Final Farewell!
July 16, 2026
Hey everyone! We are back with our FINAL trip update, and we cannot believe it has come to an end. However, these last few days have been an absolute blast, and we have made sure to make the most of each moment.
July 12th
We awoke in the beautiful Mae Win guest house to a breakfast of pancakes, waffles, crepes, eggs, fruit, avocado, and sourdough. Almost everyone agreed that it was the best breakfast we’d tasted yet! After filling up, we packed our bags and loaded into vans to head to the elephant sanctuary! Upon arrival, we assisted our guides in preparing the food we would feed to the elephants. Addie and Foster helped mash the bananas, while Lila, Betts, Lillian, and Madalyn wrapped the mash in banana leaves to form an elephant burrito. We then walked with the food to the spot where we met five new elephant friends! Everyone hopped right into the action and offered bamboo sticks and the elephant burritos to these hungry herbivores. Jay, Beckett, Addie, and Thomas all got trunk kisses from the elephants, and everyone made sure to snap lots of photos! Soon after, the elephants walked into the creek, and everyone joined them in the water for some aquatic fun! Betts and Lila found themselves as the targets of a direct trunk spray from a mischievous elephant, and we all splashed lots of water onto the elephant’s back. Once the elephants left the water, we stuck around for some fun time of our own. Jay found some rocks to slide on into the creek, and Betts found a good spot to jump from! After some well-earned play time, we said goodbye to the elephants and walked up to the main pavilion, where we feasted on a lunch of fried chicken legs, fried rice, mango, pineapple, passionfruit, and lychee. It was probably the freshest fruit we’d tasted yet!
Afterwards, we hopped back in the vans and made our way to a familiar spot in Chiang Mai: the Riverside Hotel! Upon arrival, everyone changed back into their bathing suits and relaxed by the pool. Everyone got their well-deserved downtime and rest, then we all got dressed and hopped in cars towards the center of Chiang Mai. Once we finished dinner and the sun set, we explored the famous Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market! We split into two groups and walked the streets filled with hundreds of vendors. Everyone popped their heads into as many tents as possible and made sure to buy plenty of stuff to bring home! Beckett bought a tuk-tuk figurine made from an aluminum can, and Ryan and Thomas bought matching boxing shorts. Addie picked out a vintage Thai matchbox, whereas Jay and Lillian made an attempt to negotiate everything they bought. Lila won the award for most stores visited as she tried to visit every vendor we passed! Once everyone felt satisfied with their purchases, we traveled back to the hotel, where we were led in Moonup by Foster and Jay about memories we were gonna take home with us and selected Evan and Lila as our next LODs!
July 13th
Rock Climbing and Rappelling in Chiang Mai day!!! We woke up bright and early, excited to experience climbing in Chiang Mai. We had an incredible Thai x American breakfast. We all had a mix of toast, eggs, fried rice, stir-fry chicken, doughnuts, and lots of fruit. Ryan experimented with and tried the guava juice and loved it. We got into our two vans, and one van took naps and chilled on the way while the other played hype music and sang along. When we arrived at our climbing site, we were welcomed by our amazing guides, EQ, Amber, and Pooey! We played some games to get energized and then split into 2 random groups for the day. Group 1 (Jay, Lily, Betts, Thomas, Addie, and Lillian) was first to brave the 40-meter rappel! They put on their harnesses and helmets and headed up the mountain. Jay led the way. EQ showed us a cool lookout point on the way up! We all took pictures and enjoyed seeing Chiang Mai’s beautiful rolling hills and fields. Then we hiked a bit further and approached a cave. There were a couple of big beehives, so we had to keep quiet so as not to wake them! We climbed through the cave, then came up on another opening where we would begin our rappel. Lillian and Lily were first to rappel in the group, while Jay and Thomas waited patiently and were our caboose. The cave was super cool!!! We were surrounded by limestone, and the sunlight reflected off all of the different colors of stone around us. The rappel made us feel like we were co-stars in Mission Impossible!
Meanwhile, Group 2, Beckett, Madalyn, Evan, Ryan, Foster, and Lila, were rock climbing along a huge wall up in the forest! Madalyn and Beckett were first on the rock walls! Evan got to the very top of every course!!! Then, it was time to meet up for lunch. We sat at a wooden long table under a bamboo hut at the base of the mountain and enjoyed some chicken fried rice, steamed vegetables, and omelets. We passed around chilli sauces, soy sauce, and all the ingredients to make our own bowls. It was so filling and exactly what we needed to refuel for the rest of our afternoon. We had some time to regroup, so we lay down, and the girls braided their hair, and we all told silly stories and hung out. We took turns sharing stories from our mornings with each other. Moments later, it was time for Group 1 to go climbing and Group 2 to go rappelling. At the climbing site, Thomas and Jay took turns belaying each other. Betts climbed all the way to the top of the tallest wall! Lillian and Addie took turns using the GoPro to take vlogs of everyone climbing!! Meanwhile, at the cave, Lila was first to rappel down, and Evan and Ryan were the caboose! We are so proud of everyone for completing the rappel and being so brave and eager to take on the challenge. We reconfirmed at the base and helped put away our climbing gear. Then, we drove back to Riverside House! We showered, and some of us went to 7/11 for a midafternoon snack! As the sun started to go down, we met on the back patio and played kemps. Evan and Beckett were neck-and-neck with Lillian and Anne Slater! We ended the evening by getting takeout from a fried chicken sandwich place up the street! We ate by the pool and played music. We all were craving something sweet, so we walked to a local ice cream shop! Addie got a Bananacoff (Banana x Biscoff) sundae and loved it! Inspired by the fruit in Karen, Ryan got the Mangosteen ice cream! We closed the night with Moonup led by Evan and Lila, where we talked about embarrassing stories and how we’ve grown since the start of high school. Tomorrow our LODs Thomas and Betts will lead us in our cooking class, and as we travel back to Bangkok!
July 14th
Gooood morning! We woke up for our last breakfast in Chiang Mai. We brought our bags down to the lobby and checked out. Our guides, EQ and Amber, met us and split us into four groups of four and gave them each 500 TB to use in the local market. Today, we will be learning to make an authentic Thai meal with local villagers. Each group received a grocery list, then we hopped in the shuttles! Ten short minutes later, we arrived at the market for the scavenger hunt to begin!!! Each group raced from vendor to vendor to buy all of their grocery items. Evan and Foster spoke in Thai to the vendors to communicate what they needed. Evan, Foster, Lillian, and Jay’s group was first to finish the scavenger hunt. Each group stayed under budget and had some extra cash to buy some fun candies! Lily and Foster found some fresh flower necklaces that smelled sooo good. Soon, all the girls were buying necklaces to match! After shopping, Beckett, Lily, Betts, and Madalyn’s group found a local coffee shop across the street, and they joined. Lily got a matcha latte and let her group try it; they said it was delicious. With bags full of groceries, we loaded into our shuttles and drove to a local village.
