Fifth Journey Day 51: Swing of the Forgotten Pendant

Date: June 28, 2025
Location: Šiauliai, Lithuania

The walk to the Hill of Crosses felt longer than it probably was. The path was lined with tall grass, gently bent by the breeze, and the only sound I could hear was the rhythm of my own footsteps on the gravel. As I got closer, the land seemed to change — from regular farmland to something more unusual, thicker. The hill went up slowly, but the field of wooden and metal crosses, all the same, grew more and more intense.

I didn't take any photos. It didn't seem important. There was already too much to look at — small handwritten notes, ribbons that had faded from rain, rosaries curled around nails and branches. Even the shadows cast by the tangled mass felt heavy with history. It didn't feel sad. He was just so insistent. People needed to leave something behind so they could keep walking.

I stayed for a while. Let the silence deepen. I touched a rusting chain-link cross. Someone's name was still visible in faint marker. It felt wrong to think too hard about it, so I didn't. I stood and took a breath, watching the wind blow through the wood and metal, swinging a few pendants.

Later, back in town, I sat by Talkša Lake with a cup of warm tea. Ducks floated past in relaxed shapes. A teenage couple sat on a bench nearby and kissed in a shy way. It all felt real and unposed — like the world wasn't trying too hard to be beautiful, and that made it better.

I didn't draw today. I just took it in. Sometimes, just noticing is enough.