Grateful Goodbyes and Unforgettable Moments
June 25, 2025
With teary eyes, John and I have officially said “Goodbye” to the amazing group we have had the pleasure and honor of leading these past three weeks. We had the perfect last day, complete with a beautiful banquet lunch outdoors with incredible views of Mt. Meru in the background, and of course, we stopped for ice cream one last time before the airport. We couldn’t feel more grateful for the group’s willingness to live fully in the moment, to trust one another, and to jump outside of their comfort zones. There have been so many instances that have made this experience so wonderful, but it really all boils down to the group and what each person added.
Mia’s contagious laugh got us through a lot of the tough moments on the hike. Tucker’s ability to be fully himself, especially as he opened up and let his personality shine, gave others permission to the same. Woods’ strong sense of self and confidence provided a roadmap for others to grow in their own. Pace’s quick-witted jokes lightened any and every mood. Carly’s iconic stories always kept the group on their toes. Brooke’s quiet and strong leadership gave everyone an easy person to look up to. Daisy’s ability to light up a room created sunshine wherever she was. Lizzy’s compassion and empathy towards the Mungere School students and all left a lasting impact. Jake’s hilarious sense of humor never let a dull moment occur. Lulu’s storytelling always kept the group entertained. Bradley’s ability to roll with the punches no matter what impressed us continuously. Spencer’s kind-heartedness created a foundation of inclusivity. Mason’s natural leadership ability inspired others to lead by example, too. Each person added significant value and individuality to our little family, making it truly one of a kind.
To say we’re going to miss this crew would be a vast understatement. We’ve achieved tremendously, explored greatly, learned a ton, and loved even more. And it’s all because of one another that we have been able to do so, so deeply, in such a short period of time. We are sincerely thankful to everyone who made this adventure a reality, and we are so proud of each and every one of you and thank you for being here with us.
We are so lucky to live this life. Together.
-Jackie and John
Moments to Remember
June 23, 2025
Jambo! Jackie and John back with yet another update on our adventure in Tanzania! After we finished up the climb, we headed back to Arusha for a well-deserved good night’s sleep. On the way, Jackie met up with the other Kilimanjaro leader team and picked up our newest addition to our crew: Bradford, who joined us on our Safari section! The rest of the group went to our favorite place, House of Ice Cream, and got two scoops of our favorite flavors. We then enjoyed a pizza dinner at our hotel and got to bed, happy and proud of what we’ve accomplished.
The next day we had a slow morning and packed (after we received our freshly Supa Clean™️) for our next section of the trip: Safari! We had a bit of a drive ahead of us so we stocked up on snacks, downloaded many playlists, and hit the road towards the Ngorongoro Crater to settle into our campsite for the night. After dinner and Moonup, we got some rest for our early morning game drive the next morning.
We woke up for an early breakfast and split up into our Safari cars to explore the Crater. We passed beautiful mountainous landscapes on our drive down and were excited at our first wildlife spotting: a waterbuck! Once we got through the gates, we immediately saw a plethora of animals, including African buffalos, various birds, and zebras. As we continued our drive, we saw two male lions cross right in front of our vans – the closest any of us have ever been to apex predators! Definitely a moment to remember. We stopped for a picnic lunch and started our drive to the Serengeti to explore even more of what Tanzania has to offer. Once we got to the Serengeti, we checked into our campsite and, despite the rain, we made the most of it. We had a great dinner and to entertain everyone else at the campsite, we performed our choreographed rendition of Umbrella.
The next morning after breakfast we headed out on another game drive, and this time we saw giraffes, cheetahs, and elephants – Jake was especially excited to see the baby elephants while Mason continued to impress us with his knowledge and interest in all of the mammals in the park. We came back to camp, had a great lunch (a top five meal), and chilled at camp for awhile; Spencer broke out the hacky sack and practiced his stalling skills, and Woods and Pace started a version of Rafter Ball that kept the guys entertained for awhile (Spencer says he won but the verdict is still out…). That afternoon we went on another game drive, and this time the vans were split up by guys and girls. In the girls’ van, Brooke and Lulu took their regular spots in the last seats and enjoyed the sunset from the back ledge while watching the wildlife. That evening after dinner, Daisy and Tucker (our LOD’s for the day) surprised the crew with another iconic choreographed (complete with matching sunglasses) dance to kick off Moonup.
On our final morning in the Serengeti we decided to wake up early for a sunrise game drive before heading back to the Ngorongoro Crater. It was such a beautiful sunrise, and Lizzy, Carly, and Mia captured the moment through photography. We then headed back to the Crater, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. In the van, we got to our accommodations, settled in, had tea and popcorn, and spent the afternoon playing cards and bananagrams! We had dinner and Moonup and then stayed up chatting outside until bed. We can’t believe there’s only two more days left of this adventure! We are so excited to keep making the most of the time we have together – we still have some tricks up our sleeves to make the end of our experience together a blast. We are so lucky to live this life!
