Great Time in the Galapagos!
July 15, 2026
Day 7:
Day 7 was one for the books! We kicked off the morning with an incredible hike up the volcano, spending the whole journey chatting, laughing, and having some great DMCs (deep meaningful conversations) all the way to the top. We couldn’t have asked for better weather! The sky was completely clear, making the views even more spectacular! Reaching the caldera was absolutely worth the climb, and we took plenty of time to soak in the scenery before snapping lots of photos to capture the moment. After a well-earned shawarma lunch, we headed back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon in the sunshine. We swam in the pool, listened to music, and enjoyed plenty of coffee, ice cream, and our newest obsession, Pan Mixto! Law, Louis, and Andrew squeezed in a beach run while Morgan and Posey made the most of the sunshine with some well-deserved tanning. Feeling refreshed, it was time to switch gears for our afternoon soccer match against the local team, the Scorpions! Everyone gave it their all, with Posey, Charlotte, Louis, Ellie, and Slater showing off some fantastic goalie saves and goal-scoring skills! Beckett, Kathryn, Posey, Morgan, and Slater kept the energy high from the sidelines, cheering everyone on as we rotated through the game! It was an awesome afternoon full of teamwork, encouragement, and lots of laughs.
Day 8:
We were up bright and early for another beautiful day in Isla Isabella! Law, Andrew, Kathryn, Ellie, and Posey joined our beach run club, while Charlotte, Eve, Slater, and Morgan stayed behind to put together a very special surprise for Ellie’s upcoming birthday. When we returned, Ellie walked into homemade decorations, birthday treats, and an incredible handmade banner the girls had created. It was such a thoughtful surprise and the perfect way to start the celebrations! The birthday fun continued after breakfast and some delicious coffee as we headed out for our final activity on Isabela Island- surfing! The conditions couldn’t have been better, and it was amazing to watch everyone’s confidence grow. Charlotte, Slater, and Kathryn were standing up comfortably and looking like naturals on their boards, while Fisher and Law continued to impress everyone with their incredible surfing skills. After one last delicious lunch on the island, complete with ice cream and another round of “Happy Birthday” for Ellie, we boarded the ferry back to Santa Cruz. That evening was the perfect mix of relaxing and fun as we lounged in the hammocks listening to music before a hilarious prank war with Group A that had everyone laughing.
Day 9:
Happy Sweet 16, Ellie! We started the day celebrating Ellie’s birthday in one of the most unforgettable places imaginable, the Galápagos Islands! Although it was bittersweet saying goodbye to such a beautiful place, we were excited to see what our next adventures in Quito and Baños had in store. The travel day flew by as everyone stayed busy on the plane, making friendship bracelets, thanks to Charlotte’s seemingly endless supply of string. After finally arriving back in Quito, we headed straight to Nunas for a birthday dinner filled with delicious food, another enthusiastic rendition of “Happy Birthday,” and, of course, chocolate cake! As if the day wasn’t already magical enough, we were even treated to a beautiful rainbow on our walk home! To finish off Ellie’s birthday, we spent the evening playing soccer and volleyball before winding down with music under the stars. It was the perfect ending to a very special day.
Day 10:
The adventure continued as we packed up once again and made our way toward Cotopaxi! Once we arrived, we suited up in traditional ponchos and chaps before climbing onto our horses for an unforgettable ride up the mountain. Once again, the weather was absolutely perfect, with bright blue skies giving us crystal-clear views of the magnificent Cotopaxi Volcano! The scenery was breathtaking, and everyone loved taking in the incredible views along the ride. Louis especially impressed us with his natural horseback riding ability, confidently guiding his horse up and down the mountain with ease. Posey and her pregnant horse also made it all the way to the top together- a pretty memorable partnership! One of the biggest highlights of the day was seeing Law finally get to experience Cotopaxi after talking about it all trip long. Watching him see the volcano in person made the adventure even more special! With another incredible day behind us, we climbed back on the bus and continued our journey toward Baños, excited to see what adventures the next stop would bring.
