad Thai, and mango sticky rice were favorites as the group explored our way through the food section. Jamming to Pit Bull in our open air taxi home was a great end to our diving section and the first week together.

This group has grown so close over the first week and we cannot wait to see all that’s in store for us. Carter and I are so grateful for them and can already tell that is going to be time well spent together. They are taking in each new experience with eyes wide open, excited to tell you all about it upon their return!

Until next time,

Carter & Emma-Cutter (EC)

We know you miss them, so here are some words from your kids!

Sarah – Hey guys ! I’m loving Thailand so so much, thank you so much for letting me go. I love y’all and miss y’all so so much !

Mimi- Hi everyone! I miss y’all so much . I’m having an awesome time in Thailand! I can’t wait to see you soon!

Sloan – Hi guys!! I’m having an awesome time in Thailand! Miss you guys so much and can’t wait to see you soon!

Lily- Hi guys! I’m having fun in Thailand and it’s super pretty! Miss you guys so much and will see y’all soon! Tell Gus and Bo I said hi!

Emme- Hi Guys!! This place is so cool and pretty I’m having so much fun with my new friends! we just finished scuba today! Miss you guys so so much!

Abby- hey mom! I’m miss you so much, tell my friends I say hi! Having so much fun scuba diving and shopping 🙂

Finn- Hey you guys, Thailand is going great and it is the most beautiful place I have ever visited. Also I got my scuba certification and am planning to get my advanced when I get home. Love you guys!

Mason-hi, the trip is super fun I am having a great time. My goal of meeting a special local Thai was complete. Today was our last day of scuba diving and it was super fun can’t wait to tell you about it when we get home.

Jack- Hello I’m good, love you see you soon.

Will: I’m alive! This place is amazing and I know pop-pop Kenny would have tried to get on the plane here with me because he loved Thailand. I also can’t wait to start the internship when I get back.

Let the adventure begin!

June 30, 2024

Hello Thailand Families!

All students have landed safely and the trip is off to a great start! We can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure. Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!

-Moondance HQ