Joyous Ending In Japan!
July 9, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!
Wow. It is hard to fully articulate just how much we adore all 14 of your kids. They made the past two plus weeks so incredibly special, and we could not be more appreciative of the amazing children you have raised. It was so bittersweet saying goodbye to them this morning; we know they are all excited to see you and tell you all about the past two weeks, but we are devastated that our time in Japan has come to an end. The shared experiences cultivated over the last 17 days are some of our all-time favorite memories. This group is really something special, and we know that our crew will always be so close no matter the distance. We can’t wait to tell you a bit about our last couple of days together!! Picking up with day 15…
Day 15 (continued)
Tuesday, July 7th
Once we showered off the day and the salty water, we loaded up on the bus and hit the town! (AKA, we drove 10 minutes to dinner!) While we waited to be seated, we all piled on top of each other on one bench for a photo opp. Stock, Dyer, Annie, and Glenn were the base, and we stacked on top from there. For dinner we hit up a JPN classic stop! This traditional Indian meal was spectacular! The group sat at one big long table together. The nan bread that was brought out was as big as Bebe’s head! Caroline says she can’t stop thinking about it, and that it was the best Indian food she has ever had. Appetites satiated, we headed back and met for the final student-led Moonup led by Addie and King (Graham). They did a great job balancing a lighthearted, fun vibe with a meaningful Moonup. We all shared our B+ super powers. This question is contentious because some people have different opinions of what can actually be considered “B+” or not. King says he would want to regulate his temperature at any time. Then, we headed to bed to rest up for our last full day together!
Day 16
Wednesday, July 8th
Our last full day together! Man the time flies! Taylor woke Stock, Addie, Wyatt, and Caroline up early at 6:30 AM before the rest of the group to go surf per their request. The waves were epic, and everyone shredded some early morning gnar! All four are incredibly talented surfers! We were blessed with some outstanding weather on day 16 and the conditions could not have been better for soaking up the time together. After we had our fun on the beach, the surfers came back to reunite with everyone else for breakfast. At 8:30, we left for our morning activity (stand up paddle boarding)! We did SUP for a few hours and it was classic clean fun. The sun was out, the water was refreshing, and vibes were way up. The boys started off on the boards while the girls and Emily and Taylor stayed on the shore, playing in the sand and sun bathing, as Emily read our trip updates aloud. Soon, all 17 of us were out on the water in the center of the peaceful cove. We swam around, laughing, splashing, and naturally, tackling each other off of the boards! Stock, Joe, Wyatt, Dyer, and Taylor competed in a game of king of the hill, a relentless battle with many short-lived victories and an unclear champion. Despite the activity being simple in practice, our group truly had so much fun on the water! Dyer declared that it was one of his favorite activities of the trip. King and Glenn threw the football on the beach. After our fun morning, we drove to our sushi making experience for lunch. AB was a natural at the cooking class, showing us all up with her excellent sushi wrapping skills. M.S. and Bebe made some beautiful rolls, while the rest of us tried our hand at nigiri making. Joe and Dyer ended up ditching the traditional Japanese method and decided to take things in to his own hands (literally), attacking the rice and fish caveman-style! We laughed a ton at our extremely amateur sushi skills. We arrived back at the accommodations around 3 pm, after a quick gas station snack run and dove into trip evals and some other housekeeping paperwork. Soon after, we got ready for our big banquet dinner! We set off on foot to the final supper, jamming to music and stopping on the beach to take photos to capture the moment! We arrived at our BBQ dinner on top of a hill over looking the water just in time to appreciate the stunning sunset. It felt awesome to be outside and grill and reward ourselves a fun dinner after our hard work these past 17 days. Emily and Taylor gave out celebratory paper plate awards. Mochi (Harrison) helped man his table’s grill and adventurously tried out the scallops. Layla, our sweetest and most intentional photographer helped facilitate our final round of group photos and AB kept us smiling for the camera! A 7-11 run on the walk back was a must and everyone picked up their favorite sweet treats for the road. The awesome day was finished off with a bittersweet last Moonup. Lasting nearly three hours, Emily and Taylor led a mini love roast, reading off some of the sentiments the group wrote each other earlier that day. Who better to hear it from than each other! It was an incredibly moving and special night. We shared tons of nugs covering our whole session of laughter and love. This group really is a family and we could not be prouder of our (and your) kids. To finish we lit up an epic firework on the beach, watching the sparks fly as we embraced in a group hug!
Day 17
Thursday, July 9th
We woke the kids up from their (extremely short) slumber at 7 am to pack up and head to the airport. It was a tough wakeup for everyone since the kids stayed up through most of the night soaking up all of their last moments together! Everyone was so helpful getting their own belongings packed and helping leave our accommodation in even better shape than we found it. Caroline, Layla and others triple checked the rooms to make sure nothing was left behind. Dyer, Stock and Addie were also super helpful loading everything on the bus. Before we left, we ate a quick breakfast prepared by our hosts. They’ve been making us yummy fried eggs with yogurt and fruit every morning that our crew thoroughly enjoys. We also got to squeeze in one last coffee run! Annie headed the charge with Maggie, Bebe and Caroline excitedly following behind. Many of the boys also joined them to get some convenience store goodies for the travel day. By 8am, we were on the bus headed to Tokyo. Everyone was so sad to be leaving, but we had a special last morning together laughing, listening to music, and just hanging out on the bus. We have a massive tour bus that could probably fit 100 people, but we all squeezed into three rows up front to be together. Our amazing guide also showered the kids with his love and appreciation for getting to know them over the past few weeks. Before we knew it, we pulled up to the airport to head inside and get checked in for the flight. We had one final group huddle before parting ways. A lot of tears were shed saying goodbye. We truly love these kids so much and have had the best time with each and every one of them.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for sharing your kids with us. ありがとうございます (Arigato gozaimasu) – thank you very much in Japanese! We know they are going to thrive in the rest of high school and beyond, and we can’t wait to cheer them on the whole way. Sending so much love!
♥️💙
Em & T
Fun on Fuji!
July 7, 2026
Hi JPN 2 families!
We’ve been absolutely loving our time together and can’t wait to tell you everything from where we last left off!
Day 8
Tuesday, June 30th
We arrived in Matsumoto and were thrilled to be back in a city after our remote trekking excursion. We hopped off the bus, and T took the boys to lunch while Em took the girls. The boys headed straight to McDonalds for a long awaited taste of the “mcshrimp” burger, also known as the Ebi Filet-O (or Shrimp Filet-O). It’s a Japan-exclusive menu item at McDonald’s. Meanwhile, the girls hit up the grocery and chowed down on all sorts of fruit and tasty sushi, amongst other things. We all reconvened at the hotel and headed out on an afternoon adventure to explore Matsumoto. Stop 1: Matsumoto castle. The castle is surrounded by a deep, wide moat and features 360-degree views of the majestic Japanese Alps. Unlike many other historic Japanese fortresses, Matsumoto is a flatland castle rather than being situated on a hilltop. We marveled at the historic fortress and took some photos before continuing to walk around. Our crew loves a good treat, so naturally, we found a spot to get some ice cream and yummy drinks. We continued to shop around on Nawate Shopping Street and found some souvenirs to bring back home. Addie found a beautiful glass bowl! We headed back to the hotel to shower off from having spent the past several days in the alps. It felt great to feel clean again and reunite with our duffel bags! For dinner we made our way to a local restaurant with all you can eat BBQ. We had quite the meal with some all time high BBQ consumption from our crew. Dyer and Joe ordered a ton of food, including ribs, steak, fries, pancakes, and even squid! At another table, Stock and Harrison (who we call Mochi) crushed several bowls of ice cream and icy-milk drinks in a variety of flavors. With super full bellies that hurt from eating but also laughing, we made our way to Moonup. LODs Maggie and Glenn led a majestic Moonup in front of Matsumoto castle. It was the perfect backdrop for a conversation about our definition of success. Many of us talked about how we strive for a life full of memorable experiences and don’t want to lose sight of priorities like friends and family. We headed to bed excited to travel to Gunma tomorrow to start the next section of our Japanese adventure!
