Farewell Fiji
July 18, 2025
“Yandra,” it’s time to get Open Water certified! Unlike yesterday’s afternoon dives, the group was back among the coral reefs in the morning, grabbing a quick breakfast, suiting up, and in the boat with our gear. We saw some starfish and sea cucumbers among the schools of fish. Arden was scouring the sea floor for shells, with a top tier selection back in the boat. One of the conchs was absolutely stunning however endangered so we had to put it back down, but still a beautiful find. The group was much more comfortable under the water today and was so excited to finished their certification. After the dive the students were jumping off the boat, Avery doing some deep free dives as well. The water by the dive site was crystal clear so it was very fun to swim around in and explore.
Now that the students are all certified (whoop!), we set our course back to the canal front of Club O for lunch. This afternoon looked a little different than a shopping spree or beach relax, it was time to get competitive and amped for our “Olympics”! With the group split into halves, various events were held with certain amounts of points to gain. We kicked off the games with some Moondance/Fiji/Leader trivia. Each team received 20 questions and put all their heads together recalling details from our trip. Following the memory showcase was a game of soccer I’ll never forget! Both teams blowing leads, giving their all while laughing the whole time made the afternoon ultra memorable. Brooks, a goalie, was an impassable force against most every goal attempt. Thomas however had the stamina to dribble around all afternoon, and led his team to victory in a close match. After Ella and Lilla’s magnificently arranged halftime-dance-performance, with our group captivated to the tunes of the movie Camp Rock, the next set of competitions rolled out: spikeball and billiards. Bennett, after much practice the day before, kept up his fiery streak above the spikeball net, bouncing around quickly for those slam hits. By nightfall, our group was exhausted with the day of fun. Pizza takeout was the play, not having to walk into town. Every last piece was eaten and we rolled right into an electric Moonup with a plethora of highlights to reflect on.
Our final full day in Fiji land has sadly begun, but we got to start it by capping off our SCUBA section. The vivid coral color spectrum off the south shore of Viti Levu is something every avid diver should see; how amazing that these students had their first ever dives here! Everyone opted in for their first dive post-certification, and their confidence under water was quite apparent. We got to go down as one big group and the students loved exploring the reef all together. So many incredible creatures to see underwater, especially the sea cucumber that our dive master pointed out. Chocolate chip cookies and water chugs filled the time between the two dives, nothing new. The group went a little further down this morning, catching stunning subliminal views from their new unprecedented depth. There was even a short tunnel that a few brave souls ventured out though, synclastic with coral. Getting back to Club O for the last time was sad but we had to pack up and roll out for our long journey back to Nadi. Halfway there we stopped for lunch at Baravi’s Handicrafts for some last second souvenirs and Fijian flavors. Another 90 minutes on the left side of the road and we arrived at the Gateway Hotel across from the airport. Settling in and cleaning up, we got ourselves all set for our banquet dinner! 2 hours, no phones of course, all gab and grub. Couldn’t beat it. Finley and Natalie, the dessert splitting duo, were back at it again with some ice cream and cake. Shirley temples too goes without saying. All donning floral gear, we took some pics and had a delightful Moonup on the tennis court, beginning big reflections of our cumulative experience. Everyone was excited to sleep in for tomorrow’s laise fare sailboat ride, so the group stayed up late together getting even closer.
Buffet breakfast with papaya and pineapple and guava and passion fruit and bananas and watermelon and croissants & lattes ➡️ van to Denaru port with the Fiji fam for our final activity. Mostly barefoot and ready to bake, we sprawled (and hydrated!) on the frontal nets of the vessel. Our captan Pax set our course for Mala mala island, pointing out castaway island, survivor island and love island on the way. The tunes were flowing and the weather was perfect. Once out front of mala mala, we threw on the masks and snorkels for a brief exploration of the reef with Pax. Blue starfish and yellow stripped fish were abundant. Back behind the boat, a lily pad/water mat was floated out for everyone to use, with Mitchell dominating the territory as king of the mat. A lunch of pasta salad, roti and pineapple shortcake was inhaled and we were back on on our way to the port. New Zealand natural ice cream was the next and final treat before heading back and packing up. Checking in was a breeze and hanging out in the airport this time with the students was a blast. We’d make brief visits on the long flight back to LA, which had the time passing a little quicker than usual on the behemoth journey. Saying goodbye at the international baggage claim was capital b Brutal! We couldn’t have asked for a better final session this summer – everyone bonded so well and in turn led to so much fun! Thank you families for sharing your teen with us! “Sota tale” to them! 🩵
Alex and Kaylie
Update from Fiji!
