Tales of Tanzania: The Final Chapter
July 17, 2025
Jambo one last time! John and Jackie here with a message of gratitude and appreciation. We are so sad to say goodbye to the twelve individuals who made the past three weeks absolutely unforgettable, but we know that it’s a ‘see you later’ rather than a true farewell. The last two days have been the perfect ending to a stellar trip: filled with ice cream stops (twice a day), good meals (thank you Sanna), great tunes (DJ Shoe), and stunning sunsets (cue gratitudes). There are so many things that we are going to miss about this group, but here are a few standouts.
We’ll miss Carly’s hilariously unexpected stories, George’s jokes, Mackenzie’s ability to overcome fears of the doctors, Jack’s dry sense of humor, Cal and Jim’s zest and energy for absolutely anything (especially worms), Paul’s pranks, Abby’s babydoll winks, Cam’s one-liners, Palmer’s impersonations, Sarah’s dance moves, and Aubree’s questions to Georgia tourists.
We will also miss Carly’s authentic interest in others, George’s ability to be fully himself, Mackenzie’s way of bringing a group together, Jack’s perspectives, Sarah’s lighthearted energy, Jim’s strong care for others, Cal’s standard of friendship, Aubree’s compassion, Abby’s kindness, Palmer’s approachability and sense of self, Paul’s standout peer leadership, and Cam’s ability to make others feel seen.
This crew quickly turned from a group of strangers into a family. We feel extremely lucky to have been a part of it all. This was an adventure of a lifetime, and we are endlessly grateful for the opportunity to share this experience with one another. Because of this trip, we know that we can accomplish things outside our comfort zones. We know that we have the ability to make deep connections with people different from us. We know that the power of a strong community can get you through the toughest climbs and challenges. These lessons will transcend into so many future experiences, and when they do, we will think fondly of where and why we learned them. For now, we will revel in reminiscing.
We are so lucky to live this life, together.
With utmost gratitude, thank you for an amazing summer.
Jackie and John
Chill Days On Safari
July 16, 2025
Tales of Tanzania: Chapter 3!
Jambo from the Serengeti! John and Jackie here with an update on the past four magical days out on Safari. We’ve had the best time going out on game drives, enjoying a slower pace of the trip, and seeing many beautiful sunsets across the iconic African plains landscape. It has been the most perfect way to spend our last bit of our trip.
The night we got off the mountain, per Cal and Aubree’s decisions as LODs, we enjoyed a pizza and ice cream party to celebrate our momentous accomplishment of safely summiting and getting down the world’s largest freestanding mountain. We then had showers and got a well-deserved night’s rest in real beds. Luxury! We were so excited to start our final leg of the trip the following day.
We enjoyed a slower paced morning as we prepared to leave to Safari. We met our incredible guides after breakfast, loaded up our two Safari Land Rovers, and hit the road! Stopping for coffee, snacks, and lunch along the way, we made it to the Ngorongoro Crater late that afternoon. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out at our campsite by the fire, laughing and sharing stories. George acquired a water gun at one of our stops and immediately put it to use, and the water gun has been responsible for many, many laughs over the course of the next few days. We had dinner before heading to an early bed – we were still pretty wiped from the climb! Before getting to bed, Abby heard some animals hanging out close to our camp and Jackie, Paul and Abby went to investigate. We found a pair of zebras right outside of our tents! We kept our distance as they continued back to their grassy habitat past the campsite – but wow, what a cool experience!
The next morning we had breakfast as the sun rose and packed up camp to go on our first safari through the crater. The kids loved learning about the crater’s history and the types of animals that live there. Though it was a foggy morning when we first started driving, once we got down into the crater the visibility of the conservation area was phenomenal. On our first drive, we saw lions, Cape buffalo, zebras, warthogs, and antelopes! We stopped for lunch before heading our way towards the Serengeti for more safari! Once we arrived at the park’s gates a few hours later, we hopped back on game roads to keep looking for animals. We took our time getting to the next campsite, and we are so happy we did because we got to see up close a pride of lions and cubs hanging out on one of the many rock formations in the bush. Sarah got some awesome photos and everyone reveled in how lucky we were to witness that many lions! We started heading back to camp, seeing giraffes, elephants , and a beautiful sunset in the distance along the way. Then, we couldn’t believe it when we saw three cheetahs hanging out in the grass! We got to follow them for a bit and saw them run – an incredible sight. We got to camp happy and satisfied with our first day on safari. We had dinner, Moonup, and went to bed anticipating our next full day of looking for Africa’s most beautiful animals.
