Greetings from Croatia!!!
June 16, 2025
These past few days in Croatia have made time fly! This group is full of adventurous and outgoing kids who know how to make every moment special.
Since we last updated, we have spent our time on Rab island, the Velebit Mountians, and Paklenica!We spent majority of our time on Rab Island in the water! We began our day with a huge buffet (with lots of fruit) which Philip took advantage of! After filling out stomaches, we loaded up on sunscreen and headed down to the water for sea kayaking! We paired up and hopped into our boats…LK and Kemmons were the fastest of the bunch and led the group down the coast. We were surrounded by steep cliffs and beautiful landscapes. Of course, we hopped out to swim and Quinn quickly took many photos underwater! We ate lunch at a tiny beach and hung out in the water for a little before heading back. After 4.5 miles of kayaking, we were so excited for lunch! We had various pastas and lasagnas for lunch, and even ice cream after! We spent the rest of the day splashing around in the water! Finally we ended the day with Moonup on the beach, and another blood moon!
The next day was our favorite day yet. We woke up and had the buffet again! Wooohooo! After the buffet we headed back to the same place we kayaked previously, but this time we got on a boat!!! We loaded up the boat for snorkeling. We had the music blasting on our way out and the vibes were perfect. Once we got to our location (a cave), Chloe was quick to jump off the boat into the water! The rest of the group quickly followed! We swam over to the cave and everyone swam in. It felt like we were all mermaids, and there were even some bats flying around! We swam some more and even got to do some (safe) cliff jumping! Our morning was perfect, so we had to get ice cream to top it off! We spent the rest of the day swimming and packing for our big day of hiking tomorrow! Before Moonup, we had to get mini donuts to truly finish our day.
Wooohooo! Our first day of trekking! We packed up the van and drove to the Velebit mountain range, which we could even see from Rab Island. Pretty cool! We arrived at the train head and hiked up to the mountain hut! JG was the first to offer help in taking up the food! Once we got up there we couldn’t help but admire the view around us. We dropped our stuff off and immediately ran up the hill-ish mountain in front of our hut. We spent a few hours hanging out and Bowen even played the guitar for us!
Once it was time for dinner, we ran back down and got to work. We cooked rice, beans, veggies, and fried chicken! After dinner, we admired the view as the sun was setting. We even got lucky with a large group of horses showing up to our hut! Kate G. mentioned how it was one of the coolest things she has ever seen. We had Moonup outside, and the horses wouldn’t leave us alone! Definitely a memorable Moonup!
The next day we woke up for a BIG day! Our first big day of trekking! 9 miles! Wooohoooo! We were surrounded by the most amazing limestone rocks, that caught everybody’s eye. Even though the hike was difficult, Lynden kept spirits high with much encouragement! We enjoyed lunch at the top of the mountain before heading back to the mountain hut. Once we got back, the boys set up their hammocks, and the girls listened to music/hung out before dinner! Of course, we ended the day with a special Moonup. After Moonup, we all sat outside and stargazed! Jack even saw a shooting star!!!! Such a special night.
For the last day of trekking, we had a short 2.5 mile hike, but all uphill! Before our hike, we had to start with a game of shake and pop! Christopher made sure to show off his amazing dance skills! After our game, we headed up the mountain! Once we got to the top, the views were so amazing, and Cece even helped out with a photo shoot at the top! Once we got our pics and enjoyed a croissant, we headed back down the mountain! We ate lunch and packed up before heading back the the van! We had a long drive to Paklencia, Kate K. kept the good vibes going with her music choices! We arrived at our hotel for the night, and finally showered up before Moonup!
This group is so special and we wish this trip could last forever… but that’s all for now!
– Catherine + Bowen
Tuning in from Croatia!
June 11, 2025
Hi everyone! We landed in Croatia a few days ago and have been having a blast in this beautiful country! These past few days have been unforgettable. The group has been soaking up every moment from hanging out by the beach to even going kayaking down waterfalls! This group is adventurous, silly, and so special. We have already made so many memories to last a lifetime.