Day 9
Wednesday, July 1
We kicked off July in a ballroom! Literally-we ate breakfast in the most magnificent room that felt straight out of a movie. After fueling up with the most important meal of the day, Em took the girls on a morning coffee run. We went to a cute little cafe nestled in the center of Matsumoto. The entire city was pretty much a ghost town so early, but we managed to find a great local spot. To enter the cafe we had to remove our shoes and change into slippers they provided, a typical ritual all around Japan. We were greeted by two adorable old women who we decided are definitely best friends. They were excited to make us coffee and matcha! We also met some fellow Americans from Michigan, some of the only ones we’ve come across so far. Caroline excitedly struck up a conversation with them and the rest of us joined in once we’d placed our orders. The coffees were delicious and a great way to start the day. The boys kindly loaded all of our bags on the bus and we got on the bus to head to Gunma. On our way there, we had some fun stops along the way. First, we went to Daio Wasabi Farm. The farm has several large fields that feature a meticulous network of small streams to constantly provide each wasabi plant with flowing water. Wasabi can only be grown in pristine conditions, including constant shade and 2 inches of running water. We walked around for a while and tasted some wasabi ice cream which was a hit! It was a super fun morning adventure. Between stops in the bus we played empire-a great group game where everyone picks a celebrity and we try to guess who wrote down which celebrity. Graham (aka King) and Addie were victorious. In the afternoon we visited a second farm but this time we picked cherries. The scavenger hunt through the trees was a big hit within our group where we had a competition to see who could find the largest piece of fruit. Layla, our professional photographer, snapped some great flicks while we were cherry picking. Dyer even found a four-pronged cherry! We arrived at our hotel with just enough time for an afternoon Onsen session which the kids were super excited for. And the best part is that this hotel had the nicest onsen of all the places we’ve been so far. Complete with unlimited toiletries, over a dozen shampoo options, and even face products, everyone loved this spa experience. For dinner we all wore our kimonos! Everyone picked out their own, unique patterns so we represented the whole rainbow with our outfits. Tonight for dinner we were spoiled yet again with an insane buffet. They just keep getting better and better! Everyone crushed all sorts of cuisines from sushi to curry to pizza and everything in between. Following dinner we had a lovely Moonup on the roof of our hotel. For our silly question we talked about what our death row meal would be. Some of y’all were mentioned for family recipes. Maggie said she would want spaghetti and meatballs made by her mom. Our mouths were all watering from the amazing foods that were listed. It was a fun-filled day and we couldn’t wait to be on the river tomorrow.
Day 10
Thursday, July 2nd
White water rafting today! It poured rain all night which made for great rafting conditions. The river was especially high, which meant we were able to extend our rafting section to be on the river even longer. We listened to some throwback tunes and pulled up to meet our rafting guides at 8:30 sharp. The JPN 2 crew got suited up in our full wetsuits, booties, helmets, and life jackets, and hopped in the bus to drive to the river. We split into three rafts for the day. Raft 1, aka the shaggin wagon (an ode to our favorite dance), was Em, Stock, Dyer, Maggie and Annie. Raft 2 was Taylor, Caroline, Mary Sellers, Joe, and Wyatt. And our final raft was Bebe, Addie, Layla, Mochi, King, and Glenn. As we headed down the river Em and T’s rafts both played games of wavelength between the rapids. We had a few opportunities to jump in and swim, and even had some splash battles along the way. About halfway down the river we all hopped out to dunk our heads under a waterfall. The water was freezing so it was a real wake up call! We hopped back into the rafts and kept paddling strong through the rapids. The highlight of the whole experience was when we got to go cliff jumping off the side of the river. Layla crushed her fear of heights and jumped off with a smile on her face. Our guides also surprised us with a makeshift slide on the rocks where we got to run and slide into the river. Annie was the first to jump in! Caroline and Taylor even slid in tandem and Dyer followed quickly behind. For our final portion rafting, Annie manned the guides position on her raft. Both of her parents used to be raft guides, so she was a natural leader of the raft. We seriously had a blast all morning in the river! We pulled our rafts out of the river and headed back for lunch at the outfitters base. This lunch was sooo much fun as we got to cook our own BBQ. LODs Bebe and Stock took the lead manning the grills, but Dyer, Caroline, and Joe were excited to be sous chefs. The whole group wanted to help make our awesome meal. We have such a great group of helpers who always want to lend a hand! We chowed down on all sorts of BBQ meats, veggies, and even noodles, too. We also listened to some great tunes, courtesy of Stock’s curated playlist. Following lunch, we headed back to our little town and had a fun afternoon exploration. Em and T led the kids to a cafe called Kimamaya where everyone picked out various baked goods, ice cream, and coffee. The town is pretty desolate, but really fun to walk through and explore in the afternoon when some shops are open. Back at the hotel we had a fun afternoon enjoying each other’s company. The kids all wrote postcards home to y’all (make sure to keep an eye out in the mail!) and played a ton of games in the game room. Everyone also visited the onsen, too. It has become a daily routine and everyone is really trying to soak up all of the fun cultural experience while they can! Before we knew it it was time for dinner. Tonight King and Dyer had an ice cream eating competition and both put down a seriously impressive amount of ice cream: 9 bowls each, all with Oreos mixed in from the coldstone station. We were truly shocked they just kept going back to the ice cream bar to get more! Dyer beat King by 0.5 bowls, a tight competition but he was victorious nonetheless! Our Moonup tonight, led by Bebe and Stock, was the most memorable and special yet. Over 2 hours long, we all really opened up and shared. Our crew just keeps getting closer every day and we feel so grateful to have such a safe, supportive environment within the group. We closed out Moonup by complimenting the person sitting on your left. It meant a lot to hear all of the incredibly kind words everyone had to share. Post Moonup the kids all went to the Onsen for a second time today. It is such a relaxing way to finish off the day and relax before bed. Canyoning tomorrow… and we can’t wait!
Day 11
Friday, July 3rd
In typical T & Em fashion we woke the kids up and asked them if they knew what day it was??! It’s a great day to be alive!!!! And we truly couldn’t be more excited for the day to come! We feasted at the hotel breakfast where Addie even had ice cream with her French toast. Everyone was already dressed for the day so we hopped in the bus for our short ride to the canyoning spot. It was the same location as where we white water rafted, so everyone knew the drill for getting all geared up. We were laughing at how they sized our wetsuits, especially Joe, since hes so tall compared to the guides! On our way to the canyoning spot we blasted some tunes and all sang along. Our morning canyoning had a fairly long hike to the in point, and we were all thoroughly soaked from sweating in our wetsuits. We hopped in the river and slid down our first warm-up slide. Everyone was eager to jump in, especially Wyatt! Then, we made our way even higher in the river to an enormous slide where we all had a blast going down. We started out going down solo, but then started grouping up to make big train lines down. It was hilarious to watch and even more fun to experience. The river was extra high so the water was flowing even more rapidly than usual, which our crew enjoyed. We headed back to the BBQ spot for lunch and our LODs Joe and Annie headed the charge with making lunch. Joe perfected making ribs and impressed us all with his grilling abilities. We wiggled back into our wetsuits and took off for the second section of canyoneering! This was the more extreme route, so we pumped ourselves up on the drive over with some hype music to get in the zone. Once we were thoroughly riled up and off the bus, we began our canyoning. The first run was right next to a huge waterfall. We spent the next couple of hours making our way down the canyon through the water, laughing and excitedly encouraging each other at each section. The group had fun naming each of the sections runs. They took their naming inspiration mostly King. The runs were awesomely intense and definitely a high of the trip! Stock had a huge grin on his face as he popped up from jumping off one of the waterfalls! The fun was contagious and we victoriously blasted celebratory songs in the bus on the way back to the rafting center. In the afternoon we made a pit stop for ice cream and went back to the hotel. That evening Joe and M.S. were absolute menaces playing pool and won six games in a row. Mochi ended up defeating the reining champs with Em, but Mochi totally carried the team. Dinner was at the hotel where we wore our kimonos again and felt comfortable and stylish. For Moonup, Joe and Annie planned a super uplifting, fun conversation about our favorite memories. Many of you were mentioned and it is clear how much the kids adore all of you and the shared experiences you’ve created with them.
