The Lesson that Stuck: a Hawaiian Awakening

Reid Demain '21 never imagined his 12th-grade English teacher's words would echo daily during his four-week Hawaii trip. The trip took place four years after he found himself sitting in the World Literature class. Nevermind the fact that Reid’s journey focused on ecology, stargazing, and videography—a seemingly far cry from global essays and literature.

Nevertheless, the central theme of English Department Chair Kyle Reynolds’s class left a resounding impression on Reid: How can you explore a new culture without being a tourist?

"Of everything we covered in that class, the lesson about not being a tourist always stuck with me,” Reid reflects.

Reid’s Hawaii adventure began when he received a Curvey Fellowship, designed to inspire Brewster Curvey Scholars to explore and broaden their perspectives through hands-on travel experiences and awarded after a detailed proposal process. Reid spent months preparing, supported by James C. Curvey Endowed Program Director Lynne Palmer. He was determined to make the most of this opportunity, and he carefully chose Hawaii for its biodiversity and unique ecology.

“I probably spent close to 100 hours doing research and planning the trip,” he said. “I wanted to experience something different in life, to get out of my comfort zone.”

Reid definitely wasn’t taking the traditional Hawaii tourist vacation—toiling long days in a work exchange, opting for rainy weather in the mountains over the sunny oceanfront, and never actually sitting on a beach–and hearing his story, it quickly becomes clear how much this resounding theme of “not being a tourist” played in his everyday thinking and actions.

“I tried as much as I could to live like a local, support small businesses, and avoid hotels,” he explained. “In an area that relies on tourism, it’s hard not to be a tourist. It's one thing to go through the lesson in class, but when you’re in a place, it actually affects you.”

"It was very evident that Reid cared deeply about understanding the impact tourism had from the native Hawaiian's perspective in immersive ways during his Fellowship,” Lynne Palmer said.

Reid spent his first two and half weeks in a work exchange program in a rainforest on the Big Island. There, he lived in a sustainable, communal house nestled beside the volcano Mauna Kea. After a 6:30 a.m. wake up for breakfast, he spent the morning weeding and woodworking to help restore natural forest growth. The volunteers broke for lunch before spending another one-to-two hours finishing up their daily projects.

“The work was tough. I never thought weeding for five hours straight would be the death of me,” Reid joked. “But it was awesome. I enjoyed the feeling I got from helping the ecosystem obtain diversity through reforestation efforts."

Reid spent his free afternoons and evenings exploring and hiking the local landscapes. At night, he prioritized one of the two main objectives of his trip: stargazing. On low-cloud nights, he drove up to the peaks of mountains and volcanoes, laid down a blanket, and stared at the sky.

Stargazing, he found, was transformative.

“It truly is euphoric,” Reid said. “When I'm looking at stars, I feel the most present I've ever been. I don’t think about the other stuff in life. I just feel at peace.”

For the second half of his journey, Reid rented a camper van to explore Maui, combining his other objective, videography, with his travels. A novice with a camera, he learned as he went, capturing footage with a GoPro and drone. He’s since enlisted a mentor to help him edit and color grade the video, which he plans to share only privately with family and students at Brewster, honoring the lesson from his English class on not promoting tourism culture.

Beauty came with challenges—some planned and some unexpected. Reid camped for two weeks, despite his only prior camping experience being two overnights as a counselor for Brewster’s New Hampshire Student Leadership Program. Then, about a week into camping, the brakes on his rental camper van completely failed. Fortunately, he was able to get help, though the experience reminded him palpably of his new independence: “I could no longer rely on anyone else. It was very awakening.”

At times, the month of solo travel felt lonely; a rented dog (a popular practice on Maui) helped. A self-described introvert, he also found himself craving social interaction, which both inspired more conversations with locals and strengthened his appreciation for relationships back home.

The solo trip also forced Reid to fiercely tap into his self-reliance as he navigated these challenges in a new place. Fortunately, he could draw inspiration and confidence from his junior-year Brewster study abroad trip to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, where he had to navigate a Spanish-speaking city without speaking the language or relying on GPS.

“Going to Spain my junior year definitely helped prepare me,” Reid said. “I couldn't even imagine how different Hawaii would be if I hadn’t gone abroad. Both trips made me realize that when you’re uncomfortable, that’s when you learn the most.”

Reflecting on the power of stepping outside his comfort zone, he hopes to inspire other Brewster students with his story: “That’s what I did on this trip—I got uncomfortable, and I learned a lot about myself.” A component of the Curvey Fellowship is to present to the Brewster community, and Reid is excited to do so later this year.

Reid returned back to his hometown of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, and, in the fall St. Lawrence University, feeling more grounded, patient, and connected with himself. He also shared that people in his life have observed his positive changes, sometimes even more than he notices in himself. But the transformative power of travel certainly hit home. He’s already planning his next big journey: a semester abroad in Japan, with a business focus (another step away from his comfort zone as a biophysics major).

It’s safe to assume that the lessons from his 12th grade English class will be inspiring him to immerse himself there, too.