WHY NATURE?

Early morning.
I am sitting here at my desk, watching how the rays of the rising sun gently stroke the camera left behind on the table. The sharp cries of seagulls reach me even through the closed window, and I find myself thinking about where my next hike should take place.

And then, suddenly, the question strikes me:
why hiking again?

I will be honest — I have never really thought about this before. I could easily board a plane, a bus, or a train and comfortably visit foreign cities and museums, which I also love. Yet hiking pushes everything else into the background. I usually wake up very early, walk ten or twenty kilometres a day with a heavy backpack on my shoulders, and in the evening I sleep in my small tent — even when the weather is bad.

I love it.

Why?
I do not know.

Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in my childhood.

I grew up in a beautiful little village, surrounded by vast forests, fields, and meadows. A quiet stream flowed through it, where we used to go fishing and swimming.
That was life.

All our activities, our games, were intertwined with nature. We were always outside — winter or summer, rain or snow, it did not matter. People adapted to nature and lived in harmony with it.

Is this what I miss?

Now I live in a small town abroad, far from my village, and the nearest place I could truly call “nature” is at least an hour’s drive from here.

I often think about the direction humanity is heading. Old values are slowly fading, replaced by the rush and money-driven chase of the modern world. For many people, the most important thing is to show on social media what kind of luxury car they own, how big their house is, or what expensive gifts they bought for their loved ones — even when all of this is just an illusion, because behind the shine and glitter lie enormous loans.

Is it worth it?

For some, perhaps.
For me, it is not.

I have found my inner peace, and a significant part of that came from the countless hours I spent in nature — alone, with friends, or with my children.

Is the answer really this simple?
Just go out into nature, and everything will be fine?