Day 12
Saturday, July 4th
HBD to America!!!! 250 years and we were so excited to celebrate all the way across the world!!! The kids all had a mega sleepover last night in Annie and M.S.’s room to celebrate, so we got to wake them all up in unison. The tatami mats are super conducive for a sleepover because everyone can make their own beds on the floor with a shikibuton (traditional Japanese mattress) and a kakebuton (comforter). The rooms in our hotel each have a decent sized tatami mat room where everyone piled in. We woke them up to Courtesy of the Red White and Blue and passed out red, white and blue beaded necklaces. Everyone put on their best Fourth of July outfits and we enjoyed our last breakfast at the glorious hotel in Minakami. Em scouted out a cafe nearby the hotel, so we went to get some morning treats before getting on the bus. Begrudgingly, King and Joe ended up ordering black coffee for the caffeine boost even though they’d much prefer a latte. They claim they’re still feeling supercharged from it! We also tried some yummy banana bread and “American” chocolate chip cookies on theme for the fourth. We hopped on the bus and blasted classic American music for the entirety of our three hour drive. Our theme of the whole day was a mystery, as we wanted to continuously surprise the kids with fun Fourth of July celebrations. Our first surprise was a hike… which wasn’t the most exciting for some of the group but everyone ended up with a big smile on their face when they found out where we were headed. We visited the Chureito Pagoda in Yamanashi which is the iconic postcard that people think of when they hear Japan. Perched on a mountainside overlooking Fujiyoshida City, the pagoda is at the top of 400 steps. But our group doesn’t do anything halfway, so naturally we decided to continue ascending up into the forest above in search of a better view. We ended up making it all the way to Turtle Rock and got a great workout in. It felt super rewarding to sweat and move our bodies after sitting in the car for a few hours. On our way down the mountain we stopped to take a photo in front of the five-story tall pagoda. We were all dripped out in our Fourth of July outfits and felt very patriotic! After we reached the bottom we got some fruit and ice cream at a little stand at the base. Joe, Caroline, Bebe, Em, and T all tried the Fuji apples. They were delicious! Layla and M.S. got their favorite Japanese treat: Tanghulu strawberries. We walked through town enjoying our treats and got back on the bus to finish out our drive. We arrived back to our accomodation, where we stayed on night one, and it felt almost nostalgic to be back to our roots. The kids were all reminiscing on how much they’ve grown even closer as a group since our first couple of nights together when we stayed here before. LODs M.S. and Dyer really stepped up as leaders to help facilitate the rest of the afternoon and evening of fourth of July fun. We had tons of surprises up our sleeve! For starters, they divided the group into a red and a blue team for a competitive game of kickball. Everyone changed into their respective team colors and we scouted out a field for our game right near the hotel. Taylor played the national anthem to kickoff the game in true American fashion. We had a ton of fun and laughed the whole time we played this game! The MVP of the red team was Addie, thanks to her stellar pitching and catching abilities! On the blue team, Maggie really came in clutch as a catcher helping lead them to a win. The blue team was victorious in the end, winning 8-5. After our fun game outside, everyone wanted to hit the onsen before dinner. It was an especially big priority considering it’s our last onsen of the trip 🙁 !! Everyone was squeaky clean for dinner and the boys even wore their kimonos. Following dinner, Em and T brought out another surprise -watermelon and firework sparklers courtesy of our awesome guide Roy! Taylor cut up the watermelon into perfect slices and we chowed down while lighting the sparklers. It was an awesome celebration and felt just like being back home for the holiday! As always, Layla got some great photos. Stock crushed an entire fourth of the watermelon by himself in basically two bites. It was impressive! We made it back inside just before it started raining and finished off the day strong with one last activity: Karaoke! It was SO much fun to dance and sing together in the basement of our hotel where we could be as loud as we wanted on the mic’s. Our crew sang their hearts out and had a blast, per usual. Right before bed we had a very special guest arrive: Anna Brugh from the office! AB will be joining us for the last bits of our trip and we couldn’t be more excited to have her. Our family of 16 grew to 17! Everyone packed their bags for the big day heading to Fuji tomorrow and hit the hay for a full nights rest. It was such a fun day and we laughed and smiled the whole day celebrating 250 years of the U.S.A.!
Day 13
Sunday, July 5th
Sunday morning, day 13, we rose pumped to climb Mt. Fuji. We packed and made our way to our last buffet meal of the trip. Everyone got to officially welcome AB and get to know her over breakfast! Naturally, she fits right in to our little family and we could not be happier that she is visiting our trip! After we ate, we suited up and passed out trekking poles in the lobby. Soon, our spectacular Fuji Mountain Guides greeted us at our hotel. All three are english speaking and have some awesome outdoor adventure lore. Monica is from England, Dillion is from New Zealand, and Michael is from Australia. We are in great hands. Our crew transferred to the mountain, stopping at Family Mart on the way there to grab lunch to go. Stock, Caroline, and M.S. tried out a yummy looking peanut-butter sandwich, similar in appearance to an uncrushable. Once at the base of Mt. Fuji, our wonderful guides gifted us Japanese headbands called hachimaki. These traditional cloth bands feature inspirational kanji characters and the rising sun. The headbands are worn to symbolize effort, courage, and determination… just the accessory we needed to fire us up to hike! The weather on the mountain is quite temperamental, and as a result our group stopped several times for water, snacks, and to take off and put on layers. We ate our lunch quickly so as not to get too cool standing still. Our trek was in total around 5 hours. Hiking against rock, rain, and cold winds, we pushed forward up the mountain one step at a time! Before we knew it, the 7.9 Station hut appeared from behind the mist! The hut is quaint, perched on the side of the mountain overlooking the trail below. Getting inside the hut and out of our rain soaked clothes was quite the process. Upon stepping inside, the staff helped towel our wet outer layers off before putting our boots, socks, and packs in plastic bags. We hug up our wet clothes on lines inside. The sleeping arrangement was an open bunk room style, one massive sleep over. All of our belongings went in our bunks and we changed into dry clothes. Once warm, we were able to enjoy ourselves and the free time until dinner. The mountain hut environment was an awesome space, perfect for our group. We took in the view as Caroline, Mochi (Harrison), M.S., Emily and Taylor played a round of spades. Caroline and Taylor were the champs! Mochi is a seasoned vet, playing regularly with family at home and he helped us get a hang of the game. Meanwhile, an intense game of Monopoly Deal went down at the other table. Spearheaded by AB, the rest of the boys really got into it and the game is to be continued later. The girls snuggled up in the bunks above, looking through camera photos and watching over us. Dinner was delicious curry and rice. It was the perfect hearty meal to fill our stomachs and warm our bodies. After dinner, we cozied up under the drying table. We did moonup right there, led by Glenn and Maggie. We talked about some of our favorite family traditions and advice we would give to our younger selves. Despite no wooden walking sticks around, Dyer got creative and offered up his flip flop to be stamped with the Mt. Fuji hot branding iron stamps. The result was epic and we were all jealous we left our flops at home. We hit the hay early (at 8 pm!) for our early rise the next day. A day full of laughs and new unforgettable memories!
