A Blast in Belize!
July 16, 2026
Hello, Belize 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 and willingness to embrace every new experience. Since arriving in Placencia, we have waterfall rappelled, zip-lined, learned about Garifuna culture through drumming, taken a Mayan cooking class, and begun our scuba diving certification. We’ve also loved exploring our new beachside home, spending afternoons playing soccer on the beach, swimming in the Caribbean, relaxing in hammocks, and enjoying everything Placencia has to offer. Every day has brought new adventures, stronger friendships, and memories we know will last long after we leave Belize.
Day 5 brought one of our biggest challenges yet: waterfall rappelling a 200-foot waterfall at Bocawina Nature Reserve. While the activity involved a long, some might even say a grueling, hike, Katherine, West, Blakely, and Spencer led us in games all the way up to keep us busy. When we got to the top, there was a large natural pool where the kids jumped in and cooled off. Paul, Luke, and Lil B, who led the hike, were the first to jump in. After lunch, we went zip lining on Belize’s longest zip line, daring each other to shout silly things on each run. It was hilarious. After our activities, we had dinner at Rick’s cafe, where we enjoyed pizza and pasta. That night, Blakely and Campbell led a thoughtful Moonup as the sun set over the Caribbean, giving everyone a chance to reflect on the day’s adventures before heading back for a well-earned night’s sleep.
On day 6, we ventured into a Mayan village for a culinary adventure where everyone got to showcase their cooking skills in a traditional Mayan kitchen. We teamed up with Group 3A for the day, and it was wonderful to see everyone make new friends from the start. Before lunch was served, we squeezed in an intense game of musical chairs that quickly became much more competitive than anyone expected. West came away victorious after a hard-fought final round. Once it was time to cook, everyone jumped right in. Luke mastered the art of grinding corn by hand, while Paul and Katherine took charge of chopping vegetables. Sally and Frances made sure there were more than enough ingredients to feed our hungry group of thirty. After all of our hard work, we sat down to enjoy a delicious traditional Mayan meal together. After lunch, we visited a local chocolate farm where we not only got to learn about the chocolate-making process, but also made chocolate ourselves! Everyone loved seeing each step, bringing a whole new level of appreciation to chocolate eating. One of my favorite moments was seeing everyone’s expressions when trying the pure, unsweetened cacao. Sutton was caught so off-guard that she spat hers out!
You may have thought that this culinary adventure was the main event, but it was actually just the warm-up because our group decided to put their culinary skills to the test during our very own Iron Chef competition. Split into 2 teams, they prepared three-course meals for the judges, Bennett, and me. The menu was especially impressive, featuring the mutton snapper that West had caught earlier in the trip. Paul cooked the snapper to perfection, Blakely whipped up what may have been the best aioli I’ve ever tasted, Will prepared incredibly flavorful steak frites, and Spencer served up perfectly crispy fries. Needless to say, judging was no easy task! That night, Sally and Paul, the day’s LODs, led us in group games before settling into our hammocks for Moonup.
Day 7 marked the beginning of everyone’s scuba certification as we began our pool dives. After spending the morning practicing setup and getting comfortable with the equipment, we headed to. The pools where everyone got to put what they had learned into action. Watching everyone’s confidence grow with every new skill and becoming increasingly comfortable with breathing underwater was incredibly rewarding. During our downtime, we played pickleball and ate ice cream. Will and Big B found themselves in a very intense game of pickleball. Meanwhile, the rest of the group enjoyed relaxing by the pool before we headed to one of the highlights of the day, Garifuna drumming. We learned about the rich history and traditions of the Garifuna people before trying our own hand at drumming and dancing. Frances and Katherine showed off their sick moves, and after the lesson in World Cup spirit, we joined a group of local kids for a game of soccer. Campbell and Lil B were fierce competitors on the field, and Campbell scored the game-winning goal. That evening, we treated ourselves to a taste of home with dinner at Rick’s Café, where everyone happily enjoyed some classic American comfort food. We ended another fantastic day with Moonup in our hammocks, led by West and Frances, reflecting on the memories we had made and looking ahead to our first open-water dives. Being halfway into the trip, everyone has really clicked, and there truly is never a dull moment. The group continually brings an amazing attitude to every activity, and they lift each other up and embrace new experiences. We are lucky to be their leaders!
