Icelandic Glaciers Forever
June 30, 2025
Teary-eyed and with hearts full of love, we just sent off our beloved first session group as they headed home. The last few days have been action-packed, filled with laughter, connection, and so much love for one another.
The day after our hot spring adventure, we switched up the water temperature dramatically, plunging into zero-degree Celsius glacial waters to snorkel between tectonic plates at Silfra! Emory impressed us all by duck diving into the icy water in a dry suit, while Harper dove in with no hesitation. Later, we played some campsite soccer where Duncan continued to impress with his skills, playing beneath the shadow of the mountains.
That night, some students peeked out of their worn-but-loved tent to take in a sunset that never truly sets. Bramlett, Mary McClean, and Colin had the determination to stay up and enjoy that peaceful, unforgettable moment together.
We ended the evening with a sweet surprise from the farm camp where we were staying, we got to feed baby lambs and jump around with goats! Chrissy and Mary McClean had a natural touch with the lambs and absolutely loved it. Meanwhile, the baby goats took a liking to Ben, leaping onto his back as he tried to pet them.
The next morning, we woke up early for a day full of glacial tours and horseback riding. As we explored a glacial tunnel, James and Tab couldn’t resist sledding through the icy floors, sliding around between learning about the tunnel’s formation.
After our snowy adventure-complete with snowball fights and lots of laughs-we headed to a horse farm heated by thermal glaciers. There, we rode Icelandic horses and learned about their unique gait called the “flying pace.” Lydia and Lila’s horses were especially curious, giving them quite a wild ride! Law’s horse, on the other hand, was more interested in grass-stopping often to munch while Law soaked in the stunning views.
Ice B – Verbatim, Ouah, sooooweeee, kid named paint, FERDAAAA, Svenni forever ❤️
The Fun Continues!
June 28, 2025
Hello again from a group who has become like a family, laughing our way through Iceland these past few days!
We had a scenic drive from our campsite at the end of our trek to a surprise stay for the kids, a cabin! We were met with a home-like setting where we curled up on the couches and got to playing an awesome conversational card game, where the group got even closer with each other. Meg brought out her watercolors, and Harper, Chrissy, and Lydia created masterpieces of the scenic Icelandic views to share with the group before a wonderful fish dinner.
During dinner and dessert, Ben and James kept us quite entertained as they riffed off each other with endless jokes and entertainment for the group. With a night of good rest in bunk beds, we awoke with birthday music, for we celebrated Colin’s 15th! A large pancake breakfast fueled us for an adventure of rafting, where we tested our adrenaline and jumped right into glacial water (literally). Duncan, with his daring style, took the lead, jumping off a volcanic rock into the river, soon followed by others in the group!
As we floated down the river, sheep scattered along the shores, and rapids kept us engaged with our paddles. Law, Tab, and Colin tested their balance as they wavered on the edge of the raft, trying their best not to fall in. James (the leader) won, and most of the boys ended up in the water with defeat yet smiles on their faces. After rafting, traditional Icelandic warm saunas and hot-tubs were waiting for us after our cold adventure. Emory was keeping the group’s spirits up as he told jokes and stories while Bramlett decided to stay challenging herself to the cold by cold plunging for almost 4 minutes! We had an amazing burger dinner and a chocolate birthday cake with bananas for Colin!
The next morning, we woke up and headed to a petting zoo with mini golf for a chill morning before our car ride in the afternoon. The kittens took a liking to Mary McClean, and she spoiled them with love and play! Mini golf brought a competitive side out of us as we split into 3 teams to compete. Lila impressed us all with her putting skills and encouragement! We decided the losing team had to do the dishes that night. Meg’s team lost but took it like champs and scrubbed away that night after our dinner!
We are now drying off from a beautiful experience at a geothermal river that reached temperatures as high as 100 degrees! Now are heading to a lava tunnel where we will be enlightened on the rock formation of Iceland!
We can’t wait for the last few days to wrap up our trip!!
With Love!
James and Meg
Tab
Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip. I have had the best time ever.
Emory
Thank you so much, Mom and Dad for sending me on the trip. I have had so much fun and love y’all so much.