Day 14
Monday, July 6th
Today was a big day! The biggest of the trip. This is what we had been prepping for over the past 13 days. This was game day. This was summiting Mt. Fuji!! We woke up at 4:00 AM in our cozy mountain hut. Our group’s first thoughts were celebrating our very own Layla McWhorters 16th birthday! A birthday on a trip is always a highlight, and we could not imagine a girl more deserving of celebration than Layla. While she might be our youngest, she is one of the most considerate, mature, and delightful kids I have ever had the privilege to lead. M.S. started the birthday wishes and Annie and King began their morning by giving sweet Layla a birthday hug on her special day. And what a place to celebrate your sweet 16th, on top of Mt. Fuji in Japan. Definitely one she will remember forever! Our troops dressed quickly in our trekking clothes, (mostly) dry and bundled up in our layers and rain gear, ready to attack the day and crush the summit! We fueled up on hot rice and eggs. This was AB’s first mountain breakfast of the trip and she enjoyed it. Never the type to skip an opportunity to sing, we serenaded Layla with the happy birthday song at 4:30 in the morning! She blew out her HBD candle while sporting a shiny crown, and we presented her with a little mermaid birthday card, hand signed by our whole group. Soon after, we set off on foot away from 7.9 station hut up the mountain to the peak above. MS and Maggie told Taylor about their past trips and their favorite Moondance memories as we gradually trekked higher and higher in to the clouds. Before we knew it, the summit appeared before us. Caroline was all smiles as she crossed the threshold of the peak of Mt. Fuji under the red torri gate, hands up triumphantly in the air! We formed a human tunnel for Mochi (Harrison) as he bounded under the red Torri gate. Spirits were exceptionally high as ALL 17 members of the JPN 2 crew SUMMITED MT. FUJI! An indescribably joyous moment was shared together on that mountain and Emily and Taylor are so extraordinarily proud of this group. We celebrated with packs of gummy bears, countless victory photos, and (of course) music and dancing. We might be among the first people ever to dance the Carolina Shag on top of the Japanese peak. Once we thoroughly soaked in the epic moment, we headed back down the mountain. Stopping briefly at the 7.9 station for a bathroom break, Wyatt took the opportunity to get a few last minutes playing Kendama with the hut employees. Kendama is a traditional Japanese skill toy, consisting of a wooden handle with a spike and three cups, and a wooden ball attached by a string. The object of the game is to swing the ball and catch it on the cups or spear it with the spike. Wyatt is a pro at the game, showing up several of the employees! After setting off back down the mountain, the rock beneath our feet started to become looser and felt almost like sand. The texture of the terrain enabled us to almost ski and slide down the mountain. It was a blast and Joe and Stock led the pack down. In a few hours we were back down at the base of the mountain, our hiking boots full of rocks and our faces full of smiles. We said goodbye to our awesome guides and hopped in the van to drive to Gotemba station. We were reunited with Roy and our bus and we stopped at the grocery for lunch around noon. Addie and our LODs helped us in the check out line. Grubbin on our lunch in the bus, Caroline enjoyed her Japanese sweet potato, complete with butter on the side! The drive to the beach put almost all 14 kids to sleep, and we have never heard the bus so quiet as they napped. We reached our long awaited beach town: Shimoda! Our awesome home for the next three nights, the Pension Turtle House, was just what we needed after being on the mountain for a couple of days. We showered, changed, and regrouped for a 7-11 snack run to hold us over until dinner. We got smoothies, snacks, and ice cream for Layla’s bday. We enjoyed our well deserved treats as we walked back on the beach. Downtime at the Turtle house before dinner was spent journaling, playing monopoly, and jamming to music. Vibes were great and Dyer set up his hammock outside and napped. We ate dinner prepared by our lovely hosts at Turtle House, followed by moonup led by Layla and Wyatt! The kids all piled into one room to have another mega sleepover. They’ve decided they want to spend as much time as possible together before parting ways in a couple of days. It’s so special to see everyone so close and genuinely wanting to spend so much quality time with each other.
Day 15
Tuesday, July 7th
BEACH DAY! Let’s go!!! The kids all woke up at 7:30 thrilled to start the day. Almost everyone lasted on the tatami mat bed fortress they’d created. Before breakfast, AB took the whole JPN 2 crew to 7-11 to get coffee and some breakfast goodies. Glenn even got an ice cream bar! With only a few days left in Japan, they’re taking every opportunity possible to experience the culture, which includes an abundance of 7-11 trips. For breakfast we had super yummy fried eggs with speck, amazing bread, and yogurt cups. We were full and fueled for a big day in the sun! Before heading to surf, we were able to catch 30 mins of the World Cup soccer game which was a ton of fun. We were sad to see the outcome, but excited that we got to watch some of the game. At around 10 am we arrived at our surf spot and were so pumped to get in the water. We got suited up in our wetsuits where Bebe and Maggie looked just like power ranger characters in their blue and yellow outfits. In no time at all we were in the water catching waves. Caroline and Stock popped right up on their boards and were naturals in the water. Annie and Maggie were also pros, having been several times on past Moondance trips or with their families. And King also got up on his board, which was so impressive since he’d never surfed before! After a couple of hours surfing in the water we hopped out and tanned to dry off. Em, Maggie, Bebe, Annie and M.S. listened to some country tunes and soaked up the sun. Then we headed into the town of Shimoda for another delectable grocery store lunch. Stock, Mochi, Glenn, and Wyatt ventured to a Japanese fast food restaurant for lunch which they loved. Everyone chowed down, and afterwards we also got some ice cream for dessert. The whole crew did some thrift shopping and found souvenirs to bring back home. Addie is so thoughtful and found several gifts for her family. The day wasn’t over yet! We had some afternoon surprises up our sleeve… Everyone piled back in the bus and we headed to the Ryugu Sea Cave and Toji Sand Hill for more fun in the sun. At the cave, we snapped a great group photo. The cave has a massive hole in the middle, and from the top you can even see a heart shape that naturally forms in the sand. Our most fun part of the day was once we made it to the sand hill. We split into three teams for our big relay race competition! Taylors team included Dyer, M.S., Wyatt, Layla and Bebe. They named themselves the champions. Ems team was Joe, Annie, King, Addie and Glenn. And last but not least, on ABs team was Stock, Caroline, Mochi and Maggie. Em’s team was victorious in the end and even lapped the others! The relay was so fun and also quite the workout. The rules were as follows: everyone began at the top of the massive sand hill, one person from each team rode down on the sand sleds, jumped into the water, and ran back up to pass off the sled to their other team members. We were all totally gassed after but had a blast competing and swimming in the ocean. We’re all back at the Turtle House now hanging out outside. It’s a perfect 70-degree day and we are all soaking up every minute we can together.
We cannot express our appreciation enough for the time we have with your truly outstanding kids. Kudos for raising such amazing young adults. We are so sad that we only have one more full day together but are cherishing our time as much as we can. I know they are so excited to see you all soon, share photos and stories, and give y’all big hugs!
Sending all our love,
Em & T
SHOUTOUTS!