July 14, 2025
The Fiji fam got up early to catch the grand waves of high tide in Korolevu. Up and excited to start their day in the water, the sun slowly rose over the mountains behind them. We met up on the beach with our surfing instructors Bruce and Paul where we learned about the technique of the pop up, paddling and how to balance on your board. After a bit of practice it was time to apply what we learned in the ocean! The group grabbed their boards and headed out for where the surf breaks. Immediately, before half of us were even out there, Bennett was up and at em hootin and hollerin as he was riding his first wave in Fiji. The water was refreshing and salty, the air warm and the students amped for the waves. Everyone put in their maximum effort in catching them, especially at the end when the majority of the group caught a party wave! After the morning of surfing we headed in for some breakfast and warm lattes from the nearby cafe, then packed our bags for our exciting Island day to Yanuca! The boat ride was a bit damp to say the least and Arden took the splashes from the water in the face like a total champ. Since the wind was stronger, the waves were much bigger, but the group didn’t mind. We enjoyed the ride and spent the time listening to a lot of oldies, rock and some of the students favorite songs. Once we got to the Island we all sprawled out in the sunshine and relaxed in the comfy hammocks that overlooked the white sandy beach. As we waited for lunch to be prepared we enjoyed some beach walks, snorkeling and swimming in the clear waters. Following lunch we had a 5v5 volleyball tournament and thank goodness we had Natalie there to help guide her team to victory! Brooks honed his frisbee skills out there as well, sailing that ‘bee far out. After spending a wonderful afternoon on the Island it was time to head back to Fiji Beach House! Once we got back the group had some dinner, and played my favorite game, three men on a couch. Each student gets the chance to tell an extravagant story with the crowd guessing who the truther is. Early to bed for the group as we had to sleep well for our big day of surfing tomorrow!
Day 2 of surf school in session, Bruce going over turning techniques, toast and coffee and bananas in our bellies, we know it’s gonna be a good one. Finley continued her dominance out there on the break, standing up most every time, riding the waves a good distance. We were all in awe of her skills and consistency. Our group stayed out for as long as we could, up until the tide began to sink. We came back to the tabled area for some more brekky and the fellas got situated for a couple hours out at sea, fishing! The ladies had some yoga, massages, and summer reading knocked out while the guys hung out on a little boat, lines patrolling in the back for bites. The key, according to our guide, was to not think about the fish, and they finally found the mindset at the end of the excursion, all at Avery’s command. He reeled himself in a decent sized giant trevally. We delivered it to the kitchen at Fiji beach house and they had it ready for us at dinner! Back in the early afternoon, we had a quick lunch before hopping in for a surprise ride to Suva city for a big time rugby game – Fiji against Scotland. Arriving after our long ride to the stadium, we made the impression of Scottish folk which was pretty funny. Unlike the match we saw on tv in the village, the Flying Fijians pulled out a victory on the home field. During the dominant second half, Thomas fancied himself to two large swabs of cotton candy, drawing laughter from us all. With Suva in good spirits, we walked around a little bit, checking out the McDonalds with their Fijian inspired delights. Eventually we had to hop back in the van for our long ride back to beach house, with a yummy dinner awaiting us. That giant trevally was scrumptious. Lilla led a dear and thoughtful moonup, engaging our tired group and setting a great standard for the ritual. Her questions were outstanding. Once the tiredness got to the best of us, we hit the hay for tomorrow’s beach house departure. It’s time to see the sea below!
