While BYU–Hawaii students said they enjoy the peace and beauty found on Oahu, for them paradise is more about who they are with rather than where they are. They also gave suggestions about their favorite activities on the island that help them connect with nature.
According to Noah Shoaf, a senior from Indiana studying political science, the island of Oahu is full of endless horizons, sunny days and secluded nature. “It’s the place that perfectly captures paradise. You have epic sunsets, green mountains and secluded beaches at every corner,” Shoaf expressed.
Sam Tobon, a senior from Colombia studying human resources and supply chain operations, explained his paradise as being with his family and the people he loves. “No matter how I am feeling, paradise without my loved ones is not paradise.” He explained those people are “mostly my family, my wife and some close friends.”
Tracy Lor, a senior from California studying intercultural peacebuilding, said she sees paradise as a mindset that can be carried with her wherever she goes.
Lor said when her day is not so perfect, she implements paradise into her everyday life through self-love. “By telling myself that I am enough, I won’t need to go searching for something to make me feel good. I have to understand that paradise isn’t what you’re doing or where you’re at, but it has everything to do with how you choose to feel and act.”
Surfing out to paradise
While on the island, Tobon said he feels a constant sense of peace. The cool breeze or the ocean waves transport him to paradise, he said. “I think paradise doesn’t necessarily have to do with the place, but the right conditions that bring peace into my life.”
He said getting out into nature is the best way to find peace. The times he feels peace in nature is “on my surfboard, paddling farther out than anyone else, and looking at the clouds as they change colors when sunset starts happening. The stillness of that moment is superb and just sitting there surrounded by the elements and nature is invigorating and humbling.”
Shoaf said nature also brings him peace. “You don’t necessarily need a beach for there to be paradise. It is paradise because you are so connected to nature and present in that moment. I have been here for two years and just waking up, feeling the breeze and the sun start to shine, you feel like it is always paradise. There is no way better to start your day.”Paradise from within
Lor added, “I believe paradise is within ourselves, and people who give positive energy add to that paradise. It is possible for our paradise to change because of our feelings, but I know that paradise will never really go away. It will always be in the background waiting to be noticed again.”
Lor continued, “My family is my paradise. The spirit of the people who surround me adds to my paradise. I feel loved and whole as I’m lying down with my little family and hearing their laughter and seeing their smiles.
“The people are the reason I’m in paradise. Even though we are all from different backgrounds, we are able to be in unity and happiness together.”
A mountain paradise
Shoaf shared enjoying paradise to him means, “Hike. Hike. Hike. People love the beach, but the mountains are just as amazing.” For hiking recommendations, he suggested checking out his YouTube channel, Noah Takes the World, where he uploads videos of his hiking adventures around the island.
Being open-minded and willing to be uncomfortable, Shoaf said, is also paradise. “Discovering new places on the island can be challenging. It is easy to not prioritize it. But you should set out time to really be one with the land,” Shoaf expressed.
Three of his favorite activities on Oahu, he said, include swimming to Goat Island on low tide, hiking the Olomana Three Peaks Trail with friends and jumping off the rock at Waimea Beach.