Hitting Close to Home

I am pleading with you all to take less than TWO minutes to sign a petition to hopefully stop a local fair from using elephants for entertainment purposes. The Nevada County Fair is marketing with a big top theme this year and attempting to bring in elephants to be used for riding.
I admit it, I rode an elephant in my youth before I was educated. Please think about what these poor babes must endure in order to become tamed to live a life on the road, in confinement, ultimately to walk around in circles with stanky bums on their backs for days on end. No animal should be subjected to living like this. Ok, rant over. Please just sign and if you're local, please reconsider visiting the fair this year.

Sign here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/nevada-county-fairgrounds-please-choose-to-not-have-elephant-rides-at-the-2013-fair

One last thought {ok, I lied! Not completely done ranting.}

"For an elephant to become well trained, trainers employ a method called the crush. As young elephants, they are torn from their mothers and entrapped in a small confine, then ritualistically abused with bullhooks and bamboo sticks spiked with nails, as well as starved, deprived of sleep and worse, to crush their spirits and become submissive to humans. Their spines cannot support the weight of people. Carrying people on their backs all day can lead to permanent spinal injuries."

I stumbled upon this amazing elephant blog. Take a look if you have a few minutes and educate yourself about the reality these majestic creatures must face.

http://thebawbselephantblog.blogspot.ca//

I am feeling so honored to have the opportunity to get to work with two of the four listed worldwide (& legitimate) sanctuaries for elephants mentioned on this blog. (I was blessed to have the opportunity to work with The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee about 12 years ago.)

http://thebawbselephantblog.blogspot.ca/p/sanctuaries.html

Upon my return I had already planned to seek volunteer work at PAWS which is located in Lodi, not far from my soon to be new home. I'd say all things are lining up pretty well based off of this. Signs!

new beginings

You have found yourself here because I have {exuberantly} told you about my upcoming adventures. I am over the moon elated for what is to come in my life. If you don't know the details, here is a quick briefing:


 

 I have lived in Auburn for 20 years and I am finally leaving the nest. As of June 28th I will be done with my job, will be in the process of moving my things into a dear and gracious friend's garage, then getting on a jet plane to Thailand in the wee hours of the morning of July 3rd. I will return to the U S of A on July 26th. I will be apartment and job hunting in the midtown area of Sacramento immediately upon my return before starting at Sacramento State on September 3rd. HUGE, yet exciting changes are upon me. You are probably here to see pictures of Thailand...stay tuned! I will be updating as frequently as I can depending on internet access {or the need to just unplug and relax}. For the Momma Bears out there, this way you will know I am alive! BUT, just know that if I get trampled by an elephant, I will die happy!

Everyone seems to ask, "Why Thailand?" ummmm...why not?! My reasoning's {not that I need to}:

1. It is a beautiful country
2. They eat RICE noodles! (gluten free)
3. THEY HAVE ELEPHANTS!
4. It's fairly cheap

This dream started September 5, 2012 while I was laying on my back on the grass of SF Giant's stadium practicing yoga with Janet Stone while listening to my all time favorite, Michael Franti sing a song of inspiration. {Sadly I do not remember the song, but they're all inspiring} I was suddenly hit with an incredible urge to travel abroad on a service trip, this time for animals. Through the next few months life took me on a few loops and turns and I eventually revisited my thought of loving on some far away animals and here I am going to love on the biggest and most beautiful of them all {although I am a little biased}.

    


Michael and I pre yoga sesh. I have not booked much as I want to experience the most of my trip and not set boundaries or deadlines. I fly into Bangkok on Friday, July 6th and will take the overnight train up to Chiang Mai which can be upwards of 14 hours. I will spend Saturday and Sunday in Chiang Mai, seeing as much as possible while catching up on some rest. Monday morning I am to be at the office of Elephant Nature Park at 8am. I will then be taken to the sanctuary to spend the next seven days with rescued elephants. I can guarantee I will be an emotional mess for that entire week. The elephants are rescued from many different abusive ways of life such as street begging, a life of carrying humans on their backs {NO, I will NOT ride an elephant or use them as a pack mule while in Thailand!} or other various crummy ways of living. Watch this video that left me sobbing about the way of life for many elephants within Thailand and other surrounding countries: A promo video for Elephants Never Forget


 


 Where I will be for the best seven days of my life: Elephant Nature Park http://elephantnaturepark.org/index.htm 

Here are a couple of testimonies from visits to the park that have left me in tears, yet so excited to pay my part to these giant loves of my life...
  http://matadornetwork.com/community/johncaldwell/elephants-in-thailand-an-unforgettable-encounter/

 and if 1,500 FIVE star reviews doesn't say enough?!
  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293917-d601884-Reviews-Elephant_Nature_Park-Chiang_Mai.html

 I will be done at Elephant Nature Park on Sunday, July 14th and I already know I will not want to leave, but will be doing so with many tears. I plan to spend a few more days in Chiang Mai and perhaps a highly recommended village area called Pai. Once I have seen a bit of the north I will hop on a plane to Krabi in the South and live it up on the islands for over a week. This will be a good and needed recovery to console myself. Thank you for following me on the adventure of a lifetime!
Pictures to follow... Loves.