Swimming with Sea Animals!
July 3, 2026
6/30
Let’s goooo Ecuador!!! Today Ecuador was playing in the World Cup, so the group had a lot of team spirit for the entire day. We got the opportunity to do some community service at a local farm in the Highlands of San Cristobal! The girls did a fantastic job handling many different animals like chicks, ducks, and goats. Even though there was some poop scooping involved, they made it fun by repeatedly saying the Spanish for poop the entire time! Whatever works! We also got to see locally grown coffee, papaya, and orange plants, which we got to eat straight from the source. No better way to do it. Our time at the farm ended with a delicious chicken and rice meal with chicken broth. Additionally, a fan favorite were the coconut shortbread cookies. Katie and Everett bought these at the store instantly afterwards, because they were that good. Our afternoon was spent at Loberia, which is a snorkeling area at a nearby beach. We were not there alone though – sea lions also joined our tanning session. They especially loved laying on Avery and Paige’s towels! After we got a lot of sun, our outfitter took us out to dinner at a local pizza spot before we watched the Ecuador V. Mexico game on the downtown big screen. Although Ecuador lost, it was so much fun getting to experience the World Cup all together in a new country. The girls pointed out how much the city of San Cristobal felt like a community and stood with their team the entire time, even though we were down 2-0 most of the game. Today was a perfect day of cultural immersion and quality sun time – cannot believe tomorrow is our last day 🙁
7/1
Our last full day of activities started on a high note as the girls had been looking forward to their boat day the whole trip! We boarded our boat and headed to Isla Lobos to see the Blue Footed Boobies and Galapagos Frigates! We had a short hike across the island to get a closer look at the birds as well as see some more sea lions. Ellie loved getting a closer look at the Blue Footed Boobies especially after her purchase of her new shirt with them on it! After the hike, we headed back to the boat to snorkel for a bit. We saw multiple stingrays, sea turtles, and a few sea lions! Back on the boat we ventured to a small beach where a group of the girls swam over and started finding the most beautiful shells! Reed found handfuls of full spiraled shells we were all very impressed by! After, we headed back into town for sushi, a quick ice cream break, and then headed to Tijeretas for one last snorkeling excursion. The girls did a great job powering through a hilly hike to get to the spot, but it was so worth it! We got the chance to swim with sea lions and saw six sea turtles! We hiked out, headed back to the hotel, showered and completed the trip evaluations and letters to themselves. Everyone did a great job taking their time and were all very thoughtful about how they answered their evals. Then, the group headed to do a cooking class with the lovely Mijita who taught us how to make ceviche, fruit salad, and plantain chips! We wrapped up the night hanging out in a local park and then ended with an absolutely wonderful Moonup led by Charlotte and Virginia!
7/2
Our last day! The girls got some extra sleep this morning before waking up to celebrate Avery’s 15th birthday! Everyone brought balloons and party hats into her room to surprise her collectively! Afterwards, we headed to the best coffee shop on San Cristobal Island to get some much needed caffeine and grabbed some pastries to full up for the big travel day we had ahead of us! We flew from San Cristobal to Quito, and the girls loved passing their cameras around to look back on the incredible two weeks we all had together. Once we got to Quito, we hung out in the airport until check-in for their flight. We filled the time with cards, dinner, and hanging out with the other Moondance groups! Sadly, it came time to say goodbye, and for everyone to depart homeward. We couldn’t possibly be more proud of the effort the girls put forth, and they will be missed greatly. Here’s to the best two weeks ever in Ecuador!
Audrey: A girl who loves to chat with every single person in the group. She’s absolutely hilarious but also did such a good job of being vulnerable and opening up. She will be missed dearly by everyone!
Ellie: Ellie never shied away from a challenge and stayed so true to herself throughout the course of the trip. She was so great with kids, especially sweet Scarlett from the farm!!
Katie: Katie persevered through every challenge set in front of her. She crushed this trip and made such wonderful friendships along the way! We’re so incredibly proud of her!
Reed: Reed made quick friends with every single girl on this trip and was inclusive of everyone. She was constantly putting smiles on all of our faces and she crushed every activity! We’re so proud of her!
