Final Farewell!
July 25, 2025
Wowzer! Checking in from the Paris airport as we watch the planes take off. Can’t believe our time has come to a close.
After wrapping up our Alps adventure, we spent the afternoon seeing Chamonix! We enjoyed crepes and wandered around the town to see what kind of souvenirs we could find. T-shirts, mugs, stickers, and other nicknacks were acquired to bring back to family and friends. We strolled back over to the hostel, enjoyed a beautiful moonup, and tucked in to get some rest for our travel day to Paris the next day.
Waking up in the mountains one last time was bittersweet. Thankfully, we had Paris to look forward to. We shared a mountain breakfast and loaded into the shuttle to Geneva. From Geneva, we train across the middle of France with the rolling countryside out the windows and the mountains in our rearview. After arriving in Paris in the afternoon, there was plenty of time left in the day to pack in some exploring. Don’t worry, our trek wasn’t over quite yet. To the Eiffel Tower! En route to the tower, we stopped for a delicious burger dinner in a beautiful courtyard, vibrant with light and bustling with Parisians. After dinner, we continued our pilgrimage to the city’s icon. Our journey was briefly interrupted by a tasty treat at the gelato shop. With our bellies full and our sweet teeth satiated, we finished our trek to the Eiffel Tower. And boy, what a sight. As we arrived, the sun sank below the skyline and the tower glowed gold. We posed for pictures and took in the grandeur of the proud structure. Mary Grace even sent a backflip in front of the tower. The moon came up, and the tower lit up. We decided that this would be our moonup spot for the night. Right before the nug jug was closed, the tower started twinkling! For 5 breathtaking minutes, we watched. After a full day’s worth of fun, we returned to the hotel, glad to have yet another day in the city the next day!
Our day in Paris was such a blast. We slept in, got ready, and then headed to our first stop: crepes. After filling up on delicious crepes of all flavors, sweet and savory, we began our exploration of the city. The next stop (after coffee, of course) was at the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore. We shopped around this historic site for new books, seeing as a few of our students have finished at least two books this session. Notably, Brady found a novel by Hemingway, who wrote some of his most prized works in Paris. After we got our fix at the bookstore, we hopped across the street to see Notre Dame. We were amazed!
One of our favorite stops of the day was at a thrift store called the Kilo Store, where they weigh your clothes to determine the price. Thomas tried on some funky outfits, and a couple of us walked away with some stellar finds.
After shopping was our favorite part of the day, the fair! We rode the Ferris wheel, played games, and rode a ride called the Boost Maxer, which was by far the highlight of the fair. Henry and Bailey competed on the archery range. It seems that Bailey came out on top, but they combined their earned points to win a prize, so we’re all winners here. Amelia F and Kate T hopped in a bumper car and wreaked havoc on the bumper rink while Caroline and Kate P rode the Ferris wheel.
After our carnival extravaganza, we took a long stroll home before banquet dinner. On our walk, we reminisced about our favorite parts of Paris, and at dinner, we talked about our favorite memories of the trip. Amelia H and Ralph helped remind us of how much we have grown and how much fun we’ve had over the last three weeks. We, of course, had to finish off the night with gelato shaped like a flower (a luxury we’ve gotten used to and surely will miss). We ended our night with a great Moonup and our favorite game, Signs.
We have had the best time leading these students, and we are so sad to see them go! Thank you so much for sending these amazing kids with us; they are kind, funny, good friends, and great leaders. We hope they had an awesome trip, and we miss them already!
Gratefully,
Sinclair 🏹 and Jake 🪽
The French Finale!
July 24, 2025
Bonjour from our high speed train back to Paris. We miss the alps already! What a time we’ve had wandering across the mountain tops. Words can’t describe the beauty of that place.
Our last update left us on the way to Chamonix. Here, we tucked into our hotel for a quick sleep to rest up for our first day of trekking. Up and at ’em the next morning we shared a quick breakfast before prepping our bags. Outside of the hotel we met our new friend and guide Phillipe. Little did we know that he would be such a prominent character in the last chapter of our trip. He came rolling up on his motorcycle while yodeling at us from far off. Let the trek begin. A short walk brought us to the train. The train brought us to the cable car. And the cable car brought us way up into the mountains. We did everything but trek for the first couple hours of our day! By mid morning we were on the trail and so happy to be there. We navigated over the river, through the woods, over a pass and down to a stunning, bustling hostel. Our hostel sat next to a river and looked up at the snow capped mountains. We spent a long afternoon drinking coke, eating ice cream, playing games, and taking naps. After a slow afternoon, we enjoyed a delicious dinner of bread, cheese, salad, and omelet. This hearty meal was followed by fresh-picked blueberry pie for dessert. Rain clouds came but our good energy scared them off just in time for a moonup across the river. You won’t believe what happened next… As we got settled in for a scenic moonup, Ralph serenaded us with the guitar. We quickly realized that we weren’t the only ones with an interest in Ralph’s guitar playing. Before the first chord faded, a herd of cows came running over to hear the beautiful noise. Ralph kept calm and played an entire set of music for his new groupies! That’s talent.