Early wake up for our transfer to the next part of our trip, getting this group Open Water certified, woop woop! Once we got to our lodging spot we all enjoyed a yummy breakfast from the Skinny Bean Cafe as we sat near the water. Following breakfast the group headed over to meet up with the Dive Masters to do a quick safety briefing and go over the process of the certification. LOD Mitchell split the group up in half for the afternoon in the pool. The first 5 steps of diving begin in the chlorine, with exercises like mask clearing and regulator recovery under way. The two instructors, Manoa and Api began their lessons on the gear as well, BCDs, tanks, and all the necessary valves. The group crushed their first day of diving in the pool and were amped to transition what they learned into the ocean! After everyone finished their diving we all packed what we needed for the beach and headed that way. We made a quick but necessary pit stop on the way for Moondance’s favorite thing, Oreo milkshakes, yum! We brought our shakes to the beach and enjoyed the last few hours of sunlight. Some of the group went for a beach walk while others had an intense game of spikeball going. Some also found a local rugby game in the water and of course they had to join! After a really fun afternoon all together on the beach, we walked back and showered, followed by dinner in town. The Establishment is our go to during this part of the trip, famous for its gnocchi, shirley temples, prawns and delicious double stacked burgers. After dinner we headed back to Club O for a meaningful moonup and headed to bed!
Due to some schedule changes with our dive masters our dive got changed from the morning to the afternoon which allowed the group to get the highly sought after morning of sleeping in, just a bit. Everyone got caught up in their sleep and then all got together for a yummy breakfast. The leaders made a special trip into town before breakfast and found a local fruit stand that had the most delicious options. We bought a few papayas and two pineapples to have as a side with our eggs, and man o man were they eaten quick. The fruit here is some of the sweetest fruit we have ever tasted so we wanted to get in our last few bites before our departure back to the states in a few days. After breakfast we had an hour of free time to journal in our Moondance books, read, and spend time together. The group all crowded around in the Enos and worked on a little bit of their summer reading. A few of the students have to read the same book for school so Ella was the voice for the students as she read her book aloud to the group, which seemed like quite the plot! We then walked into the Arts Village to do some shopping prior to our afternoon dive together. The gals found a store with cute and floral dresses and each picked out their outfit for their banquet dinner (last dinner all together as a group on the final night) while the guys walked around and explored the area. The students got their last souvenirs from the village, collecting special mementos of their time in Fiji. After chopping around for a while and making some matching charm bracelets, we all headed back for lunch, fueling up for the first ocean dive. The group was amped to get going, practicing what they’ve learned. We suited up, hopped on the boat and headed to nearby Yanuca Island for our dive. Once we arrived the students got a safety briefing from their Dive Masters and went through their buddy checks with one another, then hopped into the blue water. Performing with excellence, the group finished the second part of their open water certification with only one deep dive to go. Whatever nerves were there prior to the dive diminished once the group realized that the ocean truly is one of the calmest places they will ever explore. The group did fantastic and celebrated by listening to their favorite tunes on the way back from the dive spot. Once we arrived back at Club O everyone showered and got ready for dinner and we walked to our dinner spot for the night, an outdoor restaurant right on the beach, the most perfect way to end a day diving. We did our moonup right there on the beachside after dinner and then headed back home to get some sleep.
Brooks-What’s up fam I hope ur having a great day. We are scuba diving right now and tomorrow too it’s pretty fun. Anyways I miss y’all and have a nice day. this trip is dope I appreciate y’all for sending me here
Avery- Bula family I’m having so much fun in Fiji I am going to dive today in the ocean and we dive again tomorrow it’s so fun that’s all I’m telling y’all till I get home Fiji is amazing miss yall. Thank yall so much for sending me it’s beautiful.
