Update from AMG!
July 21, 2025
Hey everyone! We have been having a wonderful time trekking through the Albanian Alps! The group has come together beautifully and we have been having a blast getting to know each and every student!
As we mentioned before, we arrived in Theth, Albania- a town high in the Alps! First we appreciated the views of our quaint Guesthouse nestled in the mountains. The boys got up to some soccer while we waited for our rooms to bebe available, Harry and Alex carried their respective teams. While the boys messed around in the field, the girls played cards and got acquainted with the guesthouse owner’s dog Kiko. Once the rooms were ready the group got settled in while the rainstorm came in over the mountains in front of our guesthouse and when others were showering for dinner Alex, Josh and Ben found a spot to watch the rain slowly came towards us.
After we all got ready for dinner we had one of the best meals of the trip. A full spread of greek salads, vegetables, cheeses, and various meats, and everyone agreed it was delicious! After dinner, we went to the roof for Moonup and we recapped the day before turning to get some much needed rest for the first day of trekking.
First day of trekking! We got up eager and ready to attack the day, we ate a quick breakfast and made some packed lunches to enjoy on our hike. LODs Harper and Kate led the group by Kate setting the pace and Harper making sure everyone was doing alright in the rear. Caroline kept conversation flowing on the trail with those around her. This group can really move so we had a hot start to the day getting over the bridges, crossing streams, and eventually making it to the “Blue Eye” a swimming hole that marked the halfway point of our hike! First we sat next to the river and had lunch and entertainment because Ben slipped and fell in the water in front of everyone.
Once we finished eating some got changed to swim but Harry was the first to jump off the rock near the falls but convinced a lot of the group including Charlotte, Josh, Jack, and Louis to follow him. Once we had braved the cold water we changed back into our hiking clothes and started our journey back to our guesthouse. Along the way back we stopped for ice cream and had dance party with the owners of the cafe. They love to us coming! After getting our sweet treat for the day we set off for our next activity: Ziplining! After we got geared up and we waited our turn to zip while appreciating the mountain view around us. As we started to zip towards the bottom Camille had us cracking up with her killer dance moves.
Once we all zipped, we headed back to our guesthouse for dinner and MoonUp! We got packed up and ready for our next big trek of the day the Pass!
The Valbona Pass, day 2 of trekking, would be our most strenuous and challenging day!
Before hitting the trail, we played a group favorite, Shake and Pop, to bring up the energy and get hyped for the day ahead.
On our way to the trail head, Martina pointed out the peak we would summit to the group. At the time, it seemed SO FAR and high, daunting to say the least! We shortly began our uphill climb through the shaded woods and grassy fields. LODs Charlotte and Josh kept the group in check by making sure everyone was doing alright and leading the pack! Ellie started 20 questions that kept the group occupied for a long stretch up the mountain while Alex continued with outlandish Would You Rather questions that never fail to stun the group. After a few breaks, including one with coffee and soda, we reached the final push up! It was TOUGH, and these kids absolutely ROCKED IT!!! The encouragement and determination to reach the top fueled the group, with steady leadership from Louis and Harry at the front.
We reached the summit and celebrated with Oreos and a lunch break!!! There was a pack of dogs that hung with us and we rested, hydrated, and fueled up. Not long after making it to the top, the group wanted to climb to the higher neighboring peak We scrambled up the incline and were stunned with the 360 view that awaited us. Charlotte absolutely loved taking pictures and deemed it the most stunning view ever. Jack was one of the first to make it up there and shared his appreciation for the beautiful nature!
The way down was equally as beautiful. The trail conversation carried us down the mountain as the hours passed by. The final stretch of the hike was a dried up river bed, full of white rocks surrounded by tall trees.
We made it to our next guesthouse, blown away by how it keeps getting better and better! Fabian, our 8 year old host, greeted us warmly and showed us around before we had dinner! The guesthouse is surrounded by the Alps, far from any nearby town or city! The field past the patio made a perfect MoonUp spot to reflect on the amazing day we had.
Sleeping in felt AMAZING, as our bones were tired and legs were sore from the miles we have clocked the last few days. A great breakfast followed by some chill time was much appreciated by the group. Alex was entertained by playing soccer with Fabian, while Harry read by the look out. Mid day we headed out for our hike! We made our way around the local area, seeing lots of cows and goats on the way. A few miles in, we arrived to another guesthouse for lunch! Traditional Albanian cuisine filled us up and we were treated to DELICIOUS iced coffee. Chilling out on the table perch was a hit, as we chatted, played games (Elle and Josh’s presidents saga & movies game), and finished off our taffy stash while soaking up the sun. After spending some considerable time taking in the views and hanging out, we hit the trail once again and made our way through the woods. We arrived to a clearing with the most stunning view of the mountains with the late afternoon sun pouring in and took advantage of the photo opp! Harry & Ellie hit some impressive headstands, while Camille, Gigi, & Kate got the rest of the crew to take some jumping pictures.