Mary McLean
Thank you so much mom and dad for sending me on this trip. It has been very fun and I have made so many friends. Can’t wait to see you!!❤️
Colin
Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip. It has been awesome.
Harper
Thank you parents for sending me on this trip. It has been great 👍.
Lydia
Hi Gigi, Champa, mom and dad. thank you for always making Moondance possible. I’ve been having so much fun, see you soon!
Law
Hi, Mom and Dad thank you for sending me on this trip I have had a blast this trip, and I am so happy that you sent me here. Love you so much!!! ❤️😘
Bramlett
Hi mom and dad!! Thank you so so much for sending me on this trip! It’s been so fun and I love Iceland!! Love y’all sm!!❤️
Chrissy
Hey Mom and Dad! This trip has been so fun, and thank y’all so much for letting come here!! Love and miss you guys!❤️❤️
Lila
Hey mom and dad!! Thank you for sending me on this trip! I have met so many awesome people and I love iceland. Love all of you guys so much! See you soon!❤️
Ben (B-eazy)
Hi mom and dad. thank you for always making Moondance possible. I’ve been having so much fun in Iceland and made lots of friends, see you soon! 👍
James
Thank you so much Mom and Dad for giving me the opportunity to do Moondance. I have met some really cool people here. 👍
Duncan
Hello mom and dad, thanks for sending me here. Can’t wait to see you.
Shout outs!
June 24, 2025
Emory – Hey Mom and Dad, I’m having so much fun and have met so many new people. The hiking was so much fun and I love you so much.
Law – Hi Mom and Dad I am having so much fun we went to a spa which was fun. We hiked 55 kilometers, and now we are at a water park. I am having a blast and see you in 6 days!!! ❤️😘
Duncan – Hey! I’ve been having a good time, we went to a geothermic spa the first day called the sky lagoon and then did a lot of trekking; 20 miles of walking in one day once. Love you guys.
Mary McLean – hey mom and dad love you guys so much. can you please get me El Mez so i can eat it as soon as i get home. tell hampton and everyone i miss them. love you guys so much this is so fun!!!! rocco and piton hey
Lila – hey mom, dad, ford i miss y’all so so much and i can’t wait to see you! ford-good luck with your lax tourneys, i know you will do awesome. tell hunter and evelyn i miss them too!! p.s. have chicken soup dumplings at the house pretty please. i love all of you and i love my group too!!!!
Chrissy – Hey mom and dad! Moondance is soo much fun and Anna Webb you were right I am having the best time. I was wondering, if it isn’t too hard i would love it if Mac came to the airport with y’all to pick me up?! Miss and love y’all!!❤️
Lydia – hi mom, dad, owen, miles and gigi and champa I am having the best time in iceland miss you a lot love you ❤️
Harper – I am having a fun time on Moondance! I have done trekking so far and I will do white water rafting and exploring the geothermal pools later. I hope you are having fun while at home.
Colin – Hey, I am having so much fun. Birthday is tomorrow. This is awesome. The sun never fully sets. Miss you love you
Tab – Hey I am having a great time. Iceland is amazing. I miss you and can’t wait to see you happy birthday JJ.
Bramlett – hey mom and dad!! I’m having a great time and I love my group! I would love to have a sonic corn dog when you pick me up pretty please. Love and miss y’all!! (Shoutout OC,Graham,& Sugar also tell all my friends I love and miss them sm)
Ben (B-eazy) – what’s up mom and dad, I’m having an awesome time and I love my group. We’ve been walking for like 5 days straight but it’s chill. I’d like to walk the dog when I get back and grab something to eat with y’all. I heard okc won the final so I’m lowkey mad about that. Tell the fam I said hi, see y’all in a week ✌️.
James – what’s up mom and dad, I’m having an awesome time and I love my group. I’d like to walk Lucy when I get back and grab something to eat with y’all. Tell Lucy I miss her, see y’all in a week ✌️.
Mountainous Icelandic Views
June 24, 2025
Hello from our homelike campsite surrounded by mountainous Icelandic views and a roaring river! It’s been a wild few days, but the kids have AMAZED US with their attitudes, growth, and love for each other and Iceland. Today we got to sleep in to rest and recharge for the next leg of our journey!