Bennett- Sup beautiful people thank you for spending so much for me to come here and just to let you all know I’m just a friendly guy (inside joke here) Love you especially you mom ❤️ 🫰🏼
Natalie- Hey guys, thank you so much mom and dad for spending lots to send me here, it’s been the best time. I love all the experiences and cool activities I’ve been doing here and don’t want to come home but I miss you all!! Thank you and love you guys, see you soon!! 💗💗
Finley- hey fam love and miss yall!! Fiji is super amazing and fun and cool!!! Today we started scuba diving… can’t wait to see yall soon!! Don’t want to come home thank you for everything yall do😘 this experience has been sooo cool!! Hi ford 🙂
Mitchell – Thank y’all so much for sending me here I’m having so much fun. Love and miss you guys, I hope the beach is fun too. Oh also I met uncle Chris’s brother’s niece so that’s cool. Not coming home, love you bye!
Thomas – Hey guys I’m having a great time in Fiji and cannot express how much I thank you guys for letting me go. I am excited to see you guys when I get back.
Lilla – HELLO!!! Letting yall know I did in fact meet Uncle Barrett’s brother’s nephew!! Very crazy very cool!! Definition small world. We will discuss that in person. Scuba diving was lotsss of fun and way easier in the actual ocean (thank god)! I am having such an awesome time but I’m super excited to see everyone and eventually be home!! We got to do some shopping today which was grand🥰 SO MUCH LOVE to all of yall I hope Nantucket has continued to be a blast. Xooxxooxoxooxoxo
Ella – HEYYY!! Miss you guys more than anything and can’t wait to get back, but first I get to finish my scuba certification so say prayers I don’t get too scared – it’s actually easier than it seems. Love yall and thank you so much for this incredible experience!! Also Finley’s mom’s name is Ashlie spelled the same so that’s funky!
Arden – Hi mom and dad! Fiji has been absolutely amazing! We went scuba diving today and I found so many shells. Thank you so much for sending me to Fiji! I love you so so so so so so so much and I miss you
Fiji B
Best Yet!
July 10, 2025
Bula Families! The students have arrived safely to Fiji and were picked up at the airport by us leaders and Sigatoka River Safari to begin our adventure! We made a pit stop on the way to get some brekky at Sunny Cafe for the students after their long travel day! This place is known for its delicious strawberry banana smoothies, pizza, lattes and fries… the perfect breakfast combination. After filling our bellies, we hopped onto the back of the SRS Truck and headed on our way into Draiba Village where we will be staying for the next two nights. When we arrived at camp, the sun was shining, birds were chirping, mongooses were running about and the students immediately took to hanging up their enos under some soursop trees. Soursop is a tropical fruit that’s spikey on the outside, but once cracked open tastes like a starburst. Being a brave eater, Arden took the first bite, and loved it! While some were hanging under the trees, some of the other students were learning a new Fijian game with Simi, our outfitter. This game is called Carrom and is played with a square board, 12 checkers and baby powder (for better board movement). Avery became quite the skilled fan and I’m pretty sure will be ordering himself a board soon after arriving home. After some bonding time with the students, we got the opportunity to go into the village and watch the National Rugby Team play Australia with all of the locals in a filled room plus many outside through the windows, and on one really small TV we all took in the unfamiliar sport. Bennett got really into the game and learned all about it from Uncle B who was sitting next to him. They were two peas in a pod for the rest of our time in Draiba. After a sad loss to Australia, the group headed into the common room for the welcoming ceremony with the Chief. We walked back to our camp for dinner which was “Totoka” as always, fish curry, chicken, stew, cassava and of course the best pineapple there is. After a long travel day into a busy first day the students couldn’t keep their eyes open after dinner so we had a pretty early night. After moonup we got everyone’s sleeping pad pumped up for a long night’s rest.