Our next day consisted of a morning safari and a sunset safari – double the opportunity to see animals in the wild! After breakfast, we hopped into our cars and went out into the bush to see what we could find. To our delight, we stumbled upon a herd of elephants with a newborn elephant in tow. Carly loved seeing any baby animal, and this was no different. We kept on driving and saw three lions relaxing in a tree and then noticed some baby cubs in the grass below. Seeing everyone’s faces light up when they noticed the cubs was incredible. Jim was in awe – mouth agape and all. These are the kind of moments we will all remember forever. We headed back to camp, had some lunch, and then we all enjoyed some free time where Cam, Aubree, and Mackenzie ended up giving Jackie a haircut (they slayed).Then, we had an impromptu dance competition where Cal and Jim graced everyone with an iconic rendition of Breaking Free from High School Musical.
That evening after our popcorn and tea time, we headed back out on safari for a sunset drive. We are always impressed with Palmer’s humor and joy for life, but especially that afternoon as she remained cheery and in good spirits despite having some tummy troubles. We saw hippos and giraffes up close and said our gratitudes for the day while watching the sun set over the horizon – the perfect ending to the day’s drives. When we returned back to camp, we had dinner and played perhaps the most boisterous game of Mafia in history before finishing the day with a very intentional Moonup led by Paul and Mackenzie.
Our final day of Safari was also Jackie’s birthday! We started the day with a sunrise game drive, seeing lions, buffalo, antelope, elephants, giraffes, and zebras up close. Wrapping our time up in the Serengeti, we started our journey back towards the crater. We arrived at our campsite, had showers, and relaxed in their lounge area. We had a great dinner celebration, complete with a birthday cake and many, many birthday songs. Then, to our surprise, the campsite had a dance scheduled after dinner and we all got to experience a Tanzanian dance show, complete with fire dancing, acrobatics, and cultural dances. We even got to participate for a song, Jack made everyone smile when he jumped in the middle of the dance circle with some of the performers. What a joyous ending to a great day.
We are off to enjoy our final days in Arusha before capping off our trip. We can’t believe how quickly the trip has gone – it seems like just yesterday we picked the group up from the airport. Time has flown, and we want these last moments to go by slowly. We are so grateful for this little Moondance family.
We’re so lucky to live this life!
Talk soon,
Jackie and John
Abby- Hi Mom! Can’t wait to see you soon and thank you so much for sending me on this trip. By far the coolest thing I have ever done. Also- me and Palmer already have plans to see each other. Also my hip is holding on for dear life 🥀
Mackenzie – Hi!! We are finishing up our wonderful trip and I just wanted to say thank you so much for allowing me this amazing opportunity. I have had the best time and can not wait to see you guys soon❤️
George: hello family! We are Down to our final night and just really wanted to let you guys know how thankful I am that y’all gave me the opportunity to go on this trip. Love y’all.
Jim: Hey y’all! This trip has been absolutely amazing thank you guys so so much for letting me do this!
Carly: Hi family! We are on the final night of this incredible trip!!! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do this, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it soon! Love you ❤️❤️❤️
Cam: Hey guys! Thank you so much for letting me do the trip even though you tried your very hardest to get me to not go! It has been so worth it and so much fun! I can’t believe I submitted Mount Killimonjaro ✌🏿🙈🏔️
Jack: yo fam, trip gone well I climbed a mountain, safari was good, can’t wait to see u in a couple days. Love Jack
Paul: Hey family!!!!! Thank you so much for this trip, I can’t wait to tell y’all about it it’s been incredible. I’ve been making very smart financial decisions, I love you so much Taylor, Pasta Vino first dinner back? Can’t wait to see everyone!!!
