Wow! Time flies and swoops and sinks and soars and doesn’t really exist at all, does it!?  A fortnight comes and goes before we know it and of the experiences we shared, there’s no way to choose just one that stands out among them all. The relationships built, service contributed, temples seen, lessons learned, markets visited, people met and culture discovered both within and outside of ourselves – without it all, we would not be where we are now.  

From the moment we picked you up at the airport on arrival day, the memories began to build like a baby elephant grows, slowly but surely & larger than life!

We all knew we’d love the elephants before we even arrived and our time spent with these majestic creatures bloomed along with our understanding of just how complex their worlds are these days. Coming to learn of the challenging issues upon us drove us to dive deeper to find meaning in the work we’re doing here and to think more critically about everything from elephants to the everyday products we use and the food we eat.

The service was tough, but who would have thought building dams and cutting grass could be so much fun! When we work together it’s amazing how much we can accomplish and how good it feels to witness the fruits of our labor. While the dams may not last forever, nothing in life really does and the reminder that everything is temporary is truly humbling.

And as much as we may have wished we could stay in Thailand forever, saying goodbye was inevitable & certainly no easy task! The tears shed & embraces shared were bittersweet, as we watched you head back home to spread the word & share your stories.

Our greatest hope is that you will cherish the memories of this trip and apply the lessons learned and knowledge gained.  So that maybe you can make a difference in not just the lives of people you know and meet along the way, but of these magnificent elephants we came to know and love, as well as future generations of their species.

Some of our fondest recollections of our time in Thailand are below.  We certainly couldn’t record them all, but we tried to capture something for everyone.

• Epic games in the rain!  I haven’t laughed so hard all year like I did when we played Ships & Sailors!
• When Duke bought frogs at the local market & the kitchen fried them up for us to all share! Yummmmm 🙂
• Sunday running Marianna over in the river & knocking her over – all caught on video! And to think she almost didn’t get in!
• Seeing our elephants every day, taking care of them, going for walks & building relationships with them & the mahouts.
• The five Thai students (5-6 years old) we saw on our way to cut grass one morning playing in the water, skipping school! When Joon ran to let the teachers know (we didn’t want them to get hurt or drown!) they all grabbed their bags and ran from them into the rice fields. We got that on video too!
• Epic rafting trip! Oh My Buddha! Lance pulled almost everyone out of their raft at some point, including the rest of the staff! Lol!
• Long talks on the car rides & on home base, building relationships with one another, forming bonds that will last a lifetime.
• All the amazing Thai food!!!
• Our last night at the elephant home, sharing stories, dancing & performing for the mahouts.

-Kelly Urch, Mentor

Elephant Village Initiative, Thailand

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Wow! Time does fly doesn’t it!  In some ways it still feels like yesterday that we met in Little Village. We will always remember those 13 weary faces staring at us, fraught with anticipation and excitement to be there. It takes courage to step into the unknown and I applaud you for taking that step to embark on a journey of discovery in Thailand.

We are sure that the whole experience has now had a chance to really sink in. The time that we spent together will definitely be significant to everyone for different reasons. For some we know that the chance to spend time and interact with elephants like Motala, Mosha and Boonmee will have left a lasting impression on you.

It was a privilege to stay at the FAE hospital, we were one of the first groups to ever stay on- site and to be in the presence of these elephants was incredibly special.  For others it will be the friendships that were formed on this trip, connecting with people who share the same philosophies of life and/or challenge us to think differently and improve, can be greatly uplifting. For some it might have been the cultural immersion itself, delving into different dishes, traditions and the rich history of Thailand during our temple and market visits was fascinating.

The contribution that everyone made to create an organic garden, a compost box and clean up the elephant graves and the grounds will always be remembered at FAE . It was hard and hot sometimes but it was with great team work and perseverance that we managed to finish the projects. Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without hard work and you should all be proud that you stuck with it until the end.

We must say that the situation around Elephant conservation in Thailand is complex, and there seems to be no definite answer. This can be frustrating but we hope that by visiting different elephant places during the session, that it opened your eyes to the realities they face.  We do believe that with greater understanding we can push for change.

Didn’t we pack a lot of activities into those three weeks? boy did we laugh! Some moments from the trip that we won’t forget:

-Making delicious mini pizza’s for dinner with an elaborate amount of toppings and of course your favourite =cheese!

