Greetings from Maui!!
June 16, 2025
We are at the halfway point of our trip and it is so hard to believe! This trip has flown by so fast. These kids have made such an amazing bond, they have us constantly laughing, and we are soaking up every minute we have left with them.
Our past few days have been so busy but so fun! On Thursday we had zip lining and it was so pretty! Foley was a little apprehensive about how fun it would be but once we finished he couldn’t stop raving about how awesome it was. The beautiful views and clear sky made for the perfect adventurous morning! After our beautiful morning we found a beach park with a perfect shallow end to swim in and chat. The kids sat in a circle while playing games and talking. We ate lunch there and Jackson and Ford spent the majority of the time in the water with their goggles on! It was worth it though because they got to see two turtles right at the shore. Once we got back to camp Alexandra cooked us an amazing meal and we rearranged the picnic tables so we could all eat together!!
The next day started bright and early with a drive across the island to go surfing! We got a quick lesson and then we got out on the water. The waves were small but the feeling once you stood up on your board was unbeatable! Eve was immediately a pro and started surfing off to the side without the help of the pro’s pushing her board. Coleman quickly followed with his surfing skills and soon enough everyone was trying to stay up on their board as long as them. After our amazing morning surfing we got a good recommendation for a new beach and we went immediately! The sand was so soft and the water was crystal clear. There was a perfect view of the Molokini crater and Izzy loved it so much that its days later and she is still talking about it. She spent the whole time with Maysey Sims playing in the water, riding the waves, and laughing. We spent the rest of our afternoon on a relaxing tour of a tropical plantation where we got to learn about what plants are grown and what their uses are. We all got some amazing ice cream sandwiches to end our tour and went back to camp for some free time before we had an amazing moonup and bed!
On day 7 of the trip, we had our stand up paddle board day in Makena Landing Park on the South shore of Maui. Our group got up early to take advantage of some of the better weather that morning and enjoyed a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs sausage and pancakes. After an active morning on the water we headed back to Big Beach for a restful lunch afternoon. Quaid once again played spike ball, continuing on his impressive winning streak! After finishing up lunch and enjoying the beautiful weather we headed back home to Montessori to change and shower from our day in the ocean. The group would be treated with a full afternoon and early evening of surprises. Starting by taking the group into Paia for an enjoyable town day. Stewart and Emily had a great shopping in Paia while our whole group got closer hanging out in the town and in the following surprises. We then walked everyone over to Artisan ice cream for our trip’s Ice cream stop. The smell of freshly made waffle cones made it an easy choice. Popular flavors included chocolate fudge brownie, and vanilla sea salt caramel. We followed up with our local food stop at the food trucks in Kula/Makawo Hawaii! Popular options included and Thai food, pizza, seafood/sushi. Graeme and Foley had the best order of the night taking down a massive pork plate with all the fixings together from the barbecue truck. Just when the students thought the night was over, we had one final surprise in store. Just before sunset we made our way up further towards the peak of Haleakala mountain (tallest point in Maui) towards the best public viewing area of sunsets called Lavender Farms. After frolicking in the lush grassy hills, all 15 of us found the perfect viewpoint to watch the pink and orange sunset slip under the West Maui mountains and into the Pacific coast. Ford told me at the very end of the sunset that it was his favorite part of the trip so far. Before driving back to camp for the night Alexandra and Quaid lead a great and thoughtful Moonup that saw everyone grow closer. There was no better way to spend the midpoint of the trip.
