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
