Inspired by Grandfather
L. Gaižauskaitė grew up in the Jurbarkas district. There were no foresters in her family, so when she started studying forestry, she often heard the question of why she chose such a profession. Many classmates mentioned their father, uncle, or another forester in the family. Laura believes that her love for the forest was instilled by her grandfather.
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“My grandfather often went to the forest and took me along. He loves the forest very much. And even now he still enjoys spending time there – mushroom picking, berry picking, or just walking,” she says.
The first small rural school L. Gaižauskaitė attended was located near the forest ranger’s station. The school cooperated with the then Jurbarkas forestry office, so Laura participated in the activities of young forest friends, and many trips and activities took place at the mentioned ranger’s station.
She went to study forestry at the then Aleksandras Stulginskis University with a simple mindset: she would try it, and if she didn’t like it, she would leave.
“But I liked it. I liked it and stayed,” says Laura.
According to the forester, the most interesting for her were the professional subjects and practical training. Although she had to commute about an hour and a half daily to the university, she did not miss lectures.
“Not because attendance was mandatory, but because it was interesting,” the interviewee recalls.
When Theory Was Replaced by Practice
L. Gaižauskaitė’s first workplace was the Viešvilė ranger’s station. In 2019, she started working there as the deputy ranger.
“I remember when I started working, it was so scary… It seemed like I lacked a lot of practice. I kept wondering what I would do here and where to start,” shares the forester.
At that time, only two people worked at the ranger’s station – the ranger and her. The experienced colleague, in Laura’s eyes, also did not know what to expect from the young specialist.
“It seems he was also a bit scared when he saw me,” laughs L. Gaižauskaitė.
However, soon they became a great team, and the lack of practice turned into experience. Later, Laura moved to work at another ranger’s station, and even later became a forest resources specialist at the Jurbarkas regional division.
It seems he was also a bit scared when he saw me.
After a few more years, with a change of residence, it was time to look for new professional challenges – now Laura works as a specialist in the Forestry Department at VMU.
L. Gaižauskaitė once chose the forestry profession imagining that she would spend most of her working time in the forest and rarely in the office. According to the interviewee, working at the regional division, the days were indeed busy, but in her current job, she spends a lot of time at the computer.
“I used to spend the whole day on my feet. But now, after a day working at the computer, I come home and can’t sit still for more than a minute – I have to go, do something,” admits the forester.
Daily Norm – About Twenty Kilometers
So the desire to move naturally grew into hiking.
“Although every mountain and every hike is different, after all of them there is a similar feeling – memorable views, inner peace, and a break from the daily rhythm. It is precisely the love of nature and the desire to get to know it that most connects my profession and leisure time,” says L. Gaižauskaitė.
According to the interviewee, many years have passed since the first hike. Laura remembers that she even had a hiker’s passport – a booklet where stamps were collected after hikes. There, the forester accumulated well over a thousand kilometers walked.
Gradually, the geography of hikes expanded beyond Lithuania’s borders. Laura hiked in Zakopane, the Dolomites, Madeira, Wales, and recently returned from a two-week walking trip through the Balkan mountains across Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro.
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According to L. Gaižauskaitė, the main Balkan route lasted ten days and covered 192 km, but the app showed about 250 km walked at the end of the trip. The remaining distance consisted of additional walks and climbs to peaks.
“The first thought in the morning when starting to hike was: ‘What am I doing here?’. But then you get into the rhythm and everything goes very well,” Laura recalls.
Leaving at nine or ten in the morning, Laura and her friend reached the overnight place only in the evening. They walked about 20 km on average per day, but in the mountains, a much more important indicator is the vertical ascent covered.
“Every day over a thousand meters of ascent, and sometimes there were two thousand. These are quite high peaks. It was difficult.”
Going to the mountains really caused a slight shock.
Before the trip, Laura trained by walking with a 12 kg backpack, and during the trip, she carried a 15 kg backpack.
“We don’t have mountains in Lithuania, so we trained simply by walking slopes along the Kaunas Reservoir. Going to the mountains really caused a slight shock,” Laura confesses.
Hospitality That Stayed in Memory
At the beginning of the trip, according to the interviewee, temperatures in the valleys reached 39 degrees, while higher up there was snow and cold nights. Hikers planned to sleep in tents and bathe in rivers, so before leaving, Laura also got used to cold water. However, travelers more often chose guesthouses – they had to sleep in tents only when there were no free rooms at the overnight places.
“At the summit, we slept in a tent for a few nights. It was really cold. Even with thermal clothes and a warm sleeping bag, it was cold,” the forester says.
Not only the challenges overcome but also the people met in the mountains stayed in Laura’s memory.
Not only the challenges overcome but also the people met in the mountains stayed in Laura’s memory. The hospitality, simplicity, and sincere willingness to help of the locals accompanied the hikers throughout the trip.
One day, the travelers were caught in heavy rain, a storm, and thunder. They came down from the mountain soaked, although they had waterproof clothes. Then a man with a pickup truck stopped nearby, offered to drive them to the town, and there took care of their accommodation and warm food.
There were many similar moments on the trip. Another evening, the hikers reached the guesthouse well after dinner. However, the hosts not only accepted the travelers for the night but also made sure they did not stay hungry.
“What is especially memorable is that in remote mountain villages people live quite modestly and due to difficult communication do not always have many food supplies, but still willingly share what they have. Such simple gestures, shown attention, and willingness to help best revealed the hospitality of the locals,” adds the forester.
Tired but Rested
Asked where she gets the strength for such trips, Laura says: “I think you mostly need to work with your head. The body, of course, reminds you of itself. In the first days, my legs and back hurt, later my ankles. But after morning doubts came peace: one more ascent, a short break, food in a more beautiful place, and the road ahead. In such trips, the daily plan is simple. You don’t have to think about many tasks or decisions – the main thing is to get up and reach the next point. Physically it is tiring, but it gives peace to the mind,” the forester confesses.
Physically it is tiring, but it gives peace to the mind.
Back from the hike, Laura is already planning the next one. Currently, she has planned a shorter route to Pico Mountain in the Azores, Portugal, and later would like to go on a longer hike in the Alps – even if the first thought when putting on the heavy backpack again will be: “What am I doing here?”.
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