Hello Hello!
June 11, 2025
Having the opportunity to venture through the Balkans with a new group of people before graduating high school is truly a once in a lifetime trip. The excitement in the air is palpable. Everyone in our group understands the depth of this experience. They exit the plane with gleaming smiles and eyes ready to see the beauty of Eastern Europe. Our adventure begins!
Day 1
Hello from Montenegro!! We are off to a fantastic start here on AMG and we can’t be more thrilled to have everyone here! We grabbed some lunch before we packed up and said goodbye to Dubrovnik. Our car ride was full of good music, great vibes, and magnificent views. Wells A. showed off his great geography skills while playing a guessing game and Shepard played us some of his favorite songs! We arrived to our campsite and got settled in after a long travel day. We unpacked and listened to Wells G. play us some songs on guitar! Before we knew it, it was time for dinner in which we had a spread of bolognese pasta with a side salad and fresh bread. We ended the day with Moonup, a nightly reflection time in which we get to reminiscence on the day’s activities and get excited about what’s to come!
Day 2
Our first elected Leaders of the Day (LODs) were Eliza and Norwood and they helped us wake everyone up for our big day! They led us in a great morning huddle and explained the day’s activities after we loaded up on breakfast. MG A. was so generous and braided everyone’s hair, even our guide Matea’s, before we started our rafting journey! We spent the next two hours rafting and exploring the beautiful waters of the Tara Canyon, also known as the second deepest canyon in the world! Each rafting group had a great time playing games, jumping in the icy blue water, and continuing to get to know each other better as we voyaged through each rapid. We ended the activity with an exciting and competitive relay race in which Shepard led his team into victory! We were pretty tired afterwards and filled up on a big lunch of baked chicken with a side of home grown tomatoes and cucumbers. We took advantage of the daylight and laid out on the beach while the boys enjoyed skipping rocks. Norwood spent some time building an enormous tower of rocks which impressively remained upright. Some of the boys climbed up on penguin rock and showed us their best jumps-> Katie was the only girl to brave the cold waters and jump off! Meanwhile, Don and Barrett set up their enos and read for a bit to the babbles of the river. Everyone showered followed by games on the lawn. Cassie taught everyone her favorite Moondance game of Mr. Commissioner and we even ended up playing for over an hour! Collin, our resident mafioso, made the group cry with laughter in his part as the killer in “Handshake Mafia” game. Margaret and Reese found the cutest kittens and got to play with them! We played mafia with Wells G as our awesome narrator. We finished our games with some hacky sack before dinner. For supper, we were treated to a native dinner of chicken and rice followed by a sweet honey, cinnamon cake with chocolate icing. We all met next to the stream for moonup lead by our wonderful LODs to finish off our second day. Afterwards, we filed into our rooms to rest after a long day of adventure!
Day 3
We had an earlier morning today but our LODs, Cassie and Barrett woke everyone up with some gusto! We grabbed our equipment for rafting and headed to breakfast. We loaded the vans and embarked on our incredibly beautiful scenic drive to our rafting spot. We even got to stop at a grocery store and grabbed some snacks and goodies for the road! Once we arrived, we ate a packaged lunch of baked chicken, fresh tomato, bread, and a brownie. Once we were finished, we put on our gear and loaded up our rafts. The weather was beautiful today and although cold, MG C. was quick to motivate the girls into the water for a dip when we got the chance. Each raft paddled down the river and enjoyed every second of it. Eliza began asking her boat some get to know you questions. MG A. showed off her sports knowledge during a game of Alphabet categories, which impressed us all. Wells led his raft down the stream, calling “row”, “forward”, and “stop” to make sure everyone was in sync. We took a pit stop to climb up a waterfall and into a beautiful cave! We finished our rafting journey with some games and big splashes before settling back in a camp. Everyone showered and got ready for dinner which consisted of pork chops with red sauce, salad, rice, and cornbread. We wrapped up dinner and ended our evening with a lovely Moonup next to the fire. Reese and Wells G. were nominated at our LODs for tomorrow! And with that we were all ready for a good night’s sleep.
