Waking Up with Elephants

by Terence Chang (Canada)

I didn't expect to find Thailand

As I gazed into the green hills from the treehouse, a sudden calmness overcame me. The cool breeze on my fifty-year-old face brought the clarity that I had been looking for. It had been tumultuous this past year of change and self-questioning. It was nothing like Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray and Love for sure. At that same time, I remembered I was actually walking with elephants. I was also crossing off one of the top three my millennial-inspired bucket list of experiences secretly compiled at my former desk for the past few years. The morning started off like no other. Upon arrival at the "Save the Elephants" Sanctuary, we were herded into a long hut. We were made to prepare soccer ball-sized mashes of root vegetables and fruits for breakfast for the four elephants we were spending the day with. The elephants noisily waved their trunks when they saw us. Our guide, Choj, explained to us it was their way of saying "hello," nothing scary. Their excitement was infectious and made me forget my jet lag. As we fed them, they playfully rubbed their trunks on us. At the same time, almost seemingly, they were smiling in gratitude. I relished in this child-like play with the gentle giants. I never felt more present. After breakfast, we were given bunches of bananas as we headed out with our friends for their morning walk around the sanctuary. It was amazing to watch their gracefulness as they saunter through the trails. I was amazed by how they would step over fallen branches and stones when they can easily stomp on them. They would even gently duck under hanging branches. Every now and then, they would gently nudge one of us for a banana or two. The leisurely pace mixed with the smells of nature was relaxing. The ground was damp from the rains yesterday, and there were also elephant droppings everywhere. This was all good for me. Needless to say, we got the pleasure of witnessing the elephants casually pooping as they sauntered. I am sure I had stepped into some throughout the day. Though I had unwittingly worn my favourite kicks, nothing really mattered at that moment. Funnily, this was actually nothing compared to what was to happen in the afternoon. We separated from the animals and headed up a trail into a traditional Hmong treehouse for a simple traditional lunch. We left the treehouse and rejoined the friendly giants who were thrilled to see us. One even did a little dance for us. We headed into an open space with a pond as it was time for their mud bath. As usual, I did not read this part of the itinerary that we were encouraged to join in the fun. Half of my group jumped in with the elephants. I surprised myself by whipping off my sneakers and running in without a care in the world. As the elephants sprayed with their trunks, we were also splashing on these glorious beasts. It was pure, glorious mayhem. There was water splashing everywhere. I instantly felt as if I was twelve again! We dried off and headed to the open communal space in the sanctuary. We learnt that elephants are social beings, often hanging out in groups. They often tend to have a favourite companion, which usually lasts a lifetime. After wandering off for a bit, I rejoined my group. They were feverishly taking pictures. The funny thing is many of these pictures would be viewed once, maybe twice and quickly forgotten, locked away in the cloud. I wondered what the elephants were thinking. They were probably chuckling at us for not relishing the moment. What a perfect way to end the day. As we drove out away from the sanctuary, I felt a renewed energy. I learnt to be more forgiving of myself on my current journey. Not everything had to be shiny all the time. This experience made me realized we also need to be more mindful and social like elephants. To truly enjoy life, we must always stay curious and playful. And when anyone does ask me about the experience, my answer back, “I woke up with the Elephants.”