Hawaii Gap Semester | Pacific Discovery

I highly recommend this trip, the two group leaders I had were absolutely fantastic. I learned and grew more in 4 weeks than I ever thought was possible! This program helped me center my focus for what I wanted to do to make change in the world, and also opened my eyes to another culture. Through the hands on aspects and the immersive learning opportunities I gained prospective and respect of others and learned many valuable lessons that I use in everyday life. The memories I made in the last 4 weeks will forever be part of me.

Whenever anybody asks me how my semester was in Hawaii, I always tell them that it was one of the most fulfilling and incredible things I have ever done- and I can't think of a statement that better describes my experience with Pacific Discovery. During the 10 weeks I spent in Hawaii, I met people that I will be friends with for the rest of my life, saw things that are indescribably beautiful, laughed uncontrollably, stepped out of my comfort zone, found endless support in times of struggle, discovered my potential, grew as a person, soaked up the sun, pushed myself more and more every single day, danced under the orange sky as the sun was setting, went on some crazy adventures, and created memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

No day is the same on a PD program, but that's a huge part fo what makes it such an amazing experience. The programs are incredibly well thought out, and the detailed itinerary allows students to make the absolute most out of their time on the program. The program is set up in a way that allows students to have the time and space to grow independently, but at the same time, grow their people skills, learn how to collaborate with others effectively, and have an amazing and supportive group around them 24/7. I truly learned something new every day, and grew more than I was ever expecting to.

Looking back on my semester with Pacific Discovery, I can truly see how it changed my life. Everything about my semester was absolutely magical, and I could not recommend Pacific Discovery enough.

I was prepared to go to college, prior to the pandemic. After I elected to take a gap year amid the program, I selected Pacific Discovery’s Hawaii/Western US the program for the Spring of 2021. In the words of one of my friends from the program, the trip was “what we never knew we needed.” Throughout the 70 days, we visited Hawaii, Arizona, Utah, & briefly Colorado. Trip highlights included surfing, cliff jumping, peaking Mauna Kea, mountain biking, hiking, paddle board & silk yoga, and rock climbing. Even more memorable than the activities were the service projects & cultural immersion. We learned so much about Hawaiian culture, sustainable agriculture & farming, and being aware of our personal environmental impacts. I particularly enjoyed how much control students have throughout the program. While everyday has structured activities & the instructors take the lead for most aspects of the trip, students have large roles in the decision-making processes. In particular, we meal-planned & cooked together nearly every night which was intimidating at first but soon became some of the most memorable aspects of the trip. In addition, there was a perfect amount of free time or “rest & relaxation” days to both provide days of rest for students, but also provide time for activities that weren’t on the itinerary (such as hiking, paddle boarding, zip-lining, skiing, biking, soaking in hot springs, etc). One of the best aspects of the trip was self-led week. We were given the ability to chose, for six days, what areas to visit, where to stay, what to do, meal planning & everything about the trip. For our self-led week, we were tasked with getting from Sedona, AZ to Moab, UT. For the six days we were able to visit Grand Canyon, Zion, & Durango, CO—some of the best memories of the trip. Pacific Discovery did an excellent job selecting wonderful instructors (shoutout Jon & Lucy), providing meaningful & thought-provoking weekly curriculum regarding life-applicable lessons such as environment, communication, values, humanitarianism, etc, and providing us with service projects & cultural immersion experiences that educated & inspired us (especially in Hawaii). Our group became extremely close with each other & our instructors, and the relationships I’ve created on program are some of the best aspects of this trip. If you’re reading this, and wondering whether or not to take a gap year (and if so take this trip), I would highly encourage you to. Coming from someone who wasn’t planning on taking a gap year, this was by far the highlight of my gap year, and to be honest, one of the highlights and best times of life. Jump in feet first, be prepared to get out of your comfort zone, enjoy life-changing experiences, and mature/grow immensely over the course of the trip.

The pacific discovery program that I attended was so memorable and could not have been better. It was kind of funny how we originally had to where masks when we were first getting to know each other because after the first 5 days when we started taking our masks off it was the same time that we started to bond. It’s almost as if the masks got taken off after we learned about each other. I actually liked doing the hard conservation work out in Hawaii first. Not just because it got it out of the way, but because it provided a great way to bond. The tours of the beaches, volcanoes, and snorkeling sites, as well as the surf camp provided such fun. Camping every now and then also helped us bond. Hawaii was also a great place to traveled since it has its own culture. The west provided a lot of fun as well. The views seen after completing them provided memorable moments. Arches and canyonlands NPs were much more glorious than expected. Self led week was my favorite part not just because we got to pick what to do, but because Zion, the Grand Canyon, and Durango were all so much fun. I’ll definitely ride a bike at Zion again someday and do the same hike. Not just to get a great view bu to remember this trip. It was cool ending it in the cold snow at park city after starting everything in the heat. The core sessions done provided deep thought and help my mind grow. To everyone who looks at this program I would say go for it you will never forget it

I took a Pacific Discovery gap year and it turned my entire year around. My peers in the group are some of the most supportive people I have ever met, and they helped me grow in ways I didn’t even know were possible. My instructors always approached the program with a positive attitude and taught me to have a growth mindset in whatever we do. Each day was a new adventure and I loved the diversity of activities we got to experience. I took up things like surfing, rock climbing, hiking, biking, and so much more during this trip and it felt so rewarding to face my limits head on with the people who I can now call my family.

This program allowed me to push myself to my boundaries to see what I can really do. You’ll find that you can do a lot more than you think you can if you just give it a shot. It’s also a beautiful thing to live with the same people 24/7 for 10 weeks. The deep relationships you build and the things you learn about yourself are life changing. Additionally challenging yourself to try new things and adjust on the fly really allows you to grow for the future. I learned how to cook new meals and be creative on the trip as well!

Pacific Discovery program completely exceeded my expectations in every way. Not only did I get extremely close with the people in my group, I also met many other inspiring people through conservation work and other activities. This program allowed me to push myself in ways I had never done before and when I accomplished something I felt immensely proud of myself. I was able to recenter and ground myself in my values, who I want to be, and what I want to put out into the world. I’ll never forget this experience and the people that I met on Pacific Discovery.

I am so glad I did this. It truly changed my life, how I view things, and how I operate. I am extremely grateful to be able to do this program. I got so many unique and cool experiences and I now have some really crazy stories. I feel like a much more well rounded person after this. This will be something that I hold on to for the rest of my life. If I could give my self a year ago any advice it would be to take the risk and go on this trip. I met so many new close friends, experiences life changing things, and truly grew and transformed.