By Janay Boyd | Reporter
As the end of the semester looms, stress runs high across college campuses. However, some students are finding an unexpected source of relief: nature.
Kayaking and paddleboarding have become more than just weekend hobbies for many locals and students alike. These outdoor activities offer a chance to unplug, decompress and reconnect with something greater than themselves.
For Summer Shine, owner of Sunshine Paddle Adventures — a kayak and paddleboard rental and tour company in Waco — the river’s healing power was personal long before it became her profession.
“I had just gotten out of an abusive relationship,” Shine said. “I started kayaking as a way to escape my own crazy thoughts.”
At the time, Shine was in therapy and undergoing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), a treatment that uses physical sensations to help the brain process trauma. She soon realized that the rhythm of paddling — alternating strokes from side to side — mimicked the same patterns used in her sessions.
“It was doing basically the same thing my therapy was doing in my off time,” Shine said. “It was helping my brain untangle the weird messages that had been implanted in it. And of course, vitamin D — everybody needs vitamin D.”
Now, she sees that same sense of release in the people who visit her business, whether it’s couples trying something new or families reconnecting on the water.
“You will see couples that have come down, maybe the girlfriend is a little begrudging about getting on the water or the boyfriend thinks this is cheesy, and when they come back, they’re lit up,” she said. “Last year, we had this little family come out … when they came back, the dad said, ‘At one point, my little girl turned around and looked at me and said, ‘Is this what living is like?””
Outdoor experiences like kayaking are known to reduce cortisol levels, improve physical health and offer a mental reset from the constant pressure of screens and deadlines. According to the American Psychological Association, even short amounts of time in nature can reduce stress and elevate mood.
Shine says Waco’s natural environment plays a big role in that process.
“It connects you to nature, which is the most powerful source of energy that we have,” she said. “Water is just healing naturally. Just listening to it, being in the water, seeing the flow of things — it just kind of connects you to things that are bigger than you.”
The Children & Nature Network backs this up, reporting that spending just 10–20 minutes outdoors can offer noticeable mental health benefits, particularly for college-aged individuals.
For Ana Berrones, a San Antonio resident who often escapes to Central Texas for weekend getaways, kayaking is less about exercise and more about clarity.
“It clears my head,” Berrones said. “There’s something about being surrounded by water and sun that makes everything else feel less overwhelming. I always feel a little lighter afterwards.”
Shine says that sense of calm is what keeps some students coming back week after week.
“We actually have … a Baylor student that comes out and rents every weekend and it’s just kind of a meditation for him,” she said.
Whether it’s a solo paddle or a scenic walk to grab a bite to eat, more students are turning to the outdoors for more than just adventure. For many, nature is becoming a source of peace — a space to breathe, reflect and reconnect not just with the world around them, but with themselves.
