French Polynesia – The Lessons You Find Beyond the Textbooks
Routine is efficient – it helps us live, work, and keep up with everything. Yet research shows that when days start to repeat themselves, the mind switches to autopilot: it stops actively observing, questioning, and thinking.
From my experience, travel is the ultimate autopilot switch-off. And it doesn’t take long trips or huge distances. The brain reacts not to kilometers, but to change itself.
That’s exactly what I experienced in French Polynesia, where I got to explore not just breathtaking nature, but also the local education system, children, and communities. Coming here from Europe is no easy journey – the trip is long and probably not worth it just for educational insights (though for a holiday, I absolutely recommend it – this place is Paradise on Earth ❤️). Still, realizing there’s only one flight from San Francisco, I couldn’t resist.
Here, I saw how life and learning intertwine with place, culture, and environment. The country is gradually rebuilding its life, learning to live in a new way, while proudly embracing its language and culture – something that not long ago was forbidden under French rule. Here, grandparents and extended families raise small children, while schools focus on what truly matters on the islands – students learn not just from textbooks (French ones, by the way), but from the sea and the community. I visited high schools focused on skills that directly benefit the islands – agricultural programs, and on another island, post-pandemic, a school teaching hospitality skills opened its doors.
Travel also teaches flexibility. It’s hard to remain convinced that “our way” is the only way. You develop more empathy – understanding how people live differently, what they value, and how they solve problems. Experiences like these constantly shift your perspective.
I was also struck by environmental projects: schools work together with communities to care for marine ecosystems, restore coral reefs, and take responsibility for their surroundings (French Polynesia was once a site of French nuclear tests – efforts are now underway to repair the damage). I returned with concrete ideas on how to translate these lessons into strengthening our Urban Garden at school. It’s funny I hadn’t thought of it before, but a change of environment helped me see my own surroundings in a new light.
Travel brings you closer to yourself, too. Being in an unfamiliar place, solving everyday problems in real time, you see what you’re truly capable of, what matters most, and where your resilience lies. Many things at home suddenly seem simpler. During my free time, I tried two new activities: jet skiing and paddle boarding. I loved them!
People often say travel helps them feel more themselves. I feel more creative and usually return brimming with professional ideas. I can’t wait to put them into action!
Warm greetings from French Polynesia,
Austėja