Yadra to our first full day, set off with a yummy breakfast of pancakes, donuts, pineapple, bananas, and oatmeal. The carrom games and eno hammock hangs continued for a little while before a hike/tour of some local flora back behind our campsite. Simi showed us turmeric, guava, cacao, and coffee plants, ending our jungle time by crafting bamboo shoots into flutes. The squad gave quite the orchestral performance out there! We took our newfound talents to the highest nearby point we could find. The pictures don’t do that view justice; a 360 landscape of overlooked interior Fiji was wonderful. Next up we had thought that there’d be more campsite time before and during lunch, but to our surprise we found out we’d be partaking in helping catch lunch – down to the sigatoka river we went. After walking upstream a bit and assuming a line formation across the river, we scared the fish into the nets’ of the locals, walking down with our rowdy, fun team. The fish were speared and taken back to our original spot upstream. Going with the idea of our more traditional meal, we tried some cassava that was cooked in bamboo! There was also a batch cooked in a pot to try for reference. Both the cassava and tilapia were thrown into a soup of mandarins, chiles and salt. Mitchell might’ve had a bit too big of a chile bite – that boy’s mouth was scorching. The tasty cassava eased his taste buds for sure. As the sun started to lower, we made our way back to the campsite, working with another traditional practice – making Fijian-styled brooms! We all sat together in the grass, peeling palm leaves to their thinnest and strongest parts for our bristles. Sitting around, keeping our hands busy and mouths running was a wonderful way to end our activities for the day before dinner. Chop suey, chicken, rice and even more pineapple filled us up. After, hanging out in the eno hammocks, Natalie promised to give hers as a gift to one of the village children, and before we left the next morning she followed through with that generous and sweet deed!
The roosters awoke us and then the sun came up again in Fiji for our final Draiba day. Breakfast was the best spread yet, featuring tons of cake baked to a soft perfection. Saying goodbyes to our talented chefs and chauffeurs of the lush spot wasn’t easy. They were extra kind and curious with this group, returning how our awesome bunch treated them. Packing our bags in the truck, we grabbed our water bottles and walked over to the kayaking load in, meeting our new guides, Tia and Paula. Our Leaders of the Day declared the groups for the tandem kayaks, and off we went, heading down the sigatoka river toward the Tuvu village. On the way, between beautiful vocal renditions from Ella, who sang Coldplay to everyone’s enjoyment, we had lunch in yet another village, Navula (meaning Moon!). All the village elders took time out of their days to eat on the porch with us in one of their homes – a hearty spread of fruit, potato wraps, chicken sandwiches, sausage rolls and baked bananas. Two baby pigs were nearby for our amusement too. Our second half of kayaking was well-fueled and filled with banter from everyone in the group. Getting to Tuvu didn’t feel nearly as long as we’d thought it’d take. Arriving on the river bank of the village, the fellas carried the boats up a steep hill to the church, where we’d be keeping them for the night before tomorrow’s departure. Brooks helped out a great deal with all the paddles, dry bags, and life jackets too, along with carrying up the boats. We unloaded our belongings from the SRS truck into the common room and took showers before our afternoon playing with the village children. Rugby balls and frisbees were all over the patch of grass behind our building, roaring with screams from games and laughter from our students and the kids. Not being exposed to cameras often, or ever hammocks, the kids had a blast with our shenanigans. A great welcoming ceremony and dinner of beef stew had our group bonding reaching unprecedented heights for this early on in a typical session!
Our last day in the Fijian villages, a very sad realization for the group – Our time here has been so special for everyone. All of the students kept saying that they have never felt more welcomed in a place so far from home than they did in the villages. Tuvu treated us well and closed out our time there with a very sentimental goodbye ceremony and song. After waking up and packing up all of our items, we sat down for our last Tuvu meal. In the villages meals are eaten while sitting on the floor with a long table cloth laid out in front of the group. An array of fresh fruit, fijian powdered donuts, lemon grass tea (made from actual lemon grass growing outside the building), and pancakes filled our hungry morning bellies. After breakfast we all sat in front of the Tuvu villagers for our goodbye ceremony. The ladies of the group spent all morning making necklaces for us made out of palmtree leaves and flowers. During the perfectly harmonized song, one of the men walked around our group and laid the necklace over each of our heads while smoothing baby powder on our face. In Fiji the babies of the village are the most special part of their community, so smearing baby powder on our faces signifies that we are now a significant piece of the Tuvu village. This was a very chilling experience that made the entire group feel deep appreciation for the people and their culture. After a sad goodbye and a “Sota Tale” to one of our favorite places we hopped into our kayaks and headed to our next destination. After an hour or so of rowing down the river we got picked up by the Sigatoka fun truck to take us up to the Nailhehe Cave. Once we got to the entrance we turned on our headlamps and entered into the darkness with our guide Tia. This cave has a lot of historical significance to Fiji due to the spiritual connections it has with the people of the nearby villages. Tia led us through the dark cave and expanded on its stories, very cool! After the cave lunch was served, another wonderful spread with beautiful views, something Fiji is very good at offering. Following our lunch we headed back to the base where we grabbed our bags and headed into Sigatoka for a quick Ice Cream stop, our favorite kind! Afterwards we headed to Fiji Beach House where we will be spending the next four days, a little slice of heaven with hammocks, good views, and great company. We spent the evening getting all settled and spending time all together before an early evening after a long few days.
