When people think of Hawaii, they think of beaches, resorts, and picture-perfect sunsets.
And yes—those things exist.
But my experience in Hawaii in March 2023, through GIVE Volunteers at SUNY Cortland, looked nothing like that.
It wasn’t glamorous.
It wasn’t aesthetic.
It wasn’t something I was constantly trying to capture for content.
But it was one of the most transformative travel experiences I’ve ever had.
And in honor of Earth Day, it’s one that completely reshaped how I think about travel, sustainability, and our responsibility as tourists.
✨ Travel That Actually Gives Back
In March 2023, I studied abroad in Hawaii through SUNY Cortland as part of a program with GIVE Volunteers—an organization focused on sustainable, community-based travel.
This wasn’t a typical study abroad where you’re sightseeing and sitting in lectures.
It was built around volunteering, cultural immersion, and real impact.
For two weeks, our group worked directly alongside Native Hawaiians on ongoing projects—supporting land restoration, sustainable farming, and local communities.
We weren’t just visiting Hawaii.
We were learning from it, contributing to it, and being welcomed into it.
And that changed everything about how I see travel.
🌿 This Wasn’t Just Land—It Was Sacred
One of our projects was helping restore sacred, inherited land that had been destroyed by an oil spill.
Before we even stepped onto it, we participated in a traditional chant.
That moment set the tone immediately.
This wasn’t just land.
This was āina—something sacred. Something alive.
And that level of respect carried into everything we did. (And no… I was not allowed to photograph our projects out of respect!).
🌺 Learning a Culture, Not Just Visiting It
We were taught how to move through Hawaii with intention:
- Take off your shoes before entering a home
- How to greet people in the Hawaiian language
- Never take anything—rocks, shells, plants—without permission
- Listen when people speak about their land and their stories
These weren’t “tips.”
They were reminders that we were guests in a place with deep history and culture.
We learned about the Hawaiian language and the importance of preserving it.
We heard folklore passed down for generations.
We had conversations about land, identity, and belonging.
And we also learned the harder truths.
About how Hawaii was taken.
About the loss of their queen.
About why many Native Hawaiians don’t identify with the U.S. today.
It wasn’t always comfortable.
But it was necessary.
🌱 Sustainability Isn’t a Trend There—It’s a Way of Life
One of the most impactful parts of the trip was staying on a fully sustainable farm alongside WWOOF volunteers.
We slept in simple bungalows.
We used what we had.
We lived close to the land.
And yes… I literally peed outside and used a hole in the ground 😭
But honestly? It didn’t feel weird. It felt… grounding.
We harvested our own food—banana, sweet potato, breadfruit—and used it to make a farm-to-table curry. Everything had a purpose. Nothing was wasted.
It made me realize how disconnected we are from where our food actually comes from.
🍓 The Blueberry Story I’ll Never Forget
One of the farmers told us something that stuck with me.
People who moved to Hawaii complained that they couldn’t get blueberries there.
So instead of embracing what the land naturally provided, they:
- imported blueberries
- built greenhouses
- used energy and resources to force something unnatural
All because they “wanted” something that didn’t belong there.
It was such a simple example, but it said everything.👉 Sustainability isn’t just about recycling.
👉 It’s about working with what exists, not forcing what doesn’t.
🐑 Joy in the Simple Things
We also spent time on another farm learning how to shear sheep…
which quickly turned into us chasing them around like absolute maniacs 😭
But even that had a deeper lesson.
The wool was used to create products.
Everything had value.
Nothing went to waste.
There was no excess.
Just intention.
🌅 The Moments That Actually Mattered
Ironically, the parts of this trip I hold closest to my heart weren’t the “bucket list” moments.
It wasn’t the beaches.
It wasn’t the national parks.
It was:
- pulling weeds in silence
- talking under the stars
- playing frisbee
- laughing until we cried
We had a nightly tradition called “good vibes.”
Each night, we wrote down something we were grateful for on small scraps of paper.
Someone would read them aloud at dinner.
(I still have mine in my scrapbook.)
One of mine said:
👉 “Mary’s contagious laugh”
And if you shared a moment with someone… you had to rip the paper in half and eat it.
Yes. Eat it.
It started meaningful… and quickly turned into us writing each other’s names just to watch people eat paper 😭
It was chaotic.
It was hilarious.
It was perfect.
📵 Disconnecting to Actually Be Present
The biggest surprise?
I didn’t care about my phone.
I wasn’t thinking about content.
I wasn’t trying to capture everything.
At one point, I left my phone at the farm and didn’t even realize until we were an hour away.
And I didn’t panic.
I just… lived.
That feeling is something I’ve been chasing ever since.
🌍 The Reality of Tourism in Hawaii
Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
But it’s also one of the most impacted by tourism.
We learned how:
- resorts bring money—but often take up sacred land
- tourists don’t always understand cultural boundaries
- small actions (like touching wildlife or moving rocks) cause harm
Hawaii is not just coconuts, pineapples, and leis.
Much of that image was shaped by commercialization—like the rise of large-scale pineapple plantations, a crop not even native to Hawaii, that prioritized export and profit over native ecosystems and local needs..
There is so much more depth, culture, and land that deserves respect and protection.
✨ What Earth Day Means to Me Now
This trip changed everything for me.
It showed me that:
- travel can be transformational, not just transactional
- sustainability isn’t about perfection—it’s about awareness
- respecting a place is just as important as experiencing it
And most importantly:
👉 You don’t need luxury for a trip to be life-changing.
👉 You need connection.
To the land.
To the people.
To the experience.
🤍 Final Thought
If you take anything from this:
Travel—but do it with intention.
Learn before you go.
Respect where you are.
Leave places better than you found them.
Because the most meaningful travel experiences?
They aren’t always the most glamorous ones.
