Bittersweet Send Off In Spain
July 3, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!
We hope everyone has made it safely to their next destination for the summer. We already miss our incredible second group! What an unforgettable two weeks it has been.
After 14 adventure-filled days together, everyone can now say they explored two countries, summited three mountains, surfed, descended canyons, climbed, wandered bustling souks, learned phrases in new languages, shared meals with locals, and made friendships that will last far beyond this trip. More than anything, this group reminded us what it looks like to truly live in the moment. There was never a dull moment- someone was always laughing, dancing, asking a ridiculous icebreaker question, starting a game of hacky sack, or finding a new way to entertain the rest of us. Everyone embraced every challenge with open eyes, open arms, and open hearts, and because of that, these past two weeks became something incredibly special.
From caring for our beloved melon “Carlos” throughout Spain, to celebrating the summer solstice with a barbecue, to surfing under the sunshine alongside local kids in the ocean, to endless games of Steal the Bacon, chicken fights, and frisbee in the pool, this group squeezed every ounce of joy out of every day. We danced to Justin Bieber, surprised everyone with Sour Patch Kids at the summit, wrapped ourselves in colorful scarves while wandering the souks, and ended nearly every night playing Calabria together-much to the amusement of both ourselves and anyone walking by our hostels. Along the way, we were welcomed by so many wonderful people who made this experience even richer. We loved learning from each of them and seeing how eager our group was to connect with people from all over the world.
Some Moonup moments deserve a special shoutout…
Our talent show proved that this group was just as talented as they were hilarious. Louise raised the bar with her incredible dancing, while everyone else contributed their own unique talents, making for one of our favorite evenings together. Our final Moonups also reminded us how deeply this group cared for one another. Everyone was willing to be vulnerable, celebrate each other’s growth, and recognize the ways every single person contributed to the magic of this session. Those conversations reminded us that while adventures make a trip memorable, it’s the people who make it meaningful.
This trip would not have been the same without the twelve incredible students who filled every moment with laughter, encouragement, and excitement–
Landon seemed to make friends everywhere we went. Whether he was handing out high-fives, fist bumps, hugs, or new nicknames, he made everyone-from our guides to complete strangers-feel welcome. He was almost always at the front of the trail chatting with our guides about life, showing genuine curiosity about the people and cultures around him while making sure everyone in our own group felt included too. Walt brought endless golden retriever energy to every single day. If there was a pool nearby, he was the first one in. If music came on, he was already dancing (especially if it was an early 2000s throwback). His enthusiasm was contagious, and watching him discover his newfound love for Moroccan pancakes topped with cream cheese and honey became one of many running jokes from the trip. Crawford approached every activity with enthusiasm, but canyoneering quickly became one of his favorites. Beyond his adventurous spirit, he was someone people naturally gravitated toward during more challenging moments. Whether talking someone through a tough section of a hike or simply sharing conversations during long travel days, his calm and supportive presence made a difference throughout the trip. Carter and Elle absolutely crushed their roles as Leaders of the Day for our summit. Carter’s motivational speech got everyone excited for the climb ahead, and the matching traditional Moroccan hats he and Elle proudly wore at the summit perfectly captured how fully they embraced the culture around them. Even more impressive was watching Carter conquer his fear of heights, especially while standing proudly atop the highest peak in Northern Africa. Jonny somehow always knew exactly where we needed to be next. Whether navigating airports or keeping everyone moving smoothly through travel days, he had an incredible sense for logistics. Once we got into the water, his natural surfing ability shined just as brightly, and it was so much fun watching him thrive in the waves. Charlie was always ready for a game of hacky sack or a conversation about soccer. His knowledge of the World Cup made exploring countries that continue to celebrate the tournament even more fun, and his excitement was infectious. Beyond that, he consistently put others before himself, showing quiet leadership and selflessness throughout every hike and activity. Van always seemed to know exactly what the group needed. Sometimes it was one of her hilarious accents or impressions that had everyone laughing, while other times it was her maturity during Moonup discussions that helped create meaningful conversations. She also embraced Moroccan culture wholeheartedly, confidently bargaining through the markets and showing genuine curiosity about the holistic medicines and traditions we encountered.
