An unBELIZEable Ending!
June 17, 2026
Hello everyone,
I cannot believe that we are already nearing the end of our time together. The memories we have made on this trip have been so wonderful. Whether the kids are scuba diving, relaxing on our hammocks, cooking dinner together, participating in community service, or having late night chats, I have had the privilege of watching them grow closer and closer. They have all pushed themselves out of their comfort zones and surprised themselves with what they are capable of doing. This is truly an amazing trip, and for Bennett and I, as first time leaders, it will be one that we will never forget! Now for a recap of what we have been up to the past couple of days! Since we last talked, we have had the opportunity to explore new areas to go scuba diving and snorkeling. We have completed a service project for a local community, taken a boat ride down a river, visited manatee feeding areas, and partaken in lots of chillaxing on the beach.
On day ten, we had our second day of open-water scuba diving! After the first day of excitement and exploration, everyone was able to master their new skills on the second day. We saw so much beautiful marine life and colorful corals! Finley led our group in our scuba venture and held the record for the most underwater flips. After scuba diving, we visited a local village, where we painted a couple of new houses. The bright colors beautified the space and the kids had so much fun playing games and connecting with the community. Cerina and Louis mastered their painting skills with the long paint rollers. We ended up with lots of paint in our hair and many sweet memories made.
On day eleven, we floated down a river and explored the local wildlife. Hearing the howler monkeys felt like we were in a real-life Jurassic park. For the rest of the day, we relaxed by the pool and got some needed R & R. That evening, we headed to a local sushi restaurant for dinner. By the end of the meal, everyone was stuffed, especially Tyler and Bennett, who ordered the massive sushi boat! Afterwards, we treated ourselves to ice cream and played basketball. Rawles and Zeke faced off in an intense game that kept everyone entertained. That night, Louis and Finley led our nightly Moonup from the comfort of our hammocks. It was the perfect way to end another incredible day together, reflecting on our experiences and appreciating all of the memories we continue to make as a group.
On day twelve, we visited a new diving spot. It was a truly awesome underwater experience. We visited an underwater cliffside and saw LOTS of nurse and reef sharks. Logan tried to pet every single one! After our third open water dive, we were officially open water certified. We ended our day with Kennan’s birthday celebration. Eliza and Finley helped decorate the car, making it a festive space for the celebration. The group enjoyed spending the evening together, sharing laughs, celebrating Kennan, and reflecting on another amazing day in Belize.
On Day 13, we wrapped up our Belizean adventure with an unforgettable day aboard a catamaran in the Caribbean Sea. We spent the day swimming, relaxing on the boat, and soaking up the sun. Max seemed determined to set the record for number of times jumping off of the boat and did so countless times, while Anne Banks and I passed the time playing card games and enjoying the sun! For lunch, we stopped by a nearby island and enjoyed a delicious feast featuring pork chops, barbecue chicken, and more shrimp than we could count.
As we cruised back across the Caribbean, it was hard to believe how quickly the past two weeks had flown by. From scuba diving and community service, to wildlife encounters, beach soccer games, hammock Moonups, and countless laughs, this trip has been filled with unforgettable moments. We are so proud of everything these students have accomplished and the way they have supported one another throughout the journey. Belize has given us memories that will last a lifetime, and I know everyone is excited to bring those stories home soon!! It has been a true honor be everyone’s leaders. As we prepare to head home, we want to thank you for sharing your incredible kids with us. It has been a true honor to lead them on this adventure!!
Signing off from Belize,
Paula and Bennett
Beauty, Burritos, and unBELIZEable Experiences
June 14, 2026
Hello Moondance Families!
A lot has happened since our last update! The past five days have been packed with adventure, culture, laughter, and plenty of unforgettable moments. This group continues to amaze us with their adventurous spirit! Since arriving we have gone waterfall rappelling, zip lining, hiking, river tubing, and scuba diving! We have also been exploring our new beachside city and have adopted the practice of playing nightly soccer games on the beach (these are both tiring before bed time and good for the soul!)
Day 5 brought one of our biggest challenges yet: waterfall rappelling at a nature reserve. The hike up to the waterfall was very challenging, but Zeke stepped up and kept the group motivated, telling us stories all the way up! After rappelling, we zip lined through the jungle and saw toucans! Watching the students encourage each other through the hike was one of our favorite moments of the day. After our activities we headed to a beachside restaurant and enjoyed the sunset as we watched the NBA finals.
The next day was all about experiencing Belizean culture through food. We participated in a Mayan cooking class where everyone showcased their cooking skills in a traditional kitchen. Cerina and Eliza took charge in the kitchen, helping chop enough vegetables to feed all 18 of us! We made a chicken vegetable stew with a delicious Mayan cacao drink and everyone left full and happy! The food was delicious and the kids were all proud that they ate something that they helped prepare. Afterwards, we visited a chocolate farm to learn about the chocolate making process from the cacao fruit to the finished product. The kids ate SO MUCH chocolate and were loving every second. They were in for a surprise when they tried the bitter cacao bean. Logan’s reaction had the entire group laughing when she immediately spit hers out.
On day 7 of the trip (our midway point!), we headed into the jungle for a hike. While we did not encounter any jaguars, we found a beautiful swimming hole. Tyler was the first to jump in and encouraged all of the other students to follow along. Before long, everyone was swimming, splashing, and enjoying the water. After the hike, we headed out for some refreshing river tubing which quickly turned into a swamp monster splash battle. Rawles and Max definitely out splashed everyone else. That night, we returned to make burrito bowls for dinner. Louis mashed up some amazing guacamole and Finley made was deemed rice queen. After a long day, we ended the day with moonup on the pier led by Cerina and Tyler.
