Emma & Julia – The Night Before, in the Old Town Apartment

In their shared apartment tucked into a narrow lane of Vilnius Old Town, Emma and Julia moved quietly through their evening routines. The apartment had the warmth of lived-in comfort—book stacks on the windowsill, a drying rack with freshly laundered clothes, and a soft clinking of dishes being put away.

Emma had just finished wiping down the kitchen counter when Julia walked in, holding an iPad displaying the map.

“I was looking at the weather forecast again,” Julia said. “It might rain on the second day.”

Emma leaned over the map, her brow furrowing slightly. “That’s the Dzūkija leg, right? Forest paths get tricky when wet.”

“I’ll pack the gaiters,” Julia nodded, half-smiling. “And we might get some good fog footage if we’re lucky.”

They talked for a while—about socks, notebooks, camera batteries, and what snacks they should bring. Nothing urgent, just small, necessary details that marked the transition from ordinary days to travel. The kind of night where anticipation hums low in the background.

Tomas – Quiet Readiness on the City’s Edge

Tomas lived in a modest apartment block near the edge of Vilnius—close enough to the city for convenience, but far enough for quiet. His living room doubled as a workspace, half-filled with hiking gear, maps, and a folded-up tent he decided not to bring this time.

Back inside, he took off his coat and lined up the essentials on the entryway shelf— a basic car repair kit, a power bank, a thermal blanket for camping, and a box of dry food. He felt a quiet anticipation for the trip—not for sightseeing, but because he knew this particular group—Emma, Julia, Renata, Ben—would make the journey something more than just ticking off destinations.

He brewed a cup of black tea and sat back down at his desk, looking over the printed itinerary. Under several place names, he had drawn arrows and added asterisks: Šatrija, Dzūkija, Nida.

They weren’t marks for others to see. They were for himself—places he felt he ought to visit at least once. Not to tell a story, but to quietly see the land with new eyes, then return to his everyday life.

Renata – Packing Late in the Countryside Kitchen

Out in her cottage surrounded by fields and fruit trees, Renata stood barefoot in the kitchen, drying a handful of herbs she’d just picked from the garden. A loaf of rye bread rested on the counter, and her woven basket sat open on a chair, already half-filled with tea jars, beeswax wraps, and a tin box of fresh honey cookies.

She moved slowly, checking labels, tightening lids, whispering to herself now and then. The window was open, letting in the night air mixed with the scent of chamomile.

Earlier that evening, she had scribbled in her notebook: “Stories taste better in the woods.” She wasn’t sure yet what she meant by that, but she felt it would make sense once they were out there.

Ben – A Late Walk Near the Library

Ben stayed in a university guesthouse, a few tram stops from the main campus. His small room was quiet, lit by a single desk lamp and the glow of a laptop screen. A duffel bag sat open on the bed, filled with basics—books, a raincoat, a reliable water bottle. Nothing excessive.

That evening, he took a short walk near the library, headphones in, hands in his pockets. He was still unsure what exactly made him say yes to the trip. Maybe curiosity. Maybe something softer, like wanting to see the land through others’ eyes.

Back in his room, he glanced once more at the message from Tomas. “We leave around 8. I’ll swing by.”

Ben smiled. He liked that phrase—swing by—so casual, so human.

Emma 與 Julia｜出發前夜的老城生活

Emma 和 Julia 住在維爾紐斯老城區一條狹窄巷弄中的一間公寓裡。這間公寓有一種生活過的溫度：窗台上堆著幾本書，曬衣架上掛著剛洗好的衣物，廚房裡傳來輕輕的瓷碗碰撞聲。

Emma 剛擦完廚房檯面，Julia 手裡拿著顯示地圖的 iPad 走了進來。

「我剛又看了一下天氣預報，」Julia 說，「第二天可能會下雨。」

Emma 湊過去看地圖，微微皺眉。「是去 Dzūkija 的那天吧？森林裡的路下雨後很難走。」

「我會帶上防水腿套，」Julia 半笑地點點頭，「不過說不定還能拍到漂亮的霧景呢。」

她們又聊了一會兒——襪子、筆記本、相機電池、還有要帶什麼零食。沒什麼特別緊急的事，但這些瑣碎的小細節，正悄悄地把平日生活轉向即將展開的旅行。整個夜晚有一種低低的期待，在背景裡靜靜流動。

Tomas｜城市邊緣的沈靜準備

Tomas 住在維爾紐斯郊區一棟老式三層公寓的二樓，窗外是筆直延伸的柏油路與一排楊樹。他的陽台不大，卻種了幾盆薄荷與辣椒，角落還有一張折疊椅，是他偶爾喝啤酒看路燈發呆的地方。

這晚，他照例把車開到樓下空地，用手電筒再檢查一遍輪胎與機油。這台銀灰色的休旅車是他十年前買的，幾乎沒出過國，但跑遍整個立陶宛，從濕地到山丘，他都載過學生或學者前往田野地調查。

回到屋內，他脫下外套，把預備的物資排在玄關鞋櫃上——一組簡易修車工具、行動電源、野營保暖毯、還有一盒乾糧。他對這次旅行有種安靜的期待，不是為了觀光，而是他知道，這幾位人選——Emma、Julia、Renata、Ben——能讓這趟旅程不只是走馬看花。

他泡了杯黑茶，坐回書桌，看著列印出來的行程筆記。幾個地名底下他畫了箭頭，還加了星號：Šatrija、Dzūkija、Nida。

那不是標註給別人看的，是他自己心裡覺得「該去一次」的地方。不是為了說故事，而是為了安靜地看一眼這塊土地，換個角度，再回到自己的日常裡去。

Renata｜鄉間廚房裡的深夜打包

在她那座被田野與果樹包圍的小屋裡，Renata 赤腳站在廚房裡，正把剛從花園摘來的香草晾乾。廚房檯面上放著一條裸麥麵包，她的編織籃子開著放在椅子上，裡頭已經裝了一半：自製花草茶、蜂蠟布，還有一盒新鮮的蜂蜜餅乾。

她動作緩慢，邊檢查瓶罐邊旋緊瓶蓋，偶爾低聲自言自語。窗戶開著，夜風夾著洋甘菊的香味流進屋裡。

傍晚時她曾在筆記本上寫下一句話：「故事，在森林裡會變得更好吃。」她還不確定這句話真正的意思，但她有預感，一旦踏上旅程，一切都會明朗起來。

Ben｜圖書館附近的夜行人

Ben 住在大學客座人員的招待所，離校本部有幾站路的電車距離。他的房間不大，只靠一盞書桌燈和筆電螢幕的光照明。床上攤著一只旅行袋，裡面裝著幾本書、一件雨衣和他那個用了很久的水壺，沒有多餘的東西。

那天晚上，他繞到圖書館附近散步，耳朵裡戴著耳機，雙手插在外套口袋裡。他還不太確定自己當初為什麼答應參加這趟旅行。也許是出於好奇，也許是出於某種更溫和的動機——想要透過別人的眼睛看看這片土地。

回到房裡，他又看了一眼 Tomas 的訊息：「我們大概八點出發，我會開過去載你。」

Ben 微微一笑。他喜歡那種說法——「開過去接你」——簡單、隨意、很有人味。