FAMILY TRAVEL
Family
All in the
How to celebrate a milestone birthday? For one writer, the answer was easy: A multigenerational trip to Thailand, volunteering to work with elephants and a healthy dose of pampering. By Lois Alter Mark
M
y husband, Michael, and I have always encouraged our son and daughter to choose experiences over things. When they were toddlers, we introduced them to travel, starting with annual trips to Disney World, cruising through Europe as they got old enough to appreciate its culture and history, and eventually exploring places like Russia and Dubai. So, when my husband asked me how I wanted to celebrate my 60th birthday, the answer was easy. I told him my wish was to take a trip with the whole family, including the kids’ partners (now spouses). But what would a boomer/ millennial vacation look like? Volunteering at Elephant Nature Park in Thailand had been at the top of my bucket list since I cried through Love & Bananas, a documentary about the abuse suffered by elephants forced to perform. The film follows Lek Chailert, who founded Elephant Nature Park to provide a sanctuary for these magnificent creatures. I knew I had to support her efforts in some way, and I wanted to do it in person. I also understood that, while this was my idea of vacation bliss, it might not be anyone else’s. To make this once-in-a-lifetime 32 • Vacations ® • Spring 2022
A FAMILY OF RESCUED ELEPHANTS LIVING AT THE SANCTUARY
