Off to a GREAT Start!
July 6, 2026
Hi hi from Iceland!!!
Day One:
Our trip is off to a fantastic start, and we couldn’t be more excited to be here! We jumped straight into our itinerary as soon as we disembarked the plane! Even after the long flight, the kids were eager to get the trip started. The group immediately began to bond as they set off creating our group’s playlist. We watched the beautiful scenery roll by as we descended into the Icelandic landscape and came upon the country’s capital of Reykjavik. After settling down in our hostel, we explored the downtown of the city and stopped at a local pizzeria, where we shared our first walk together. We ended the evening with an introduction to Moonup, a nightly ritual where we reflect on the day’s activities and strengthen our connections. Will and I got to elect the first Leader of the Days (LODs) for our trip, Claire and Baylor. LODs are responsible for helping us leaders navigate the daily activities and get more involved. Everyone was exhausted after our first day and got a good night’s sleep in preparation for tomorrow!
Day 2
After a night of restful sleep, the group woke up ready for the day. We spent most of it traveling in our van to our first hiking spot! We got to play music from our playlist and made a few local stops along the way. We enjoyed a nice lunch of Icelandic-style sandwiches before we hit the road again. We took a quick pit stop at one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls, named. We ascended over 250 steps to see an awesome view at the top of the breathtaking landscape. After some time in the van, we made our way into the Icelandic backcountry. We got our raingear on and embarked on the first part of our tracking section. Today, we had two river crossings where we each went over in groups of three to safely cross to the other side. Well, we got our fair share of rain today. The kids had great attitudes and had so much fun getting to know each other along the way. After about 5 miles of hiking in the rain, we arrived at our Camp spot, and we were surprised we could spend the night there rather than set up Camp. Our Arctic adventures guide, Zach, made us a wonderful first night of trekking meal of salmon pasta with creamy white sauce. Susan and Aubrey tag-teamed chopping veggies and being Zach’s soy chef for the evening. We made some hot chocolate and laughed around the table together, enjoying some Icelandic lemon cake. West and Vicente were eager to help clean up everyone’s dishes. After a long day of traveling, we got ready for bed and ended our night with Moonup.
Day 3
We got some well-deserved rest after yesterday and woke up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the day. We had some Icelandic yogurt and granola for breakfast, made our sandwiches for lunch, packed our bags, and headed out. We were excited to see the sun and had some awesome weather today! Margaret passed the time by telling people riddles, and Caris was determined to answer every single one of them. We trekked through ravines and valleys and scaled peaks and ice caps. Towards the end of today’s journey, we stumbled onto a volcanic hot spring where we soothed our muscles and basked in the warm waters. Sanders was incredibly eager to get warm and was one of the first ones in! After some well-deserved relaxation, we got suited up and finished the last few miles of our trek! We circled one of the highest peaks in this area, Strutur, until we landed at our Campsite! The camp wardens were so gracious to give us access to the cabins, where we warmed up, showered, and ate some delicious lamb soup for dinner. In total, we walked 16 miles today! West and Susan were our LODs for the day and did a tremendous job encouraging the group today. They led us in our Moonup before we got some well-deserved rest.
Day 4
We had another early wake-up to get packed and ready to seize the day! Today’s LODs, Ben and Aubrey, gave us some words of wisdom and encouragement during our morning huddle before we were on our way. Today, we continued along the trail and got up close and personal with two of Iceland’s most notable glaciers. Our guide, Zach, told us about the structure and formation of the glaciers. The group was especially excited to learn more about the volcanoes that are underneath each of the glaciers! Today was a shorter and flatter hike, but we had a few river crossings scattered throughout and even walked through a black sand desert of shallow, quick sand. We indulged in our delicious lunch sandwiches, and it wasn’t long until we ran into HQ Caroline along the trail! Caroline got to come visit our trip for several days, and we were so excited to see her! We hiked up a ridge and got to see a breathtaking view of the glacial landscape! We walked around 8-9 miles today and found a beautiful and desolate spot to camp in the valley. We set up our tents and immediately started playing games. Caroline taught everyone how to play Monopoly Deal! Phoebe picked up the game so quickly and won her first time playing. At the other end of the table, Wilk was teaching the kids how to play the card game Presidents! After some fun and enjoyable free time, dinner was ready. We indulged in some good old-fashioned spaghetti bolognese, in which Phoebe cut all of the veggies in preparation for! We still had some time for games and friendly competition. We taught the kiddos how to play a Moondance Classic, Big Booty. Aubrey and Will were both two-time winners and faced off in a funny veggie off! It wasn’t long before we got ready for bed and had our Moonup outside tonight!