Day 4
We had a lowly last day at Camp Grab here in Montenegro! We started the morning off with a big breakfast followed by some free time. We listened to each other sing and play guitar, while most of us basked in the warm sun. Margaret even learned how to play piano man on the harmonica! Katie and Carter spent the time asking questions and getting to know each other’s better. We had a big lunch before we were ready for our afternoon rafting section. Collin led at the front of the boat today and was one of the first to cliff jump! We got to stop at a 32 degree waterfall and all the boys went for a cold plunge beneath the surface. The rest of the afternoon Carter’s boat played wavelength, a classic Moondance number guessing game. MG C. gave her group some great scenarios that helped narrow down what number it was. Before we knew it, it was time to get out and head back to Camp Grab to shower and cleanup before dinner. We had pulled pork, mashed potatoes and cheese bread making this some of the kids’ favorite meals thus far! We transitioned into Moonup and reflected on completing our first leg of the trip. Although sad about this stage coming to an end, we are so excited about the days to come!
Xoxo, Carter and Don (aka Darter)
Shout outs:
Eliza: Hey mom and dad! I’m having so my fun here in Montenegro! I’m so excited to go to Albania and then Greece! Happy Father’s Day dad ❤️ I am so excited to hike in Albania and enjoy some Greek Salad! Please give Coco some love for me!! Miss you and love you!!! 😘
Reese: Hi Mom and Dad!!!! We are on the way to Albania right now and leaving Montenegro! I had such a fun time and the place we stayed at had the cutest kittens! Miss y’all and love yall soooo much & happy early Father’s Day 🙂 Also give all my love to Rosie and Charlie❤️❤️
Wells Alderman: Hey Mom and Dad. Hope moving in Sally went well. We had such a great time in Montenegro white water rafting and seeing so much great views. Our group is super good. Dad hope you have broken 85. Love you all.
Norwood: Hey guys, I’m having so much fun. I definitely thought it was going to be fun but I didn’t think I would connect with everyone this fast and well. Everyone is cool and fun to be around. I have played the guitar and sung with wells and the other kids. I also have a lot of mutual friends with everyone here. Love y’all!
Shepard: Hey Mom and dad, I’m having such a great time as I always do. I miss y’all so much. Have a great group of kids and it’s definitely one of the best yet. Can’t wait to see y’all when I get home. Only day 4 I’m having more fun than I’ve had on any trip. But just wanted to check in love y’all so much thank y’all for this opportunity.
Mary Grace: Hey Mom and Dad, I’m having such a fun time. We are driving to our second country today. I miss y’all so much and tell Maggie, Meredith, Marshall, and Ollie I miss them. I’m so excited for the rest of the trip. Love y’all so much.
Collin: Hi Mom and Dad I am having so much fun. We just finished rafting and it was very exciting and we got to jump off some rocks. Right now we are driving to Albania. I miss y’all so much and I can’t wait to see you soon.
Wells Gamble: Hi Mom and Dad! This is EASILY the best group I’ve ever had and the best trip I’ve ever been on. We went rafting, jumped into the river, and have had like amazing food. Everything is perfect. Tell Madeline I say hi if you can. I miss all of you so much (especially Wrigley). Happy Father’s Day and late Birthday dad. I hope you both are having so much fun in the Bahamas! See you soon!
MG: Hi Mom and Dad! – I am having the best time and cannot wait to see y’all I have a really good group! We are driving to Albania today and stopping at the mall. See you soon, love y’all. Happy early Father’s Day Dad! Tell cooper I miss him!
Cassie: Hi fam🤘! Miss you all!! I love my group so much! This is easily the prettiest trip I’ve been on. We just left Montenegro and the water there was so pretty I love rafting. Me and Margaret shared a bed and today’s her birthday! We’re leaving today and going to hike in Albania. Happy almost Father’s Day and late 25 anniversary!! And happy almost Davis’s birthday!! Love and miss you all!! I miss you Bella!
Margaret: Hi Mom and Dad!! I’m having the best time here! We started in Montenegro and went white water rafting. It was so fun!! Definitely a must for the family to come here! This is easily the coolest place I have ever been. I love my group so much and I’m having the best birthday ever!! We are on the way to Albania right now to start hiking. Tell Murphy and William I say hi and miss them! Happy early Father’s Day Dad! I love and miss you all! Can’t wait to tell yall all about it! Hope yall aren’t having too much fun without me 😂
Barrett: Hi Mom and Dad. Having a great time on the trip. Happy father’s day Dad. Hope you guys have fun in Nantucket. Love you guys. See you soon
Katie: Hey guys been having a great time we rafted, cliff jumped, and tanned. We’re on the bus right now going to Albania from Montenegro but I miss you guys. Hope you’re feeling better mom, tell Wyatt I say hi to, and tell James and Jack and dad they’re scammers. Love you guys. Happy early b day and happy early Father’s Day.
The Adventure Begins!
June 7, 2025
Hello Albania, Montenegro + Greece Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Dubrovnik! The group is so excited to start their journey together!
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