Day 8 was a day that everyone (including me) had been waiting for: our first day of open-water scuba diving! We headed to Laughing Bird Caye to check out the beautiful and expansive coral reefs. As soon as we got there, we encountered lionfish, lobsters, and multitudes of colorful tropical fish. It was amazing to watch everyone put their new skills to use while exploring a whole new world under the sea. Once we got back from the day’s adventures, we made dinner. On the menu: fancy ramen. Sally and Sutton took over as head chefs and prepared a delicious meal for the group. We enjoyed the meal together and played cards after dinner. Just when we thought the day couldn’t get any more memorable, the power went out that evening. Instead of letting it spoil the fun, we grabbed our flashlights and headed to the dock in front of our hostel. With no city lights around us, the night sky came alive. Sutton and Will then led our nightly Moonup, where we shared thoughtful conversations and learned even more about one another. It was a meaningful way to end the day, and by the end of the night, the group felt even more connected. This moment gave the group a new appreciation for the unexpected moments that sometimes become the most memorable ones.
On day 9, we headed to one of the most beautiful dive sites and my personal favorite, Silk Caye. It was truly an unforgettable day as we encountered so many sting rays, nurse sharks, and even a Loggerhead sea turtle. By this point, the students looked like seasoned divers, making the most of every minute beneath the surface. After returning to Placencia, there was only one thing on everyone’s mind: ice cream! We made a quick stop for a well-deserved treat before deciding to give ourselves a break from cooking. That evening, we enjoyed dinner at Itz’ana, a beautiful beachfront restaurant where the smash burgers quickly became a group favorite. Safe to say, they may have been the best burgers we’ve had all trip. Paul and Blakely did a wonderful job leading the day as Leaders of the Day, keeping everyone organized and the energy high. We ended the evening back at the hostel with card games, plenty of laughter, and an impromptu hair tinsel session that added a little extra sparkle to the group. It was the perfect mix of relaxation and fun after another incredible day of adventure.
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 having friendly competitions, they approach every day with incredible enthusiasm. We feel very lucky to be spending these weeks with such a fun and adventurous group, and we have thoroughly enjoyed every minute with this 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 Bennett
THANK YOU’S
Bennett- Thank you mom and dad for letting me come on the trip, it has been so much fun and I have really enjoyed being here.
West- Thank you mom and dad for letting me come on this amazing trip. It has been so much fun and I have really enjoyed the activities.
Will- thank you so so much for letting me come On Moondance, I am having a blast and am so thankful you guys let me go.
Campbell- Thank you so much mom and dad for allowing me to come on Moondance. I am having such a great time and I love you guys so much.
Luke- Thanks so much for letting me come here, it’s been so fun and I’m having a blast. See you soon:)
Spencer- thank you so much for sending me to Moondance, I am extremely grateful! I’m having the best time!
Blakley- Thank you for letting me go on this trip! I’m having so much fun and I’m so grateful!
Sally- Thank y’all so much for sending me to Moondance! I love y’all so much and it’s been so much fun.
Frances- Thank you guys so much for giving me this amazing opportunity! I’m having so much fun here. I am so grateful and I love you so much!!
Katherine- Thank yall so much for sending me on Moondance! It’s been so much fun and I’ve met so many people! Love you guys!
Sutton – Hey guys! I just wanna say thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to come on this trip. Also, for everything yall do for me I’m so lucky to have yall as my parents and can’t wait to see you when I get home! Love you always and forever!
Paul- Thank you so much for letting me go to Moondance it has been a great time and I have made so many good friends. Love yall!
Fun in the Sun!