Talk soon,
Jackie and John
Lulu: Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to come and visit Africa. I had a great experience and learned so much, love you guys so much!
Daisy: Thank you so much for letting me do another Moondance this year and come to Tanzania! I’ve had the best experience learning all about the culture and climbing Kilimanjaro. Miss you guys so much, see you soon! Love y’all!
Brooke: Hi mom and dad! Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to come to Tanzania. This has been the greatest trip and I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it soon. Love you guys
Pace: Much appreciated for this opportunity to travel to Africa. Has really been fun and can’t wait to share.
Jake: Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to come on Moondance to Tanzania this summer. I’ve had the best time and met so many great people. I can’t wait to tell y’all all about the trip. See you soon.
Tucker: Mom and Dad thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity not only have I expanded my horizon, completed the most difficult thing in my life, but had fun while doing it. Hope everyone is happy and healthy, see you guys soon!
Carly: Thank you so much for sending me on this trip!!!! I’ve had the best time ever and can’t wait to tell you all about it!!! See you tomorrow!!!
Mason: Thank you for letting me sign up for this trip! I have had so much fun and my group is great. I’ll see y’all in a few days.
Spencer – Hey Mom and Dad, thanks for being willing to send me on this trip. This is some of the most fun I have ever had and it is all thanks to you all.
Lizzy- This trip has been one of the most difficult yet rewarding things I’ve ever done. Thank you for always pushing me to my limits and never making failure an option. I can’t wait to tell y’all everything soon .Love y’all!
Mia- Thank y’all so much for this trip and this opportunity! I have had so much fun and learned so much. See y’all so soon, love you!
Woods- This trip has been so much fun! Thank y’all so much for sending me here. I can’t wait to tell y’all everything. We’ve made so many fun memories together as a group. See y’all soon. Love y’all !
Summits, Swag, and Sunglasses
June 19, 2025
POLE, POLE! 19,341 ft up!
What an adventure we’ve had this last week! We saw so much growth, determination, and teamwork in action during our time on the mountain.
We started our climb at Machame Gate, where we enjoyed a delicious pre-trek meal of vegetable rolls, chicken, rice, and fresh mango. Although it was unseasonably rainy, spirits were high as we began our hike through the rainforest biome of Kilimanjaro National Park. The group quickly got into trail conversations about everything from favorite home-cooked meals to bucket list items of the future. Nothing like a hike in nature to keep good conversation flowing! We arrived at camp and to our delight, everything was set up for us: our tents, bathrooms, and our mess tent: a giant half-dome tent that would become our central gathering place for the next week. We settled into camp, changed into warm clothes, and headed to the mess tent to enjoy our favorite afternoon tradition: hot cocoa and popcorn! We spent the rest of the evening chatting and resting, had dinner, and went to bed excited about what’s to come!
“Jambo, jambo! Tea or coffee?” This became our morning wake up call, with our wonderful serving staff, Abdul and Edward (aka Swaggy Lee), bringing us hot coffee and tea to our tents to start each day, which the group loved! We then gathered in the mess tent for a lovely breakfast and briefing on the day. We had some miles to conquer for the day, so shortly after breakfast and a brief yoga class led by Jackie, we hit the trail! Pace, Mia, Lizzy, and Jake led the way at the front with Jackie, and we shared many laughs throughout the day. We climbed through the rainforest area to the the treetops, and got to our next camp in the afternoon. The group had lunch, rested for a bit, and then John and Eunice (one of our stellar guides for the trek) led us on a short acclimatization hike to some nearby caves! Tucker then instigated an impromptu dance party on the mountain, getting everyone involved and laughing. The rest of the evening was filled with good food, good laughs, and a great Moonup.
The next morning after breakfast (and of course tent service tea and coffee), we started the day’s challenge: a hike up to 15,000 ft for lunch and then back to 13,000 ft for camp. The elevation gain was tough, but everyone did a great job keeping spirits high and persevering. Everyone adjusted quite well to the altitude, which was a promising sign for the challenge ahead of us. We got back to camp and saw the most beautiful sunset and then sky of stars. After a brief photo shoot (Brooke takes the best pictures!) we ended the day sharing our excitement and nerves about the climb. A day well spent!
Continuing on, we started the next day with a challenging hike up to Barraco wall. This included some rock scrambling, which everyone loved. Spencer and Carly even said that this was their favorite hike yet! Short and sweet, we trekked the three miles to Karanga camp where we had a leisurely afternoon playing cards: Lizzy even gave Mason a run for his money on the title of reigning ERS champion! Winding down for the evening, we had an early night in preparation for higher elevation tomorrow.