We were greeted by the village’s local moms. They each introduced themselves, then welcomed us to special stations to prepare the food. Betts worked on seasoning the chicken. Evan and Foster chopped vegetables and prepped the fish. Lily and Madalyn worked on the pumpkin and sweet potato coconut rice ball dessert. Betts worked on assembling the omelets while Beckett mixed the omelet ingredients together. Foster got to pour the chicken into the bamboo to be cooked! Lillian took some candid photos of the group with the camera, too! Everyone lent a helping hand and tried new skills. The meal of fresh fish and chicken with rice and omelets turned out incredibly! The desserts were a huge hit!! We cleaned up, said our thank yous, and got to write the ladies a thank you note in a book and give it to them!
We loaded into our shuttles and drove straight to the airport for our flight to Bangkok. Nugs to Thomas and Betts for checking us into our flights! Everyone took naps on the plane. We shuttled to the hotel we stayed in on our first night together! We checked into our rooms and walked to an authentic Ramen restaurant down the street. The seats were voting booth style. It was super fun, and unlike any restaurant we had been to before! Madalyn got gyoza, and Foster got edamame! Thomas tried some squid ink noodles and liked them! Bravely, Lillian tried the medium spice level, and it was maybe a bit too spicy, but everyone got a laugh out of it, including Lillian!!! We ordered soft serve ice cream cones, then walked to 7/11. We got some airplane snacks and headed back to the hotel. We packed our bags, then gathered for Moonup. We shared how we were going to be intentional about our last full day together. Tomorrow, Ryan and Madalyn will lead us as we explore the Grand Palace in Bangkok!
July 15th
For our final day together, we enjoyed a breakfast of eggs, chicken, stir fry, pineapple, dragonfruit, and juice before we split into vans for our trip to the Grand Palace! The hour-long drive to the center of Bangkok was full of laughter, good music, and high energy for the last day of fun. We arrived at an astonishing view of gilded rooftops, picturesque statues, and jaw-dropping artworks. We spent several hours discussing the various buildings, visiting the Emerald Buddha, and snapping hundreds of pictures. Ryan and Madalyn then took on a tour guiding role and found our final stop in front of the massive Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasad, a building that functions as the place where foreign diplomats are received. For our purposes, though, it served as a spot for a group photoshoot! Afterwards, we walked to a local lunch spot serving traditional Thai dishes for our last Thai-food meal together! Lots of the group enjoyed the chicken pad thai for a proper send off to the country that has expanded our palates so much! Once we wrapped up lunch, we found a nearby Thai souvenir shop with handcrafted gifts for the kids to buy for home. Then, we walked a little further along and stopped for gelato! Foster ordered pistachio-flavored gelato and convinced several others to order it too – and it was delicious! We then found a smaller open-air market to make some final purchases and use the last of our baht before hopping in vans back to the hotel. Upon arriving at the hotel, everyone started the bittersweet process of packing their bags for home, but made sure to spend time hanging out after. Then, we walked to a burger restaurant for our banquet dinner! Everyone dined on some savoury burgers and fries as Anne Slater and Luke passed out paper-plate superlatives! Following dinner, everyone enjoyed a milkshake or sundae for dessert. Evan sipped on a strawberry cheesecake milkshake, and Addie, Beckett, and Thomas savoured every last bite of their ice cream sundaes. As we were walking back to the hotel, we made one last stop at 7-11 to buy some snacks for the flight. Once we were back at the hotel, we gathered for one final Moonup led by Ryan and Madalyn. We reminisced on the funniest moments from the trip and discussed the ways in which we’ve grown over the last few weeks and what we won’t forget when we’re back home. To conclude Moonup, we all relished a massive group hug before grabbing our belongings for one last van ride to the airport. Once we checked in, we spent the next hour reflecting on the trip and starting the painful goodbye process. Everyone made sure to give one last hug to one another and share how much we were going to miss each other. Before we knew it, it was time for the kids to go through security and back home!
These last few weeks have been filled with some of the most hilarious, exciting, breathtaking, and cherishable moments of our lives. We are eternally grateful that you all have shared your kids with us in Thailand. We are so proud of them for being their authentic selves and choosing to be present each day. They have individually brought so much joy into our lives and taught us more than we could have thought to know. We cannot wait to see all the amazing things they will accomplish, and we hope they know we will always be cheering them on from a distance.
We wish you all an enjoyable rest of the summer!
Best,
Anne Slater and Luke
Vivacious Days in the Village!
July 11, 2026
Hello once again! We are back with our third trip update after finishing our service section in Karen Village. The kids were wonderful helpers during our service project, and we made sure to have a good bit of fun along the way!
July 7th
After a lovely night of sleep at Riverside, we awoke to a breakfast of eggs, fried rice, sausage, and fried donut balls provided by our lovely hosts! The kids made quick work of the meal before packing their things for our day in the vans. Our LODs, Lila and Thomas, aided in a grocery store visit to buy up snacks for the next couple of days in Karen Village. Once they arrived back, we hopped in our vans and took off for a long day on the road. Our first stop was at a trailhead to begin our trek. Before we got going, Madelyn and Lila tasted a plant high in vitamin C from one of our guides. Along the hike, Jay and Foster learned how to make a loud “pop” sound by smashing a leaf between their hands. After about 20 minutes of hiking, we found what we had been looking for: a waterfall! We quickly set down our belongings and hopped into the water beneath the waterfall for a much-needed swim break. Jay found a rock slide nearby, all the boys did a zen pose, and everyone took a turn ducking underneath the waterfall! The girls played a game of “Shake and Pop” in the water before it was time to change into dry clothes and continue the trek. The rain started to come down, but our spirits never did, with beautiful views of mountains and vast rice fields to be found all along our path. We arrived back at the vans after an hour of hiking and drove to a local restaurant for a lunch of chicken fried, watermelon, pineapple, and ice cream! It hit the spot for everyone.