We made it back to our mountain home, showered up, ate dinner, and had a fire in the field to end the night. LODs Alex and Gigi led a wonderful MoonUp that turned into a competitive Poison Dart Frog game that had us all howling. Caroline was sneaky good at it, with Jack chaotically ending it!
This portion of the trip has been super special. The kids showed up, encouraging each other during the challenging trekking and creating deeper bonds. The positivity and enthusiasm from this group has been a big driver of energy, making each day full of laughs and excitement! As we leave the Alps, we are sad to say goodbye to the picturesque views but are looking forward to the next section of the trip!
Talk soon!
Ben and Emma Cutter
One common denominator of this group is their appreciation for this trip!!!!
Alex- Thank you so much again for this amazing trip. It’s been awesome. I think we’re on the way to Greece but I’m not sure. It’s been a blast! The trekking ended up being awesome. Thank y’all so much! Love you guys
Louis – Thank you guys again for letting me go on such an amazing trip. I’m having the time of my life, and I’m surrounded by a bunch of great people. We finished trekking (which was awesome as always), and now we’re starting our journey to Greece. Love y’all!
Josh – Thank you!👍
Elle –
Hi Mom + Dad!
Thank you guys for sending me on this trip and always supporting my love for traveling. It means the world to me and I can’t wait to share my adventures with you all!! Love you all!!
(Also – Happy Sweet 16 Kennedy! Love you and miss you!!)
Gigi – Hi parents! Thank you all for this AWESOME trip! I’m loving itttt. I can’t wait to tell y’all all my stories whenever I come home, I’m not really sure I’ve lost track. But thanks anyways it’s been the absolute best❤️😎
Kate – Hi mom and dad!! Thank you so much for letting me going on this awesome trip. I’ve been having so much fun and I am so grateful to be here. I can’t wait to see you guys and tell you guys everything. Love and miss you all!
Harry- PARENTSSS long time no see!! I’m loving it over here in the Balkans’s and I’m so thankful you guys sent me on this trip. I would stay here forever but I know you can’t wait for me to come home so I guess I’ll be back soon. See you!!!
Ellie – hey family! Miss you all!! I’m having tons of fun and I’m super excited cause we are headed to Corfu now! Thank you so much for sending me!! Tell Theo I said hi and can’t wait to see him when I get back!
Love everybody!!
Camille – Hiiii fam! Miss you all so much but I’m so grateful I could go on this trip this summer because I’m having such an amazing time! Can’t wait to catch up soon and hear about Stephen’s Moondance too! Love y’all!
Harper – Hello Family, I am having just a splendid time in Albania. We have gone hiking the past couple of days which have been very very fun and we went cliff jumping and also Albanian bread is like the best thing ever. I also somewhat like eggs now so that’s super fun. Also if you can tell all my friends at city springs that I miss every single one of them and also happy late birthday to Preston! But yea it’s super fun here and I miss y’all very much. Oh I also tried to grow facial hair which was a terrible idea so I shaved. I miss the dogs very much and I hope they’re doing well. I also miss the grandparents tell them I say hi. We’re sleeping in the capital of Albania for tonight then we are taking a ferry to Corfu which is an island in Greece and we will go rock climbing and sea kayaking and chilling on the beach. Then after that we will fly to Athens Greece and I don’t know what we’re doing there yet but I’m sure it’ll be fun. I can’t wait to see y’all when I get home! Love y’all!
Jack – Hi! I miss you all!! We’re in Albania right now we’re staying in the capital city tonight! we haven’t gone to Corfu yet but I’m very excited!!! I hope you guys are all doing amazing and I can’t wait to see you in a week. Miss you 🥰
Caroline – Hey! Miss you guys! We are on the way to a city called Tirana in Albania and then an island in Greece called Corfu. We just finished the trekking section which I am super excited about! Can’t wait to talk to you guys kind of soon.
Charlotte- Hiiii! I am writing this from Tirana, it’s the capital of Albania and it’s actually super cool. We’ve done so many exciting things and it’s genuinely been so perfect. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity, I will never forget it and I am so grateful for such generous and supportive parents!! I think tomorrow we head over to Greece which is super exiting. We had a cooking class today and it was super good, ANDDDDD I FOUND THIS SHOP THAT SELLS FAKE DESIGNER PURSES AND I WENT ABSOLUTELY NUTS. I bought legit like 4 things (sorry) but omg. They’re amazing. 😻. You’re gonna love. Ok anyways I love y’all and again, thank you endlessly for this experience ❤️❤️❤️❤️ See u soooooon!!
Shoutouts!
July 18, 2025
Char: Hey Everyone, this is very fun. I love it here so much but I miss y’all and hope everything is great. I am having so much fun but I miss greasy horrid American food, a lot. anyways I love y’all byeeeee!!!