Day 8 brought a culturally immersive experience with a side of scuba diving. We started our day with our first day of scuba (what we have all been waiting for)! Seeing everyone navigate this new skill was both entertaining and inspiring. After our first day of skills in the pool, we headed to a village to learn about the communities music based cultural traditions. Singing and dancing were required. The students played different beats on the drums and shakers and danced the afternoon away. Kennan and AB were especially gifted in the dancing department. We ended our night with our daily soccer game and Eliza scored the game winning goal. The students have loved spending this extra time together, and it has become one of the best examples of how close this group has become.
Day 9 brought our first full day out on the water as we traveled to a beautiful national park. For most of us, it was our first scuba diving experience, and the turquoise water and incredible scenery made for an unforgettable day. When we returned home, burrito bowls made another appearance on the menu. Dinner came with some added entertainment after Kennan lost a bet and rubbed extra avocado into his hair and leave it there for 45 minutes. Needless to say, the group found this absolutely hilarious, and Kennan took it like a champ making the most out of his “organic” hair mask!
As always, we continue to be impressed by this group’s kindness, humor, and willingness to support one another. Whether they’re singing their way up a mountain, jumping into waterfalls, learning new dances, tackling new underwater skills, or turning river tubing into a battle between river monsters, they approach every day with incredible enthusiasm. We feel very lucky to be spending these weeks with such a fun and adventurous group.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful kids with us. We can’t wait to see what the next few days bring!
Talk soon,
Paula and Bennet
Here’s a little moment of appreciation from the kids!!
Zeke Dabbous: I am having a great time in Belize. Thank you for this opportunity, I really miss you mom and dad!
Kennan Litton: I am having a blast. Thank you for sending me to Moondance!
Louis Brown: Thank you so much for sending me to Moondance. It has been a great experience. I miss you!
Logan Morrison: I am having so much fun in Belize. I have loved scuba diving. Thanks mom!
AB Pounds: I love you so much and miss you! Thank you for sending me here! Best time ever!!
Cerina Deitz: I have really loved scuba diving and all of the cultural immersion. Thank you for sending me here!
Eliza Kelly: Hello! Thank you so much for sending me to Moondance. I have had so much fun and met amazing people. I can’t wait to tell you about it!!
Finley Brannon: Miss y’all so much! I am having a great time and I can’t wait to see you! Thank you for everything!
Rawles Moore: I love you and miss you and I am having a great time! Thank you so much for allowing me to go on this trip!
Max Pennington: love you thank you for being an incredible mom and letting me come to Belize! I can’t wait to see you!
Tyler Greene: Love you mom and dad. This trip has been amazing and I love scuba diving and snorkeling. Thank you for this experience!
Update from Belize!!
June 9, 2026
Time really does fly by fast! We cannot BELIZE we’re already four days into our Belize adventure. The group has already gotten so close and brought incredible energy, enthusiasm, and a great sense of humor. We have had so much fun visiting Mayan pyramids, cave tubing, horseback riding, and river tubing! We spent the first couple of days in San Ignacio, an inland Belizian city that is home to lush jungles, Mayan ruins and spectacular limestone cave systems. After a long day of travel, we explored the area surrounding ou hostel, and Zeke and Rawles led us in some group basketball.
Finley and Rawles, our first LODs (leaders of the day) led us into action on the first day as we explored Xunantunich, or as we called it “Tuna Sandwhich” (which was a lot easier to pronounce). We climbed to the top of the pyramid from which we got a 360 degree aerial view of the surrounding jungles. We could even see Guatemala! After our tour of the Mayan archeological site, we had a traditional Belizian lunch and went to San Ignacio’s city center to have our first (of many) ice cream stops! There, we visited the city’s vibrant market to get supplies for our Spaghetti dinner. Cerina found us some lychees and we enjoyed the local fruit as an appetizer. We spent the rest of the evening playing cards, tag, and getting to know each other!
The next day, our adventure began with one of the favorite activities so far: cave tubing! We floated through an incredible (and huge) underground cave system surrounded by crystal clear water and amazing rock formations. The group loved learning about the formation of the cave and seeing bats fly throughout our float. At one point, we all turned off our headlamps and experienced complete darknes. Logan made shadow puppets on the cave walls. It was truly incredible. There were plenty of smiles, laughs, and splashing contests. After tubing, we headed to Placencia for our first beach day. Everyone was so excited they jumped into the water almost immediately. Kennan and Louis found a coconut that we all tried. That night, we explore the town and got some dinner at a local restaurant. Cerina and Max, the LODs, led us in a beachside Moonup followed by some super fun group games.
We started off the fourth day with a new adventure! While we left the horse play at home, horseback riding brought lots of play on horse. AB’s horse, Tutti, would not stop eating the brush, and Tyler looked like a natural cowboy in his UT Longhorn attire. Then we got lunch at a beautiful restaurant by the river. After lunch, we went river tubing and tubed down several grade one rapids. After the day’s festivities we got Tutti Frutti ice cream and Logan, AB, Eliza, and Kennan made grilled cheeses for dinner with fresh pineapple and mango. We ended our day relaxing on the hammocks in our hostel followed by Moonup led by the LODs, Logan and Louis.
I cannot believe so little time has passed yet the bonds that the kids have created are so deep. They are taking on new leadership roles and breaking out of their shells. Watching this group come together has been the best part of the trip. Whether it’s sharing meals, helping each other during activities, playing games during downtime, or making each other laugh during Moonup, this crew has created such a positive and supportive environment. They have made these first few days an absolute joy, and we can’t wait to see what the next chapter of our Belize adventure brings.
Talk soon!
Paula and Bennett
Safe Arrival!
June 4, 2026
Hello Belize Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Belize City! 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