Thank Yous:
Beckett: Hey mom and Dad, this trip is AMAZING! So much fun, I’ve learned so much and am having so much fun. Thank yall so much for all this! So excited to see yall soon! -Beckett
Law: Hey mom and dad thanks so much for sending me on this trip I have had so much fun and have met the best people the scenery is awesome and once again thank you
Louis: Mom and dad,I wanted to let yall know how grateful I am to have yall and sending me on this trip, I’ve been having the best time. I’ve been practicing my Spanish too. Looking forward to seeing yall in a few days. Love you guysLouis
Morgan: Hi mom and dad!!! I’ve had the best time ever. Thank yall so so much for sending me on this trip. I have met so many awesome people and I’m so grateful yall sent me on this trip!! Love yall and see yall soon
Andrew: Hey mom and dad, I’ve been having an amazing time. I’ve been eating lots of good food and seen some awesome sights. See yall soon and love yall!! -Andrew
Kathryn: Hi mom and dad, I am so so grateful yall let me go on this trip! Everyday is so much fun, and I am so blessed to go all the way to Ecuador! Love yall so much. -Kathryn
Eve: Hi mom!! Thank you so much for signing me up- I’m so grateful that you let me come on this trip. I’m having the best time and I love my group. Love you and see you soon!-eve
Charlotte: Hi mom and dad!!!!! I am having the best time! Every activity is amazing and I love my group!!!!! Genuinely thank you so much for letting me come on this trip because I do not want to come home! Thank yall for everything!!! 143 ❤️- Char
Slater: Hi mom and dad! I am having soooo much fun here! This has seriously been the best week ever so far and I’m so so grateful yall let me come on this trip! I can’t wait to tell yall everything about this trip. Thank you so much for everything. I love yall so much!!!!!- Slater
Ellie: Hi mom and dad!! I miss yall but like not really. I’m genuinely so so greatful that you guys allow me to experience these life changing memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I can’t wait to see yall but I also never want to leave. I love you!!❤️❤️Ellie
Posey: Hi mom and dad! I love yall so much, and I am so grateful for yall letting me going on this and paying for it. This is the best trip ever and I am having a blast!! We just pulled up to baños, and we are in the bus!!! I love yall!!! ❤️❤️❤️✌️✌️✌️Poseyyyyyy
Greetings from the Galapagos!
July 12, 2026
Greetings from the Galapagos!
Day 1
Our Galápagos adventure officially began! After meeting up at the airport, the group wasted no time getting to know one another over a delicious pizza dinner before ending the evening with our first Moonup! Excitement was in the air as everyone settled in, ready for an unforgettable week of exploration and new experiences!
Day 2
Today was packed with incredible wildlife encounters! After our quick morning flight to the Galapagos, we wasted no time, going straight to a delicious lunch then heading off to our first official activity- snorkeling in Darwin Bay! We spent time with the famous sea lions, and Beckett had a great time capturing videos of our playful new friends. We had so much fun swimming and diving with these incredible creatures! After an exciting and tiring afternoon, we refueled with a delicious sushi dinner! Charlotte checked another first off her list by trying California rolls, while Ellie discovered a new favorite drink- fresh passionfruit juice! It was a day full of trying new things and embracing everything the Galápagos has to offer.
Day 3
What an unforgettable day on the water! We started off the morning with a boat ride to Isla Lobos to see the famous blue footed boobies, sea lions, marine iguanas, and frigate birds! We enjoyed a morning exploring the island and taking tons of pictures of the local wildlife! After our tour of the island, we cooled off in the water with more snorkeling! Law and Posey had so much fun diving down and finding loads of beautiful shells and sand dollars! We saw vibrant parrot fish and swam alongside giant sea turtles! On our boat ride home, we were lucky enough to spot a pod of around 200 dolphins, putting on an amazing show alongside our boat. We rode alongside them, everyone amazed at what we had just seen! After more delicious sushi, we hit the road for our afternoon snorkeling session! The boys wasted no time, heading straight to the water, while Eve and Morgan soaked up the sunshine and enjoyed some well-earned relaxation. We wrapped up the day with a hands-on cooking class where Louis showed off his knife skills by preparing the fish, and Morgan and Slater teamed up to make a delicious fresh fruit juice. Everyone loved getting a taste of the local cuisine- including delicious ceviche, chicken, and patacones! We ended this fantastic day with Moonup in the park before heading to bed to get some rest before our next exciting day of adventure!
