Final Farwell from Belize
July 6, 2025
Hello one last time, Belize friends and family!!!!
As leaders, we wanted to say thank you for sending the best kids to go on an incredible adventure with us for the last two weeks. Words cannot describe how amazing this group is, and every single individual contributed to the unique and inspiring group dynamic. We are so sad to be nearing the end, but so insanely grateful for this experience with such awesome kids.
The last few days were filled with long conversations and laughs as we started to wrap up. It was so cool to see the group really come together. On day 12, we journeyed even deeper into the jungle to reach Xunantunich. The Mayan ruins towering high above the jungle canopy captivated the group. Arlo and Leighton were particularly excited by the heights of the pyramid and the stories of ancient life. After lunch, we made our way into downtown San Ignacio to do a bit of shopping for our final banquet dinner. Niall and Claire found matching unicorn outfits while Dallas stunned us all in his rhinestone jumpsuit. After shopping, the kids went across the street to play basketball. Albert and Kate absolutely killed it with their three-pointers, while Lauren was a brick wall on defense.
The next day, we all woke up to get ready for our chocolate-making class. Sawyer and Harper particularly loved the chocolate drink, excitedly telling us how much better the Maya drink was than regular hot chocolate. The kids really showed their silly side with their banquet outfits. At our final banquet, Walter finally saw the beautiful sunset over the jungle mountains he has been looking for, and Sawyer added a traffic cone to cap off his banquet outfit. Banquet was the best dinner we had all trip as everyone laughed and talked away the evening before we ended our trip with a reflective and teary-eyed final Moonup as the kids were happy for the experience but sad they had to go.
Once again, we seriously want to thank all of you for sending us such amazing kids. We had an awesome time, and every single one of these people has left such an impact on both of us. We have loved getting to know them and can’t believe how fast these two weeks have gone by!!!!
– Claire and Chase
Bunches Of Fun In Belize!
July 2, 2025
Hello from the beautiful Belizean jungle!
We have been having the best time with our group of new best friends over the last few days. The day after our fishing trip, we left Long Caye to travel deep into the jungle. We arrived at our new hotel with lots of excitement, and the place did not disappoint. With lush plants and huge trees, as well as a lazy river with jumping platforms and rushing waterfalls, the kids eagerly changed into swimsuits and dove right in. Kate and Walter had set the example of beautiful, artistic jumps into the river. In our tubes, we all floated down together admiring the scenery of our new, temporary home. This is seriously one of the most incredible places I have ever laid eyes on, and we can not wait to show y’all the pictures!
With a good nights sleep and anticipation for new jungle activities, the group woke up the next day so ready to soar through the trees on ziplines. The group absolutely loved the ziplining, smiling ear to ear on lines that traversed almost half a mile long. Lauren especially enjoyed the thrill of the day paired with the picturesque views. After our adventures and a lovely ice cream stop, the kids explored more of the hostel, with Sawyer and Dallas leading the boys on a run through the trails and Leighton and Kate flying past the cabanas on bikes. The next day we woke up with banana pancakes and joyful faces, excited to kayak down the Belize river. William collected figs in his kayak as we paddled along the river, and Arlo masterfully navigated the rapids while the group rested in the calming pools of the waterfall. On our last day in this part of the jungle, we got to go to one of the coolest places I have ever seen. We spent the morning hiking through a Belizean cave, crawling on hands and knees to explore the site that still has ancient artifacts from the Maya people. The stalagmites, stalactites, crystals, bats, and echoing droplets of water created a peaceful yet powerful environment, as the kids squeezed through tiny passage ways and scaled massive rock formations. Albert athletically leaped from rock to rock, leading the group swiftly with ease, and Leighton kept telling us how she can’t wait to find caves back in Illinois. After our invigorating hike, we got to float down the cave river in our tubes. At the beginning of our journey, we all turned off our headlamps and moved in total darkness, which Dallas especially loved.