Annie: Hi Mom and Dad!! I don’t think I can ever say thank you enough for sending me on this trip. It has flown by, and I am so grateful I have been able to spend the past 2 weeks with these amazing people. This is the coolest and most beautiful place I have ever been, and I know yall would love it as much as I do. This experience has been so special and unforgettable. Mt. Fuji was super cool and rewarding. Thank y’all so much and see you soon!! 🇯🇵💗✌️
Maggie: Hi guys!! I will never forget the day I came home from 6th grade and asked yall to send me to Moondance and you loved the idea as much as me. I could never put into words my gratitude for your willingness to allow me to spread my wings. Moondance has absolutely changed my life and transformed me into a better version of myself. I am so thankful that you guys work so hard and I get these opportunities. Today we woke up at 4:00 to summit Fuji and it was by for the coolest experience of my life. I have met the most amazing people and done the most amazing things here. I’m having the time of my life! Every time I see something beautiful here I think of yall! Can’t believe that I get to see you guys in 3 days! I’m so excited to show you pictures and tell you everything, but at the same time I’m so sad to leave. I love you all more than anything!
Bebe: Hi mom and dad! Thank you so so so much for letting me come to this amazing trip!! I have had the best time and I have done so many amazing things with the best group! I can’t even express how lucky and grateful I feel to be here right now on my 5th moondance trip you guys have sent me on! These trips have genuinely changed my life for the better, as they have allowed me to grow as a person and have allowed me to experience new cultures and places that I love! I miss y’all so much and am so excited to see you in three days, even when I’m not ready to leave yet! Give Zeus, Romy, and Hunter hugs for me! Love you guys 😘🤡, Bebe
Caroline: Hey Mom and Dad! I am so so thankful for the opportunity y’all have given me to go to JAPAN! It is so gorgeous and I am having a fantastic time with the absolute best group. I am loving every minute, and I am grateful for this trip of a lifetime. This place and the people will be hard to leave, but I look forward to seeing y’all soon! Love y’all💗 – Caroline
Mary Sellers: Hi crew!! Thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip everything is amazing from our group to the activities!! Today we summited Fuji which is genuinely the coolest thing I’ve everyone and I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it when I get home. Moondance has allowed me to learn so much about myself and the world and I have grown so much over the past few years. The friends that I’ve made and experiences I’ve had would not be possible without you guys and all of your sacrifices, so just thank you again! I also got souvenirs for y’all that I can’t wait to give y’all in a few short days! Love you guys bunches 💗 – Mar Mar
Addie Daub: Hey fam! I love you so much and want to thank you for this great opportunity you’ve given me! I can’t tell you how much this trip means to me. I’ve had so much fun and learned so much! I can’t wait to share all my stories when I get home in three days! Tell Lily and the boys I love them and I miss all
of you!❤️❤️❤️
Stockton: Thank you mom and dad so much for sending me on this trip, I have had an amazing time. Mt. Fuji was insane and I can’t wait to show you photos. Tell Millie and Kate I love them and miss them. I love
y’all so much and can’t wait to brag to y’all how amazing this trip was.
Graham: Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip. It’s so much fun and I love everyone on it. I just got done climbing Mt. Fuji and it was insane. Tell Harrison I kinda miss him and I can’t wait to see y’all in 3 days!
Dyer: what’s up guys? We just summit Mount Fuji today and it was so fun and I have a fun surprise for you dad when we get back. Dad, happy birthday! I got you a fun little gift here that you will really like. Everyone in my group is still amazing and we’ve already started planning our reunion. Can’t wait to see you guys when I get home and can’t wait to see all my friends, buck and Lulu, and Willy’s. From the one and only, Gaines Dyer Fields.
Glenn: we just submitted mount Fuji and it was super fun. This trip has been amazing the group and the leaders are great and I’m having the best time. I miss all you’ll. Thank you mom for sending me on this trip. Can’t wait to see you when I get home.
Harrison: Thank you mom and dad for letting me come on this amazing trip. We summited Mt. Fuji this morning which was very cool and rewarding. Everyone on this trip is awesome and is great to get to know. I miss y’all so much and can’t wait to see y’all in a couple of days and tell y’all all about it.
Joe: thank y’all so much for this opportunity, I am so very grateful. This is by far the best Moondance trip I have been a part of, and appreciate that I was able to come here. See y’all soon. We’ve also done some pretty rad things.
Wyatt: thanks mom and dad so much for this awesome adventure through Japan I can’t believe it’s
already coming to an end but I can’t wait to see you guys.
Layla: Hey Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip. I’ve had the best time!! We summited Mount Fuji on my birthday. This is definitely a birthday I won’t forget. I love and miss y’all so much and can’t wait to see you.
Good ole' time in Japan!
June 30, 2026
Hello from the Japanese Alps! We are so thrilled to share all of our adventures from the past week. Each of your kids have been an absolute delight to get to know, and our group is quickly turning into one big family. We adore this group and cannot wait to tell you all about what we’ve been up to. Let’s jump in!
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a week since we picked everyone up at the airport. We were so eager for the kids to land in Tokyo and couldn’t wait to meet them! Wyatt was the first arrival, fresh off the plane from Seattle. We chatted with him and learned all about his insanely cool hobbies including golf, cold plunging, kite boarding, and more. Think of any sport and he’s done it! Before we knew it the group flight from ATL was on the ground and the kids started coming through from customs. We could tell off the bat that this was going to be an awesome crew considering how social and excited they all were to get to know each other. Unsurprisingly, Dyer, Stock, and Graham had already been joking in our big group chat. Several kids sat together on the plane and had already become fast friends. After running through the usual airport checklist including collecting passports, phones, and exchanging dollars into Japanese Yen, we headed into the city for our first night. We also met our local guide, Roy, at the airport. He is a motorcycle fanatic, loves Americans, and has so much fun energy. We know we are in good hands with him! On our first night we stayed in the Ikebukuro neighborhood. Ikebukuro is one of Tokyo’s big three commercial hubs, known for being less touristy and more local. Anime and pop culture are big here, which we quickly discovered just from driving in. Once we dropped our bags at the hotel, we immediately began to explore. First stop: 7-11! There’s no better way to start our adventure than with a huge muckbang of foreign delicacies. Taylor gave some of his favorite snack recommendations including the delicious chocolate wafer bar filled with vanilla ice cream. Dyer and Wyatt both devoured theirs. We learned Harrison’s nickname is Mochi – especially fitting for Japan. The girls picked out some yummy candy to fuel them until dinner time, and we headed on our way to walk around the neighborhood. Our most notable stops included a pet store with the most adorable puppies and kittens, and an enormous 4-story tall claw machine arcade. Good thing we had tons of Yen to spend because the kids all excitedly spent their 100 Yen coins trying to win prizes. Unfortunately, the JPN 2 crew was unsuccessful and we decided that the machines were rigged. Nonetheless, we had a blast and were totally shocked to learn how popular these stores are in Japan. After a little more exploring the city we decided to pause our walk and have a pre-dinner Moonup. The kids were all wiped (rightfully so) after their 14+ hour travel day, so we wanted to make sure to have a good first night Moonup before everyone was falling asleep. We circled up in the middle of a square in Ikeburkuro and kicked off the trip in typical Moondance fashion by asking everyone about one goal they have for the trip. Many of them shared about how excited they are to experience Japanese culture and make memories that will last a lifetime. Our crew is full of Moondance vets and truly the best of the best. We feel so lucky to have such a special group who all care so much about Moondance and making this the best trip yet! For our first LODs we elected Bebe and Wyatt-both of whom impressed us immediately with their natural ability to connect with everyone in the group. We are confident that they will be amazing leaders for our first full day together! Following Moonup we headed to dinner where we had incredible ramen. We had to kick off the trip with a traditional Japanese meal and this certainly hit the spot after a long travel day. Joe impressively slurped down his entire bowl of spicy ramen! On the way back to our hotel we chatted and laughed through the streets of Tokyo. It was a great night cap to our first hours together and we went to bed so excited for all that is to come.