On Day 8, we were treated to our most packed morning yet with Griff Dempsey and Aloha kayaks. Griff is a dear friend to the Moondance community, having been a trip leader in the 90s before running his own kayak company here in Maui for the last 20 years. Griff always takes a special interest in care when hosting a Moondance group and we experienced that firsthand. Everyone was fully engaged in Griffs narration of what we were seeing from coastal reef impact to the importance of nearby islands to native Hawaii culture. The two part morning, saw us glide in kayaks through aqua blue water, and reach white rock on the south side of Maui. Before setting down our anchors and snorkeling through a vibrant, coral reef. Due to the impending rising tide, Griff prompted us to be ready for turtle sightings., which Emily took a special interest in. After returning back to shore, Griff gave us an awesome beach recommendation to nearby Maluaka beach. After catching some rays and playing in the waves, we headed back to Montessori for a mid trip clean up of camp. The late afternoon and early evening consisted of heading to Makawo for a laundromat to get all of our clothes freshened up and a chance for students to get a tasty treat. To close out the night the group worked great on a tasty dinner of chicken, and mac and cheese before Graeme and Izzy lead a great moonup under a full sky of stars back at Montessori.
– Cater + Gianna + Aubrey
Checking in from Maui!!
June 12, 2025
Maui 1C has been an amazing trip filled with beautiful views, amazing people, fun music, and constant laughter. We have all been exploring Hawaii and learning about its history from the locals together. Day 1 started off strong, with rappelling down waterfalls. Stewart immediately volunteered to go down first and nailed each one. We all got the chance to jump off the waterfall and into the beautiful clear water. We spent the afternoon at a beach that we had all to ourselves. Alexandra took the lead and made us laugh with all of her creative movie ideas for STAR in the ocean. We played, laughed, and watched the sunset before we went home to cook a late dinner. Coleman was an amazing LOD and cooked us burrito bowls with salsa and guacamole on the side! Ford and Izzy have always been nearby and the first to volunteer for dish duty or any task that is needed. They have been making the boring chore into a fun game by doing “wax on wax off” from Karate Kid and making each other laugh by seeing who can wash dishes best. Our 2nd day we got the chance to volunteer at Maui Cultural Lands where we helped clear weeds and invasive plants alongside a group of Hawaiian kids. Quaid quickly introduced himself and became fast friends with all of them. We worked, learned about why it’s so important to take care of our earth, got to learn some Hawaiian words and plants, and got to hear a traditional Hawaiian song. All the kids worked so hard and we parted with our new friends to go to our Lei making class. We were all exhausted at this point so when we got to Lei making and realized we would be sitting down in a park with a beautiful ocean view we all perked up! We got an array of flowers and free range for whatever pattern we wanted! Foley had the best Lei by far with his meticulous attention to detail and interest to learn more about how to make them. We took a quick picture of us in our leis and then went back to camp. While dinner was being made some of the girls learned how to Hacky sack and the boys played with the football. Maysey-Sims cooked practically our whole meal and it was our best one yet! Jackson and Quaid had a game of 1 v 1 on the basketball court and their friendly feud over the game has been so fun to watch. We had an early night and got some much needed rest before our big day in the morning!
On day three, everyone helped make a big breakfast before we headed out for our first hike! We had the choice to opt for an easier trail, but everyone got together and immediately decided that the harder, steeper hike would have the best reward: the view. Graeme was the first to reach the top, tackling the rigorous trail with constant positivity and ease. All of the kids did an amazing job of motivating and cheering each other on throughout the hike, and we all got to sit together and eat our lunch at the top. After we made our way back down, we rewarded ourselves with a quick beach trip to cool off and relax before heading to our cooking class. We learned about regenerative farming, harvested fresh fruit, and helped prepare a meal of delicious tacos and pineapple salsa. Emily stepped in to help man the stove and inserted herself to offer help with anything she could. We assembled our tacos and ate together and everyone was blown away by the tastiness that their hard work produced. Eve even said that this was her favorite activity so far, and was so enthusiastic about expressing her gratitude to the women who facilitated it for us.
Then we finally headed home and had the most fun car ride yet. We sang and laughed and danced so hard that the van started to shake.
Our group has become so close so quickly, and we are so impressed by their maturity and willingness to embrace this opportunity to truly live in the moment and invest in the people and place around them. We can’t wait to watch as they grow closer as a group and continue to make amazing memories together in this beautiful place.
Until the next update!
– Cater + Gianna + Aubrey
Safe Arrival!
June 9, 2025
Hello Maui Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Maui! 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