-Playing elbow tag in the sand and laughing so hard as we all took turns at bailing:)

-Listening to each others story of self, I think you all realized then how much more you had in common and we bonded well

-Trying to create an a cappella masterpiece

-Having a rave in the vans with Non’s bass and some sick beats 🙂

-Playing Ninja at little village

-Getting competitive during ‘Eyes, Body, Mouth’ at the Hmong Hill Tribe Resort

-Cuddling with baby elephants wherever we went

-Exploring the markets and temples in Lampang, Chiang Mai and Lamphun

-Bathing Mosha at FAE

-Finishing the elephant cemetery! what a great team effort

– ‘Buck Daaaee’  #enoughsaid

It was amazing to be a part of this group. To watch you grow and learn from each other. We hope this trip has enriched your story, challenged your perceptions of what is possible and motivated you to pursue your passions!

We trust you are enjoying school, college and all the other endeavors you are pursuing in life right now. Whether it is clear to you or not, we hope the world is unfolding as it should.

In the wise words of Nelson Mandela;

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light , not our darkness that frightens us most.

We ask ourselves ‘who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous and talented?’ Actually, who are you not to be?

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are meant to shine like children do. It’s not just in some of us, its in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others”

Something to think about.

Stay safe, have fun and please be in touch!

Best

-Em and Ash

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

It was a wonderful experience working with the students. Getting to know each student individually. I also had great rapport with most of the students which enabled us to have touching conversations and share stories.

Sawatdii jao!

The misty northern mountains of Chiang Mai “wai” you a hello and a smile to wherever you currently are in this wide world. From our jungle farmland resort home base, the rain gently dimples the surface of the Ping River and the ever present flock of ducks waddle throughout the property. We went through a lot and experienced so many things during our two weeks together in Thailand, many of which pushed us to mature, think about our decisions and actions, and open our minds to other ways of living and interacting with the world. We will no doubt be telling stories and memories of our time with GLA for years to come, so here are some summer snippets to help you reflect and remember your time in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Two weeks in Thailand may have seemed long before you came out here, but it really is not much time to pack in all that Thailand has to offer, though I think we did a really good job trying! We took on the city with some visits to local, iconic temples and were even so lucky as to be present at Wat Chedi Luang when hundreds of monks were all chanting a birthday blessing to the King of Thailand. That was the only time the whole summer we got to witness such a beautiful event and one that should be specially recognized!

We tackled the local famer’s market and picked the products that we later used in our home made Thai dishes, taught to us by a charismatic family who have turned their home into a Thai Cooking School. In continuing with our culinary curiosities we went to go visit the oldest market in Chiang Mai’s China Town, Warorot Market or Kad Luang. We sampled some fried worms, tempted fate by tasting the intimidating durian, and enjoyed a sampling of Thai sweets and treats to wash down as a well deserved desert.  Niti, the Akha woman, took us on a tour of her Akha hill tribe village in the mountains outside of the city.

Learning about the Akha’s way of living, using all that they have available to them and wasting as little as possible, Niti pushed some of us to embrace cultural traditions that initially may have repulsed us. Part of our challenge in this adventure to Thailand was to be pushed outside our normal reality, to be open to different ways of living, and to forge confidence in our abilities to handle a range of situations. We finished up our first week of adventuring with the ultimate zip lining course at Eagle Track Zip line. While there was some apprehension by some students who were not sure they could complete the entire course, everyone who started the zip line course, finished the zip line course!

Then came the really challenging and rewarding part of the journey to Thailand, the service of teaching English to the Thai elementary school students. It proved to be quite the task to engage and communicate with the Thai students in the beginning. Intended plans didn’t always pan out but over the course of the week we all found our own ways to employ our new teaching skills and bond with the students in ways that will touch all of our hearts forever. While some kids certainly liked to try and have a good laugh at the foreigner’s expense, seeing the drumming and dancing they performed at the closing ceremony was truly a thankful offering to you all for taking the time and effort to reach out to these Thai students and give them a once in a lifetime experience.