After a loooonnng travel day, we drove to Plitvice, Croatia! Through the winding hills and mountains, there were stunning views outside of every window. We arrived at our hostel and got settled in quick. After, we played a card game of rocks (spoons), and bonded quickly. We enjoyed a dinner of chicken, couscous, and lots of veggies! We headed to bed shortly after because we wanted to be well rested for our big day tomorrow!
The next day we woke up and the LOD’s (leaders of the day) Philip and Cece, started our day off with morning huddle! They got us hyped for the day and we quickly headed to the Plitvice Lakes National Park! We walked around the park and admired the beautiful waterfalls! During the walk, Kemmons shared many funny stories that kept the group laughing. In the national park, there are 16 lakes and over 90 cascading waterfalls! After the park, we headed home to relax before bed. Chloe pulled out her embroidery thread to make friendship bracelets and shared with everyone! We enjoyed dinner and Moonup then headed to bed after!
The next day we woke up for LK’s birthday!!!! Such a special day we got to spend with her. We were also super pumped for not any regular kayaking….but river waterfall kayaking! We threw on wetsuits, life jackets and helmets before heading out on the river. We all looked like minions and shared many laughs. We headed down to the river and our jaws dropped! It was bright blue with astonishing rocks covering the sides. Kate G. and Jack hopped up to be the first ones down the waterfall! Everyone absolutely loved the adrenaline rush when going down each waterfall! We even got the opportunity to do some cliff jumping (safe with a helmet and life jacket). JG even jumped off the rock 6 times! After kayaking, we ate lunch and headed back to the hostel! We hung out and played games for the rest of the evening! Quinn impressed everyone with his hacky sack skills, while Kate K. strummed on the guitar for everyone. We ate chicken nuggets for dinner and had cake for the birthday girl!
Lastly, today we took a ferry to Rab Island! We got here and quickly headed to the beach! Everyone was so excited to finally see the ocean and swim! Lynden and Christopher were fast to swim to the nearby island and the group quickly joined! After a long day in the ocean, we headed straight to the buffet for an amazing meal…even ending with ice cream! We had Moonup under the blood moon on the beach and headed straight to bed for another big day tomorrow!
Until next time!
Bowen + Catherine
Here are some shoutouts!
Kemmons- hey guys I’m having a great time in Croatia. Thank you for sending me on this trip
Quinn- hey mom and dad I’m having such a blast in Croatia. Thank you so much for sending me I’m so grateful🧌
Christopher- hey mom and dad I’m having a wonderful time in Croatia. Thank you for letting me go on this trip I can’t wait to see yall
Lily Kate- Hi! Croatia is so pretty I love it here. I have made great friends and my birthday was awesome. Love and miss yall!
Kate Kennedy- HI FAM. Croatia is beautiful and so so fun and I love my group! Love y’all and can’t wait to see yall.
Chloe- hi mom and dad. Croatia is so much fun I love my new friends! Miss you!
Cece- Hey fam. Having the best time in Croatia! Love my group this is a thousand times better than that other summer camp. Love ya
Philip- hi mom and dad! This is awesome and such a cool place! Hey Ava! Love y’all see you soon!
Lynden- Hey guys! Croatia is awesome miss yall!
Kate G- hi mom and dad! I’m having a lot of fun. I see why dad loved this place so much. Love y’all and see you soon!
JG- hi mom and dad. I miss you a lot but I’m having an incredible time in Croatia and can’t wait to see you soon!
Jack- what up guys Croatia is pretty good 👍😄 the group is pretty chill. Tell Hugh I don’t want to run, but I’ll try!
Hello from Zagreb!
June 7, 2025
Hello Croatia Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Zagreb and is enjoying well-deserved rest after travel! The trip is off to a great start, and we are so excited to hear more stories as they begin 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