The day was not yet at a close as we had a few more hours in the car until we reached Karen Village, but it did not matter. Both vans caught a nasty case of karaoke as the tunes blared all the way back for the back half of our drive. Upon arriving in Karen, we were graciously met by our hosts and settled in quickly. Many of the group opted for hacky sack, and Lila taught Addie some chords on the guitar. That night, we enjoyed a traditional Karen dinner and followed it with a Moonup led by Lila and Thomas. We discussed our hidden talents and a time when we felt most happy before selecting Jay and Betts as our LODs for our first day of service!
July 8th
Before our first day of service began, we helped ourselves to a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, noodles, and toast. Our guides informed the group that our service project would be the continuation of an ongoing project to build water tanks for the Karen community! As soon as we arrived on-site, we put on gloves and broke into two groups. One group would be making cement and using it to fill holes in the tanks, and the other half would fill bags with sand to use in the cement mixtures. Once the sandbag group finished their task, they joined the rest of the group to help add cement to the tanks and base! Lily, Madalyn, Evan, Thomas, and Lily mixed cement for the group and helped pour it into buckets for easy transportation. Foster, Betts, and Lillian added cement to the base and ensured it was smoothed to match the height of the existing base. While we worked, we noticed lots of fuzzy little caterpillars and beautiful blue butterflies all around us, keeping us entertained during our work! Also keeping us entertained were Evan, Ryan, and Jay, who shared riddles with the group to tease our brains as we worked. All throughout, there was singing, laughter, and fun being had! After about two hours of work, we devoured tiny Thai bananas before expanding the base a little bit more and adding the final touches. We finished just in time as the rain started to come down as we made our way back to our host’s house for lunch. That day, we munched on chicken fried rice with fresh cucumber soup and a delectable honey lemon soda. We hung out at the house for a while playing Kemps, in which Thomas and Addie came out on top!
That afternoon, we got to exploring Karen by stopping at the local school! Everyone immediately made a new friend as the kids brought so much joy upon our arrival. We stopped in several classrooms to learn about traditional Karen weaving before Jay, Evan, Ryan, Lily, and Lila got involved in a game of Duck, Duck, Goose! Lillian always had a student holding her hand during our visit. Even with a language barrier, everyone was able to communicate through smiles, laughter, and shared joy. After a few hours of fun, we waved goodbye to the kids and walked back to the house, where we started painting a sign that would soon be hung at the site of our service project. Jay thoughtfully sketched out the starting plans on the wooden board, with lots of input from everyone else! Afterwards, Thomas, Beckett, and Addie spent time learning the intricacies of the Rubik’s Cube while Evan, Ryan, Jay, and Luke played a game of Hearts. For dinner, we savoured fried chicken, veggies, coconut cream soup, fries, and steamed rice with chili sauce. We ate every last bite, but still had room for a dessert of passionfruit, watermelon, pineapple, and mangosteen. One of our guides, Gun, wowed the entire group with stories and wisdom from his past as a Buddhist monk! At Moonup, Betts and Jay led the way with questions asking about animal combinations and the best decisions we have made before selecting Lillian and Evan as our next LODs!
July 9th
For our second day of service, we awoke to a breakfast of egg sandwiches and fruit before heading to our service site for the next steps of our project. Today, we would be plastering the tanks with concrete, and everyone got directly to business! Evan mixed six tubs of concrete for the group to use! All the while, Ryan got up on a ladder to hit some tougher to reach spots, and Thomas used his natural height to do the same! We were at it for several hours, ensuring that every inch was filled. As we were wrapping up, Foster, Lila, Madalyn, and Lila all went to pick cabbage that would be used in our soup for lunch! We made our way back to the house, where the boys played hacky sack and Rubik’s Cube upon arrival. Soon after, we enjoyed a lunch of spicy pad mama with chicken and soup. Everyone said it was exactly what they needed!
We took some time to chill afterwards, but were back on our feet once again to learn more about the community in which we were staying. That afternoon, we stopped by the house of the village’s medicine man, where we discovered and even tried some of the local herbal remedies! Afterwards, we stopped by another house where we learned about different methods the Karen used to catch their food and how the Karen shelled their rice. On the way back, we stopped at a rice field to enjoy the views, but it wasn’t long before an all-out mudfight took place! We couldn’t resist and spent the next thirty minutes playing in the mud. There was not a single inch of clean skin until we all washed off in the river! We then made our way back to the house, where a game of ninja broke out, and Beckett was declared the winner. Before dinner, Anne Slater gave a ballroom dancing lesson, and everyone joined in on the fun! Beckett, Foster, Addie, and Thomas held a friendly competition for best duo, and it could not have been more akin to an episode of Dancing with the Stars! Evan, Lillian, Foster, Lily, and Lila helped our hosts cook dinner, which was chicken stir fry, curry, purple rice, and fruit. Like the night before, there was not a morsel left! At Moonup, Lillian and Evan led a discussion on the best advice we’d ever received and closed the night with dancing and the selection of Beckett and Lily to be our LODs for our final day of service!
July 10th
On our last full day in Karen, we were greeted with a breakfast of eggs, noodles, toast, and fruit, which filled us up before the last stretch of work ahead! That day, we would be re-plastering and painting the towers, culminating our three days of work in Karen. On the steep walk up to our service site, the group sang “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” before donning gloves, cement scrapers, and paint brushes to finish our project. Lily, Lila, Foster, and Betts jumped right into painting one of the towers, while Thomas, Addie, Jay, Ryan, and Evan got started on another coat of plaster for the second tower. Foster and Ryan got up on the ladder to get the higher spots, Lillian worked on smoothing out the concrete, and we quickly wrapped up our last morning of service! We ate lunch back at our host’s house, where we feasted on chicken pad Thai and a chocolate jelly soup that Thomas really enjoyed! We had a bit of downtime, so the girls settled for naps and the boys played games.