We began our next trek with excitement: we were about to get to our last stop before our summit bid! We entered the arctic desert and kept climbing all the way up to Upper Barafu camp, sitting at just over 16,000ft. Not only did we continue our great trail conversations, but John introduced a new game the group grew to love: Word Assassin. Verdict’s still out on the winner of that one…
At Upper Barafu camp we settled in, had lunch, and then our head guide, Samia briefed us on the logistics of our summit bid. After going through necessary gear checks, everyone did a fashion show of the summit outfits: Lulu made sure to include her iconic sunglasses in the OOTD. We had a very early dinner and went straight to bed! We planned to wake up around 11:30 PM and start the climb at 12:30 AM. However, Mother Nature had different plans for us. Throughout the night there were pretty tumultuous winds, which ended up delaying our climb’s alpine start a few hours back. However, adaptability is the name of the game and the group took this change with stride. Early the next morning we were ready to start the bid.
We climbed in the dark, illuminated by our headlamp, for a few hours before witnessing the most beautiful sunrise any of us had ever seen. The group was in awe looking at the ombré sky cascading over the mountainous plain. Despite altitude symptoms, Daisy and Mason took the mountain with stride, revealing their tenacity to keep pushing forward. Woods was a steadfast leader, always encouraging those to keep going. We kept trekking forward, eventually reaching Stella Point at a remarkable 18,500 ft. About an hour later, we finally reached the summit. The kids were gleaming with pride and accomplishment for the feat they just conquered.
This experience will certainly be an unforgettable one for the group: comfort zones were expanded, friendships were strengthened, and goals were reached. We couldn’t be happier to continue onto our final section of our trip: Safari! Stay tuned.
Talk soon,
Jackie and John
Service and Sightseeing!
June 11, 2025
WELCOME TO MY TABLE
Jambo! Jackie and John here with quite the update: we’ve acquired twelve of the most awesome humans in the universe and have started on the adventure of a lifetime. From the moment we picked everyone up from the airport, we knew this group would be special. The way everyone naturally came together so quickly was incredible to witness. After our first official morning post breakfast, we fought jet lag and traveled to Mto Wa Mbu, where we have called home for the next six nights. We arrived to our campsite after stocking up on snacks and were in awe of our accommodations: how many campsites have an epic mountain lake view, an infinity pool, and hot showers? We were in heaven.
After we moved into our tents and got settled at camp, we met Sheb, the Director of the Red Sweater Project, who gave us a brief orientation on our upcoming days working at the Mungere school. We then played countless hacky sack and soccer matches before ‘laying like lizards’ by the pool to soak up the remainder of the day’s sun. We capped off our first official day as a family with an epic sunset, a three-course meal, and an inaugural Moonup where everyone shared their nerves and excitement for what’s to come.
The next morning, we had a full breakfast spread of crepes, fresh mango, eggs, sausage, and of course, ‘drinking chocolate’ and coffee, which started us off on a high note for the day. Our first Leaders of the Day (LOD), Mason and Carly, helped us prep for our first day working with the Red Sweater Project. We got in our safari Land Cruisers and drove to the Mungere School, passing many wild baboons and monkeys on our way. Once we got to the school, we had a tour of the campus and met the students who would quickly become great friends. Our project for the next few days was digging a large hole in order to prepare for the construction of brand new compost toilets. John and I were so proud of the initiative everyone took straight away, especially Pace, who put his landscaping experience to use! After a morning of hard work, we had lunch and got to play an exuberant game of soccer with the RSP students. We headed back to camp and spent the afternoon hanging out by the pool, sharing stories, laughs, and getting to know each other.
We had a full night of rest and woke up ready for the next day of service. When we got to the school, we immediately jumped right in to work. Everyone had a good understanding of what we needed to do work-wise, which gave us more time to get to know the Red Sweater Project students. Mia quickly became friends with a wonderful girl named Glory, and their friendship remained constant throughout the entire duration of service. When we finished work for the day, we headed back to camp, where Mason (AKA Slayson) taught the group how to play ERS (Egyptian Rat Slap) and revealed his insane card-playing skills. That evening, after dinner, we had a campfire for Moonup, and we ended up staying up around the fire, and Carly told us a very entertaining ghost story (shoutout Penelope).
Before we began the next day of service work, we got to bond with the RSP students by sharing and learning songs and dances. We all gathered in a dance circle as Tucker taught the most iconic dance version of “Umbrella,” complete with a star jump at the end! We proudly finished digging that day and finished the day at school with a great game of basketball. When we returned to camp after a well-deserved ice cream stop, we played lots of games, including Pace’s favorite, Death Ball, and settled down for the evening. Lots of laughs were shared. Daisy’s natural ability to bring a group together through humor was evident during her time as LOD. After a three-course dinner at Samwell’s table, we had Moonup around the fire once again, this time playing a game of Duck, Duck, Goose to kick it off.