Day 5
Today marked our fourth day of trekking and the Fourth of July! We woke up to the National Anthem and split the kids up into three teams: Red, White, and Blue. We played American-themed trivia, followed by a wheelbarrow race. Thomas and Helen were the wheelbarrows, and their teammates raced them across the finish line. We got amped for the day and wore our 4th-themed necklaces and flags with joy. On the hike, we played games and shared stories as we descended into the black sand desert and around the glacier, Mýrdalsjökull. Caroline proposed that we play word assassins, which occupied most of our conversations today. She gave each person a secret word and a person that you are trying to get to say that word. Caris was especially good at this game and got several people out! Once we got to our Campsite, the fun only continued! We set up our tents and explored the Campsight! To round out the night, we had a delicious grilled salmon on rice. It was a long day of trekking, but we climbed up to a beautiful viewing spot above the gorge for our Moonup, led by Phoebe and Vicente. We have loved seeing how close this group has gotten over the last few days and how many memories they have shared.
Day 6
We were blessed with another beautiful day in Iceland. Today was a bit of a longer hiking day but was extra special because it was Carter’s birthday! Caroline and Will gave all the kids birthday hats to wear on the trail today! We trekked along the Laugavegur trail and approached the region of Thórsmörk. We went from starting the trail in desert lands to ending it in the lush Icelandic greenery filled with animals and flowers! Claire got some amazing photos and shared her tricks for shooting photography in manual mode. We headed to our Campsight and set up our kitchen tent for the first time! The team did such a great job working together to set up our spot. Everyone was excited to get some snacks, and we ate Zach’s burgers for our dinner! After, we had some lemon cheesecake to celebrate Carter’s birthday. We split the group into two and had a dance battle between the teams. West and West led their group to victory, teaching Baylor and Sanders a dance routine to “God’s Country.” Meanwhile, Ben showed off his worm and cartwheel for some bonus points in the other group. We laughed so hard as each group presented their dances and showed off their moves. Caroline surprised the group with fruit roll-ups and a friendly competition. We got to witness a beautiful and slow Icelandic sunset for the first time during our Moonup. Thomas and Helen were our LODs today and really challenged the group to dig deep when answering their questions, bringing the group so much closer.
Hey dad how are you doing, I’m having a great time here! I miss you and tell Hollis I said hi!!!!!
Love you-Ben
Hey dad what y’all been up to, we just got done with a 50 mile trek and it was awesome. Our guide is from Bulgaria and tought a lot of stuff to me. I love you and tell the boys I said the same to them and I got all of yall presents
-Baylor
Hey guys, I’ve been doing well. Iceland is a super cool place! Love you!
Sanders
Hey Mom and Dad I am enjoying Iceland. All is well. Tell Louie and wade I said hello. Love you guys. – West
Hey mom and dad, I am doing very well. Tell yall about it when we get home. P.S. our leader is a Bulgarian Chelsea fan since 1996.
Vicente Johnson
Hey mom and dad, don’t you worry I am alive. We just hiked around 50 miles in 5 days in the highlands of Iceland. It is very pretty in Iceland and I will be sure to bring back some great pictures! Thomas Schriber
Hey mom and dad!!! I am having so much fun! We just finished our 50 mile trek in 5 days and I got some great photos. We saw some amazing views. Now we’re heading to do some other fun activities! I am having a blast and love all of the people in my group. See you all soon and I hope y’all aren’t missing me too much!
Love you, Susan
Hello! We just finished the hiking part of the trip. We spend 5 days hiking 50 miles! It was so much fun and I feel so accomplished. The views are amazing! Our outfitter makes us really yummy food (including salmon) and everyone is nice. I have made so many new friends. We will go white water rafting soon. Thank you! I love y’all and tell Pippi and Papa I say hi. See y’all in one week!
Love, Phoebe
Hi Mom, Dad, and Benjamin, Iceland has been so much fun! We just finished our 5 day hike where we walked 50 miles in total. I’m so excited to do other things! I miss y’all and cannot wait to see y’all in a week!! I love y’all!!
Helen
Hi Mom! Hi Dad! I miss y’all so much, but Iceland is gorgeous! We just finished our trek and over the span of 5 days we walked 50 miles mostly up hill! Is Owen back yet I bet he had a blast! What about Emily? I wish it lasted longer, but I do miss the weather in Georgia! I love my backpack the camelback is the best. I think we are going rafting and horse back riding soon. There are a lot more showed opportunities than I thought which is nice. Who is my super mom?! Who is my super dad?! Love, Margaret
Hey Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me to Iceland! I am having so much fun and have done so many cool things! We have just finished our 50 mile trek through rivers, over big hills, through swamps and a huge field of quicksand! It was awesome! So excited to see you!!
Love, Claire
Hey!! Thank you for allowing me to have this experience. I am having a great time! We just finished our trek, which was 50 miles in 5 days! Now we are doing lots of fun activities. I can’t wait to tell you guys all about my trip. I love you and so excited to see you!!
Love, Caris
Hey mom and dad!!! Thank you for sending me to Iceland!!! I’m having the most fun and I’m making the BEST friends! We hiked 50 miles over a span of 5 days and it’s hard but also so so much fun! Did you guys send off Cam to SeaTrek and how’s Pawleys? I miss you guys lots and can’t wait to tell you everything! Please tell Tess, Charlie, Django, and Cam that I miss them! I love y’all so much always!
Love, Aubrey
Safe Arrival!
June 30, 2026
Hello Iceland Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Iceland! Please remember that our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will post trip updates throughout the trip! This will allow you to follow along with their adventure. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
