Cabot, 21, is from Nashville, TN, and is a junior at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, majoring in Finance. Cabot joined Moondance as a student on the Pacific Northwest trip in 2018, and that experience left a lasting impact on him. He is excited to return as a leader this summer, eager to pass down the same life-changing experience his leaders gave him. Cabot’s enthusiasm for the outdoors and his passion for leading others will undoubtedly create a memorable experience for his students.
Maggie, 22, is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and recently graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Neuroscience. Though new to Moondance, Maggie brings a wide range of experiences that showcase her leadership, compassion, and adventurous spirit. She is EMT certified, played on UNC’s club soccer team, and volunteered as a youth soccer coach. Maggie also studied abroad in both Florence, Italy, and Dublin, Ireland, expanding her love for travel and cultural connections. We’re excited to welcome Maggie to her first summer with Moondance!
Springer, 21, is a junior at Texas Christian University studying Strategic Communication and hails from Columbus, Georgia. A proud Moondance alum, Springer took part in the Hawaiian Islands trip in 2021 and the Kenya + Zanzibar trip in 2022—both of which deepened her love for adventure and connection. She’s served on summer staff at a YoungLife camp and recently studied abroad in Innsbruck, Austria, further fueling her passion for travel and working with others. Springer’s energy, warmth, and enthusiasm make her a perfect fit to return to Moondance—this time as a leader!
June 17, 2025
We have had the best time growing together as a group! After our last surfing lesson, we had our last day on Kauai open for sea kayaking the Na Pali Coast! After waking up early to hit the road and a bumpy four mile dirt road, we finally arrived at the channel to start our 10 mile adventure in the water. The kids all helped load up the kayaks to get on our way to experience the beautiful waters off of the famous Na Pali Coast, which we got a glimpse of on our previous hike through the rain forest. Soon after shipping off the beach, we were lucky enough to see an incredible pod of spinning dolphins, who swam up right next to our boats to the point we could almost touch them! After the dolphins, we stopped for a quick break to experience “echo canyon”, where the group each yelled their favorite phrase to hear it recalled back to them.
We then kept on paddling to reach our beach destination where we stopped for lunch with sandwiches and freshly cut pineapple. Here, the girls searched for the shells, whereas the boys searched for crabs. Luckily, the boys were successful in the it hunt, and Henry even accidentally dropped a crab on Emory, which she was pleasantly surprised to realize it wasn’t harmful. After our stop at the scenic beach under the Na Pali cliffs, we began on our second half of the paddle, where the prank wars began. The whole group decided it would be funny to lift each other’s rudders in secrecy to make it harder for others to steer their boat, which was a hilarious moment to pass the time. Eventually, Ty lifted Preston and Saige’s rudder, and when Preston leaned back to correct it, their boat flipped and the next moment they were laughing and scrambling to get back on. Before the end of the ride, our outfitters took us through the sea caves off of the coast, where we saw a sea turtle! After an easier ride back, we found the beach and headed back to camp, where we stopped and had a dinner at a local restaurant, accompanied by live music and great food! Ella even led a line dancing lesson for the girls which everyone loved!
The day after kayaking was the slowest day of the trip as we had to fly over to Kona, although we made the most of it by playing games in the airport to pass the time. Once we arrived to Kona, we found our new van and headed to the campsite. Here, we met our new friend, Kalae, who held a roast battle between him and Otis, and the group deemed Otis the winner. Libby and Henry were the leaders of the day today and helped cook one of everyone’s favorite meals of the trip, chicken fajitas! After a tiring day in the airport, we hit the hay and got a good night’s rest for our first day Scuba diving!
The next morning, the group started early spending some time reviewing in the classroom, but our favorite dad jokes made it easier. Soon after all the classroom sections were done, the already certified divers held a brief review to refresh their skills, whereas the others began their new found skill in scuba diving. The certified divers had a quicker morning, so they eventually left the pool and played beach volleyball with some of the locals! The team eventually won the grueling match and were named champions of Kona! While the certified divers were experiencing the new town, the newer divers had a great time learning new skills, of which Julie had already known how to effectively clear her mask underwater, which really impressed the outfitters! After our first day, we went to the beautiful Mauna Kea volcano sunset where we held a picnic and went on a short hike to see the incredible sunset over the clouds.