We were welcomed with a refreshing reset: a beautiful hot spring seven-step ritual called Sky Lagoon. The kids jumped right in. Colin was fearless from the start and impressed us all as he braved the freezing Icelandic cold plunge for minutes at a time, smiling the whole way through. The students appreciated the reset, and we wrapped up the day with some name games and delicious pizza, followed by our first Moon-up—our nightly tradition where we share stories and reflections as a group. We ended the evening with James’s soulful guitar tunes, which we now look forward to every night of the trip.
On our first full day, we packed up our cozy hostel and headed to the “Landmannalaugar” Campsite, where we kicked off twelve days of camping. After setting up and figuring out how to live comfortably in a tent, we set out on our first hike. Climbing 900 meters up the closest mountain left, the kids were winded but awestruck by the panoramic views of the southern Icelandic highlands. On the descent, we came across a snowy slope where Svenni, our humble yet incredibly skilled outdoor guide, taught us how to glissade. Law and Chrissy volunteered immediately, grins stretched across their faces as they gracefully slid down the snowy hillside. With the rest of the group soon following, our first epic glissade became a highlight of Day 3.
The next morning, alarms blared as both anxious and excited kids rubbed the sleep from their eyes and rolled out of their sleeping bags. Facing a 25km hike, we filled up on yogurt, granola, and cereal before packing our day gear and bidding farewell to our first campsite. We hiked for hours—up slopes, across snowfields, and along mountain ridges—on our way to a mountain hut where we stopped for lunch halfway through the day. Emory led the charge, fearlessly navigating the rugged trail. At lunch, our tired crew pulled off their boots and devoured sandwiches as the sun warmed us for 20 glorious minutes, giving us the energy for the second leg of the hike. After a long and exhausting afternoon, we finally spotted our next campsite, energizing the group for the final stretch! That evening, still in awe—or perhaps disbelief—over the day’s adventure, we set up our massive blue tent to eat and play games. Duncan has been a huge help since day one in setting up and taking down the massive tent, and his humor was key to keeping spirits high. After a laughter-filled round of pterodactyl, Ben and Law went head-to-head in our first veggie-off of the trip, with Ben’s impression of a “Laughing Lettuce” leaving us all in stitches.
That night, strong winds and heavy rain tore through camp, and the morning brought more of the same. After nearly losing two tents to the Icelandic gusts, we hit the trail for a (thankfully) short 3km hike to Hvanngil, a rescue hut that became our shelter for the night. On the way, the kids faced the fierce weather, with wind nearly lifting us off our feet. Lila bundled up in every layer she had, with a bandana and sunglasses shielding her face. The wind did its best to blow her over, but mighty Lila held strong, her spirit undeterred. That night, many in our group thawed out with hot showers as we filled our bellies with salmon, rice, fresh salad, and cake for dessert!
Thanks to Mother Nature, Day 6 brought not the easy trek the group had been promised, but another grueling 11-hour, 29km challenge. James and Meg were astounded by the group’s spirit. Mary McLean and the rest of the girls chatted, perhaps keeping the storm clouds at bay. Their lively conversations lifted group morale, while Tab led confidently from the front, setting a relentless pace that helped us power through! We’re especially grateful for Iceland’s midnight sun, which allowed us to eat dinner in daylight—at 11:30pm!
Finally, on Day 7, the group enjoyed a peaceful sleep-in, with nothing on the schedule but a big brunch, soccer games, and time at camp. The kiddos emerged from their tents well-rested for a meal of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and fresh fruit. Competitive cheers soon echoed as soccer games kicked off, with Bramlett leading the way, showing off her skills and cheering on a group of 5-year-old triplets who eagerly joined in. Later, Harper and Lydia went for a run with Meg around the campsite and along the river, impressing her with their speed. Lydia soared past, leaping with each stride like a graceful creature, while Harper maintained a steady, long-paced run with remarkable speed and a wonderful attitude.
Each day, our love for this group grows stronger, and we couldn’t be more excited for the adventures ahead!!
Welcome to Iceland!
June 18, 2025
Hello Iceland Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely! 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