Elle kept us laughing from start to finish. Whether she was pulling another random story out of nowhere, asking one of her wonderfully strange icebreaker questions, or entertaining everyone hiking alongside the caboose, she had a gift for making every moment more fun. Her positivity never seemed to run out. Lelia reached the summit with an incredible sense of pride. After practicing impressive discipline by avoiding sugar throughout the trip, she decided the summit was the perfect place to break her streak with a celebratory Sour Patch Kid-an unforgettable moment for all of us. She also loved learning to cook traditional Moroccan dishes and spent nearly every free moment practicing new guitar chords, making remarkable progress over just two weeks. Louise was such a positive role model throughout the trip. Whether she was effortlessly surfing, encouraging others, dancing during our talent show, or simply showing kindness to everyone around her, she brought warmth and energy to every activity and made people feel welcome wherever she was. Libby became the group’s unofficial MC, (as well as the official MC for our talent show). She could always get a conversation started, organize a game, or convince everyone to dance. Her introduction of Calabria quickly became our nightly tradition, and watching our entire group enthusiastically play every evening became entertaining not only for us leaders, but for plenty of curious locals as well. Ava brought confidence, humor, and so much personality to our group. Even while pushing through difficult elevation on our hikes, she somehow managed to keep everyone laughing with her perfectly timed comments. As her first trip outside of the United States, she embraced every new experience with curiosity-from learning about different cultures to getting to know every person in our group-and it was incredibly rewarding to watch her stand proudly on top of the mountain.
One of the greatest accomplishments of this trip was standing together after summitting at 13,671 feet. The hike to basecamp was filled with songs, conversations, and anticipation, and the summit morning tested every one of us. Yet not once did this group lose its positivity. Instead, they encouraged one another every step of the way, celebrated each milestone together, and somehow even found enough energy to dance to Justin Bieber on top of the tallest mountain in Northern Africa. Watching everyone reach the summit-followed by the surprise Sour Patch Kids waiting at the top-was a moment none of us will ever forget.
Of course, the mountains weren’t the only highlights. Standing together on our final summit in Spain, surrounded by breathtaking 360-degree views stretching all the way to the coastline, reminded us just how lucky we were to experience these places together. Every hike, surf session, pool game, market visit, shared meal, and late-night conversation helped shape this adventure into something much bigger than a vacation. Looking back, what stands out most isn’t just everything we accomplished-it’s how we accomplished it. This group embraced every challenge with positivity, very few complaints, and an incredible willingness to be themselves. For two weeks, everyone put down their phones, forgot about social media, laughed without worrying what anyone thought, and fully immersed themselves in each moment. They connected with people across cultures, supported one another through challenges, and showed genuine curiosity everywhere we went. Watching these friendships grow alongside hacky sack skills, surfing confidence, mountain legs, and cultural understanding has been one of the greatest joys of our summer.
Thank you all for making Spain and Morocco 2B such an unforgettable adventure. We are so proud of everything each of you accomplished and even more proud of the people you chose to be throughout these two weeks. We wish everyone the very best as they head into another school year, and we hope the rest of your summer is full of adventure, laughter, and opportunities to continue saying “yes” to new experiences. Your Moondance family will always be cheering you on, and we are so grateful you chose to spend these two weeks with us.
Cheers and LITMO!
Love,
Georgia and Sam
Mount Toubkal Here We Come!
June 29, 2026
Hello again, this time from Morocco!
We have had an eventful past few days- we absolutely loved the remainder of our time in Spain and were very sad to say goodbye to the views, the weather, the food, and our lovely guides.
Before we left, we were lucky enough to experience the most spectacular views from the Picos de Europa. Landon and Libby led us through the plunging gorge from the town of Cain to Sotres. Crawford and Walt took advantage of a flat area along the scenic hike during lunch to get a chill and enjoy the views before any storms could roll in.
Carter and Ava led a meaningful Moonup during our last night in Spain with the backdrop of glowing mountains from the setting sun behind them. All of the girls embraced Moroccan culture during our morning in the Marrakesh markets by wearing traditional scarfs and the boys did by trying to become best friends with the locals. Leila’s optimism and power of conversation helped several group members push through a challenging but rewarding summit hike. It was a beautiful sunny day!
Jonny helped everyone out in the airport by offering to carry others’ heavy bags, showing great expedition behavior, one of our important lessons we teach at Moondance. He also helped us finish the remainder of a classic Spanish dish on our last night, cachopo, making sure we showed our Spanish hosts our precision for the rich meals they were serving us.
Van and Elle are a power duo when bringing the humor on airport day and just all around in order to keep everyone smiling after an early wake up. Louise has found tons of new foods she likes and showed off her kneading skills during our cooking class where we learned how to make a traditional breakfast Moroccan pancake called msenem. Charlie and Jonny gave us encouraging words in preparation for our hike up Toubkal the night before our trek.
We have had such a variety of amazing experiences in both Spain and Morocco, and I think we can all agree that Spain is much more geographically diverse than we expected, and Morocco is full of color and culture.
We have loved every minute we have spent together here and cannot wait to accomplish our next activity- the tallest summit in North Africa- Mount Toubkal!