On our next day of scuba diving, everyone was already a pro and it had become a second nature. The certified divers including Ty, Robert, and Otis went out into the ocean with Springer for their first real dive of the trip. Here they were able to see incredible sea creatures such as a sea turtle, dolphins, and Otis’ favorite, sea cucumbers! After a great day in the pool for the uncertified divers, we experienced our first simulated free dive, where Preston decided the guys were on the lookout for the infamous “Heart of Tafiti”, or better known as a torpedo. Luckily after about ten minutes free diving in the pool, Jackson was able to scoop up the prized possession and bring it ashore. The advanced certification group met back up with everyone and we walked around the shops and town around the diving school where they picked up some souvenirs and gifts for their families and friends. The group also got some authentic Hawaiian shaved ice where Springer and Grace shared the “Shark Attack”. Henry, Preston, Jackson, and Otis competed in an intense sand volleyball match against some locals and although they were eventually beat, they put up a stellar performance. We then headed back to camp and the LODs Robert and Saige helped make some chicken fried rice for dinner. Afterwards, they led an awesome Moonup where we discussed our dream jobs and aspects of our lives we want to work on to be the best versions of ourselves!
The next morning, we kicked off our third day of scuba diving and first day of diving in the ocean for the kids getting certified! While the advanced certification group went on two boat dives, the open water group embarked on two dives starting from the shore of a nearby beach. They swam out along the coral reef and saw some beautiful sea life including turtles, octopus, pufferfish and eels! The advanced group dove through a coral arch and saw eels, star fish, grouper and sea cucumbers on their underwater navigation dives. Afterwards, the groups met back up and hung out around the town before heading back to the harbor to begin our manta ray night snorkeling adventure! We took a boat out at sunset and once the sun went down, we hopped into the water and hung on to surfboards that illuminated the water underneath us. Right away, the manta rays came soaring up through the water. These gentle giants did countless flips right under us, gliding upside down and circling our boards, feeding on the plankton that were gathered around us. This moment was pure magic and hearing the laughs and shrieks of excitement from everyone was absolutely the highlight of the trip for so many of us! This has been such an amazing group and we are soaking up every moment we have left together!
We have some more exciting adventures still to come, see y’all next time!
Springer + Cabot + Maggie
Here are some malahos from the kids!!
Ty: Hey Mom and Dad, having a great time here. Glad y’all sent me here. Love and miss y’all (I need a truck bed cover)
Jackson: Hey Mom and Dad, I’m having a blast here, thank y’all for letting me come! Also, happy late Father’s Day! Love you guys!
Robert: Hey mom and dad, I’m having so much fun here, thanks for letting me come, I miss you and I’m exited to see you, I love you! (Happy Father’s Day!!!)
Otis: hey mom and dad, I’m having a lot of fun here, sorry to miss Father’s Day again but I hope y’all had a good time but I can’t wait to see y’all, love y’all.
Preston: Hey momma And Damitry I hope Italy is fun I can’t wait to see y’all (first class pls)
Julie: hey mom and dad 👨 💁♀️i am having a lot of fun in Hawaii. Happy belated Father’s Day 🦄🐶🦧 love and miss y’all see you soon
Libby: Hey fam! I’m having the best time! Thank yall and I love y’all! 🌎Happy Father’s Day dad! 🌎Can’t wait to tell you guys all about it! (I’m about to get scuba certified!!) 🌎💗🌎🏝️🌎😊
Emory: HEY mom and dad! Happy late Father’s Day 💙 I’m having so much fun, thank you for this opportunity!! 💘🏝️🏄♀️❌⭕️❌⭕️, Emory
Grace: Hiii mom and dad!! (Happy late Father’s Day) I’m having the best time thank y’all so much for this opportunity❤️ I have done some of the coolest things here and have met some of the most fun people!! I love and miss y’all so so much see y’all so soon!!!💋💋, Grace
Ella: Hi mom and dad!! I love yall so much and happy late Father’s Day dad. I miss the whole family, Stephen, Hannah, and fiesta so much. I’ve done such cool stuff and I can’t wait to tell y’all about it, Hawaii is amazing(I’m abt to scuba dive in real ocean btw) love y’all!!!❤️🏄♀️🌺😊
Saige: Aloha mom and dad!! I am having a blast thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!!! Happy late Father’s Day👨!! I miss you all and Bryce and Banjo! I can’t wait to see y’all!! I love and miss you!!!!!❤️🌺🏝️🌊🐶💗
Henry: Hey Mom and dad! I miss y’all and am having an amazing time in Hawaii! Thank you so much for sending me out here, it’s been a blast! Happy Father’s Day Dad, I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it! Love y’all, Henry (pls book me a massage)
June 12, 2025
We have had an amazing, action-packed few days getting to know each other and experiencing the beauty of Kauai. On day one, we started out strong in the Lihue airport with multiple rounds of hacky sack. Saige was our first arrival, and she was a trooper hanging out with us in the airport and passing the time with our favorite riddles. We had a pizza party while the rest of the group rolled in and then headed off to our first campsite. As the crew had a very long travel day, we made sure that they got some good rest before waking up early the next day!