Alex: Hey mom and dad, thank you so much for putting me on this trip. It’s been awesome, and I’m really enjoying trekking right now. Zip lining was a blast and there’s been some awesome views. Also, hi Ellie! Mom, I haven’t found any good stuff yet, but I’ll work on it! Love all of you guys
Josh: Hey mom and dad, miss yall but I’m having a great time!
Elle: Hey Mom + Dad + Kennedy + Soph! Thank you guys so much for sending me on this trip. I’m having the best time!! Can’t wait to tell you guys all about it and show you pictures! Albania is sick. I’m back to trekking now #chamround2. Also – hey Carter! Miss ya!
Harry: Hey Mom I hope you see this now that you know where to look 😁 and make sure to show dad cause I know he’s not looking! Anyways the trip is great we just started trekking and I honestly have never been more hyped it is about to be sweet and I’m going to come back jacked and bald. Bye parents ✌️✌️✌️
Ellie: Hey family + Theo! I hope everything is good at home! I am having so much fun and these places are so cool! The rafting was so fun and I’m making a ton of girl friends! I’m so excited for Greece! Can’t wait to see you all! Love and miss you! Hey Theo! Hope you are having fun at the beach! These places are so cool, we even ziplined today! I miss you so much and I can’t wait to see you when I get back! I love you so much!
Jack: Hi fam! I hope you’re all doing good! Im currently in Albania we just zip lined and are having the best food 👅. I hope Mimi is having the best time at camp and that your travels home was litness! We were in Bosnia and drove through Montenegro, I’m excited to go to Greece 🇬🇷! I love ya! Tell RRR I love them 🐾
Caroline: Hey! It’s been fun! I hope Hayes looks like he’s having fun in Montenegro. I also hope the dogs are doing good along with Ford. We’ve got two more days of hiking and then we go to Corfu. See you guys soon!
Harper: HI MAMA AND DAD, I miss y’all so much and I hope y’all had an awesome time in the northeast. Currently I’m in northern Albania and like holy cow the food here is actually amazing. The alps are incredible and I’m so happy here. We just went to a watering hole today and did cliff jumping and then we went Ziplining. There are so many animals here too like the place we’re staying at has like cows and dogs and chickens and they’re all so adorable. Before Albania we were in Bosnia and Montenegro but we stayed on the Bosnia and we went white water rafting and the river was the border between Montenegro and Bosnia which was so lit. I hope the dogs are doing well and I miss them super duper much. Tell V I said hi. Oh and also we’re going to Greece after Albania in a couple of days and going to corfu and we get to see the acropolis which I’m super duper excited about. All of the people here are super nice and friendly and I’m having a lot of fun😊. Ok love y’all I’ll see y’all back at home😁
Kate: Hi mom and dad! I am having so much fun. Thanks for letting me go on this awesome trip. I love and miss you guys so much.
Gigi: Hey parents! I’m having a blast! Hbd boo and Zach, hope it is chill. It’s been super cool 😎 def loving it 🥰Thanks. Love y’all ❤️🕺
Camille: Hiiii mom & dad and anyone else reading!!! I miss y’all so much but I’m having a blast on the trip! Rafting was amazing and our first day of trekking was today and I can’t wait to keep going! I love my group and leaders so much and can’t wait to tell y’all all about it!!
Louis: Hey Mom, dad, and Lauren! I literally just got off a zip line while surrounded by the most unreal mountains ever, so as you can tell, I’m having a great time. I’m living in the moment like crazy right now. Today was our first day of trekking, and I’ve been vlogging my journey. Can’t wait to tell you guys about it!
Let the FUN Begin!
July 17, 2025
Hello!!!
The long-awaited first trip update of AMG 3A is here!!! While you have been wondering what your kiddos have been up to, we have been spending time and hanging out with them, starting our Balkan adventure! It has been a privilege and a pleasure to get to know each and every one of the students!
Though airport day seems like years ago at this point, Emma Cutter and Ben were ready to meet them in Dubrovnik, Croatia, upon their arrival! After the long flight, touching down in Europe brought major relief to the crew.
Once we had most of our group (everyone except Gigi, who had some flight troubles), we got in our van and headed off for our drive through Bosnia and Montenegro! During the drive, we appreciated the many different views as our landscape outside of the van changed from rocky coastlines with deep blue water to rolling grassy hills, which eventually grew into mountains. We stopped for lunch as a Bosnian diner and had a traditional lunch of potatoes and various meats, coupled with salads and some more familiar pesto pasta. After we had our first meal together, we hit the road again and safely arrived at our campsite along the Drina River in the Tara Canyon.