Day 4
Today we had the chance to connect with both the local community and the natural beauty of the islands at a local family farm! During our farm project, Louis and Law knocked down and attempted to catch fresh papayas falling from the tree, while Posey and Charlotte made a new friend, Scarlet, one of the local children. We spent the morning learning all about the local farming practices! The afternoon ferry ride to Santa Cruz was an adventure of its own, with the girls choosing to sit on the top deck and bravely enjoying the waves and ocean spray. We ended the evening with a beautiful dinner by the waterfront, complete with live traditional Ecuadorian music that made for the perfect atmosphere.
Day 5
We started the day with a scenic walk to the breathtaking Tortuga Bay, taking in the incredible landscapes along the way. Andrew loved providing the soundtrack for our morning at the beach by playing his favorite songs, while Louis, Law, and Slater impressed the group with their hacky sack skills on the beach. Throughout the day, Posey and Louis kept the entire group laughing with their nonstop jokes and contagious sense of humor especially in the afternoon while visiting the highlands and seeing the giant tortoises. Walking around we saw tortoises that ranged from twenty to 150 years old, while also getting to walk through some really cool volcanic caves that are found all around the islands.
Day 6
The day began bright and early as we traveled by boat to the beautiful island of Isabela. We spent the morning snorkeling at La Concha de Perla, where the underwater world did not disappoint. Louis even spotted a shark, making for an especially exciting encounter! In the afternoon, we got to embark on another incredible Galápagos adventure by hitting the waves for a surf lesson. Beckett, Eve, Slater, and Kathryn had a fantastic time learning and cheering one another on as they caught wave after wave and built their confidence in the water! It was another amazing day in paradise, well spent together! We can’t wait to see what the next week had in store!
With gratitude,
Jane Ryland + Stokes
Shout Outs:
Kathryn : Hi family!!! I miss you guys sooo much. My group and counselors are amazing! Today we did surfing, and my favorite thing we have done is the beautiful snorkeling. I am going to try and get yall merch. Tell the jigs and Maggie and Murphy that I miss them. Galapagos island is awesome. Love y’all!!!
Andrew: Hey, having a great time and eating a lot of good food. See you soon!
Charlotte: Hi guys!!!! I’m having so much fun and please don’t make me leave! 143 🧡 ps – I brought the wrong card so can you add money to my pinnacle ty
Louis: Dear mom and dad,
I hope y’all are having fun. Ecuador is awesome. Love and miss y’all. Looking forward to seeing yall soon
-Louis
Ellie: Hey guys, I’m having the best time!! Everything we’re doing is so cool and my group and counselors are so fun. I hope all of y’all are having fun on your trips!! I miss and love yall!!
Beckett- Hey yall, how’s home? The Galapagos is AMAZING, so much fun! Today we went surfing and I caught some sweeeeeet waves! Hope everything is going well, love and miss yall!
Posey Wilson- Hi!!!! I AM HAVING SO MUCH FUN!!!! I love the Galapagos it is so amazing. I also love my group and leaders!!! We saw like 200 dolphins the other day and lots of animals. I love the snorkeling and everything else. Please sign me up next year like put me on the list so I can be ready bc I would love to do this next year!!! I LOVE YALL so much!!! Also tell dad the flight to Columbia and everything was so worth it!!!! I love yall so much, I miss yall so much. I really don’t want to come back to Dallas also I am writing a lot and I love yall so much!!!! it is so great here!!! I miss yall but like thank you so much for putting me on this trip and I’m so happy that I came!!! ILYALL!!💗💗💗🫰
Law: Hey mom and dad love yall and my leaders are great the food is amazing the gas station are fire and I love the coke here. LAW
Eve: Hi momma!! I love you so much and I’m having so so much fun. I love my leaders and my group. I miss you! Eve
Slater: Hiiiii family! Im having the best time ever!!!! This trip has been so so much fun and im so thankful i am getting this experience. Just so you know mom, i have in fact seen the blue and red footed boobies!! My counselors are the best and we are having such a great time with them! I miss yall and love yall much! See yall soon!
Morgan Wiener: Hiiiii guys!!!!!!!! I’m having A BLASSSSTTTTT!!! Like sooo much fun. Weve been snorkeling a ton and we saw over 200 dolphins it was like so cool. I love everyone in my group and stokes and JR r awesome!!!!!!! The best. But all the people r so aweosme! Hiii julia and all my friends if ur reading this i miss yall smmmm. The food is here is GREAT!!! THANK UUU for signing me up for this trip i dont want it to end its so awesome. I love and miss yall soo much!! Love yall!!!