Charlotte: A creator of inside jokes and funny faces. She was constantly hilarious and was always so true to herself. We will miss her!!
Virginia: The funniest girl ever. She never failed to get the group laughing and would even put a smile on strangers faces. She is a fantastic leader and puts fantastic energy into every day of the trip.
Camilla: The girls who truly just enjoys being happy! She is known for her smile and bubbly personality. Whether it was through creating a funny jingle or handshake, Camilla was always spreading love.
Avery: Such an intelligent young lady who was always willing to participate. We were constantly impressed by her attitude and capability! Avery impressed us at every turn and we were so grateful to have her on this trip!
Everett: Everett’s sense of humor is unmatched which brought such a light to the trip. Laughter follows her wherever she goes! Thank you for the joy you brought to us all!
AP: From her dances to her sense of humor, we were so glad to see AP warm up so quickly to the group and make such great friendships! This girl is hilarious and we appreciated the laughs she gave us!
Molly: Molly always approached every activity with such a positive attitude and never once complained. She was our pop culture queen, and we love her for it! Molly will be greatly missed!!
Paige: Paige killed every single activity and did it with such grace and integrity! Her kindness to every girl on this trip was incredible, and we’ve never been more impressed by how quickly someone can read!
Surfing in the Sunshine!
June 30, 2026
Welcome to the Galapagos EGP 2C! Our group had an early morning on day 7 in order to make our ferry to Island Isabela, but the girls were ready for action. When we first arrived at the new island, our guide Danny led us to Concha de Perla, where we got to go snorkeling! This lagoon is the perfect spot to see schools of fish, sea lions, crabs, iguanas, turtles, and maybe even nurse sharks (which we did see!). Reed, Audrey, Molly, and Gray continued to snorkel for a little after most of the group got out and saw a polka-dotted eagle ray drifting through the water, which was such an awesome surprise! After sun-tanning for a bit after snorkeling, we headed to lunch, where the girls fell in love with the local orange juice we were provided. We took a short break after lunch in order to recharge our batteries for surfing! The girls did a fantastic job at paying attention to the surfing instructors. The first group of surfers was Reed, Molly, Ellie, Camilla, Paige, and Avery. Without fear, they all ran into the ocean ready to take on the waves, no questions asked. Paige truly impressed us by getting up on her second try! The fun for the day was not over yet, though. We headed to the soccer stadium to play a game with some local players and another Moondance team! At the end of the game, the locals gave everyone a necklace to remember our time today. Katie instantly adored the sweet little boy who gave her the necklace and they smiled for a cute photo together! Although today was go go go, everyone kept their energy up for the game and were rewarded with a delicious shawarma dinner!
Day 8 was some of the group’s favorite day. Since yesterday was so jam-packed, that gave us more wiggle room to explore Isabela and its beaches today. In the morning, we started our day with an awesome volcano hike! It was a bit overcast and rainy in the highlands, so we weren’t able to see into the volcano but it was still lots of fun and the girls did a great job! Our afternoon was free, so we turned it into a beach day. As the girls were laying out, Gray and Bella surprised them with a DIY ice cream party on the patio. We had several flavors like snickers, oreo, and neapolitan and then sprinkles, chocolate sauce, and chocolate chips to put on top! We hoped this put a little spunk in the middle of a relaxing afternoon. While everyone got ready for the night, we picked up pizza and chicken tenders from a local place down the road and brought them to the beach. We created a circle and had a delicious, cozy, and homey meal together on the sand. The girls kept saying it felt very nostalgic and like it was one of the final nights. We hope that they can keep a memory of that meal in their minds for a long time! Our LODs for the day, Molly and Audrey, led moonup there and then we went to bed early to energize ourselves for tomorrow.
Day nine started strong with our second and last surf lesson of the trip. The waves were just right and all the girls gave it their best effort! Our standouts were Molly and Ellie as they stayed out longer than everyone and both were able to stand up by the end of the lesson! We were so proud of their perseverance! The girls took some awesome photos with the ocean as their backdrop and got some good time to hang out on the beach together. After surfing, we ate a delicious lunch and then headed towards the pier to catch our second speed boat of the trip back to Santa Cruz. Reed spotted a Galapagos penguin as soon as we boarded the boat which was actually our first time seeing one all summer! Despite being a rough ride, everyone made the most of it, and Everett, AP, Charlotte, and Virginia made friends with a boys soccer team who let them queue up songs to make the trip more enjoyable! Once we were back in Santa Cruz we got a fantastic dinner and some ice cream and walked around the town looking at shops!