However, it wasn’t long before we were back on our feet once again, and this time, we were making our way back to the service site to put on the finishing touches of our project! Everyone grabbed a paintbrush, and we were soon decorating one of the water towers with our names and other designs! Foster painted “MOONDANCE” on one side while Betts added our trip code, “THA 2B” underneath. Jay wowed the group with his artistic font, and Thomas gave everyone a good chuckle with his large font size. On the backside of the tank, some of the group decided to paint shoutouts of their hometowns and states! Beckett and Lila made sure to make theirs big enough for Texas, Betts and Madalyn honored Atlanta, while Addie and Evan paid their respects to Ohio. We added a few more designs that paid homage to our trip, then made our way back to the house. Ryan and Jay matched several local kids in arm wrestling and paper airplane throwing, while the girls made their way to the rice fields to take photos. Eventually, everyone, including some locals, joined in the photoshoot! For our last dinner in Karen, we dined on fried chicken, veggie curry, rice, stew, dragonfruit, and passionfruit. Following dinner, we were welcomed at a church service put on by the village to thank us for our contributions! We thanked them for their hospitality in the form of songs, which were “Revival” by Zach Bryan and “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker. Lila played guitar, and everyone sang along. Afterwards, Beckett, Madalyn, and Lila thanked the Karen people for hosting us and offered us words of wisdom and encouragement! We eventually made our way back to the house, where Beckett and Lily led us in a Moonup. We discussed someone we would want to spend a day with and shared our favorite things about the person sitting to our right!
July 11th
For our final breakfast before departing Karen, the group feasted on pancakes, noodles, and lots of fruit! Right after, we packed the rest of our things and said heartfelt goodbyes to our lovely host family. Betts, Beckett, Lila, Lily, Jay, and Evan’s car played a game of Wavelength during their drive. Lila and Betts even had a whole conversation in Spanish! The other van, consisting of Addie, Madalyn, Foster, Lillian, Ryan, and Thomas, played a game of Impostor and sang some tunes! After an hour or so of driving, we made a much-needed pit stop at 7/11, where everyone bought themselves a snack! Shortly after, we arrived at our activity of the day, which was bamboo rafting! The water was very cold, but a welcomed refreshment for all. Along the river, we saw elephants bathing, which got everyone excited for our visit to the sanctuary tomorrow! Once rafting finished up, we had a lunch of chicken fried rice and fruit at a restaurant along the river. At a neighboring shop, Beckett, Foster, and Lillian bought Thai jerseys, and Lila picked out a pair of pajama shorts! Everyone hopped back in the vans, and we drove a short way to the Mae Win guesthouse, where we will be staying tonight. Everyone got settled into their lovely accommodation and walked to a local Thai grocery store down the road. Afterwards, we kept walking and stumbled upon a beautiful set of rice fields – the perfect photo op! Once everyone had a little downtime, we gathered in a common area where we enjoyed some music and dancing before dinner! At dinner, we chowed down on sweet and sour chicken, spaghetti, potato wedges, and rice. After dinner, we were back in the common area for some more music and dancing. This time, Madalyn and Betts taught some of the girls a cheer routine from Lovett, and the boys queued up some silly songs for the girls to perform the routine to. Following that, we all took part in an activity known as the NOLS Leadership Grid, where each student placed themselves in one of four categories depicting their leadership style. Nugs to Madalyn for being the only one in the “Driver” quadrant! Following that, we settled in for Moonup led by Addie and Thomas, where we talked about guilty pleasures and what we want to be remembered for!
Our service section of the trip has wrapped up, and we are left with warm hearts and gracious spirits. Your kids were absolute rock stars during service, and we could not be prouder of their hard work! Though the publication of this trip update connotes the beginning of the end of our trip, our hearts are so full of gratitude and excitement for what has happened and what is to come! Thank you so much for reading, and thank you even more for sharing your kids with us! Below, you can find more expressions of appreciation from your kids!
Until next time!
Anne Slater and Luke
Thank You’s
Thank you Mom and Dad for sending me on this trip!! I have had the most special experience with the most amazing people ever! I am so grateful and thankful to have been able to go on this trip and it wouldn’t have happened without yall. I love and miss y’all!! Thank you so much!!-Madalyn
Thank you Mom and Dad so much for this unforgettable experience. I have learned so much and met the most amazing people. I’m so grateful for everything you have done to get me here and what I’ve learned. Thank you for everything. I love you and miss you the most😘😘-Addie
Hey!!! Mom & Dad thank you so much for giving me the most incredible experience to travel to Thailand. This trip has been so so much fun!!!!!! I have made so many best friends and I love my group so much!! We have done so many things I would’ve never believed I would do. I LOVE THAILAND and want to stay here forever but MISS YALL SO MUCH!!!!! Thank you again for everything❤️❤️❤️Love yall both & James😘-Lillian
Hi!! Mom and Daddy thank you soooo much for sending me here it has been one of the best experiences of my life (along with the other three 🌙💃) I miss you guys so so much and Tipsy- but I do wish I could just move here. I have experienced the coolest things ever and made the best friends and I’m so so grateful!! Me and Slater will be back in Raleigh shortly!! See you guys so so soon!!-Foster
Thank you Mom and Dad for sending me on this trip. I’ve had an amazing time and met a lot of great people. I’ve had some of the best experiences here and am so grateful that you guys sent me here. I hope yall are doing well and can’t wait to see you. Love, Thomas
Thank you Mom and Dad for sending me on such an amazing trip. I have had so much fun and I can’t believe it’s almost over. I miss you all and piper and I hope Dougal is ok. I love you and I miss you Oonah.❤️❤️❤️🍎🍎-Ryan
Mom and Dad, thank you so so much for allowing me to come on this trip! I’ve had the best experience so far and I’ve seen so many things and have so many stories I cannot wait to tell you. My group is so so sweet and I’m so happy that we get to experience Thailand together!! Getting to do service in the village was so fun and we got to meet the village people which was awesome. I cannot wait to hug y’all’s necks and I love you so so much.Love, Lila
Hi Mom and Dad!! Miss y’all having so much fun and I love my group! This trip is amazing thanks for sending me here can’t wait to see y’all woohoooo!!!!!!-Lily
Hey Mom and Dad!!! I miss y’all so so so much but Thailand is awesomeeeeee! This is my favorite Moondance l’ve ever done and the coolest trip ever. My favorite part so far has been the service and getting to help out in the village. We also went hiking through a cave and saw bats and then rapelled down and it was so fun! I am so grateful to you guys for sending me here and I feel so lucky to have parents like you guys. Can’t wait to see y’all and all my friends in Nantucket so soon!!Love, Betts
Hi Mom and Dad, I just wanted to take a moment and thank you again for giving me this opportunity to spend 3 weeks in Thailand. The stitches are out and healed, and I am now enjoying the trip a lot more. Everyone in the group is great and we just got done doing service in the village. It has been very fulfilling helping people the past few days. I can’t wait to see y’all soon and spend the next 2 years in Dallas with y’all. Thanks again.Love, Beckett
Hey to all the people at home, l’ve had some of the coolest experiences of my life here. The people are amazing as well as the food and anything else you could have been worried about. This trip has flown by in a blur of scuba, rock climbing, service, and immersion in some very different cultures than Columbus. I’m so sad to have to leave so soon but excited to see you guys again (kinda).Love, Evan
Yo yo yo it’s your boy Jay. Ma and Pa I hope y’all are good bc I know I am! We went to the village called Karen, it was so cool bruh! They had toilets that didn’t have handles so you had to flush it yourself. We also had a big mud fight and I ruined my Charleston elite shirt but wtvvv. Okay but I really miss you both and can’t wait to see y’all but I also don’t want to leave because this is one of the best vacations ever. With the leaders and people together I feel like I can be myself! I love all of you and thank you for sending me here!!!-Jay
Crushing it in Krabi!
