Traveling is more than just taking a selfie in front of a monument or lying on the beach — it’s also good for the soul.
These two Waypoint travelers share their experiences of finding inner peace and giving back to the community (including elephants!). They’re also helping build the online travel community that’s exclusively for troops, veterans and their families. Visit MilitaryWaypoint.com to contribute your own stories and see what others have posted.
FINDING ZEN WITH YOUR BFF
St. George, Utah
How do you find your way back to life after a deployment that stripped you of everything that made you you? For me, it was a combination of the Red Mountain Spa and Resort retreat and the presence of my best friend. At the time, I was unsure what the all-inclusive trip would entail and was a bit nervous … until I first saw the beautiful red-tinted mountains, which served as a glorious backdrop.
There was a calmness that surrounded me, a healing of sorts that I had not known in many years since my deployment. This was the first time that I felt everything would be OK, and it renewed my energy and hope. I found the time to seek inner peace, to concentrate on wellness, to find healthy ways to expend the pain I had. It wasn’t until this trip that I was able to find solace.
Nature was the beautiful backdrop, with its magnificent red rock views, and my best friend was the rock to my soul. It wasn’t a coincidence that the stars aligned for us to make that trip. The trip was heavenly, and how can it not be? The breathtaking views of Bryce and Snow Canyons and Zion National Park uplifts your soul. The wellness treatments at Red Mountain Spa and Resort rejuvenated your health. It’s a trip like no other, and everyone should find their zen at locations like this. But the best part is to experience it with your best friend, like I did with mine.
— MYW, Waypoint member
THE MOST REWARDING VACATION
Chiang Mai, Thailand
A couple spent a week helping to rehabilitate elephants on their trip to Thailand.
Photo Credit: Waypoint member post by Vanessa Pesina
My husband and I took a trip to Thailand to volunteer at their Elephant Nature Park weekly volunteer. In Thailand, they have no laws for their elephants, so they are constantly worked and beaten to death for the tourism industry, which is the country’s number one source of income. We lived in a village and helped rehabilitating elephants get adapted back to life in the jungle. We were very welcomed by the people, and we got to get to know each elephant and their story.
After our week volunteering, we took a week to ourselves and traveled south to Bangkok and Pattaya, where we got to see the beauty of Thailand. Bangkok is a big city, and Pattay is a beach town with many activities for their beautiful waters. Everyone speaks English, and everything is extremely cheap compared to the states. If you purchase a two-bed hotel room with Wi-Fi, a balcony and a breakfast buffet, in total you would be spending about 15 dollars. To stay in a five-star hotel where they treat you like royalty, you only have to spend about 100 dollars. Thailand was the best experience in my life, and I will never forget that vacation.
— Vanessa Pesina, Waypoint member