Exiting the caves and heading towards our new hostel in San Ignacio, Niall crafted red, white, and blue friendship bracelets for the group. That night, the boys played a pick up game of basketball with the local kids across from our hostel. Albert absolutely crushed it with his speed and technical skills, while Walter won not one, but two rounds of knockout! The next day, we learned how to make empanadas and tostadas from scratch. Lauren and William were naturals at cooking and made some pretty tasty meals. After cheffing it up in the kitchen, the group moved out the soccer pitch to play a game of football against some of the local kids. Harper was definitely MVP, weaving in and out of the defending team with confidence and composure. Niall was a fantastic goalie, shutting down many of the score attempts from both teams. We ended our day back at the hostel helping Leighton bake her chocolate cake. Without frosting or measuring cups, the girls nailed a basically gourmet dessert. Sharing it with the rest of the group and leaving very few crumbs, we have full hearts and tummies as we head into the final few days of our adventure.
Lastly, we wanted to thank all of you for allowing your kids to come with us for the experience of a lifetime. We have loved our time with all of them, and we cannot wait to see what the last few days of our trip have in store. Looking forward to sharing more memories soon!
Albert: Thanks for sending me. I’m having fun and can’t wait to tell you about everything when I get home. Love you and see you soon. Love Albert
Arlo: Hi Mom, Dad, Augie and Willow. I want to say thank you so much for sending me on this trip. I’ve had a lot of fun scuba diving, cave tubing, ziplining and more cool stuff. I can’t wait to tell you about everything. Love you
Dallas: hello, I am on page 186. I am having. fun. Tell Lucy and Charlie I said hi. Thank you!
Harper: Hi mom and dad I miss you guys so much! This trip has been so much fun! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip! See you on Friday
Kate: Hi mom and dad i am having so much fun here. Thank you so much for sending me. I can’t wait to tell you all about Belize. See you soon! Love you!!
Lauren: Thanks mom and dad for sending me on Moondance this year. Belize is amazing and I’m having so much fun. I am so excited to tell you all about it on Friday!
Leighton: Hey fam thanks for sending me on this trip! I’m having so much fun!
Love you
Niall: Hiii mom and dad thank you so much for sending me on this trip it’s such an amazing opportunity and I miss you and can’t wait to tell you about it!!
Sawyer: thank you for sending me on this trip it has been so much fun I miss you guys and I am having a lot of fun tell button I said hi
Walter: Yo hello family hope everything is good in Louisville. Can’t wait to see you guys. Thank you for sending me on the trip. It’s been life changing.
William: Thank you for sending me on this trip. It’s super cool
Fun in the Sun!
June 27, 2025
WHAT’S UP BELIZE FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!!!
We are here to update you on our adventures this past week with our kind, curious, and outgoing group! Our first day started with sweaty hugs and friendly smiles in the airport before we made our way to the remote and stunning Long Caye for the first section of our trip. After devouring pizza after our long travel day, the kids chatted away at the restaurant, sharing their favorite songs they wanted to add to our playlist and playing endless get-to-know-you games. We had a bumpy and wet boat ride to the island, which Niall, Walter, and Lauren especially loved. Surrounded by turquoise water, vibrant coral, and more sea creatures than we could’ve imagined, we settled into our hostel and set up our colorful hammocks on the third-floor tower. After a delicious meal made by Ms. Marta, the group quickly went to sleep, exhausted by the long travel day and excited for the first day of scuba.
The energy has been awesome since day one, and we are thrilled to share that every single student is now a certified scuba diver! The next few days were filled with complicated but fun scuba skills and unimaginable sea life. Lauren and Arlo crushed their PADI Open Water courses, taking their masks off 30 feet underwater without any fear, and the whole group took their first official plunges into the magical underwater world! On our dives, we’ve spotted sharks patrolling the expansive reefs, eels weaving through coral tunnels, massive schools of fish, eagle rays swimming gracefully by, and so much more. William and Albert led with confidence while the group was circled by four huge reef sharks! Leighton and Kate even made their own underwater hand signals to communicate with the different sea creatures that they found. Each of the kids has embraced the challenges of scuba with joy, focus, and teamwork.