July 6, 2026
Hello once again! We are back with another trip update following our scuba section, with so much more to share! Over the last couple of days, we have spent time on land discovering the best that Krabi has to offer. On that note, let’s get right into it!
July 3rd
After several early mornings on the boat, the group enjoyed some time to sleep in this morning as the rain softly fell outside our windows. However, the rain did not last long, and the sun came out, so everyone packed their daypacks and put on swimsuits for a little beach time! Today, we visited a popular Ao Nang area known as Monkey Trail due to the long-tailed macaques that inhabit the area. After walking to the trailhead, we were immediately greeted by several of these beautiful creatures! They immediately amazed the group, and Jay led the way forward through the trail inhabited by our furry friends. On the other side, we found what we came for: the beach! We set down our bags in the sand and enjoyed a dip in the Andaman Sea. Lillian, Betts, and Lily bought bracelets on the beach, which in turn inspired the whole group to offer the beach vendors some business. After some time spent in the water, the boys walked down to a floating dock and walked towards its end to enjoy some views beyond the surf.
After several hours at the beach, the group walked back through Monkey Trail and waved goodbye to our primate friends. We strolled along the beach before settling on a brunch restaurant to fill up! The rain returned as we finished brunch, so we spent time at the hostel playing cards and guitar. Beckett and Evan formed a formidable “Kemps” duo, and Lila serenaded us while the rain fell. Lily and Foster nestled up in a nearby hammock, relishing the vibes of music and rain. Soon after downtime, it was time for a pizza dinner at the hostel once again! Everybody savored a few slices of margherita or salami pizza before we walked across the street for an ice cream treat! Soon after, we closed the night with a Moonup led by our LODs Jay and Lillian, where we talked about B+ superpowers (superpowers with a caveat) and some of our biggest fears in life. Then, our LODs passed the torch to Ryan and Madalyn to lead us through our first day of rock climbing!
July 4th
Gooood Morning!!!! We woke up super excited for our first day of rock climbing and rappelling on Railay Beach! After breakfast, we hopped in our shuttle and headed to our climbing guide’s gear shop. We tried on our climbing shoes, harnesses, and helmets, and grabbed a chalk bag for the day. After a quick walk to a nearby dock, a long boat picked us up and drove us 15 minutes to the famous Railay Beach! Everyone was wowed by the magnificent rocks, clear water, and white sand. We walked through the downtown area and onto a winding cobblestone path to Princess Cave, where we’d be climbing for the morning! Jay led the pack and got everyone hyped up for the first day of climbing!!! He pointed out the huge stalactites and explained what they were to the group. Then, we saw two long-tailed macaques, the same breed as yesterday’s monkeys, eating a snack on a fence by the trail. They were super cute! When we arrived, everyone was speechless at how beautiful the surrounding rocks and beach were. Our guides demonstrated how to climb, gave us a safety briefing, and taught us the climbing commands. We put our gear on and got climbing!! Climbing…climb on! Thomas, Jay, and Foster were first to climb, followed by Addie and Madalyn, who went up two of the routes super fast!
Once we were all climbed-out, we jumped in the ocean to cool off, then walked into town for lunch. We ate at a local Railay restaurant with incredible food! We had crispy chicken, sautéed vegetables, and rice. Then, we had some fresh fruit to finish things off! After lunch, Beckett spotted an irresistible ice cream cooler, so we all got an ice cream for our walk back to the beach. On our way back, we were met by a big group of our macaque friends!!! A local was handing out sunflower seeds and gave us some to give to the monkeys. Jay and Thomas put the seeds on their heads, and the monkeys swung down to grab the seeds and eat them! Everyone fed the monkeys, and we got some super cool photos. We said goodbye to our primate cousins, then walked further down the beach to a secluded area near the filming site of Jurassic Park! We swam until our guides came to get us for rappelling. After putting on tennis shoes and headlamps, we explored a cave just off the beach! One by one, we climbed on ladders and made our way through the cave. Exploring this cave was Thomas and Jay’s highlight of the day, if not the trip! We found a little tunnel and took turns climbing through to see the prettiest view of all of Railay! We took lots of photos and were in awe of its beauty. Surrounded by limestone, we continued our climb through the cave. Ryan, Thomas, Madalyn, and Lila found a mini cave to explore along the way!!! A few ladders and ropes later, we made it to the top, and it was time to rappel! The view was breathtaking. Lily, Foster, and Madalyn were the first to volunteer to rappel! They set a great example for the group and showed bravery and poise. Everyone did a great job on the rappel and cheered each other on. As we hiked through the forest back to the beach, Beckett, Betts, Thomas, and Lila started a fun game where we decided what animals each other would be. The forest opened to a new beach where a long boat picked us up and took us back to Ao Nang. In honor of the 4th of July, we went to a burger spot for dinner just up the street! It was a huge hit! Jay, Beckett, and Thomas got active on the restaurant’s Donkey Kong arcade game. They set new high scores left and right!! We walked back to our hostel and held Moonup led by our LODs Ryan and Madalyn, where we continued our conversation about animals by sharing what exotic animals we would have as our pets. To close, we shared our biggest challenges with each other. After a packed day, we went to sleep eager for our second day of climbing!
July 5th
The day after our Fourth of July celebrations, we started up again with a lovely breakfast provided by our wonderful hosts at Glur! Soon after, we loaded into vans and made our way back to Real Rocks to grab our climbing gear, then it was back on the boats towards Railay Beach once again! This time, we were on a new rock face, and Jay and Lillian eagerly clipped in to start us off on our day of climbing. Madalyn and Lila climbed side by side, while Thomas and Jay impressed all of us onlookers down below by completing a 5.10! We climbed for several hours before heading to the beach for a quick dip in the sea. Betts and Madalyn kept the boys entertained in the water by throwing them the football in a game of “Jackpot,” while Foster and Lillian caught some rays on the beach. After some time on the beach, we made our way back to the same lunch spot as yesterday, where we devoured some crispy chicken, veggies, rice, fried eggs, stir fry, fries, soup, and soup! Needless to say, our bellies were packed full!