July 11, 2026
Hellooo everyone,
Time is flying by in Belize! We cannot BELIZE we are already 5 days into our adventure. In this short time, the group has already become so close and made so many memories. They have all really gotten out of their shells, and it’s been a joy to get to know their adventurous, bold, thoughtful, resilient, and absolutely hilarious personalities!! We have had so much fun visiting Mayan pyramids, cave tubing, horseback riding, and river tubing, as well as playing countless games! Some honorable mentions include freeze tag, hacky sack, and spoons (the kids are obsessed with spoons and play it every night).
From the first day on arrival, we knew it was going to be an amazing group. We picked everyone up from the airport in Belize City and departed for our transfer to San Ignacio shortly after. The music was grooving, the people were moving, and when “Unwritten” hit the tracks, everyone came back to life and broke out in song, even the boys! We stopped for lunch on the way and jumped on a trampoline, chased chickens, and played volleyball, all while waiting for our food. Sutton showed off her skills on the court. Then, we feasted while watching the Spain v. Portugal game (everyone has been super into keeping up with the World Cup, and it has become a group activity!). After we arrived in San Ignacio, we explored the area around our hostel and played soccer and basketball at a park across the street. We had our first Moonup, where we shared why we are all here. The consensus: to have fun, explore new things, and make friends, all of which the group has accomplished on the daily.
We kicked off our adventures on day 2 with one of Belize’s most iconic activities, cave tubing. Floating down a dark cave with giant stalactites and stalagmites and watching bats fly overhead while learning about Mayan beliefs surrounding caves was surreal to say the least! The rain brought the water levels so high that we could almost touch the cave ceiling! Once we got back to the hostel, the group went straight to the park to play more soccer and basketball. That night, the LODs (leaders of the day), Sutton and Luke, graciously helped cook up a fabulous meal alongside sous chefs Will and Katherine that featured delicious nachos and cocobananas! Then, they led us in a friendly, yet very competitive, game of capture the flag. After a long battle, Spencer carried the game-winning flag over the midline and defeated the other team. We had Moonup at the park again, and ended the night with a game of spoons. What started off as a pastime has become an obsession with this group, as they play spoons every single night. It becomes veryyyy intense. Personally, I am all here for it, as these times are when the group truly lets loose and gets to know each other, creates inside jokes, and makes unforgettable memories.
The next day brought a new adventure with it as we ventured into ancient Mayan ruins to learn about Mayan history and cultural practices on an interactive tour. We visited Xunantunich, or as I call it for pronunciation purposes, Tuna Sandwich. The group stayed super engaged throughout the tour, and at the top of the pyramid, very characteristically, they hit a quick game of hacky sack (from how much they play, by the end of the trip, we will all be pros). Then, we went to San Ignacio’s central market. We definitely have some exotic fruit connoisseurs on the trip. We got to try lychees, dragon fruit, star fruit, and mangoes galore. Frances got enough lychees to last her the whole trip! After our market extravaganza, we headed to Placencia, a beachside city where we will be staying for the rest of the trip! As soon as we got to our new hostel, the group did not last 5 minutes before heading to the beach. We went to the municipal pier and played beach volleyball while watching the beautiful sunset. Then, we had our first of many meals at Momolicious, a beachside shack owned by a mother and daughter that could be in the Michelin guide. Campbell played with Mo’s son, Miguel, and they foraged for fresh coconuts while we waited for our dinner. Dinner was followed by Moonup, hosted on our hammocks by Will and Katherine, where we talked about people in our lives that we admired. It was a special opportunity to learn more about one another on a deeper level, and the thoughtful conversations reminded us how fortunate we are to be surrounded by such kind, genuine, and supportive people. After Moonup, we played, you guessed it, Spoons. That night, we raised the stakes and played elimination, in which Paul demolished the rest of the group.