Sarah: HI FAMILY !!!! I miss y’all so so much and I have had so much fun. Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip. I love y’all so so much. P.S. I can’t wait to get a massage when I get home
Cal: What’s going on? Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip. I had such a great time and can’t wait to see y’all! Btw can you get a couple things of clausen pickles I’ve been feining for them the whole trip.
Palmer: HEY YALL!! I am so grateful that I got to go on this trip because it was SOOO FUN. I can’t wait to see y’all soon. Are you surprised I made it up? I personally knew I could do it (I threw up twice). Also, please book me a massage for 10:30am a few days post return !! I don’t know what I got on my chem AP but I am sorry in advance
Aubree: HEY FAMILY!! I miss y’all! I’m having so much fun in Africa. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do this, best trip ever!! I can’t believe I actually climbed Kilimanjaro!! See y’all soon love y’all so much.
Update from Kilimanjaro!
July 12, 2025
Tales of Tanzania: Chapter 2!
Jambo from 19,341 ft up! We are so proud of our resilient, strong, and tenacious group and their performance on Mt. Kilimanjaro. With gratitude, we are thrilled to share that all fourteen of us made it up and down the mountain! We left the gates of Kilimanjaro National Park this morning filled with pride and rooted in community. We truly have become a little family and it’s been the absolute best.
We started with our three hour drive from Arusha to the Machame Gate where we would begin our trek. Once we arrived, we met our incredible climb team of 50 porters, chefs, and guides, sat down for an amazing lunch, and signed the Kilimanjaro trek entry book. We took a photo at the entrance sign and began the adventure of a lifetime.
We started our trek with a hike through our first of many biomes: the rainforest. Our LOD’s, Cam and Paul (who also coincidentally were elected leaders on summit day) bookended the group as we hiked with Cam in the front guiding the way and Paul taking the back. When we arrived to our first campsite, we were so grateful to see that everything was set up for us to have ultimate comfort on the mountain, including a mess tent (also known as “the dining orb”), bathroom tents, and all of our sleeping tents. The group went into the orb for what would become an afternoon staple: popcorn, tea, and cocoa. We then played cards, with Jack, Cam, Abby and George playing a rowdy hand of ERS. After having dinner, we did Moonup and headed to bed, excited for what’s to come.
The next morning we awoke with coffee and tea brought directly to our tents, a luxury we grew to love. We had breakfast in the orb complete with crepes, eggs, toast, and fresh mango and pineapple. As per usual, Mackenzie made the group laugh with her hilarious sense of humor; the perfect start of the day. We started our day of trekking with just under 3,000 ft of elevation gain. Though it was a long day, spirits remained high. We got to camp and basked in the sunshine, listening to music and sharing stories with one another before John led the group on a short acclimization hike to nearby caves, which Cal loved. After that, Palmer and Jackie had their own little book club and enjoyed quiet time together. Aubree and Sarah took photos together, capturing the moment. Later, we witnessed the best sunset we possibly could have asked for and all watched the sky turn different colors as the sun set over the mountainous landscape in our direct view. An incredible memory.
The next two days consisted of trekking and acclimatization, preparing our bodies for the of summit. We hiked through various biomes including moorland, semi arid, and alpine desert. We also classified a few self-named biomes like the underwater biome, western North Carolina biome, and desolate badlands biome, to name a few. At our third camp, we saw some of the brightest stars we’ve ever seen, illuminating a perfectly clear view of Kilimanjaro in the near distance. This got us even more excited for the next few days ahead of us! We were ready.
We began the following day with technical scrambling up the Barranco Wall, and Jim loved the climbing aspects of the challenging day. We were rewarded at the top with the most beautiful view of the mountain and were so excited to see how close it was. When we got to camp, we relaxed, explored, and Abby and Carly enjoyed salon treatment, getting their curly hair washed and redone in French braids by Jackie. Then, we headed to bed early after dinner and Moonup. We were tired and anxiously awaiting the next day’s hike up to base camp! The next morning, we had our typical wake up call of coffee and tea, had breakfast, and started our trek to the Upper Barafu Camp. Trail conversations were great, and brain teasers and riddles kept the group entertained for hours. Once we got to camp, we had lunch and immediately went to prepare our gear and clothing for our summit bid. We had a fashion show of our summit outfits, and after a summit briefing with our lead guides and motivational talks by John and Jackie, we carb loaded at dinner and went to bed at a whopping 6:30 PM, eagerly awaiting our 11:30 PM wake up call.
