Nature was tamed for me by my husband.

Our guests share one common desire – to experience and be closer to nature. After this meeting with the nature of Bedugnė, we are interviewing Jurga Laukineitiene, who understands the value of silence and tranquility, especially when time is spent with her husband, and knows that quality rest can be diverse – from being in nature to traveling. Although the balance between work and rest has not yet been perfectly harmonized, nature has become an important part of her life, having learned to appreciate and love the beauty of nature through her husband's perspective. Jurga's experiences in Bedugnė only affirm her connection with nature and her desire to return there in different seasons to experience the beauty and serenity of the surroundings even more deeply.

Who is Jurga in your eyes?

I am a digital communications specialist, working daily with social networks. At the same time, I am a mother to my son Tumas and daughter Ilya, and a wife to my husband Rokas, who is a forester-ecologist. I am project-oriented and constantly have ideas in my mind that I want to implement. I have a weakness for dishes, movies, bread baking, and recently, cocktail combinations.

Children bring a lot of color and adventure into our lives. How do you manage to find peace and silence in everyday life?

There is little silence and peace in our lives; I would only add these words to the time when Roku and I are together. At all other times, we have a lot of noise, songs, emotions, and the backdrop of sibling relationships. Therefore, I value peace and silence as special practices.

How would you describe quality rest? What does it mean to you?

Quality rest for me comes in a few forms. One is when the body rests, and I want to be in nature, moving, sleeping, relaxing, calming my mind, and allowing myself to just be. The other is when the body travels, but the mind takes a vacation from daily worries and dives into the experiences of the journey. Both types of rest are essential for me, and I feel best when I am in balance between them.

As a digital communications specialist, the job is indeed dynamic and requires constantly staying on top of the ever-changing flow of information. How do you manage to maintain a balance between work and rest? How do you find a way to manage everything?

I must admit that I still don't have a harmonious work-rest balance. I work a lot, and we plan rest during the gaps. Sometimes, it can just be being at home. At the same time, we notice that the kids relax and rest the best in nature, so during the warmer months, we prioritize the outdoors.

What is your relationship with nature? Do you have a favorite Lithuanian plant?

Nature and its perfectly functioning ecosystem were introduced to me by my husband. He finds nature beautiful in both summer and winter, seeing it as a completely perfect, finite phenomenon. Everything, absolutely everything, is beautiful to him in nature. He introduced me to various species of trees, birds, and plants. Together, we expanded our understanding of the vegetation close to us in the city and landscaping. My favorite Lithuanian plant is the Scots pine. It evokes nostalgic, vacation-like feelings in me.

It was great to have you as a guest and to see the Konga Stay project through your perspective. What feeling and most memorable moment did you take away from here?

The feeling I took from Bedugnė was that I would love to return here throughout the different seasons and experience the nearby forest more. To pick berries, maybe even find some mushrooms.

For those who want to get to know Jurga's worldview, we invite you to follow her on Instagram.

Instagram