However, that didn’t stop us from exploring the area and relishing a quick ice cream and smoothie stop! Evan out-ordered everyone with his mango-passionfruit smoothie, and Lillian’s strawberry-banana smoothie looked top-tier. While walking around Railay, Lily and Foster spotted some pink unicorn floaties that only made sense to have for our next stop: the pool! After taking some boats back to Ao Nang, we hopped in a neighboring hotel’s pool with the new unicorn floats to share. Addie, Jay, Evan, Ryan. and Thomas played a game of “Turtle” or “Submarine” (regional differences have led to serious debate on the actual name of the game, and everyone had a different answer). A few hours after we started swimming in this pool, we located another pool in the same hotel and had to take a dip there too! Following our aquatic day, we dined at one of our favorite spots – Cotton Grill. The pool table in the restaurant immediately filled up with two teams of four competing in a serious game of 8 Ball. We chowed down on delicious Thai food once again, then made our way to Ao Nang Beach for a fire show! However, some of our group were fortunate enough to participate in the show too, as Jay and Madalyn were selected as volunteers! Upon the show’s conclusion, Evan decided to teach everyone an impromptu lesson on the basics of a handstand, which led to some longer successes in the upside-down position. We then ventured back to the hostel and closed out our final night at Glur with a Moonup led by Lily and Beckett. There, we discussed our favorite childhood TV shows and shared our favorite parts of the trip thus far before our LODs selected Evan and Madalyn to lead us through the airport!
July 6th
Travel day to Chiang Mai!!!!! We woke up bright and early to head to the Krabi airport. Chiang Mai, here we come!! Everyone got out the door efficiently, and we hopped in our shuttles (wearing our elephant pants, of course!). Some of us napped, and others sang along to some great tunes on our drive. Nugs to our LODs, Evan and Madalyn, for checking everyone in successfully to our flights! After security, we spotted a bakery, and we all ordered yummy pastries and coffee for breakfast! We headed to our gate, and before we knew it, we were boarding. We were so happy to be sitting together again on our flight to Bangkok! Foster and Evan tried a Thai coconut treat that the flight attendants were passing around, and they really liked it! When we arrived in Bangkok for our connection, we had a mission – find McDonald’s. We saw the golden arches in the distance and made our way over! Nugs to Beckett for helping gather everyone’s orders, and to Thomas for bringing everyone spoons for McFlurries!! We ate lunch, then walked over to our gate. On our flight, Foster and Lillian tried sweetened Thai tea! When we landed, we rode in our shuttles to our hotel, and we had a mini history lesson on Chiang Mai on the way! We set our bags down and walked next door to 7/11 for a snack. Then, we played Kemps (our favorite card game) by the pool together. Next, we got ready to go into the Old City to visit Wat Phra Singh!
We had a blast exploring the temples in Wat Phra Singh!!! We popped into different buildings and explored. We couldn’t believe how detailed and shiny everything was. We took LOTS of awesome pictures and posed like the statues! As the sun was setting, we were walking by the Main Chedi. It’s a beautiful gold building, and it looked magical in the light of the sunset. We left the temple and headed across the street to a super fun shop with lots of woven goodies and souvenirs. Many of us bought gifts for our families! Then, we walked a couple of doors down to “It’s Good Kitchen” for dinner! This spot was a group favorite!!! We all got authentic Thai food, and by this point, we are pretty comfortable branching out and trying new Thai foods! Lillian got the Penang curry and loved it, and Ryan chowed on a dish known as the Pad Mama! We hit 7/11 on the way out for a couple of goodies to stock up on before our time in the village. Then we took a shuttle home and got cleaned up for Moonup. Madalyn and Evan led us in a wonderful Moonup on the pool deck, where we shared our pet peeves and what we would miss most if we left for college tomorrow!
Tomorrow, our LODs, Lila and Thomas, will lead the group as we trek into Karen village for our cultural immersion portion of the trip. Everyone is super excited! We cannot believe we are already halfway through the trip! It’s been so much fun getting to know all of your kids, and we cannot wait for a strong finish here in Thailand!
Goodbye for now!
Greetings from Krabi!!
July 2, 2026
Greetings from the beautiful country of Thailand! We have already been here one week and have so much to share! Since we’ve started our trip, we have scuba dived, visited local Thai markets, enjoyed delectable Thai cuisine, played countless games, and shared in endless joy all throughout. Your kids are absolutely AMAZING and we’re so glad you have shared them with us!
6/27
ARRIVAL DAYYYY!!!!! Everyone gathered outside of baggage claim and we hopped in our shuttle to head to our hotel in Bangkok! Everyone was so excited to finally get to Thailand. We put our bags down in our rooms then everyone gathered in the hallway to hang out. Foster and Lillian went to get McDonalds for the group for a late night dinner! They surprised everyone with McFlurries!!! While we ate dinner, we had our first “Moonup” together. This is a time every night where we get together to reflect on positives from the day (we call them “nugs”) and get to learn more about each other. The positive energy and intentionality in this group was evident from this first night together. We went to sleep eager for our first full day together in Bangkok!