Most recently, we started day ten with a short hike to Tortuga Bay where the group got some bonding and beach time! Camilla shared her riddles with the group to help pass the time as we made our way through the hike! The girls had fun giving Ellie a mermaid tail out of sand, and Paige loved snapping photos of the process. We spent a couple of hours here lounging on the beach, reading, and taking photos before we headed back into town in order to catch our third and final boat to San Cristobal. Before boarding, the group discovered an incredible ice cream shop that everyone fell in love with as it reminded them of Chick-fil-a soft serve and home. After a much needed ice cream break, everyone did a great job of making sure we were early to the pier in order to get good seats on the boat. We spent our first night in San Cristobal at Midori Sushi for dinner and then wrapped up the night with Moonup!
Thank yous
Katie- Ace QueenE + parents, thank you so much for always supporting me in my crazy endeavors, like this trip, and everything else. I will never be able to fully express how grateful I am for all that you do for me. I am so blessed to have the absolute best family I could ever ask for. I miss and love you all so much, see you soon!
Reed- heyyyyyy!!!!! Im having so much fun in the Galapagos! We went snorkeling and I saw so many cool animals (: I’ve made so many amazing friends too!!! I hope yall are having so much fun in Linville and I can’t wait to see yall in a couple of days!!!! Tell Mack and Sam and everyone else that I say HI 😄 love you so much!!!!!!!
Molly- Hi Mom, Dad, and all the family! This trip has been an adventure of a lifetime, and I am so grateful you were able to provide this for me. I’ve been swimming with sea turtles, sea lions, and eagle rays, and I also was able to get up a couple times when surfing. That was so fun!!! I love yall and see you soon! Thank you!
Ellie- Hi Mom & Dad! I have had so much fun on this trip I’ve done so many cool things and seen so many different things! I really have loved both Ecuador and the Galapagos and seeing all the sea lions and I am sososo grateful for y’all letting me come! Miss you & love you, Ellie!!
Paige- Hi mom and dad! This trip has been so much fun! We’ve done a ton of snorkeling and surfing. Thank you for letting me come on this trip!
Camilla – Hi!! This has been the best trip ever and we have done the coolest adventures!! We snorkeled, surfed, and so so much more and Ecuador was so cool, but my favorite part has been the Galapagos islands! Thank you so so much for sending me on this trip! I love you guys💗
Avery- Hey mom and dad! I have had such an amazing time and this trip has been sooo much fun. Thank you so much for letting me come on this trip and I love y’all sooo much!!!
Virginia- Hi mom and dad I can’t wait to see yall I miss yall a lot. This trip has been good thanks for letting me come 👍
Everett- hey dad and mom!!! Thanks for letting me come I miss yall a lot!!!
AP- Hey mom and dad i miss yall lots and can’t wait to see yall! I’m having fun and can’t wait to come home! Thanks for letting me come on this trip!
Charlotte – hey mom and dad miss yall thanks for letting me come on this super awesome and fun trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Audrey- Hi dad I’m having so much fun thank you for sending me on this trip
Off to a Sweet Start!
June 26, 2026
Hello EGP 2C families!!
Our girls landed safely in Quito after a long day of travel! We were eagerly waiting for them outside of baggage claim with fresh pizza, hoping to make their arrival to Ecuador feel right at home! We headed back to our hotel, Hostel San Carlos, and held our first moon up with the group! Moonup is a special time that occurs every night, where we share meaningful quotes, silly moments from the day, discuss meaningful and fun questions, and name the following day’s Leaders of the Day aka LODS. Our first night Bella and Gray selected Reed and Camilla to serve as LODS on Day 2! We ended moon-up with a more bonded group, ready to head to Cotopaxi in the morning!