Cheers,
Sam and Georgia
van- Hey mom, dad, mac, and Julian, I am having a blast! The culture here in Morocco is so cool! Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to travel and experience new things. See y’all soon!!🗻🗻
Elle- HEYYY I miss y’all so much! I am having a blast and everything in Morocco is so cool!! We are about to summit Mt. Toubkal! Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity I am so lucky to get to experience this!! Love y’all and see you soon!
Charlie – Hey guys, I’m having a great time. Morocco is awesome; I got y’all some good souvenirs in the markets and we’re starting our summit of Toubkal today. See you in Portugal. ⛰️
Crawford- Hey mom, thank you so much. This trip is amazing, we are otw to MT Toubkal right now and we will reach base camp tonight then summit tomorrow. You should looking it up. I can’t wait to see u. I love you
Jonathan-Hey mom and dad, I’m having so much fun in Morocco! Heading up to the Atlas Mountains, and I can’t wait to see y’all and tell you about it! Thanks for sending me on this trip! ⛰️
Landon-Hey mom and dad thank you so much for letting me go on this trip. This trip is amazing and we are on the way to the Atlas Mountains, and I can’t wait to see y’all when I get back.
Walt- Hey Mom and Dad thanks for letting me go on this trip. We are now in Morocco about to hike Mount Tub-call. I am excited to see y’all soon!
Carter- hey mom and dad this trip is awesome. We are about to hike the Atlas Mountains. Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip! This had been an awesome experience. Excited to see y’all!
Lelia- hey mom and dad thank you so much for this trip I’ve had an amazing time! I hope y’all are also having a good time in Portugal. We are about to go on a hike for three days I am kinda scared because it is going to be hard. I met amazing friends and am having a great time. I’m excited to see y’all soon! I love y’all.
Louise- hey mom and dad! I can’t thank yall enough for sending me on this trip! I’ve met lots of new friends and got to experience new cultures! We are going to hike the tallest mountain in north Africa and I can’t wait to tell yall about it after! Tell Blair I’m excited for the lake too😆! Thank yall so much and I love and miss yall! 🤍
Ava- hey mom!!! I hope everything at home is going good and I hope daisy is okay I miss her sooo much. I got you a surprise I can’t wait to give it to you. Tell Grayson I said hey and I am so excited to tell him all about the trip and that I can’t wait to see him!!! This trip has been so much fun we’re in Morocco right now and it’s definitely been my favorite place so far. The culture is amazing and so is the food. We’re on the way to go hike Mt. Toubkal it’s been so much fun iv made so many friends and I’m creating the best memories. Can’t wait to see y’all in a few days. Love you!! 🩷
Libby- hey mom!!! The trip has been a lot of fun and we have finally made it to Morocco. We stayed in this guy named Muhammad’s house for two nice and it was so good omg the food and there was it a pool- it was great. We are now making our way to start hiking Mt. Toubkal and we are all scared… but I’m sure it will be fun. I am sad the trip is ending but I am excited to see you all!! Tell Pop EVERYONE I said hi. Love you!!!
Surfing In Spain!
June 24, 2026
What an incredible first few days we’ve had in Spain! From surfing the waves of the Cantabrian Sea to climbing some of the tallest cliffs in the country, this group has embraced every challenge with enthusiasm, courage, and positivity. We feel incredibly lucky to be traveling with such an amazing group of students. Everyone has stepped outside their comfort zone, supported one another, and fully leaned into the adventure. We can’t wait to see what lies ahead as we begin our trekking section!
The group arrived in Madrid full of excitement and ready for the adventure ahead. From there, we traveled north to Llanes, where we met our wonderful local outfitters, Alex, Carlos, and Lucia, who have already helped make this experience so memorable.
Louise absolutely crushed surfing on both days, picking it up quickly and riding wave after wave with a smile, even becoming the first in our group to stand up on a board alongside our honorary mascot, a melon named Carlos. Crawford has been a constant source of encouragement, helping teammates work through their fears during the via ferrata and cheering everyone on along the way. Charlie led us up a beautiful summit on our first hike in the Picos de Europa and demonstrated outstanding expedition behavior as Leader of the Day by sharing snacks, offering water, and helping carry gear for others. Johnny has been quick to get the group engaged, leading Moondance games and naturally stepping into leadership roles throughout our travels. Walt proved to be an incredible surfer and showed great bravery while leading the way through sections of our canyoning adventure. Carter has worked hard to overcome his fear of heights and has played a huge role in helping the group connect and build strong relationships. Elle brings endless energy, curiosity, and humor to each day and has embraced every thrill, especially when it comes to cliff jumping. Ava has brought confidence and authenticity to the group, opening up during Moonup discussions and helping create a welcoming environment where everyone feels comfortable being themselves. Libby keeps our van rides lively with great music, fun conversations, and a positive attitude that helps bring everyone together. Landon has kept the group both fed and entertained, stepping up as a breakfast chef and sharing a contagious sense of humor that keeps everyone smiling. Van has remained calm and composed through every challenge, from climbing to ziplining, and her laid-back attitude has helped keep the group grounded. Lelia has proven to be a fast learner, recently picking up the guitar and already making impressive progress-we’re all hoping for a Moonup concert sometime soon!