6/28
We slept in and headed downstairs for a lovely Thai-American buffet breakfast! The fruit, especially the mango, blew everyone away! Jay tried a shrimp stir fry rice and loved it. After breakfast we had our first Morning Huddle. This is a time in the morning where we share a quote, run through a brief overview of our activities, and get excited about the day! We walked to a nearby mall to explore shops and vendors. First, we walked through a big arcade and a jewelry cart before making our way downstairs to a mini indoor food market! Lillian and Foster tried frozen fruit ice cream and let everyone have a taste! We walked back towards the hotel when all of the sudden we saw someone in the distance! It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s LUKE!!!!! Our missing piece had arrived and we were SO PUMPED! With our group complete we had a mission to accomplish together: we needed to find some elephant pants!!! We searched through the vendors and found a big rack of multicolored elephant print pants. We helped each other pick out a fun pattern and put them on immediately. Then we walked back to our hotel to play our very first (of many) games of Mafia. Since it is unique to our trip, we have dubbed it “Thafia” (Thailand Mafia). Foster and Beckett fooled the whole group and won the game as our first Thafia members! Following the game, we walked to lunch at a nearby Thai Café where everyone branched out and tried their first true Thai meal. Betts and Madalyn branched out and tried a chicken and rice dish with curry soup. We took our group photo outside our restaurant in our new pants and walked back to the hotel to pack our bags and hop in our shuttle to the airport for the beach section of our trip in Krabi!!! Nugs to Ryan for helping get the group checked into our flight. At the gate, Evan taught Luke how to play a fast paced card game called Egyptian Rat Slap. Then, we boarded the plane, and luck would have it that we all sat next to each other for the flight! Once we landed we were welcomed into our hostel and ate some delicious pizza from the bistro next door. While we were eating, a friendly black cat with a speck of white came to see us, whom Jay named Tux! We ended the night with an awesome Moonup where we shared what we hope to gain from the trip. Betts and Beckett were elected to be our first Leaders of the Day (LODs) for tomorrow!
6/29
For our first day of scuba instruction, Beckett and Betts led our group in Morning Huddle, motivating the whole group for the start of the day with Betts offering a quote about leaving our comfort zones! We split up into groups, and all diving newcomers made their way to the dive shop and then onto the pool to start their dives. Thomas wowed the instructors with his natural scuba prowess, and all of our dive instructors complimented the group’s contagious energy! As one group dove at the pool, Beckett bested Anne Slater in a tight game of ping pong before them, Lila, and Addie met the others for a poolside lunch of chicken fried rice and a refresher dive. After wrapping up at the pool, it was back to the ping pong tables where Evan, Thomas, and Beckett faced off for matches that would have made Marty Supreme look amateur. After some downtime, we made our way to a traditional Thai restaurant for dinner. Nugs to Lillian for trying red curry and Thomas finding a new love in pad Thai! Once we filled our bellies with delicious Thai food, we made our way back to the hostel for Moonup, where we shared our death row meals and talked about favorite childhood memories. Since we had time remaining before bed, we capped off the night with another game of Thafia (Thailand Mafia), and Lila and Evan fooled the whole group and won as the Thafia members!
6/30
We ate breakfast at the hostel once again before Thomas and Lila led our Morning Huddle. This time, we got excited for the next big step in our scuba adventures: ocean dives! For most of our group, this was their first time diving in the ocean, and there was so much to see! After about an hour out from the shore, we plunged into the warm Andaman Sea for our first set of instructional dives with some play time interspersed throughout. Beckett, Lila, and Addie saw an octopus, a triggerfish, a lion fish, and two razor fish! The whole group saw plenty of clownfish, calling to mind memories of Finding Nemo. But, perhaps the coolest sighting goes to our snorkeler, Lily, who saw four(!) blacktip reef sharks! After about 40 minutes of diving, everyone resurfaced and enjoyed a yummy banana muffin treat! Once we were reenergized, we put our gear back on and went down for another instructional dive. This time, Jay, Evan, and Ryan spotted three spectacularly patterned cuttlefish!
After surfacing, we treated ourselves to a well-earned lunch of green curry, pad Thai, and steamed rice! We made landfall soon after, and raced back to the hostel, changed clothes, and went to the beach! The girls decided to do some exploring on the beach and saw lots of hermit crabs, then the whole group got involved with a game of Shake and Pop and I Love London! Madalyn took home the award for most technical dance move, whereas Ryan’s move brought out the most laughs. Then, Betts and Madalyn wowed the group with a cheer routine on the beach! Woohoo! The boys then turned on their competitive edge with a game of Spikeball and a race that ended with a close finish between Beckett and Jay. As the sun began to set, the group set their sights on Ao Nang’s very own Landmark night market! The girls all splurged on matching striped woven hats originally spotted by Lily and Lillian, and the boys decided to start buying gifts for those of you reading back home. For dinner, the kids each chose their own path and found food in the night market! Most of the group enjoyed fresh gyoza and other dumplings. Lillian bested everyone with her dazzling dessert choice of a chocolate covered strawberry kebab – it had everyone drooling! Upon arriving back at the hostel, Lila and Thomas led Moonup, posing questions about what sea animal we would be and who we look up to as role models. To close out the night, Ryan narrated a game of Thafia in which the civilians won for the first time this trip!
7/1/2026
Our LODs Foster and Ryan were super helpful this morning in getting everyone out the door regardless of the relaxing rain coming down! When we got on the boat Lillian and Foster helped queue some upbeat songs for our boat dance party! They helped everyone get hype for our last day of instructional dives before we were awarded our Open Water Certifications at the end of the day!!! Divers down! The water was super warm and felt amazing. We dove down and explored the reef where Jay, Evan, and Ryan saw a big hermit crab and Thomas and Foster saw a HUGE lionfish. When we got back on the boat we were given fried chicken and rice wrapped in little palm leaves. They were delicious and gone in minutes. After resting and rehydrating we started to gear up for our second dive of the day! Everyone did a fantastic job on their last instructional dive and earned their Open Water Certification! We ate an amazing lunch of red chicken and potato curry with rice and vegetables. This was a fan favorite for the group! We drove back toward the dock and hopped on a longboat to taxi us there. We shuttled back to the hostel, and the rain came down at the perfect time as we needed a little rest. The girls made friendship bracelets while the boys read and played ping pong. Thomas and Beckett got into a neck and neck ping pong match while the rest of the group played the card game Spoons, where Addie emerged victorious!
We walked across the street to a really cool spot for dinner. They sat us at a table that had a pool table right next to us!!! The boys started a game of pool while the girls looked over the menu at fun fruit sodas to order. After a super yummy dinner, everyone joined in the pool game. It started as a 3v3, then team captains Jay and Beckett each added more players until soon the entire group was standing around the table. The waiting staff let us choose music and Lily and Foster helped queue some music to dance to as we finished our tight pool game, where Jay’s team came out on top! We walked back to the hostel and Foster and Ryan led us in an incredible Moonup, where we shared our dream concerts and talked about our best friends. Additionally, Addie and Evan were selected as the LODs for our final day of diving!
