Back in 2010, I was studying Tourism Management at Vilnius
University when I started leading weekend excursions for
international visitors. What began as a part-time job became an
obsession. I couldn't stop exploring — every Saturday felt like
a new discovery waiting to happen.
That's when I realized something important: most travel guides
tell you what to see, but not why it matters. They're
checklists, not stories. I wanted to change that. Over the past
14 years, I've walked every major trail in the Curonian Spit
dunes, visited Trakai Island Castle across all four seasons, and
developed relationships with local historians and conservation
experts throughout the Šiauliai and Anykščiai regions.
The real breakthrough came in 2017. My detailed Hill of Crosses
pilgrimage guides became the most-recommended resources among
Lithuanian tourism boards. Suddenly, I wasn't just writing about
places — I was helping thousands of people connect emotionally
with them. That's when I knew this was my calling.
Now at venaloris UAB, I've published over 150 articles on
regional tourism. But I still get out there. I still walk the
trails. I still interview local craftspeople and heritage
managers. Because great travel writing isn't about what you read
— it's about what you feel when you're actually standing there.