Last weekend I spent some quality time with our executive director in the mountains. Beautiful spots where I hadn't been before, home-made raki, some hiking and some more raki.
This reminded me of the most meaningful moments of my whole time in the territory of Kosovo. That moment lasted some two hours.
Our executive director is one of the most inspiring persons I have ever met. He is a man from the mountains, yet a great speaker and a really charismatic person. If I had to choose one day from the past nine months that has been the best, I would not only select one day but two hours that I will never forget. Of course the previous and following days play also an important role in this act. Describing the experience is not easy and it may not sound so special, but for me those moments belong to the collection of the most meaningful moments in my life. This is what happened in May:
On Friday we went to the village of Pepaj, which is the highest of the 13 villages in Rugova. The plan was to stay overnight in F.'s house, and to continue early next morning to Hajla to work on building a cabin. This was one of the first of those nights that I have since spent with F. drinking heavily, being foolish and talking. A lot. Sometimes something deep, sometimes chit-chat. However they are, I value those golden moments. Through words I sense his passion to the mountains.
At some point of the night F. decided that we should go for a hike when sun starts to rise and try to catch some deer on film. Both of us stayed awake, and 4:30 we left, with a video camera (to film deer if we see them) and an AK-47. Just for safety. F. said that he wouldn't shoot other animals except only a wild boar.
We sneaked as silently as possible, stopping from time to time to catch our breath so it wouldn't be too loud. F. showed me how I should step to make as little noise as possible. We arrived at the edge of a forest and sat there for some time, lurking deer. Nothing. We continued a bit further, stopped. Watched. Listened. Nothing.
Until - behind us, in the forest we hear some cracking voice. Both of our eyes light. F. shows with signs that it's a wild boar. I hold my breath. He unsecures the gun.
The next an hour or so we try to track the boar. We move almost silently. We hear the boar from time to time but never see it. Sun starts to get higher in the sky. We spot a red squirrel, F. films it. I go further trying to make it move closer to F. and his camera. We hike back to his village. It's 6:30.
After spending two hours in the forest and not to sleeping before that, I fall into sleep almost immediately. F. continues working in his garden. After two and half hours I wake up, and we drive closer to the spot where we start our hike to Halja. F. carries his chainsaw. The whole day he works like a maniac, cutting the logs to boards. After staying awake the whole previous night, after drinking a lot of raki, after our hike, after other physical work, he continues working until it's dark. Then he eats. Then he falls asleep. Next morning, he wakes up and starts working again.
For me, that two-hour hike was the most inspiring thing I have experienced for a long time. Those hours had it all - the magic of the Accursed mountains, sunrise, silence, excitement... It was the moment that had all the answers. It revealed all the reasons to be here, to be alive. It was the moment that mattered.
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