The glowing mountains of Cotopaxi welcomed us on Day 2 of our trip! It was a beautiful sunny day in altitude and the girls were so excited to participate in our very first activity. Everyone put on their traditional Chagra outfit – a poncho and Zamarro (chaps) and looked fabulous. After a decent incline on horseback, everyone got the opportunity to trot on their horse at the top. While we did that, the Cotopaxi volcano came into view and greeted us with its bright snow through the clouds! This was super lucky that we got to see parts of the volcano, so we knew today was already going to be great. We drank lemongrass tea at the top of our climb to prevent any altitude sickness, which was so delicious. After our excursion, we headed to lunch at a local chain called El Hornero. The girls were enthralled by the rabbits and zipline out back, so of course they had to see what it was all about. Ellie was cracking us up on the zipline. The end of it was an abrupt stop, but she kept laughing and smiling the entire time. We had a stunningly scenic drive to Baños that afternoon. We were surrounded by the luscious Andes the entire drive. Of course when we arrived, we had to stop at one of our favorite restaurants, Arepas to-go, for dinner. A perfect ending to a fantastic first full day.
It’s day 3 – good morning beautiful Baños! We had a jam-packed schedule today with a bunch of smaller activities. The first activity of the day was a cable-car ride in the valley of the Baños mountains. Afterwards, the group hiked the Pailón del Diablo waterfall, aka the devil’s cauldron. The monstrous waterfall had the girls’ jaws on the floor. Afterwards, we drove to the tippy top of the mountain and walked out on a glass bridge that overlooked the city of Baños. Our final stop was Casa al Arbor, someplace that people say is a necessary stop to check off your bucket list. The swing goes over the edge of the mountain and you feel like you are flying on the edge of the world. Thanks to our guide Cris, we had a brief empanada snack before we came down the mountain! The rest of the day was spent in the town of Baños. We all shopped around, looking at ponchos, t-shirts, labubus, stickers, and more. A favorite stop during our town day was a local coffee shop called Honey. Here we got some iced lattes, croissants, and cookies as a little treat in the afternoon. Reed, Camilla, Audrey, Paige and Molly joined some local boys in a fun game of soccer near our hotel. It was chaotic, but one of their favorite memories of the trip so far. Unfortunately, we learned the field was only meant for boys ages 10 and under, but luckily we still got a little bit of time to play! To top it off, we ended our day with a salsa class and dinner. Our salsa queens – AP and Camilla did a fantastic job learning the moves and getting the rhythm! While it was a very busy day, we could already feel the group getting closer and learning more about Ecuador’s culture.
We could not have been more proud of the girl on Day four as it was our ziplining and rock climbing day! All the girls participated despite being a little nervous and absolutely crushed the course! We ziplined across a beautiful canyon, then climbed up the rock, then ziplined back across. Our guides took some awesome photos, and we were so proud of all the girls for giving it their best effort! Next, we had a bus ride back to Quito which the girls maintained such positive attitudes about. Molly loved talking about music and recommending songs for the queue, and Avery shared her coloring book with everyone so that no one got bored. The music and crafts in the bus really helped make the time pass, and before long we were back in Quito! As soon as we got to the hotel, all the girls wanted to have one big sleepover so they packed into three rooms and had a group journaling session. The group had a great Moonup and then headed to bed!
On day five we finally got the chance to explore Quito and visit the Equator Museum! The girls got to learn more about the indigenous culture in Ecuador as well as some cool facts about phenomena that occur there. They all joined in on a group dance on the Equator, and Gray made sure to capture it! Afterwards, we had a quick bus ride into the old town of Quito to visit the world’s tallest aluminum statue: The Virgen de El Panecillo! Here the group also got some good photos overlooking the expansive city! We ate a delicious lunch and then headed to Yumbos Chocolate for a chocolate tasting! Everett and Ellie stepped up and helped the demonstration and passed out chocolate. We did some souvenir shopping throughout the streets and visited the Church of La Comañía where Katie absolutely loved seeing and visiting a local cathedral. We wrapped up the day with card games which Camilla did a wonderful job leading as well as a group pilates session which Reed, Paige, Avery, and Audrey got super into!