The next morning, we woke up bright and early and enjoyed some breakfast prior to our incredible van ride through Waimea Canyon on the southern coast of Kauai. Once we arrived at Secret Beach, the group trekked down a dirt path to find beautiful waves crashing over the rocks that lay on the beach. On the way to the ocean, the crew had to run through the hot sand to find a perfect swimming spot in the ocean! Henry showed off his impeccable body surfing skills, as the rest of the group followed in his footsteps. After swimming in the waters off the beach, we found a small lagoon to wash off all of the sand, where Preston met his new friend, Buck the dog! Later, we found a cozy spot under some native trees to have our first lunch as a group. Once we were ready to roll, the crew hiked back up the steep trail to prepare ourselves for a wonderful time ziplining in the center of the island! Maggie and Springer led the group, while Cabot went to pick up Otis from the Airport! Our amazing outfitters gave us a tour of the grounds, showing us where several famous movies, such as Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones, were filmed! We went on three exhilarating ziplines through the amazing scenery, with a pit stop at a secluded pond, where we went on a rope swing, a leap of faith, and a water zipline. Preston even got to showcase his pull-up skills on the water zipline before belly flopping into the water. The crowd favorite was the Superman zipline, where we went headfirst down Hawaii’s longest zipline! Jackson even had the courage to go upside down on the pendulum zipline! As the first arrivals were having a blast experiencing the exhilarating ziplines, Cabot welcomed Otis by stopping at a local ice cream shop. After the long ziplining tour, the group finally came together as one. After ziplining, we prepared burrito bowls for the first dinner, which everyone loved!
We hit the road at the crack of dawn the next morning and headed to our first day of surf lessons at the beautiful Hanalei Bay. Right as we arrived, a double rainbow appeared over the beach, and the first group hit the waves! Everyone absolutely crushed it, catching so many waves and trying new tricks. Robert was able to impress the group and even the guides with his headstands, while catching the waves, where Emory was also able to ride the waves all the way to the beach! While the first group was out surfing, Springer took the rest to a local town to experience the culture of Kauai, stopping at a small market, where they all got smoothies! Once we switched the groups, the first surfers went to a local breakfast restaurant, where we were all very impressed with the options on the menu. After surfing, we had a relaxing beach day, which consisted of a spikeball tournament and pasta with chicken for dinner.
Thanks to the plentiful roosters around camp, we were woken up bright and early. After some oatmeal for breakfast, we headed straight for our morning hike on the Nualolo Trail. We hiked along the Na Pali coast, which was absolutely beautiful, and our awesome guide taught us about the local plants and animals along the way. On the hike up, it began to rain, causing the trail to get a little muddy, but Grace’s contagious laugh kept the group’s spirits high during the whole hike. The rain cleared just in time for us to make it to the end of the hike and see the astounding Na Pali coastline. We ate lunch at the top and took in the amazing view. The rain started again on our hike back, but everyone persevered, kept great attitudes, and we made it out of the rainforest! After the long, muddy hike, we surprised the kids with McDonald’s… or as Preston likes to call it, “Don’s” for a little treat and headed back to camp. The kids made a bracket to kick off a spike ball tournament where Libby showcased her impressive skills, diving through the sand to hit game-winning shots. Maggie and Ty ended up defeating Preston and Ella in a nail-biting championship round. Then Julie and Robert helped cook some cheeseburgers, Mac n cheese, and watermelon for dinner, with Preston giving high praise as the best burger he’s ever had. We headed back down to the beach, where we saw a local bonfire before having Moonup. We talked about dream cars and million-dollar ideas, with Ty and Ella giving some unique ideas of scented sunscreen and candle-shaped gummy candies!
On day five, we woke up to a beautiful sunrise on the beach. After breakfast, we headed back to our second day of surf lessons! The waves today were a little bigger, and the kids got to put their skills to the test. In the first group, Springer and Ella were the last men standing, catching every wave they could. We then came back and made breakfast burritos and hung out on the beach, where the boys boogie boarded, and the girls took the time to tan. We went to get ice cream and then had dinner with grilled cheese and tomato soup! We cannot wait for what is to come from this incredible group!
Signing off from Hawaii, Aloha!
Maggie, Springer, + Cabot
June 8, 2025
Hello Hawaiian Islands Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Lihue! 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