We awoke in the middle of the night to start our big goal of reaching the roof of Africa. After a light breakfast we turned our headlamps on and joined the others hiking up to the top. It was so cool to see the people in the distance a bit closer to the top illuminated by their headlamps. We kept trekking slowly, and about five hours into the hike, we saw the most beautiful sunrise any of us have ever seen, with 360 views and cotton candy colors painting the sky. This gave us the motivation to keep going, and eventually we reached our final stop of Stella Point, 18,500 ft. up. Our incredible porters carried tea in thermoses and surprised us with hot beverages, warming us up in the arctic biome. The final push from Stella Point to the summit was fueled by adrenaline, determination, and Haribo gummy bears. About forty five minutes later, we waited until our entire group was side by side and summited together – a perfect cumulation of our experience. We laughed, cried, shouted with glee, and shared a lot of hugs. We did it. All of us – together!
After plenty of photos at the top, we hiked back and returned to base camp for lunch. Shortly after that, we trekked down to 10,000 ft, with everyone was happy for a little more oxygen. We had dinner, did Moonup, and went to bed for a well-deserved night’s sleep. The next morning we hiked down the rest of the way and concluded our trek at the gates with a group hug. With tired legs, full hearts, and goals met, we’re off to Safari. We are so grateful and proud of this group.
We are so lucky to live this life!
Talk soon,
Jackie and John
Tales of Tanzania- From Classrooms to Kilimanjaro
July 4, 2025
Tales of Tanzania: Chapter 1!
Jambo! Jackie and John here with our first update to recount our Tanzanian adventures. We are so thrilled to be here with this group and have already had such a blast getting to know everyone. We can’t wait for more laughter, conversations, and experiences to come!
When John and I picked up the kids at the airport, we immediately knew this group was going to be fun. They already seemed like they knew each other for weeks and the van ride back to the hotel was full of conversations, witty banter, and song requests. When we arrived at the hotel, we had a delicious buffet dinner and got a well-deserved good night’s rest in a real bed.
The next day, the group had a great breakfast at the hotel before roadtripping with John to Mto Wa Mbu to prepare for our Community Service section. Jackie stayed behind and waited for Cam’s arrival. We couldn’t wait for our entire little family to be together! Jackie and Cam headed up to meet the group bright and early the next morning and by breakfast time, we were whole! After breakfast we started our commute to the Mungere School where we would spent time working for the next week. Paul and Mackenzie were nominated as the trip’s first LOD’s and set the example of engagement within our community service project. The group listened attentively as Sheb (the program director at the Red Sweater Project) and Musafiri (the headmaster at the Mungere School) gave us a tour of the school’s classrooms, garden, library, kitchen, and facilities. Our kids marveled at the similarities and differences between their education system and ours, and were very interested in learning more about the school’s admittance process and curriculum. After lunch at the school, the kids went to play a great game of basketball, and George and Jack showed their awesome skills on multiple occasions. After the game we headed back to camp, stopping for ice cream along the way. Once we were ‘home’ we all went down to the pool which overlooks a beautiful lake and mountains. We spent the afternoon in the sun, listening to music and relaxing while catching some rays. Then, we went to Samwell’s Table for dinner and ended the day with a wonderful Moonup by the pool.
The next morning we went back to the school and jumped right into our project for the week: clearing brush to prepare part of the land for future building opportunities. Both our kids and the Mungere students alike worked together with their rakes, hoes, and shovels in tow. We made a pretty big dent and by lunchtime, we were ready for a rest. After lunch, some of the students taught our kids some Tanzanian dances and Sarah and, Palmer, and Aubree spearheaded teaching them the Cotton Eyed Joe. We played soccer that afternoon, and Abby and Carly played with their whole hearts. We ended the afternoon with another ice cream stop and once again spent the afternoon by the pool. This time after dinner we had a campfire and all gathered around it for a great Moonup to cap off a great day.