With three diving days, the group has become very comfortable with salty skin and hair. In between the daily dives, you could find Harper leading a game of cards or Dallas swinging in his hammock, reading. Kate has been an incredible hair braider, giving all of the girls French braids. With endless laughs and so many inside jokes, it’s hard to believe that all of these kids only met a few days ago.
Once we completed our dives, we had two more incredible days on the island. On day five we were treated with a day trip to Half Moon Caye, known for their snorkeling and red footed booby birds that are indigenous to the small island! Looking for turtles, Dallas and Sawyer stayed snorkeling longer than anyone else. With a few cannonballs off the dock by Albert, Arlo, and Chase, we had fun hanging out on the island before a traditional Belizean lunch. With full bellies, we took a walk to the beach to an old lighthouse, looking at the beautiful shells and coral pieces. Niall and Kate showed off their gymnastic skills, both landing aerials into the shallow beach waves. To round out our post-certification celebration, we walked to the nearby bird sanctuary, where the group learned about the unique species that call Belize home. The group’s enthusiasm for both marine life and conservation has been one of the many highlights so far!
Our last day on Long Caye was spent hanging out in the hammocks in the morning before fishing in the afternoon. We had delicious pancakes with syrup and chocolate sauce to start our day before playing cards and reading throughout the morning. After lunch, two groups set out to hand fish in the beautiful blue waters. Harper, Leighton, and William caught some yellowtail snapper, and Sawyer managed to reel in a 5-foot reef shark!!! With lots of laughs and so much fun all together on our little piece of paradise, the group is so excited to move into the jungle for more adventures. From yummy chocolate cookies on the beach to fresh fish caught by the kids, our bellies and hearts are full as we head into the halfway point of our trip. Thank you all for sharing your amazing kids with us, we truly are having the best time and can not wait to tell you all about it!!!!
– Claire and Chase
Shoutouts!
Walter – “I am having the time of my life. I have met so many friends and I am excited for the rest of this trip. I swam with 4 sharks circling us while scuba diving and it was cool. Can’t wait to see you guys when I get home.”
Arlo- “Hi Mom, Dad, Augie, and Willow, I’m on a remote island where I’ve gotten my scuba certification. Scuba diving was so awesome. We were about 50 feet deep in the water and 4 sharks started circling our group, and overall, the trip has been the best experience I’ve ever had.”
Will- “Hi mom & dad & siblings, Please don’t forget the animals. I’m excited to see the turkeys when I come back. I dove rly deep and I wanna get more certification when we go to Chad. I’m gonna go fishing later today and catch mucho fish. Thank you for sending me so far.”
Albert – “Hi I’m having an amazing time and am meeting new people and doing many new things. The food here is great and the scoops diving was super cool. I’m looking forward to going into the jungle here and to experience more new things. Love you so much.”
Niall- “Hiii mom and dad I am having so much fun in Belize, I got scuba certified and I when diving with 5 sharks circling us and it was so much fun I can’t wait for the rest of my trip we’re going into the jungle after this I miss you guys!!”
Lauren- “I’m having a great time in Belize. Scuba is so cool and my group and leaders are great. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you and tell you more. Say hi to Timmy for me!
Harper- Hi Mom, Dad, Mq, TT, and HH, I miss you guys so much! I’m having so much fun scuba diving is so cool, we saw 4 sharks in one dive! It was scary but so cool. We are going to the jungle soon! Love you guys!!!!
Leighton – Hi Mom Dad Connor and Cooper I am having so much fun and this is so awesome and an amazing opportunity! Scuba is so cool and I got certified! Love you!
Kate- Hi mom dad Layla and Caroline, I’m having so much fun here! Everyone is so nice and I can’t wait to go to the jungle. I also pet a shark named bob. Miss you guys and love you!!”
Dallas- ” hi mom I’m on page 83 in my book, tell Lucy and Charlie I said hi”
Sawyer- ” hi mom and dad I miss u and tell everyone I am having fun also tell button I miss her
The Journey Begins!
June 22, 2025
Hello Belize Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Belize City! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories 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 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