Day 6th was one big celebration for EGP 2C because it was Katie’s 16th birthday! The girls had the wonderful idea to do a surprise wake up, so Gray and Bella made sure to get everyone up a couple minutes early so we could all wake her up together. The girls quickly got their things packed, and we all headed to the airport to fly to Santa Cruz, Galapagos! After a short flight, we headed straight to the highlands of the island to see lava tunnels and the giant tortoises! We got to explore the ground of a local ranch, learning more about the history of the tortoises. We got lots of great pictures and then headed back to the hotel for some needed rest and group bonding time. Little did the girls know that we were about to have a big birthday celebration for Katie! Our outfitters, Danny and Leonardo, did an excellent job helping Gray and Bella find decorations and even ordered a beautiful cake! Per her family’s tradition, Katie flipped the cake before we could all eat it! The restaurant asked a busker outside to come in and play Happy Birthday on the saxophone which was the perfect touch to the evening! Once dinner ended, AP, Charlotte, Virginia, and Everett passed a local group of dancers in the street and decided to join in. It wasn’t too long before the rest of the girls were participating, and we ended the night with one big dance party with the locals!
Paige: Hey Mom, Dad, and Scout. I have had so much fun zip lining and walking around Quito. We are on the way to the Galápagos Islands and I can’t wait to show you the photos! I’ll try my best to to get a turtle for scout.
Molly: Hi Mom and Dad! I have been loving everything we have been doing on this trip!! The girls are all wonderful and I definitely think Mom would freak out if she saw how steep we rock climbed. I miss yall but I this trip has been a once in a lifetime experience. Tell holland, Willa, and Natalia that I say hi!
Katie: hi family! I am had an amazing time in Ecuador, and now we’re boarding to head to the Galapagos! Ecuador is beautiful; I’ve spent hours just staring out the window at all of the mountains and scenery. We’re celebrating my birthday today too! Sometimes I feel sad from missing you all, but then I realize I’m sad in Ecuador and feel so beyond blessed. I love you all so big, see you soon!
Audrey: Hi dad I miss you and I can’t wait to tell you about the trip. We’re going to Galapagos today!
Ellie: Hey family, the trip has been super fun! We’re heading up to the Galapagos today POBD!
Reed: HEY POoKieS!!!!!! I’m having so much fun in Ecuador! It’s so pretty here and the activities have been really hype (: we’re on a flight to the Galapagos right now and I’m really excited! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip, I miss yall and hope yall have fun in Linville!!!!! Tell Houston, Sam, and Mack I say heyyyyy
Camilla: Hey family!!! I love it here in Ecuador, and I cannot wait to go to the Galapagos! Thank you so so so much for sending me on this trip because it has been so much fun! I love yall so much and tell Mae Mae happy happy birthday from me! I cannot wait to tell yall alllll about it!!!😃
Avery: Hey mom and dad! I am having so much fun in Ecuador and I have met so many amazing people. I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get home!!!!
AP: Hey guys!! Hope ya’ll are having fun at the beach! I’m having fun and met really funny people. We’re leaving for the Galapagos and I can’t wait. Hope you had fun at the Widespread concert! Miss ya’ll lots and can’t wait to see ya’ll! please bring me good food when you pick me up love yall! 🧀
Everett: hey guys miss yall! I meet some funny girls named Charlotte Virginia and AP🧀 we are having LODS of fun I’m excited to see yall and we are going to the Galapagos right now as I type this out but if your seeing this get my PARKE sweatshirt for me off the front porch!!! Love you 🧌🧌🧀
Charlotte – hey guys miss yall sooo much and can’t wait to see yall! I’m having so much fun with my weird new friends AP and everett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See yall soon and we are getting pop up bagel and chick fil a when yall pick me up in atl btw. I miss America bye love yall 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀
Virginia- Hi mom dad & buddy,
I don’t think y’all will find this but if u do hiiiii I’m having a blast with my new friends, and I can’t wait to see y’all. I hope fhope is good and y’all are also having a good summer. Right now we are on the way to the Galapagos and I’m super excited. When you come pick me up I will tell you all about it!! Please text Blair and Ella I miss them for me! DONT FORGET MY 4TH OF JULY BAG
I love y’all, Virginia 💗💗💗 🧀 ❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜
Safe Arrival!
June 21, 2026
Hello Ecuador + Galapagos Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely! 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
