Lyudmyla came to Austria from the war – without joy in it, though she had loved this country for a long time.
The first thing she encountered in her new country was not the language and not the people.
“WHEN I ARRIVED, I DIDN’T YET KNOW THE LANGUAGE OR ANYONE HERE — BUT NATURE WAS ALREADY MINE.”
Not yet knowing anyone, she was already walking through Austrian towns – around forty of them over time. Every morning at six she set out with her walking poles, alone, in any weather, and even on days when she couldn’t cover five hundred steps without losing her breath, she went anyway – and came home in a different state.
Among the mountains and rivers, it seemed to her that she was walking through her native Ukraine, and that inspired her even more.
People came later – but nature came first.
“Nature here is magnificent. It charges you, heals you — and moves you toward good things.”
Project: Healing Land.Voices Voice: Lyudmyla Location: Linz, Austria