Our first full day! We spent most of the day exploring Tokyo and it was an absolute blast. We started off with a great breakfast spread at our hotel. The kids all loved the scrambled eggs, which are slightly less cooked here but still just as good, if not even better than in the U.S.. Everyone packed up their bags and loaded into the bus to drive to our first destination: Meiji Jingu Shrine. We walked into the spectacular, 40-foot tall Torii gates of the shrine where we snapped our first group photo. To provide some historic and cultural context… this is Tokyos most iconic Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, the two leaders who modernized Japan. The site is spectacular, as it’s nestled inside of a man made forest that spans 170-acres. We made our way into the center of the shrine where our guide Roy taught us the traditional Shinto practice: bow twice, clap your hands twice, make a silent wish, and bow once more. You must toss a coin into the center while making your main offering. It is really so special to enter into this oasis in the center of one of the biggest cities in the world. Some of the kids also bought a small wooden plaque called an ema to write personal prayers, wishes, or expressions of gratitude. Addie and Layla were especially excited to write on their plaques and inspired several others to follow their lead! After walking around the peaceful grounds, we made our way to Harajuku street. This famous street is known for its shopping, including dozens of unique storefronts with Japanese sweets and souvenirs. Our first store was a cute cafe where Bebe, Mary Sellers, Caroline, Maggie and Annie bought coffees as a little morning caffeine boost. Emily stuck with the girls and Taylor took the boys. The girls group also discovered sugar coated strawberries and a beauty store with tons of high-quality, yet inexpensive products. Caroline and Annie excitedly purchased some brands they’d seen online! Meanwhile, Dyer, Joe and Harrison picked up some stylish shades that they haven’t taken off since! After a full morning of walking, we’d worked up our appetite for lunch, so we made a quick pit stop to grab a bite to eat. Following lunch, Roy guided us to the famous Shibuya crossing. This iconic intersection is famous for its “scramble” effect and known for its orderly flow of people crossing in many directions at once. In fact, up to 3,000 people can cross at one time. It was a cool site to see! Our final Tokyo destination was in the Shinjuku neighborhood to watch the famous 3D cat billboard. If you stand at just the right angle it feels like the cat is walking towards you. This has become a huge attraction in the city and the unofficial mascot of the Shinjuku neighborhood-a cultural nod to the playful nature of the neighborhood while and attracting more visitors. With tired legs from a long day of exploring, we hopped back on the bus to head to our hotel for the night and prepare for the trekking portion of our trip. We jammed out to some tunes, shared stories from back home, and all got to know each other better on the bus ride. Dinner was a delectable buffet including sushi, fried chicken, rice bowls, noodles, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. This hotel really has it all! Post-dinner we prepared our GORP (Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts) snack bags for trekking. Instead of just the classic snacks, we also threw in some wasabi peas and candy too to fuel us while we’re on the trail. Everyone was tasked with naming their bags, and we declared the GORP name champion to be Caroline. Following our trekking prep, we had a great Moonup led by Bebe and Wyatt. They posed a loaded but great question: if you were in a room with everyone you’d ever met, who would you walk up to talk to first and why? It has been so meaningful to watch the group grow so close in just a few days. Everyone is really so invested in getting to know one another and it is making for an excellent group dynamic already!
Prep for trekking today! When we went to wake up the group, we found them all already hanging out waiting for breakfast. It’s so great to see everyone meshing and getting closer every second! This morning we said goodbye to our big duffels and headed into the mountains to begin trekking. LODs Joe and Annie helped facilitate packing and ensured everyone had brought all of the right equipment. We met our guides at a sports store around lunchtime to check off the most important gear items. Our two guides for the trip are David and Naka-gee. David is originally from the U.S. but has been living in Japan for 19 years. Naka-gee is native to Japan and could hike through the alps with his eyes closed from so many years of experience. They greeted us and we briefly reviewed the route we’d have over the next several days. Once we were all approved and had everything we needed, we wound up the steep alpine roads to reach our hotel. Upon arrival, David led us in a nature walk around the surrounding area. It was a little drizzly, but beautiful nonetheless. The surrounding area is really spectacular and it felt great to be up in the mountains. Back at our hotel, we taught the kids how to play Codenames-one of our favorite group games. Using a board of 25 cards, you have to connect cards with one word clues. Emily and Taylor were the first code givers and it was a competitive round. For round 2, we had a smaller game. Graham gave clues to Emily and Layla and Stock gave clues to Taylor and Addie. Graham’s team was victorious, but it was a close game! For dinner we had an insane spread of fresh seafood, amongst other delectable plates. Joe shared his love for wasabi and the group all especially enjoyed the vanilla soft serve (and toppings!). We played more games after dinner, but this time Uno, a classic. Then, David and Naka-gee gave us a cultural briefing of the area with some local tips. We learned more about the beautiful country that we have the privilege of traveling to. David explained that a huge difference between Japan and the U.S. is that everyone in Japan considers how their actions will affect others even before they think of themselves. This is one of the reasons why the country is so clean and orderly, which we are continuing to experience throughout our time here. Joe and Annie led a great Moonup with the silly question of what five liquids we’d want to have “on tap” for our five fingers. Some people really got creative and included gasoline and liquid gold as part of their lineup! We laughed a lot after a great day together and headed to bed to rest up for the first official day of trekking to begin in the morning.
We woke up on day 5 so excited to start trekking! Per usual, our crew devoured breakfast from a full buffet of goodies. Yogurt, French toast, and so much delicious fruit! We prepped our packs for the day and hit the trail around 8 am. We had to slightly alter our trekking route due to the two forecasted typhoons, but they luckily didn’t affect us at all besides a little rain. The morning was ideal hiking weather. Before starting, we re-introduced ourselves to our two guides and shared some fun facts to help them remember every name. Then we hit the trail and began our climb up to a mountain hut where lunch was waiting for us. After about 30 minutes of hiking we did some off-trail bushwhacking. Naka-gee led the pack with Joe and Graham following right behind. This was both challenging and hilarious… whenever we asked where we were going, Naka-gee responded “up!”. Despite the difficult conditions, trail convos prevailed and kept us entertained. Before we knew it, we’d emerged out of the bushes and were back on our clear path – our fun adventure in the forest! We continued up the trail, crossing some mountain roads along the way. The area we were hiking is located in the pristine Norikura Highlands near Matsumoto City and the region of Nagano. We ate lunch at a small local hut where the owner made us rice balls filled with umeboshi: a pickled plum that tastes more like apricot. We added a lot of rice to our ultimate rice bowl stat tracker! Our lunch stop was the highest elevation point of the day, so it was all downhill in the afternoon. On our way down, Emily, Joe, Graham, Maggie, and Mary Sellers played an intense game of wavelength. One of our very favorite trail games where one person tries to guess a number 1-10 by posing individual questions to people who are playing. The best part of the game is asking personalized questions. Meanwhile, Taylor had an awesome conversation about favorite movies with Stock, Wyatt and Bebe, including their ultimate lists of “must-see” movies. Taylor also talked with Addie and Mary Sellers about books and their love of reading. We were really chatting the whole time! Our guides surprised us on the way down by taking a different route to see a waterfall. Not only was there one waterfall, but THREE spectacular falls all in a row. We hiked up about 100 ft to get a more prime view where we could see them all at once. The farthest left waterfall was the smallest, but still just as stunning as the rock jutted out and water trickled down. The middle was more narrow but had a ton of volume. And on the far right was an enormous rock face with water flowing all the way down. We have lots of photos and videos to remember just how spectacular the waterfalls were, and I know the kids will all be excited to show you them soon! We finished out the hike strong as it flattened out and became more of a nature walk. Em and Bebe talked for a while about our families and friends back home. We had Bebe last year and it’s been such a treat to have her a second time and catch up on all we’ve missed over the last year. Em and Taylor also journaled with Mary Sellers, Maggie, and Annie while Bebe, Layla, and Caroline made friendship bracelets. We ate dinner at 6 pm and all chowed down. We were ravenous after our hike! Highlights of dinner included the ramen, rice bowls (per usual), fresh sashimi and nigiri, and well as ice cream (of course!). At dinner we went around the table saying our high, low, buffalo of the day. Buffalo is something random/fun/funny that happened. Many people shared their high of the day was bushwhacking. We didn’t have many lows from JPN 2 and all agreed that it was an awesome day hiking. Moonup tonight was led by Stock and Maggie and was our most intentional one yet. These two LODs really stepped it up a notch and made a Moonup we will all remember. Everyone has become so comfortable with each other and it’s evident that our group is a safe space. As leaders, it is so special to watch the group bond so quickly, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the dynamic of our crew. We have a silly closer activity where we lay on our stomachs in a circle that Emily and Taylor led the kids in to close out Moonup. Day 5 was an awesome full trekking day and we can’t wait to share all about the rest of our hikes together!