The next day we hopped on the trail early, to beat the rain to our next accommodation. Down into town and then up and up to the next ridge line. We were unstoppable. We were almost unstoppable, that is, until we found blueberries. Snack break. We all weaved through blueberry bushes picking handfuls and handfuls, but no one picked as many as Brady. We could have survived off of his harvest alone! The rain began as we arrived at the hostel for lunch. Our quick pace paid off. We enjoyed a lunch in a cozy hostel as we watched the rain clouds roll in, filling the valley, and adding a mystical ambiance to the scenery. Our early morning rewarded us more time for some reading, afternoon naps, warm coffee. Amelia F and Ralph also filled the time with some yoga and Kate P and Bailey made friends with the chickens running around the hostel. The rain cleared out around dinner time, revealing a breathtaking sunset. Perfect for a scenic moonup and plenty of pictures (and more blueberry picking for Brady). We also got the chance to see two ibex, a native apple species that looks similar to an antelope.
Day three was the big day. Let me tell you that happened in 11 miles of trekking: more coffee, more coke, big cookies, singing songs, cookie butter and Nutella, summit, more big mountains, Phillip’s harmonica, the Tour de France, BOOM! Done. It was a full and fun day. And yes, we did see the Tour de France bike race winding through the mountain roads below us. Our day terminated at the cheese factory, our home for the night. The cheese factory is an old factory that has been turned into an accommodation. It’s solitary and rustic feel gave us the freedom, to be loud- laughing, telling stories and playing games. But it also allowed us to be still, breathe deep and feel our feet on the ground. The cheese factory was also a memorable arena for some world class hacky sacking. A goal was made at the beginning of the trip to juggle the hacky sack from A to Z without letting it drop. Sure enough, Thomas and Mary Grace helped achieve this goal, keeping the sack in the air for 26 consecutive hits! The rain rolled in as the sun went down, so we hunkered inside by the wood fire stove and ate a wonderful dinner. If you haven’t noticed the trend, every dinner in Europe seems to be followed by dessert. This night: chocolate crepes! Yum. Amelia H. demonstrated her experience and skill as she folded up crepes for everyone at the table. We closed the day with a moonup and laughter-filled conversation that carried late into the night.
Our last full day was day 4. The morning rain allotted us some extra sleep, so we woke up ready to attack the day. We took a car to the trailhead, and by the time our group arrived the sun came back out and the sky cleared! Just before lunchtime we crossed from France into Italy and Kate T couldn’t contain her smile. When we stopped to make our sandwiches, we were treated with true Italian espresso. We finished out the rest of our hike then took a bus to Courmayeur, our last night’s stay on the TMB. Dinner in Courmayeur was a feast, we tried Italian pizza, pasta, and tiramisu! We went to bed that night with stomachs full of delicious Italian food and excited butterflies for our last hike as a team.
Our last day on the TMB started with our favorite thing: sleeping in. After a slow morning we started our final trek. This final trek was a perfect highlight reel of all the hiking we’ve done so far. A little uphill, a little downhill, a little flat, and a whole lot of great views. We finished up back in Courmayeur just in time for some celebratory gelato before we went back to Chamonix.
Back home in Chamonix we were treated with Nutella crepes and sadly had to part with Phillipe. After we said our goodbyes we had just enough time to shop around and explore the town. Caroline and Henry showed off their new tshirts before we headed back for one last Moonup in the alps. The Tour du Mont Blanc has been such a dream- we have loved hiking as a group and are so sad for this chapter to end but are so excited to head to Paris for one last celebration!
Au Revoir!
Jake and Sinclair
Hello From Cham!
July 23, 2025
Hola!
We are currently on our way from sea kayaking in Costa Brava to our final trekking section of the trip-time flies! Costa Brava was a perfect beach vacation within a vacation, we had so much fun together and can’t wait to tell you about it.
