Into the Wild

I have always been close to nature. I remember being 10, and my grandad waking me up early on Saturday mornings saying - Let's go mushroom hunting! Whether you want it or not, growing up next to the Labanoras forest, you become a part of it. 

Cruising around the woods on my bike, discovering an unseen lake or a swamp, is what filled and continues to fill me with lots of joy and contentment. Even today, living in the capital city of Lithuania, I often run away to the woods; away from city buzz, away from the societal pressures, from needing to constantly work hard, improve, study, read, and well, strive to be the best version of yourself. 

Whereas there’s just me and my thoughts in the forest, no frightening conversations about the future. All there’s left to think about is walking, food, and shelter. I believe humans are most happy when they don’t overthink. And when there’s nothing else to worry about, you can finally listen, be still, and then the forest comes alive! Even the animals; if spending the night somewhere in the woods, they suddenly become interested in you. You can hear their steps and the branches creaking. I admit, it can be scary at the beginning, but you need to keep telling yourself that- they’re just animals.

I’ve come to realise that I don’t force myself into something that isn’t pleasing. I simply do what I like and what brings me joy. I am not chasing common trendy youth goals like owning a lot, being financially stable, or getting as much work experience as possible. I believe we won’t care who started the career earliest when we are old. I choose to live a calm life without much planning. I choose trekking instead of ‘city fun.’ 

When I graduated from high school in 2015, I started studying meteorology. I didn’t quite like it there, so I quit. I didn’t really care what people thought-I knew it was my life and my decisions. 

Nonetheless, my educational journey didn’t end there. Somehow I always knew I wanted to study biosciences. The unoccupied year that I had after I dropped out of my studies went by super fast. I got accepted to microbiology and biotechnology studies, and I felt that these subjects would spark my interest as they’re related to nature. It was tough but most importantly, interesting.

People were always asking me: “What’s next? Where will you work? How is this going to be beneficial for your future career?” I always answered that, in my opinion, the world is chaotic, and you may never know what might happen, and I choose not to plan that far ahead.

At university, I thought I should focus on my studies and explore the forest in my spare time. I wasn’t worried about my career at all. However, some people seemed to be very surprised to hear that I had never worked in my life, although I was 24. I simply never saw having a career as that significant. I didn’t have any previous work experience, so I saw myself as clay that hasn’t been formed yet and can be put into any shape; haven’t been formed by any work environment, therefore ready for various challenges in different areas. 

I decided to continue studying since no job interested me and I wanted to postpone the "responsible adult life". Geology has always been an interest of mine, so I decided to do a Master’s degree. I didn’t think about why or what career prospects I would have after graduation. Perhaps, if you don't have a clear goal now, maybe you don't need to strive and look for it? Simply engage and proceed with what brings you joy.

A few years ago, as I was looking for like-minded people, I joined a trekking club at my university. I got involved in many club activities and soon became the president of the club. So, instead of me wandering in the forest on my own, now I can share this joy with all who want to run away from the city. Now, I am more than happy to take others to the most mysterious, and beautiful wild places in Lithuania. I organise non-commercial treks almost every weekend at my club. We go on foot, kayak, or take boats, and wander around the eastern and southern parts of Lithuania. It all starts with coming up with and marking a route on the map and ends with approximately 35 tired, but happy people in the forest. The coziest moments are, of course, by the bonfire, no matter if you’re alone or surrounded by many companions. The light of the fire silences your mind and brings you peace.

I have taken at least 500 people into the forests this year, and I hope that they’ll keep coming back to nature. I would like to continue promoting outdoor activities in Lithuania. Even though there are more and more people choosing these types of ventures, we’re still far behind Norwegians. It is quite rare to meet a backpacker in Lithuania, and in my humble opinion, not always are they being treated nicely. I walked the Camino Lituano 500 km pilgrim route throughout Lithuania, and I’ve had some people ask me- “Why are you doing this?”, and say that there are cars, and I should better go find a job instead of walking around doing nothing. But it didn’t put me off, quite the opposite, actually.

For me, walking is better than anything. The only thing I plan in life is to continue walking. Where? I don’t know. I know I’ll walk - long distances or short but I’ll keep moving because that’s what I love the most.

Written by Povilas Rudinskis

Translated by Dominyka Mieželytė

Illustrated by Saulė Gimžūnaitė