Rise and shine on day six! Our first day of hut to hut trekking! We made our way down to breakfast at 7 am. Our second morning at Karasawa Hütte meant we were pros at the buffet at this point. We made sure to eat up for our big trekking day. We were out the door, shoe laces tied, and on the bus ready for the day by 7:45. We took the bus to Kappa Bridge (Kappabashi) in Nagano. The bridge is a famous wooden suspension in Kamikochi, a mountain resort area near Matsumoto, Japan, known as the “Switzerland of Japan”. It’s a major symbol of the area, with iconic views of the Azusa River and the Hotaka mountain range. We hiked from here to lunch at a local mountain hut. On the way there, Glenn talked to Taylor about his epic post grad trip he is trying to plan before college. Sounds like it is going to be absolutely awesome! We had a bite to eat and played hacky sack in the meantime. From there we continued hiking and Graham (aka King) and Addie talked about their love of scary movies. Glenn is a big reader we have learned and he spearheaded a conversation talking about our favorite books. We trekked over snow and rock all the way up to our cozy mountain hut. Harrison, Emily, and others played the country game to pass the time. Meanwhile, Wyatt, Stock, and Caroline discussed their dream jobs. This whole group has such a bright future ahead of them! We were lucky to have sun and spectacular 360 views along the journey. The hut is breathtakingly beautiful itself, and surrounded by strikingly gorgeous mountains incasing the awesome refuge. We sat down for an early supper at 5. Dinner was a filling burger, baked chicken, rice and potato salad. During dinner Caroline shared how she teaches cotillion (manners and dancing) back at home to kids in Charleston. Stock asked her if she knew how to shag, she said of course and they got up and did the beginning of the dance. With the help of Taylor, the pair finalized the routine. Quickly, everyone was up out of their seats trying to figure out how to shag. We moved our dance party outdoors on the deck to really boogie. Before long, the JPN 2 crew were quite the dancers! Layla caught some awesome moments on her dope camera. Layla is the best photographer of the group and is intentional and diligent with her lens! The shag quickly turned into a game of shake and pop, a Moondance classic! Dyer and Bebe really got into it, and Graham’s signature move had everyone dying laughing each time! It was a fantastic evening, one of my most special memories with Moondance and an amazing group of students ever. Winding down, LOD’s Addie and Graham conducted an excellent Moonup, where we talked about some of our dreams and things we want to accomplish by the end of our lives. Soon, quiet hours in the hut set in and lights went out at 9PM. A really strong day!
Early wake up call in the mountains at 5:40 AM on day seven! How are we already a week into our fantastic Japanese adventure?! The hut was a spectacular place to wake up in as the sun rose over the mountains, casting an orange hue over the surrounding peaks. Six AM breakfast provided us with a stunning view over the valley as we warmed up with steaming bowls of rice and hot tea. Japanese egg and potato filled our bellies while we packed up and prepared for the day. While we brushed our teeth in the outdoor sink, we took in the picturesque scenery longer. Joe commented on how uniquely lucky we are to be here in the current moment together. I could not agree more. We started our trek down with some makeshift snow sledding! Except, instead of traditional sleds our rain pants served as the perfect propel down the powdery hill. It was some old classic fun. The morale was exceptionally high as we made our way down the mountain. The sun was out and nothing could dampen our spirits. Never a silent crew, conversations flowed continuously as we walked. Emily and Stock had a meaningful conversation about their grandfathers and Stock spoke about his epic goal to start a philanthropy, providing a similar supportive environment to Moonup! Upon reaching our lunch destination, we played hacky sack until our chow was ready. Maggie was the last man standing and the champ of this group wide game. We enjoyed curry rice dishes and the fresh mountain air. We picked up the pace on our hike back down and laughed all the way! Down in the valley, our American guide David had the wonderful idea to cool off in the river before continuing. The river was bone chillingly cold but our brave group persevered as we dunked our bodies into the glacier water. It was just the thing we needed to wake ourselves up for the remainder of the day. Caroline and MS declared they could run a marathon after our reviving mountain cold plunge! As we trekked on, we nourished our minds with brain-teasingly puzzling riddles! MS was the first to get Taylor’s favorite “how many are there” riddle and told some of her own after. MS loves riddles and her games kept us busy until we reached our home for the night. Before we could check in, first we had to get right down to business… ICE CREAM! The perfect reward for completing our trekking section of the trip in the Japanese alps. After gobbling up our sweet treats, we checked into the hotel and enjoyed our deserved free time. Our meal was truly one of the best we’ve had so far and we are all still dreaming of the wagyu steak. Dyer couldn’t get enough of the tender goodness and lit up after his first bite, promising us it was the best steak he’s ever had. Joe adventurously ate three of the fried fish. These fish are a local delicacy, able to be eaten whole, and Joe gobbled them up, tail and eyeballs and all! After dinner we naturally needed more ice cream and it hit the spot. We then hung out in this awesome playroom building separate from the main lodge. Here we climbed on the mini rock wall, played darts, journaled, played cards, made bracelets, and jammed out to some tunes. It was the perfect room to keep us entertained and fun to be together soaking up each other’s company. Joe found a picture book on prehistoric animals and impressed us all with his Dino knowledge. Meanwhile, Layla and Glenn competed in a game of cards. Glenn, a blackjack lover, was in his element with the deck in his hand. To wrap up the night, Layla and Dyer led us in a sweet Moonup where we described our dream concert line up and discussed some of the most important people to us. Harrison had one of the best line ups with Chris Stapleton and Alan Jackson heading his perfect concert! To close, we partnered up and showed off our new dance skills from the night before. Lights out at 9 in our big bunk room!