7/2
Before our last day of diving began, we enjoyed a breakfast at the hostel with balloons and a special crown for Addie, our birthday girl! We hopped in the vans shortly after, making our way back to the boat for our final day of dives. With visibility up slightly from yesterday, the group was soon peering into the underwater world and discovering beautiful fish once again! Thomas saw a juvenile sweetlips fish and performed his humane duty to our lovely Earth’s beautiful bodies of water by bringing up some fishing line and a sunken pair of sunglasses. Madalyn saw a huge clam shut as she hovered safely above it, and found lots of hidden treasures that tourists had dropped over the years. After resurfacing, everyone once again enjoyed a delicious boat treat of banana muffins and taking some much needed rest. Eager for some refreshment, Lily, Betts, Foster, Lillian, and Addie all jumped off the boat and splashed into the sea below. Soon after, divers were back in the water for their second go of the day. On the second dive, Evan and Ryan spotted an octopus, lionfish, pufferfish, giant clams, and a school of clownfish – definitely the most diversified viewing yet! Everyone popped back up, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch of red chicken curry with vegetables and rice. It was gone in seconds! As the boat turned towards the shore, our guides congratulated our group for adding nine new divers to the world beneath the sea and encouraged us to keep exploring our world’s bodies of waters.
On our way home from diving, we shared how sad we were to be saying goodbye to our amazing scuba guides! They made us laugh, were patient with us, and always made sure we were having fun. When we returned home from diving, Lila, Luke and Anne Slater passed around the guitar while some of us played cards and the rest made bracelets and journaled. Lila left the group wowed when she effortlessly played “It Ain’t Me Babe” for the group! Eight of us got into an INTENSE game of the partner card game called KEMPS. This was many of the group members’ first time playing, and we can say, without a doubt, this is our new favorite group card game. Beckett and Evan beat everyone with their incredible secret strategy to which none of us have figured out yet. Next we hopped in a Grab (Thai Uber) to head to the best celebration dinner spot in Krabi: Manana’s Mexican! The manager, Big Mama, wasn’t working tonight, but as soon as the staff told her our Moondance group was there, she came to surprise Addie with a birthday flower bouquet and got a group Macarena dance going!!! We danced, sang, and enjoyed a birthday fiesta with lots of yummy food and big sombreros! In no rush to be anywhere, we enjoyed our walk home and got together for Moonup. Addie and Evan (our two native Ohioans) lead us in a fantastic Moonup where we talked about our food hot takes and what advice we would give to our younger selves. Today was so special and we’re so thankful to have the gift of celebrating Addie’s 17th birthday with her here!!!
Over the next few days, we will continue exploring Krabi and put our rock climbing skills to the test! We cannot wait to share more of our trip moments with you! But, before we go, we both want to say a huge thank you for sharing your kids with us. They have each brought immense joy and laughter to our trip and we are so glad that we will get to know them more over the next few weeks! For now, we wish you all the best back home!
Best,
Anne Slater and Luke
P.S. – Your kids wanted to share some words for those of you reading back home. We hope you enjoy some shoutouts!
Hey!!!! Miss y’all love y’all having fun!!!!!!!!
-Lily Frankenberg
Hi!! I am having so so much fun! I love my group so much! Miss you Mom & Dad and thank yall for giving me this opportunity. (ARDS) plus mc miss yallll sooo much & Hank! Can’t wait to hangout with yall when I get home!!!! Literally best trip evaaaa! Love yall❤️❤️❤️❤️
-Lillian Hogue
Heyyyy!!! Miss yall SO much!!! Hope you are not having that much fun without me but you should be jealous Thailand is AMAZE!!! Hilton, me and Anne Slater are bonding so be jealous… thank y’all so much for sending me here- yes I am moondance Unc but it’s okay!! Tonight we went to Mexican YAY!! And we have seen a lot of what we were all wondering if I would see. See you guys when I get home!! Mark, Amelia, Weezie and JB I miss yall okay Bye❤️❤️❤️
-Foster Hutchens
Hey Ma and pops. Love you guys so much and I am so grateful yall gave me the opportunity to go on this trip. The group is great! I hope yall are having fun in Mexico can’t wait to see you soon!🫡
-Beckett Concors
Hiiiiii! I miss you guys so much. Having an amazing birthday out here. So grateful for everything I’ve been able to do. Having an amazing time. Love you😘😘
-Addie
Hey guys I miss and love you all so much. Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip I’m having so much fun and I love the people I’m with. I’ve scuba dived!!! And it was so awesome. I’m only one week into this trip and I’ve already made memories that I’ll remember for a lifetime. I miss you and love you so much Oonah.🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎❤️❤️❤️❤️
-Ryan
Hi to anyone who’s reading this! I am having such a great time here and have made some of the best and deepest connections ever. This is the most diverse and fun group of people and leaders I’ve ever had for anything! All the places here are fun and different so it’s hard to get bored. I’m proud to say that I have forgotten about a phone until I typed this and I will have no regrets putting it down. I found a new book to read called the silkworm and it’s good so far! Being scuba certified is also a great feeling….. love all of you and hope yall are having just as much fun as me!!❤️❤️🧌🧌
-Jay
Hiiiii I am having such an AMAZING time here!! The food is SOOOOO good and the scuba diving was so fun! This group is lots of fun and everyone is such a blast to be around! My leaders are also really fun and nice! Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip, I am so grateful!! Don’t worry, my stomach has been very good (so far). Tell Quinn I miss him!! I love and miss y’all and will see you very soon!! Can’t wait to share all of the funny and exciting stories!
-Madalyn
Hi guys, I’m having an amazing time and we just got scuba certified. Miss you guys and am looking forward to seeing you
Love,
Thomas
Love you guys so much.
Actually having the most fun ever.
Don’t worry I haven’t lost too much stuff yet.
You are the best for sending me here.
Bringing home so many new experiences.
Officially a certified diver!
You are amazing parents thanks so much.
Love, Evan
Hey mom and dad!! Miss yall so much!! Thailand is amazing and I love my group and scuba diving was so awesome and not scary at all. Tonight we went to get Mexican food at this restaurant and it was sooooo fun! Cant wait to see yall in Nantucket! PS tell my friends I miss them and that it’s so pretty here in Thailand!❤️
-Betts
Hi mom and dad, I miss yall so so much and I’m also having so much fun. I love my group and we all have lots of different things we have been able to do! We went to Mexican food tonight and although it was not as good as Tex Mex it was still amazing. They have a guitar here and my leader Luke is very good at playing! I love y’all so so much and I’m so grateful to be here and for y’all! Love y’all!
-Lila
❤️ P.S. Mom thank you for giving me East of Eden I just started reading it it’s really good so far
Safe Arrival!
June 27, 2026
Hello Thailand 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 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
