Early Saturday morning, the three of us – Lenka from Czechia, Laura from Germany, and I – set off into the Finnish forest. Our goal wasn’t just to hike and enjoy nature, but also to help each other learn the basics of our languages. While walking through the woods, Laura and I introduced Lenka to her first German words, and in return, she taught us some Czech. It turned out to be the perfect setting for a language exchange.
As we wandered through pine-covered hills and passed quiet lakes, our conversations became more than small talk – they were full of pointing, laughing, and learning.
Laura would say that it was a mushroom, and Lenka would carefully repeat the German word Pilz.
Then it was our turn to ask how to say “Pilz” in Czech. Lenka told us it was houba.
Trees became Bäume, which then became stromy. We learned that “lake” in Czech was jezero, and that Baum sounded completely different when spoken with a Czech accent.
Lenka was patient as we struggled with Czech pronunciation. The sounds were unfamiliar, especially the rolled ř, but somehow the hiking rhythm helped. At one point, she shared a simple Czech phrase that stayed with us:
She explained that “Jak se do lesa volá, tak se z lesa ozývá” meant something like what you shout into the forest is what echoes back – a perfect metaphor for language learning (and hiking).
After a long loop that may or may not have included a few accidental detours, we finally made it back to our campsite – hungry, happy, and ready to reward ourselves.
Out came the grill. We cooked thick slices of zucchini, juicy mushrooms, and golden-browned grill cheese that melted just right. It smelled amazing, and after hours on the trail, even better than a restaurant meal. Lenka taught us how to say “cheers” in Czech. She said it was Na zdraví!, so we raised our beer and repeated it with our best accents.
But the real challenge of the day was still ahead: the lake.
It looked peaceful… but we knew better. A quick check had told us the water was around 10°C. Still, there was no backing out now. One after another, we jumped in – shouting and instantly frozen. It was cold. Really cold. But also incredibly refreshing. We didn’t stay in long, but we came out wide awake and full of energy.
Wrapped in blankets by the fire, we ended the day sharing more words, more laughs, and already planning our next trip. What started as a simple hike had turned into something more: a day of friendship, learning, and a little adventure – all in the heart of the forest.
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