Our group quickly got settled and had some time to get aquatic and play some pool games. Harper was exceptional at guessing movies in Star. Then the group checked out the river and took a bit of a cold plunge in the water, after which we played some volleyball before dinner! Camille taught the group a new game called nuke’em which quickly became a fan favorite. After dinner, our group was completed with Gigi’s arrival!! Post reunion meet n greet, we had our first Moonup and elected our first Leaders of the Day (LODs) of the trip, Harry and Elle, and got some much-needed rest to prepare for our first days of activities!
Our first full day began with a hearty breakfast of fresh-baked bread, homemade jams, various meats, and, of course, eggs. Once we had eaten our fill, we got suited up with wetsuits, booties, life jackets, and helmets and loaded up into vans to head to our put-in for that day. Josh and Charlotte were especially excited for rafting, and the rest of the group fed off their enthusiasm. Once we got to the put-in, we split up into two rafts with our guides, Alex and Milosh (nicknamed Soldier), and set off down the river. After getting through our first section of rapids, we got to a cliff jumping spot. Everyone in our group took the leap with Caroline leading the charge! Including Elle, who took a bit of convincing but then jumped like a pro!
Afterward, we boarded our rafts and conquered the next section of the Drina. We only had a brief moment of peace in our rafts for a moment before we began splashing and trying to push each other into the water. Before we knew it, we had arrived at our campsite and it was time to have some much-needed lunch. We had some delicious warm soup and chicken!
Once we got warmed up, our group split off and played different card games, hung out in their hammocks, or played hacky sack. Alex and Harry were particularly skilled after their previous experiences on Moondance! Then we had some group games before the group got a moment of downtime before dinner, and Camille had a hilarious opener for our last activity of the day, Moonup.
Day 2 of rafting was met with excitement and confidence from the group. We got into our two rafts and made our way down a new section that we hadn’t seen the day before. A few big rapids kicked off the day and got the energy up. Charlotte perched on the front of the raft and videoed on the GoPro, vlogging the adventure.
Our riverside stop today was at a camp with a beach and a porch overlooking the river. We made PB&Js, took down some crisp green apples (Alex and Louis hold the record high), and soaked in the sun. We had some furry friends, with so many cats running around. Louis especially loved them, as they were everywhere.
We loaded back up and kept paddling. To keep it interesting, we all floated down the rapid outside of the raft. The adrenaline rush is like no other. Gigi, Emma Cutter, & Kate went down the rapid, linking arms, laughing through the water splashing.
We floated back to our camp, traded our wetsuits for dry clothes, and got a huge game of fishbowl rolling. The charades-like game was a hit, with many hysterical words thrown in there. Josh then taught the group an upgraded version of Mafia, which was a hit and got competitive. Over the course of the many rounds already played, Jack and Caroline have formed a Mafia alliance that is goals. We wound down for the night under the stars in the field as we circled up for MoonUp!
Our last day of rafting was one for the books. The group was pumped, we were doing the long section of the river- we’ve got some river rats in this group! We hopped into our vans and drove to our put-in spot, the girls chatting, and the boys sleeping (minus Ben pointing out a sheep to Alex). We hit the rapids and were on our way.
At our riverside stop, our guides set up a slide made out of the rafts that looked like a mega slip n slide! Gigi comically got stuck in the middle, not quite sliding into the water, whereas Camille launched up, rather than out, as she videoed making a hilarious play back for the group. Our guides also showed us how to climb up this rock and jump off it- Harry sending it first, quickly followed by the others. We feasted on some snacks, Harper made duck lips with the Pringles while the group sampled the Paprika flavored chips. Ellie sat on a super cool tree that doubled as a lounge chair alongside the other girls to soak up the sun and dry off.
We floated and paddled along, more riddles and conversations filling the time. Harry hopped up on the back and got to be the guide and steer his raft, while Alex jammed to some music with raft guide Alex! Kate and Harper had an aura farming competition on the homestretch and had us all in tears. We can’t forget to spotlight Jack’s sneak attacks that took many of his boatmates off the raft into the river.
We made it back to our camp, said farewell to the river, and sat down for another amazing meal! Afterwards, the crew hung out in the hammocks, relaxed, and read before we all played another round of Fishbowl. Post fishbowl, an intense game of BS took place (Gigi won), while Josh gave Emma Cutter a crash course in chess. Ellie and Ben shot pool, which has become a group favorite! The sunset was too good of a photo opp to pass up, so the group assembled a pyramid in front of the picturesque mountains. Before MoonUp, we sat around the campfire and played yet another game of Mafia (led by Josh) and then gathered for our daily closing.
Our rafting camp has treated us so well! We are sad to leave the beautiful hills and river, as well as our amazing hosts. BUT!!! The group’s energy going into this next section is unmatched. We are currently heading to our next destination: the Albanian Alps!
Until next time!
Ben and Emma Cutter
Safe Arrival in Dubrovnik!
July 14, 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!