To close off the last few days of your time in Thailand we went to go spend the day with the gentlest of giant, the elephants! We got to know our elephants well, even if we could never remember their Thai names, and giggled when feeling the belly of a few of the females who were pregnant! After a hike into the mountains we were rewarded with a lunch of pad Thai wrapped in a banana leaf and a mud bath of epic proportions. We covered both our bodies and the bodies of our big buddies with the healing mineral clay. Rinsing off in the free flowing river back near the camp, we got tickled by elephant kisses on our cheeks, or hoisted into the air by one of their massive trunks, or did flips off their backs into the cool water. While entertaining it was also a place to learn of conservation and protection and we capped off the day by planting a tree in the forest.

Whether we were getting hot in Muey Thai class, getting artistically confused with our paper umbrella painting in the Borsang Umbrella Village, or needing an extra photographer at the 3-D Museum our local Thai staff of Ice, King, and Wa worked hard to be sure we always had all our needs met. Does anybody remember the Thai they taught us? How are you? Sabai dii mai ka/krap? Try and hold on to the language you already know so you can use it again next time you’re back in Thailand! The Thai people and their generosity and friendliness, Thai cuisine and the endless variety of tastes that can be put together, and the endless forms of beauty that can be experienced in this small Southeast Asian country will hopefully have you back before long. May this GLA 2017 adventure to Thailand be a spring board for your further travel adventures throughout the world and inspire you to peak around the next corner with curiosity and honesty, without self doubt and fear. Thanks for a wonderful summer!

Special moments from our trip:

-Learning how to make Pad Thai, gaeng kiow wan, and thom kha gai with a local family’s cooking school and trying to leave room for sweet coconut sticky rice and mango!

-Trying to blow bubbles from the snapped neck of the soap leaf in the Akha village with Niti.

-Riding elephants bareback across the river while bamboo rafts floated down stream to a misty jungle backdrop.

-Playing endless games of duck-duck-goose and “flower” hangman with the Thai students.

-Getting our fortunes read at Wat Doi Suthep, and sometimes not entirely sure we want our fortunes! Thanks to Wa for translating. ☺

-Squat toilets and the bum gun!

-Exuberant karaoke parties in the vans going to and from excursions.

-Sweating and getting rid of pent up energy in Muey Thai kickboxing class.

-Fist bumps and high fives with our Thai students.

-The seatbelt song!

-Learning Thai instruments with fellow Thai students during the cultural exchange at Wachirawit School.

-Fine tuning our friendly bartering skills for the epic shopping trips to Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar and the night markets.

-Discovering new sore and ticklish spots during our authentic Thai massage.

-Learning to live with our gecko roommates and their continuous chirps!

-Speaking about Buddhist philosophy and the origins (or non origins) of the universe with a Buddhist monk at Wat Suan Dok, the royal cemetery temple.

-Jessica Rose

Sawadee!

We were at Tianna enjoying the sunset along the Ping river not that long ago. It feels like the spicy food we had has just started to leave our palettes of the delicious burn from all the amazing Thai dishes we had. Hopefully you have not forgotten the lotus pose and caught yourself wai – ing from time to time. Speaking of Wa, our Thai staff is missing you extremely as are we all. You must be in school or even college for some of you. Let this letter be something to remind you of all the fun time you had at GLA Thailand.

Session two was a whirlwind of delight and excitement! Starting with week one of amazing insightful cultural activities that started with a city tour and ending with playing in the jungle with majestic elephants. Then week two, you all taught the adorable Thai students at our schools. What an exemplary job you all did.  Those students will never forget the experience you gave them. Hopefully you can look back on those lessons with the fondness of memories and use it as a lesson for your futures, spring boarding you to great heights in life.

Ideally you are in your nice and cozy elephant pants reading this letter in a cool dry place. The weather was always a challenge for us, being rain or the unrelenting heat, it made us stronger as a group. The memories you should look back on with fondness will always be yours to cherish. Be it singing in the vans or late night talks at bed checks, those will always be yours to look back upon. May a smile be close by when you thinking about our time together in Chiang Mai.

Making spring rolls and kai soi at the cooking school our very first full day together.

The elephants! The Elephants! THE ELEPHANTS!

Remember the crazy long walking street market with countless stands to buy our amazing souvenirs and gifts for our loved ones.

Tianna in all its glory, from the pool to the dining area, our little oasis in the middle of the jungle. Eating breakfast and dinner next to the Ping river.

Ziplining through the jungle.

Teaching those adorable little students.

From all of your GLA Staff members,

Thank you for such a memorable Session!!

-Max Schechinger

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.