I jolted awake as our prop plane encountered turbulence. There was drool on my left shoulder, a usual suspect amongst aeronautical siestas. Through my delirious awakening, I peered through the window greeted with the most fantastic sight. My eyes squinted protectively as a bright blue ocean looked back up at me. Against the afternoon sun, a lush green mountain rose into the clouds. A paradise within paradise. In that moment, the isles of French Polynesia imprinted its beauty to my core.