Today is day 8 of the trip and we seriously can’t believe how fast the time is flying by. Last night we stayed in an awesome mountain hut that was more luxurious than any mountain hut we’ve experienced to date. We stayed in one mega room but each had our own sleeping cubbies with bedding. We slept on shikibutons (a foldable floor mattress) with comfy duvet covers. Everyone had a little oasis to themselves! In the huts everyone wakes up to the sun, so even though we didn’t need to be up until later today we all rose naturally. Dyer was up the earliest and hung out with us while we wrote our update to y’all! Taylor got the kids up for breakfast at 7. We had yummy omelettes and breakfast sausages, amongst other small traditional Japanese plates. After packing up our bags, Mary Sellers, Maggie, Caroline and Addie had some breakfast ice cream. Then we hit the trail! We had a flat and short walk to the trailhead this AM and arrived around 10 am. We parted ways with our fantastic guides David and Naka-gee and are now heading to Matsumoto for the day. Tomorrow we will make our way to Gunma where we have a couple days of water activities in the river. We can’t wait! On the trail today we did some calculating of trip stats that we wanted to share:
Ice cream cones: 98
Friendship bracelets made: 24
Kilometers trekked: 60
Dances learned: 2
Hacky sack games: 5
Bowls of rice consumed: 316
Japanese phrases learned: 7
Slippers misused: 362
It has been such a special week with your kids and we love them all dearly. We are so grateful and appreciative that you are sharing them with us. We will check back in soon!
Love,
Em & T
♥️💙
SHOUTOUTS!
Harrison: What’s up Mom, Dad, Bill, Eloise, Cooper, and Swift. Thank y’all so much for letting me experience this beautiful country. We have explored Tokyo, trekked in the Japan Alps, and have made some great friends along the way. I am so appreciative for y’all and miss y’all so much. Thank you so much and love y’all tons.
Glenn: Thank you mom for allowing me to come on this amazing trip.I am having so much fun.We are seeing beautiful views and experiencing the culture. Miss you
Wyatt: thanks mom and dad so much for this amazing opportunity. The rivers look like nothing I have ever see and the backcountry skiing potential is absolutely crazy. Me and Finn would have the best skiing days ever. Miss you all lots.
Bebe: Hi mom and dad! I’m having the most amazing time here in Japan! I’ve made the most amazing friends and I have made so many new memories that I’ll remember forever! The food here is also really good and I’ve been able to have my Japanese sweet potatoes thank God! For most of our meals we have had buffets and it’s all super yummy! Japan is absolutely beautiful and the views here are insane! We’ve done so many fun activities and our group has gotten soo close! I love y’all so much and could not thank u guys enough for this amazing opportunity that u guys have given me! I’m so excited to see you guys so soon! Give Hunter, Jake (when he comes back), Zeus and Roman hugs for me! Also hiii to any of my friends reading this- I miss y’all so much! Also dad- 🤡🤡
Maggie: Hi everyone!! I am having the best time ever! Japan is beautiful and I have the most amazing group. I can’t wait to tell you all about it. I’ve been eating some amazing food and ice cream! We just finished trekking and we’re on the way to canyoneering and white water rafting and I’m so excited! Thank you so much for this opportunity. There have been so many moments where I have been overwhelmed with joy and gratitude! I have talked so much about how special y’all are to me. Happy birthday Goggy and happy anniversary Mom and Dad! Micah I hope drivers ed ended well. I love you buddy! Last night during moonup I said you were the most important person in my life! I love you all and I can’t wait to hug everyone! Tell Taylor: moon and I wish star but no. I miss you my best! Tell Carter I miss him so much and can’t wait to see him!
Dyer: I don’t really know who all has access to read this so hi to all!! To Mom and Dad – just because I’m not with y’all doesn’t mean it’s boring, I’m having so much fun and everyone in my group is getting closer and closer. We are all very close with everyone, the views are the best views I’ve ever seen and all the activities are so fun. You guys would love the towns and the views and all the activities. Mom, I know how you feel training for your 29029, we have done a lot of hiking and trekking but it has been so fun. The food here is very different and so cool and it’s been amazing and I know yall would love it. I’ve been telling them all about Willy’s and have been hyping y’all up so when we have a reunion yall better live up to the hype. Tell buck and lulu I said hey and tell my friends that there’s no California roles but the sushi is very good.🧌
Annie: Hi!! I have having SO SO much fun!! Japan is literally the coolest and most different place I have ever been. The food is pretty good, yet it is very different from what I expected (no tuna avocado rolls). My favorite part has been the beautiful places we have stayed in. Mom/Dad/Evs – Thank y’all so much for allowing me to go on this trip. Please tell buster and Rosie I say hello and that I love them. Y’all would love all the whitewater and the temperature. Grandmommy – I hope you are able to read this. I can’t wait to tell you about this amazing trip, and I know you would really enjoy it! Love and miss y’all so much!!!✌️🍣🏔️
Layla: Hey fam!! I MISS y’all so much! I’m having so much fun. Japan is actually the coolest place I’ve ever been to. I’ve taken so many photos on the new camera and I can’t wait to show you all the places I’ve been. My favorite part is when we played games and learned how to shag at the top of a mountain. I’ll see y’all in a week and love and miss y’all.
Mary Sellers: Hi fam, Sophie, Annie, and anyone else who might be reading this!! I miss y’all so so much but it is so cool here. My group is AMAZING and I’ve made so many new friends. We’ve gone to Tokyo and trekked so far and we stayed in this mountain hut that was actually so cool – and I can’t wait to show y’all videos and photos of everything! I’m also getting enough to eat so don’t worry – lots of rice and tofu. I hope the lake is fun and please give Ruthie and Boots so many pets from me!! Sophie and Annie (and anyone else) make sure to send me updates I can’t wait to hear what y’all have been up to! Thank y’all again for sending me on this. I am so so grateful! I love you all so so much and will see y’all soon!! ❤️🏔️
Stock: Hey Mom, Dad, Millie, and Kate I hope y’all are doing well. Japan is crazy. There are so many cultural differences. I am having a great time and getting to try many Japanese snacks and buying souvenirs. We just finished trekking and now we are going to a hostel for canyoneering and white water rafting. I have made many new friends. And just so Kate and Millie know I have gone to 7/11 many times and gotten to try many snacks I will try and bring some back for them to try. I hope Millie’s out west trip went well and can’t wait to hear all about it when I get back. This trip has really influenced me to go for the mystery trip next year. Just have one final trip in the books. The family trip to Japan must happen because I think y’all would love it even though it is so different from home. I love y’all so much and also happy late birthday dad.(I will get you something cool from a shop here)
Joe: Hey mom and Jose I hope y’all are having a blast back at home without me, because I sure am having a great time. I have already made some of the best memories and had some of the most fun days of my life, we have all gotten so close. I’m not going to try and spend hours writing out an update, because I’m sure yall are chilling without me. As well as the multiple day trekking trips going from hostel to hostel with just 2 pairs of everything packed into a backpack. We got to go to the city some as well and well and have learned a lot about the culture. Tell Ben, Luci, ruby, and Brayden 😭 that I love and miss them. Love y’all lots, and thank you for this incredible opportunity to see the world and experience this all.
Graham: hey mom and dad I hope y’all are having a great time back home. I have made a lot of friends here and even though it’s only been 8 days. The culture here is so cool and interesting I wish y’all were picking me up here. We just got done with trekking and the views were amazing. Anyways I can’t wait to see y’all in 9 days!
Caroline: Hey mom and dad I miss y’all soo much! I am having the absolute best time in Japan with the closest group. The culture is totally different but really cool to experience. I know yall are having the best time in SC celebrating the great 250🇺🇸! Tell everyone I said hello and that I taught our group the shag. Happy belated birthday dad! I love y’all and can’t wait to tell y’all all about the amazing stuff we are doing here in Japan💗
Addie: Hey mom and dad! I love you so much and I hope everything is going well! It’s been so great in japan and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! I’ve met the greatest people and we’ve all gotten so close. So far we’ve explored Tokyo and went trekking. I learned how to shag and the views reminded me of Mont Blanc! Tell Lily and the boys I love them. I’ve been on the hunt for your souvenirs and have found great things. Can’t wait to see you on the 9th! 😘
Konnichiwa from Japan!
June 24, 2026
Hello Japan 2 Families!
We heard from our leaders 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 couple weeks! 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