The following two days were spent intentionally getting to know the Mungere students well. Our kids were invested in getting to know their interests, hobbies, career aspirations, and family life, and the students were equally as invested in us, too. We continued working on clearing the land together, and it was so cool to see the whole group work together on a common goal. Afternoons at the school were filled with spirited games of basketball and soccer, with singing and dancing sprinkled throughout. One morning we walked with the students about two miles through rice fields and past rivers to school to get a real feel of their daily commute, which was an eye-opening experience for all of us. In the afternoons, we visited woodcarving markets, souvenir shops, and even got to see first-hand an authentic Maasai community, where they showed us up close to their nomadic way of life. Our kids danced their dances (Cal and Jim showed everyone up with their highest warrior jumps), saw traditional fire making practices and toured the bomas’ interior. We loved seeing our kids interact with the young members of the Maasai, and it was adorable seeing the toddlers follow our kids around. Overall, we’ve done a good bit of community engagement, and we can’t wait to keep learning from this rich and incredible culture. On our last day at the Mungere school, we got to do an awesome hike to a waterfall with the students before saying teary goodbyes. We’ve absolutely loved the time we have spent with them and are so grateful for the experience.
As the group has gotten closer, our competitive spirits have come to life, and we have had some really fun and boisterous group games of Family, Three on a Couch, and Word Assassin. If this is how close we have gotten in just a week, we can’t imagine how tight we will be after the mountain (which we begin climbing TOMORROW!!!) But first, we are heading back to Arusha to do laundry, brief with our mountain guides, and pack for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. John and I have a surprise dinner out planned for the kids to celebrate the Fourth of July and our Kilimanjaro start, complete with burgers, fries, and ice cream. We can’t wait for what’s to come and we’re so grateful for what we’ve already done.
We are so lucky to live this life!
Talk soon,
Jackie and John
Cal- Hey! I really miss you guys and am having a great time! Really excited for the trek and whatnot and so forth. Happy fourth and hope y’all had a good time in Boston. Give Penny and Curry pets for me
George- Hello to my family! It is currently the Fourth of July and we are a day away from starting our trek up the mountain! I am having a blast but still missing you guys. Love y’all
Palmer: HEYYY YALL!! I am having a great time and we are celebrating the fourth. I am so patriotic. Poppa would be proud. Hi Charlie! I miss you. I miss the fam too. Don’t have too much fun without me
Abby: HEY! I am having sooo much fun and I miss everyone so much! SO EXCITED TO START TREKKING TOMORROW! USA USA USA
Sarah: What up. This trip is so much fun!!!! I am missing y’all so much but I definitely miss Bella the most. Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip and pray that I make it up this mountain !!! I LOVE YALL 🫶
Mackenzie: HI GUYS!! I am having the best time so far on this trip with the best leaders ever! Today is the 4th and we are feeling very patriotic. I miss you guys and can’t wait to tell you all about the trip and show pics😊
Paul: Hello!!!!! This trip is so awesome, I’m having a blast and can’t wait to tell y’all about it. We start the trek tomorrow, and I’m so excited. When’s Rosie going to training, and how’s Padre’s shoulder doing? Hey Taylor, I love you and miss you a lot. I miss all of y’all, but still very excited for the rest of the trip! Love you guys!
Jim: Hey fam this trip has been so much fun. Happy 4th love you guys and see you soon!
Aubree: Hey family I miss y’all so much!! I’m having so much fun in Africa it’s been so cool. We just finished the community service portion and all the kids were so sweet. Have a happy 4th! Miss you Mary, Middleton and Lucy
Carly: Hey fam! I miss you guys and hope you’re well! Tanzania is so beautiful and service at the school was an incredible experience. I loved all the kids, and the last day we hiked to a waterfall with them!!! We’re about to start the trek, and I can’t wait! Happy fourth!!! 🎆 I love you! Have fun in Costa Rica, Nathan! Byeee
Cam: Hey guys! Having so much fun miss y’all a lot! Happy fourth, can’t wait to see y’all!
Jack: Yo, trip going well, miss you lots and can’t wait to see u soon, love Jack
Safe Arrival in Arusha!
June 27, 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
