Three friends lie side by side in a quiet field under the midnight sky, the soft glow of a small Slovakian town twinkling below. The shadows of the High Tatra mountains stand tall in front, their bright white peaks glowing in the moonlight, whilst behind them, the forest stirs with whispers of nocturnal life, and distant calls from unseen creatures.
Above, the sky stretches as a tapestry of infinite mystery, the Milky Way so vivid that they truly feel "at one" with the universe, wrapped tightly together in its vast and endless embrace.
Side by side, buzzing with bliss and high on “life,” they breathe in the cool night air, hearts full, minds drifting through memories and experiences that brought them here this summer, cherishing the journey that led them this far…
I reminisce about the memories we created that summer of 2015, volunteering at the Ginger Monkey hostel. I think of the friends I made, the real and raw laughter ringing through the air, the clinking of countless beer bottles, the endless travel stories shared by strangers-turned-friends, and the sweet taste of freedom and independence. Gradually, I slip into a state of blissful non-thought, enveloped in silence and total awareness. I am completely relaxed, filled with immense love and gratitude, deeply connected to the two souls beside me. I close my eyes slowly, letting the cool grass slip through my fingers…
As I float deeper into this stream of consciousness, teetering on the edge of euphoria, my eyes snap open. A powerful tremor surges toward me, a force unlike anything I have ever felt or heard. Fear grips me, rooting me in place. We freeze. The ferocious, predatory footsteps reverberate through the ground beneath, rippling like waves across water. Suddenly, Carolyne shouts, “Get back! Go!” Her voice shatters my paralysis. In an instant, Jack and I spring to our feet, driven by pure instinct. Adrenaline floods my veins as we join a chorus of protective shouts. My heart races like never before. The rawest, most primal fear ignites within me. As my body surges with what feels like a newfound power, I realise I am no longer afraid.
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| The path back down - this picture is not from the evening of the event. |
He halts, now gripped by fear of us.
The three of us retreat, roaring together like a pack of wild wolves. Realising our collective cries have driven the threat away, we seize the moment, sprinting as fast as we can, each step fuelled by the urgency of survival.
We reach the bottom of the field, standing at the start of the path leading to the town we had been blissfully overlooking just minutes before.
Grounded by the solid concrete of Ždiar, we are speechless, too exhilarated to stand still. We wander aimlessly, taking turns glancing over our shoulders, half-expecting the grizzly beast to emerge once more. But he is gone, and the grip of fear has finally loosened…
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| The field we were relaxing in (the morning after). |
Three friends stroll along a quiet country road, warmed by the soft glow of the last lights lit inside the local Slovak homes. Late-night dog walkers pass by, casually greeting them, blissfully unaware of what just happened. They find a curb to sit on, all three momentarily lost for words…
After what feels like an eternity of silence, I glance at Jack and then at Carolyne, and we burst into hysterical laughter, trying to process the last ten minutes and the absurdity of it all. As the last remnants of adrenaline fade and we begin to sober up, I struggle to grasp whether what just happened was real. Back in the realm of thought, only one thing remains to be said...
"Periods really do attract bears, don’t they?”
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