Our first day in Costa Brava was a relaxing (and much needed) beach day. We swam, tanned, played volleyball, and explored our new home for the next four days. We had fun swimming in the ocean and made the most of the entire day in the sun. It felt good to rest our feet after a big week of hiking and see a totally new world at the beach.
After baking in the sun all day we decided that a trip to the ice cream shop was the only suitable course of action. Yum. Back at our “glampsite” we ended the day with a cooking competition between two different teams. Both teams prepared Mexican dishes-one made fajitas and the other made quesadillas. They were judged on taste, presentation, and cultural influence. Amelia H wowed the judges with her flavorful guacamole and Bailey revealed his quesadilla expertise. It was a tough choice, but ultimately Kate T’s team came out on top, sneaking points from the presentation and cultural integration categories. Pay attention to the rubric kids!
The next day was our first day sea kayaking. We woke up early to drive to Tamariu, our kayaking spot for the day. On the way, Thomas and our guide bonded over a shared love for reggae music. Before we were fully awake we were on the water. We paddled down the coast, around rocks, and into caves. Kate P led the group through the water, always at the front of the pack. She made sure our group stayed motivated and helped make everyone have a great time in the water After weaving around the coast we stopped for lunch at a secluded beach, what a treat! We snorkeled in the clear blue water and looked for marine life until we had to get back in our boats and return to the beach.
We started our second sea kayaking day bright and early at the beach near our campsite. Our LOD Caroline led us while we paddled out as a team, now pros on the water. Before stopping for lunch we practiced some more advanced kayaking and Amelia F impressed us with her bravery. Again we stopped for lunch at another secluded beach, we’ve been spoiled! We listened to music, rested in the sun, and snorkeled some more before it was time to hop back in our boats and head by to shore. On our way home from lunch most of us paddled hard on the choppy water, but Ralph zoomed past us as he was pulled by our guide’s boat for a moment.
Brady led the pack all the way to the finish.
After a brief siesta we made our way back to the beachfront for a Catalan cooking lesson. Henry and Brady worked to prepare a delicious pistachio pesto while Mary Grace and Amelia F sliced and diced avocados and salmon to make a delectable tar tar. We indulged in our food creations while watching the sunset over the cove. What a way to cap a great beach vacation:)
Though we had a blast at the beach, we couldn’t be more excited to be back on the trail! This trip is flying by and we’re having SO much fun, thank you so much for following along!
Sinclair and Jake
Smiles from Spain!
July 13, 2025
Bonjour!
What a week! We have been having such a blast these past few days, have just finished our Pyrenees section of the trip, and are feeling awesome.
We started our trip with an early airport morning and big travel day. We took trains from Paris to our final destination and home for two nights, Luz. While definitely an unconventional way to spend the Fourth of July, we still celebrated thanks to Ralph’s train station serenade of the Star Spangled Banner, which he played masterfully on the guitar. While we waited to switch trains, we played hacky sack, our new favorite pastime. We soon arrived in Luz and explored the town, ending the night with our first Moonup and, of course, more hacky sack.
We spent the next day in Luz exploring the town and getting to know each other better. We went to the local pool, played some games, and got ready for our Pyrenees trek. We finished the day with an early birthday celebration for Amelia F, complete with a French macaron cake and trick candles!
The first day on the Pyrenees was a dream, and each day after just got better! We have been so lucky to have amazing weather and such a motivated group. We began our Pyrenees trek with a couple of days in Spain. Our Spanish section was full of good food, good views, and a lot of practice speaking Spanish (especially for Thomas and Mary Grace). Dinner that night was filled with lively conversation and a healthy debate about which state has the best barbecue (with Kate P. making a strong case for North Carolina). Our trek took us all the way up Ordesa canyon to a beautiful refuge perched on the canyon’s point. Caroline led the way in the front of the group all day, setting a gritty pace for the rest of the group! A siesta with snacks and music was well deserved that afternoon. The next day, we made our way back down the canyon, enjoying views of the river and beautiful wild flowers in bloom. Torla, a quaint Spanish town, was our destination for the night. We explored the skinny rocky pathways of the town, popping into shops to see what kind of gifts and treats we could find. Henry led the group to a pizza joint where the team enjoyed an afternoon pizza snack. We enjoyed a filling Spanish dinner which featured lamb, trout, crumbs, and other traditional dishes. To close moonup that night, we played our first of many games of signs. Kate T showed her skill and experience. Her sneaky sign and stealthy behavior kept her from getting caught.