Lizzy and Jake led the day through our work clearing the landscape around the hole we had dug. Listening to music, both Tanzanian Top Hits and Billboard Top 100, we worked with the RSP students and made a big dent in our project. Once we had lunch, we got to explore the central market, where everyone had a chance to practice their bartering skills on souvenirs. Woods quickly proved himself as the most proficient negotiator. We got back and had our daily ‘Tea Time’ waiting for us, with sweet popcorn and various Tanzanian hot teas ready to warm us up on an uncharacteristically rainy afternoon. Lulu showed the group her intricate bracelet-making skills and started making the group some beautiful friendship bracelets. Lizzy and Jake led an incredibly intentional Moonup, and John and I were proud of the group’s willingness to share and get to know each other on a deeper level.
We were thrilled to celebrate Jake’s 17th birthday in Tanzania! We had a day packed with activities, starting with a challenging, yet stunning hike to a waterfall with the Mungere students. We walked back to school as a group and said very teary goodbyes to our friends at school. Back in our car, Brooke showed us her incredible taste in music with an impeccably curated playlist full of Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. We traveled to a Maasai village and got to experience some of their cultural traditions, including fire making and Maasai jumping. Spencer jumped the highest, gaining respect from the males in the village. We had a special pizza dinner and birthday cake to celebrate Jake and the completion of the first section of our trip.
Although it is bittersweet to leave this awesome campsite, we are eager to start our climb tomorrow (!!!). Today, we will travel back to Arusha and begin our preparation for Kilimanjaro. Anxious and excited, we’re ready for what’s to come. Next time we check in, we will have conquered one of the Seven Summits!
We are so lucky to live this life!
Until next time,
Jackie + John
Lulu: Hi Mother Lynna, Father John, and MylooooooOOoOo! I’m having a great time. Love you and miss you so much! PS I got my hair braided!😛😛😛 Happy Father’s Day!!
Woods: Hey Mom and Dad, I’m having so much fun. I can’t wait to share all the memories we are making. Happy early Father’s Day! Love y’all.
Daisy: Hey fam! Hope y’all are doing well. I love it here and love my group. Tell Maclean Sheb says hi and he showed me all the pictures of him. Happy Father’s Day dad!! Miss y’all lots love y’all!
Lizzy: Hey mom and dad, I’m having so much fun. I’ve met so many amazing people! Can’t wait to tell y’all all about it! Love and miss y’all + tell Liz I miss her! Happy Father’s Day dad!
Jake: Hi Mom, Dad, Gabe, and Ben, I’m having a great time here in Tanzania. I had a great time on my birthday! I’ve met so many great friends. Working at the school was so fun, and it was so cool meeting the kids. I can’t wait to tell y’all all about the trip. We start the hike in a day. Happy Father’s Day dad! Say hi to everyone at home. Miss y’all.
Spencer: Hey Mom, Dad, Ella and Lillian! I am having a great time and got a great group. I have so many stories to tell and can’t wait to start the trek in a day! Happy Fathers Day!
Mason: Hey mom and dad and any other family reading this, I am having a lot of fun here and my group is great. Happy birthday Abby and happy Father’s Day dad!
Carly: Hi everyone!! I’m having such a great time and my group is super awesome!! Can’t wait to tell y’all about it! Love and miss y’all see you soon! Happy Father’s Day padre
Brooke: Hi mom, dad, and ry! I’m having the best time ever. Working in the village was awesome and we start kili tomorrow (don’t worry dad I started my altitude meds today). Happy birthday and Father’s Day dad. Love you all so much. See ya soon!
Tucker: Hi guys, missing you a ton. Happy Birthday Mom, 45 doesn’t know what’s coming. I am healthy so do not stress at all. Hopefully some good news with Reed. Love you guys!
Pace: Hello family, hope everything is well. Volunteering has been amazing and we start Kilimanjaro in two days. Love you guys!
Mia: Hi guys! I hope y’all are having fun at the lake and Dad I hope you had a good birthday! Happy Fathers Day! I am having lots of fun here and am excited to start climbing! Love y’all!
John: Hi family! Missing you all and hope Kitty had a wonderful 16th! Heading up the mountain. Stoked for what’s ahead. Talk soon. Love y’all!
Jackie: Hey Mom! Having a blast – love my kids, love my co, love my trip, and love YOU! Thinking of you, especially tomorrow. ❤️
Jambo Bwana from Arusha - Day 1!
June 4, 2025
Hello Kilimanjaro Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Arusha 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 service project in Mto Wa Mbu.
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
