I discover what it is I’m searching for: an ethical elephant sanctuary, devoted to the conservation of Asian elephants. Here, the elephants are free to roam, no longer bound by the constraints of tourism or industry. They move through the jungle with ease, their ears flicking at the sound of the wind, trunks swaying in their endless search for food.

I sit at the feet of these majestic creatures, watch them forage, feel the earth trembling beneath their feet. The jungle feels ageless, a place where the elephants exist as they are meant to – untouched, untethered, free from the shadows of captivity. I feel small, humbled by both their sheer size and the quiet majesty of their presence.

My hike concludes by a waterfall. The water is relentless, cool, a force of nature swallowing everything in its path. I swim in the mountain spring, let the sun kiss my skin, feel the weight of the world melt away. The waterfall beats down upon my back, the pulse of it reverberating in my bones. For a moment, everything is just as it should be.

The haze from the local farmers' fires lingers in the air, turning the light a muted gold. I think of the farmers back home, some of whom use the same land management methods. The air, heavy with haze, makes the sunset even more magnificent. Suddenly, the sky erupts; warm hues blend and bleed into one another, reminding me that this world is simultaneously fragile and fierce.