On our next day of hiking, we crossed the border from Spain into France! It was a large climb to cross over, but well worth it to be able to see France and Spain from the same spot—what a view! After our descent into Gavarnie, we celebrated with some delicious ice cream and shopping. Our next day’s hike began with a silent walk led by our guide, Mandy, which gave us the time to reflect on how much we’ve already grown and focus on the amazing place we’re in. We hiked to a waterfall that totally blew us away (almost literally)! We finished our day with a big climb up to Espeguettes, our refugio for the night. Once the refuge was in sight, Brady took off! When we reached the top, he had already made friends with one of the pack donkeys. I’m surprised the donkey didn’t follow us when we left the next day. We left early the next morning to take on our final full day of hiking—time flies! This day was full of everything we love: great views, big climbs, a swim in the river, and good music. We finished our night with another great Moonup and another great game called Salty Fries, which always ends with a dare. Bailey graciously accepted a dare, which he had to carry out the next day by wearing a red beret all the way back to Luz.
Our feelings about leaving the Pyrenees were mirrored by the rainy weather on our final day in the mountains. We did one final day hike, then departed for Luz, where we said goodbye to Mandy and goodbye to our first trekking section. We celebrated our big week with a day in the town shopping and hanging out. Amelia H bought some nail polish for us all to now have matching blue nails! We finished the day with a delicious dinner and celebratory ice cream for dessert. Though we miss the Pyrenees, we are so excited for what’s next! Here we come, Costa Brava!
Yours,
Jake and Sinclair
Shoutout:
Kate P — Hey yall! This trip is so awesome and the views are INSANE I miss yall so much and can’t wait to show you pictures when I get home! Also no one look at my AP scores until I’m back. Corn, hope everything is all good in Germany!! Tschuss!!! Love you all so so much and thank you Mom and Dad for sending me on this trip! Love you!!! Bye!!!! (Happy early birthday baker!!)
Ralph — Hey mom and dad, I’m having a really good time and I’ve made lots of friends. It has been very beautiful and I can’t wait to see yall again, love yall.
Bailey Faris — Hey mom and dad, I’m having so much fun. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity. Everyone on the trip is great and I’ve made so many friends. Love yall
Caroline — hey mom dad and ben! I’ve had an amazing time so far in the Pyrenees. We’re on the way to costa brava to go kayaking and I’m so excited to laundry. Happy late birthday ben!! Everything has been gorgeous and I’m so excited to show yall all my pictures. Love yall and can’t wait to see you!
Mary Grace — Hi Kafka family!! I miss yall so much and I’m having so much fun! My group and my leaders are amazing! We just finished hiking in the Pyrenees and now we’re going to costa brava! So excited for laundry and the beach! Can’t wait to see yall! Love yall! Also hi to all my friends!
Amelia F — Hey mom and dad!! I am having so much fun on this trip. Definitely tricky but the Pyrenees were amazing and the view was insane. My group and leaders are some of the best!! We’re on the way to costa brava now and I am very ready for the beach! I miss and love you guys and I’ll see you in Paris on June 25 dad! Can’t wait to see yall!
Kate T — Hey friends and family! This trip is so much fun and the Pyrenees was awesome! My group and leaders are the best! Miss and love yall! Can’t wait to see yall soon!
Thomas — What’s up family, this trip is awesome. Thank you so much for sending me here. The Pyrenees were insane. I am having a great time and I can’t wait to see yall when I get back! Also I haven’t lost my wallet yet this time!
Amelia H — Hey mom and dad, I am having the most amazing time here!! We just finished our first 7 day trek through the Pyrenees and are otw to the beach now! I love my leaders and my group!!! I miss yall so so much and can’t wait to see you, also tell olive I love you and miss her too! Hope you are having a good time without me. Love you and miss you!! bye bye
Henry — Hey family, this trip is a ton of fun. Thank y’all so much for sending me on this. The Pyrenees were super cool. I can’t wait to tell yall all about it when I get home.
Brady — hi family, thank you so much for sending me here. The views and nature are incredible. The mountains and all of the flower seem as if there came from a dream. The leaders are great and I’ve made friends with everyone. I’ll tell yall all about it
Safe Arrival in Paris!
July 4, 2025
Hello Chamonix Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Paris! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure as they prepare to begin their trekking section!
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