Our river day on the Navua river began bright and early, giving our students a beautiful sunrise over the mountains as we drove to our destination… and a pretty rainbow peeping over the hills. Once we got to the river we were given a safety briefing regarding the day’s rapids and we hopped into our rafts with our groups, designated by the leaders of the day. The beginning of the day was a bit chilly with some cloud coverage over our warm sunshine. Entertaining one another with silly jokes and Thomas’s cheesy good puns, we had such a fun morning on the crystal clear river. We made a pit stop by a waterfall for lunch, fresh pineapple, watermelon and yummy river sandwiches. After lunch the sun fought its way through the clouds and the temperature warmed up, this is when the raft wars began. There were three rafts, each with four students including us leaders and for the next two hours we jumped from raft to raft pulling victims into the water. Lilla played a prank on the group, pretending to be injured from falling into the water and then when the other raft pulled over to check on her, surprise attack!!! We had such a fun afternoon playing together in the refreshing river. When we got back the group had some down time, and a few found the massage corner of the resort. Finley came back from her Fijian massage freshed and feeling much more relaxed after her long day fighting in the river. The sunset over the water was beautiful and we had a yummy dinner and fun evening of games afterwards. Each night when the group gathers for moonup I am always impressed with their ability to go from goofy and full of witty jokes to serious and deep immediately. Time to hit the hay before an early morning of surfing tomorrow woohoo!!!
Thanks a bunch!
Kaylie and Alex
Ella: Bula Family!!! I am having so so much fun in Fiji right now we got a chance to immerse ourselves in two different Fijian villages through many ceremonies! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip I have made so many great friends and memories, I love y’all!
Finley: Bula mom dad Marlowe Lottie and Townes!! Fiji is super cool. Can’t wait to hear about New York. Marlowe I hope you’re doing the streaks… Thank you for sending me on this trip!! Love and miss yall!!
Arden: Bula mom and dad! I’m loving Fiji right now and we’ve done so much amazing stuff. We’ve met villagers and we went rafting and everything eas so much fun. Thank you for sending me on this trip and I miss you!
Avery: Bula mom and dad I’m having fun across the world. It is amazing. I miss yall can’t wait to see rodeo. Thank you for sending me!
Natalie: Bula!! I miss you guys so much but I’m having so so much fun seeing all the amazing parts of Fiji! Thank you so much for sending me on another trip, my favorite thing so far has been meeting all the little kids in the villages! I have made so many great friends and memories and I can’t wait to see you guys soon!
Brooks: Waddup mom and dad. Fiji is fantastic we just finished our time in the cool little villages and I just got a massage and stuff it was nice. I’ll see yall soon!
Thomas: Its funnnnnnn, love you
Lilla: HELLO!!!! Hope y’all are doing awesome I cannot wait to see you guys but am also having so sooo much fun here. It has been an incredible experience bonding with all the little kids, they are so precious!! We went whitewater rafting today which was super sick and I am excited to surf tomorrow! I love y’all so much!
Mitchell: Hey yall, having so much fun in Fiji so happy I’m here I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to never leave a place so bad! Have fun on you guy’s week off from us. Miss you guys but never wanna come back!
Bennett: Hey mom! I have three new family members sense being here Semi Robbie and Uncle B. Miss you. Love you. Hey everyone miss you all so very much having so much fun. Flicsbymunafo out
