Embracing Life In Ecuador
June 12, 2025
Time really does fly when you’re having fun! These past few days have been filled with adventure and so much laughter. This group has the best energy, and they are truly hilarious. We’ve explored Quito, ridden horses near Cotopaxi, and embraced the lively charm of Baños!
On our first full day, after settling into Quito, we journeyed to Cotopaxi for an incredible horseback ride. Chloe, with her adventurous spirit, was the first to mount her horse and confidently led the way for the entire duration of the ride! The group (full of tenacious spirit) even asked the guides if it was possible to take the horses into a canter. Addi maneuvered her horse, Lucky, with ease as the group galloped through the rolling hills.
It was an amazing experience riding through the foothills with a volcano close by. Everyone was great about hydrating well at the altitude.
The next day in Baños was packed with excitement. We started with a scenic chiva (open air bus) ride to the magnificent waterfalls and soared over Bridal Veil Falls on the cable car. Despite the tropical rain, Ruby led the charge of the Pailón del Diablo waterfall hike, leading with a positive attitude and embracing the beauty of nature around us.
After the waterfalls, Bailey befriended a furry feline friend (a cat) in the local market as the group perused local artisan jewelry and crafts nearby the trails.
The evening in Baños was a highlight with salsa lessons! Our fearless leader, Elise, was crowned Queen of Salsa by the instructors along with our very own Chloe. Eleanor, with her welcoming personality, was right there, loving every beat. She’s also been busy capturing all these fun moments and new friendships on her GoPro, and even took the initiative to try new local food, adamantly ordering a “Gringa” on her first night!
The next morning we hit the ground running by visiting the adventure park! Emily exemplified a team-player attitude as she cheered on the group on the Zipline, hanging bridge, and climbing wall. She also has been the group’s go-to DJ providing a musical backdrop to match every adventure.
After conquering a tough climbing section, Merris avidly supported our sweet leader Ali through her new fear of heights as they zip lined across the roaring river hand in hand! She confidently made her way through the adventure park, leaving with memories that are sure to last.
The group left tropical Baños with full hearts (and soggy socks!). We then drove back to Quito for more adventures. During the bus ride, Dylan kept the group entertained with her bright personality and knack for making everyone feel welcome. She tried local foods with excitement during our lunch stop at a local food hall with varieties of pork and corn. Kenzi (our constant source of laughter) entertained the crew at lunch and during the ride with her engaging stories of life in the big ATL.
Once back in Quito, the group sauntered over to the local soccer field. Fueled by Tate McRae and local Ecuadorean candy the girls flexed their competitive edges for a thrilling dance off. Caroline showed gymnastic and cheer skills with cartwheels and kicks and Haley brought out her dance-team skills to lead Team 2 to a photo-finish victory. Both girls exemplified leadership and sportsmanship in the heated competition.
We finished the day with a comforting spaghetti and bolognese made fresh by the hostel owners. Bella, the hostel owners’ dog, became a group favorite.
The next morning the group leaned into relaxation and visited the natural hot springs. Dipping between 5+ different temperature pools, the girls settled into their favorite and played the game Mafia. Aubrey, with her sly poker-face, was picked as Detective multiple times and caught the Mafia (our fearless leader Elise) with ease on her first try.
The day ended with a local restaurant visit and a run-in with the friendly faces of the other EGP Moondance group!
All silly stories aside, this group of girls is truly amazing. Each one of them is selfless, kind, and enthusiastic. As leaders, we could not have asked for a better first group to kick off our time in Ecuador.
We are so excited to hop on over to the islands and ~dive into sunny Galapagos tomorrow!
SHOUTOUTS:
Emily – Hey Mom + Dad! I hope y’all are having fun in Alaska. I am having a blast on my trip + I love my group! Right now we are on the plane, about to fly to Galapagos. Can’t wait to be in touch soon and tell y’all about my trip. Love y’all so much! <3 Emily
Bailey – Hi mom and dad! I hope everything is going well in Nashville. I am having so much fun here, and everyone is really nice. Our leaders are amazing, I love them so much. We are currently on the plane to Galapagos! I am really excited. I’m looking forward to seeing the sea lions and tortoises. Say hi to Wuinn for me. I miss you and love you! Sending hugs <3 love, Bailey
Kenzi – Hi Mommy + Daddy! I’m having so much fun here and I’m about to leave for Galapagos. I hope I get super tan. I hope you don’t feel too bad Momma + Dad I hope you’re having fun with whatever you’re up to. Miss U!
Addi – Hello Mom! I hope everything is amazing at home and you’re not worrying about me too much because I’m doing amazing! I’ve had so much fun so far and I’m loving it. I miss you, gigi, poppy, dita, Andie, Bryce, and Cas sooo much and please tell them all I’m having so much fun but I’m missing and love them so much. I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I come home. I love you so much mom!!! <3 e
Merris – Hi Mom + Dad! I’m having so much fun in Ecuador and I love my group. We are heading to the Galapagos and I’m so excited! I have a lot of pictures and vlogs for y’all to see when I’m home. Hope y’all are having fun in CHS, see y’all soon! Love Merris + Happy Father’s Day Dad <3
Aubrey – Hey Mom and Dad!! I’m having so much fun and my group is so fun! Ecuador was really fun and now we’re on a flight to Galapagos. Happy Father’s Day Dad.! Don’t miss me too Much <3 Love y’all and see y’all soon. Please order the clothes for Ross lunch + young life! Love you!! xoxo Aubrey
Caroline- Hey mom + dad! I’m having so so much fun!! We actually have seen so many cool things and have so many good pics! Our group is so fun and all the girls are so nice. We’re otw to GPS now so I hope I can get some sun! Have fun on y’all’s trips and happy fathers day Dad sorry I’m not there! Love yall!!!
Haley – Hey mom and dad!! I’m having a blast! Can’t wait to see you all and Payne next week. Love you so much <3 I can’t wait to fill you in on all the things I’ve been up to! Thank you for letting me go <3
Chloe – Hey mom + Dad, I’m having so much fun! Love yall <3
Eleanor – Hi Mom + Dad!! I miss you all so much thanks for letting me go on this amazing trip. I have had the time of my life. Tell Grayson I miss him <3 Also hi to all my friends! I miss y’all!
Dylan – Hi Mama! Hi Daddy! I miss y’all so incredibly much! We’re having a lot of fun here! I can’t wait to see y’all! Tell Danny I miss him like crazy & tell Bella and Arya I miss them! I owe y’all. See you soon! P.S. Happy early Father’s Day!
Ruby – Hi Mom + Dad! I’ve been having loads of fun in Ecuador thank you for letting me go on this trip. Tell Sawyer and any of my friends hi! Love you lots!
Ali – Hi Mom and Grandma (and maybe Dad!!) Sending you a leader shoutout because I, too, am unplugged 🙂 Absolutely loving my time here and all of the girls – they are awesome! Miss you all so much and please give Mars a hug and a walk for me.
The Journey Begins!
June 7, 2025
Hello Ecuador + the Galapagos Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Ecuador! The group is so excited to start their adventure 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