Spencer and Bennett, whom we call Lil B (Big B is group leader Bennett), led us into our 4th day, where we started with horseback riding. We were all natural cowboys/girls, but some of our horses had a bit of an attitude problem. Paul and Lil B’s horses kept biting the other horses, and Sally showed off her equestrian skills. After the morning’s horseplay (no pun intended), we headed to a river to go tubing. Due to the rain, the water levels were pretty high, making the rapids all the more fun. Some were gifted with incredible tube-steering abilities, while others, myself included, hit every possible obstacle. West and Luke led the pack while Spencer, Blakely, and I hung out in the back and worked together to get ourselves out of every bush, eddy, and rock along the river, laughing while doing it. That night, we headed back to the beach for some more swimming, beach volleyball, and spikeball. The boys did some fishing on the pier, and West caught the first fish- a Mutton Snapper! Lil B and Paul found a starfish, and the group took turns holding the amazing sea creature before returning it to its home. Then, our cook crew made some delicious burgers with a side of guac and chips, along with some cake for dessert! Will has adopted the role of head chef in the kitchen and has helped lead other students in our culinary ventures.
I can honestly say that this group has jumped into this experience headfirst, into the deep end. They are all accomplishing their goals, and scarcely need to be reminded of LITMO (live in the moment). It has been such a gift to watch them push themselves out of their comfort zones, become more confident, and buy into the purpose of Moondance: to create memories of a lifetime. Your kids are truly wonderful, and we cannot wait to see what adventures the next couple of weeks hold for us!!
Until next time!
Paula and Bennett
Trip Shout Outs
Luke Henggeler: Hello mom and padre, I’ve done a lot this past week and I think waterfall repelling was the most fun! I love you and see you in a week.
Bennett Grice: Hi mom and dad, this trip has been really fun and I’ve had a great time so far. So far we’ve rappelled, zip lined, cave tubes, and rode horses. I can’t wait to see y’all in a week.
Will Christians: Hi mom, Hi dad, I am having an amazing time so you don’t have to worry mom. And dad we are fishing a lot and we hooked into 6 tarpon in 1 night and caught a baby barracuda. I am going to a cooking class and I’m really excited. I miss you guys and tell John, walker, cc, gramps, pop, and boots that I love them and give my love to the dogs.
Campbell Blanchard: Hi family, I am having a wonderful time here in Belize. We have done so many cool activities like waterfall repelling, zip-lining, and I tried fishing the other day. I miss and love you all so much.
Paul Traylor: Hey fam I’m doing great and we have done some pretty cool things like waterfall repelling and we do tarpon fishing on the local pier and that’s pretty much all of it oh and also I rode a horse. Miss y’all!
Frances Guy: Hi Mom and dad! Belize has been so much fun and we have done so many cool things! Some of my favorites have been waterfall repelling, zip lining, and horseback riding. I love you guys and miss you so so so much.
Sally Fisher: Hey mom, dad, and Margaret from Belize. We’ve done so many cool activities like waterfall repelling, horseback riding, and we are now on the way to a Mayan chocolate factory. I miss yall so so much and am excited to see yall soon! Love yall.
West Nalley: Hey mom and dad. I’ve had a great time so far. The waterfall repelled us and we had so much fun! I miss yall and I’m excited to see yall when I get back.
Sutton Prevatt: Hey mom and dad! I’m having the best time here. I’ve made amazing friends and the group is amazing. You would’ve laughed if you saw me yesterday. I fell way too many times repelling. But anyways I love yall and miss yall and can’t wait to see you soon! Mom, don’t stress anymore I’m okay lol. Love you!
Katherine Harris: Hey mom and dad! I’m having a great time and I love my group! We have done so many fun things and it’s so pretty here. I miss yall and love yall so much! See you soon!
Spencer Fowler: Hey mom and dad! We have done so many cool things so far and are staying in a cool beach town right now that has been so fun! I love my group and we went horse back riding like in the wild it was awesome! Waterfall repelling was really cool too! Miss and love yall!
Blakley Murfree: Hey mom and dad! I am having so much fun! We’ve been waterfall rappelling, which I thought was really cool. I also had a lot of fun river tubing and horseback riding. Now we are going to a Mayan chocolate factory. I love my group and leaders. Tell KB and Davis I say hi! Love and miss y’all!
Safe Arrival
July 6, 2026
Hello Belize Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning 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