For the past two days, we’ve been out of service while staying in a beautiful mountain refuge nestled in an enchanted forest. From there, we embarked on a challenging summit day that rewarded us with breathtaking 360-degree views of the Picos de Europa. Every student showed incredible perseverance on the climb, and it was inspiring to watch the camaraderie grow with every mile. Listening to their conversations, seeing them encourage one another, and watching new friendships develop has been one of the highlights of the trip so far.
The group is truly embracing what it means to Live in the Moment-taking in the beauty of Spain, appreciating the local culture, and making the most of every opportunity.
As we begin our trekking section, we’re excited to see how the group continues to grow, bond, and gain confidence in themselves and each other. They are motivated, excited, and ready for the challenge ahead.
More adventures to come!
Salud!!
Georgia & Sam
Shoutouts from our crew!
Van -hey mom and dad, I’m having so much fun! It is so unbelievably beautiful! The hostels are so so cool here!! The mountains here are so cool! We need to all come here together. My group is so great!! Love and miss y’all!!😘😘⛰️⛰️
Elle- Hey mom dad ward reese and taylor!! I miss you guys so much but I am having a blast here in Spain!! Today we submitted a mountain it was hard but the view was really pretty! My group is great and I’ve made so many friends! Love and miss you guys! And tell the dogs hi! 😘
Carter- sup mom and dad having a blast super fun. Awesome views and having a great time with new friends. We submitted a mountain today and the views were sick. I miss y’all🤝⛰️
Jonathan- what’s up fam, having a blast! Spain is lit, so many fun things! Can’t wait to see you guys!🗻⛰️🌊🏄♂️
Ava- hey mom scott grayson and siblings , Spain is sooo much fun!!! I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it when I get home!!! I’ve met so many cool people and the views are amazing!!!! Hope y’all are having a blast on your trip and I hope you’re doing okay Grayson I miss you tons and have told everyone about you!!! Miss y’all sooo much!!!!!! ❤️
Libby- hey mom and John!!! Spain has been so much fun so far and I have met some great friends! We summited our first mountain today and it was hard but the view was worth it. Love y’all so much and I can’t wait to tell you all about the trip when I get home.🇪🇸⛰️😍❤️😘👑☺️❤️💕♥️💙💜💔💗🖤💛💜❣️💓🧡💘💝💟🤎🤍❤️🔥❤️🩹
Lelia- hey mom and dad! I am having so much fun here it is very cool here. So far we have gone surfing, canyoneering, and hiking. All of the girls here are really sweet! I do miss my friends a lot! We are finishing the week in Spain and then next week we are flying to Morocco. I have also been playing some instruments a little bit and hacky sack. Thank y’all for this opportunity I am so grateful to be here. I love y’all and can’t wait to see y’all in a little over thank a week!!😆 (also can y’all send this to Jerry to send to Eli)
Louise!!- hey mom, dad, William, and dren!!!! I am having so so so much fun 🤩 I was pretty good at surfing and it was SO much fun- def my fav thing yet! Then we also went canyoneering at I got lots of good videos! Can’t wait to share 😉 thank y’all for the GoPro and for sending me on this trip it has been one of the most awesome experiences of my life! Today we summited a mountain and it was hard to get up but the view was totally worth it! The way down was also so beautiful 😍! Love y’all all so much and can’t wait to see and share even more 🩷 also drennan I hope your enjoying my room 😉😉💙
Crawford- Hey mom, hope you are having fun. I miss you and everyone. So far we have gone surfing, canyoneering, hiking, and a ropes course. It’s really fun I got pretty decent at surfing I got to stand up. I love and and will tell more about it when I get home
Charlie – Hey guys, miss you all. Spain has been awesome, we summited a mountain today in the Picos de Europa. Wish Gray a happy birthday for me and I’ll see y’all in Portugal. 🎉🎂🌄
Walt- Hey mom and dad, I am having a great time in Spain. Surfing was very fun and today we climbed a tall mountain. I’m having a blast and am I excited to tell y’all about it.
Landon- Hola mom and dad, I am having a great time in Spain and I miss y’all. We have done surfing, canyoneering, and climbed a tall mountain. I’m having a great time and can’t wait to see y’all.
Safe Arrival!
June 21, 2026
Hello Spain + Morocco Families!
We’ve heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Madrid! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
