My Luft story
My name is Tina and even a couple of months ago, I never thought I would write my Luft story. As a young girl, I never liked hiking. I still remember the weekend trips with my grandma, when she took us to the nearby hill Sveti Jošt near Kranj. For us, it was a proper feat. We barely made it across the first half when we stopped for some snacks. We also took some hiking trips with my parents, but in high school, I had enough and decided never to go hiking again. All I did was complain about it.
And no, my story has nothing to do with the Coronavirus, even though everything started at that time. The main cause for the change was my health, which in 2018 started deteriorating almost overnight due to large amounts of work and stress. Even today, I can’t really tell what exactly happened. And I still cannot comprehend why people need to go through so much pain and suffering to finally understand what’s important … For me, the greatest punishment was not working. I felt completely useless. All those woes – being home alone, literally chained to a sofa because I was forbidden to work or exercise – weighted on me and nearly drove me into depression.
Thank God for my family and closest friends, who helped me through this and never left my side. Sadly, they could not get into my head and clear away the tangle of dark thoughts. And yes, even now, I still have to work on them from time to time …
Then came a day, when I could go outside, first it was just a short walk around the building. I admit, after just one round, I was exhausted. At the same time, this gave me purpose and so I slowly started spending the days of my sick leave walking. Of course, I overdid it, but of naturally nobody wants to admit something like that to themselves. After a couple of months, I managed to visit Sveti Jošt, a hill near Kranj. This time, I needed a lot longer to reach the top than I did when I was a child. Even though I had climbed to the top of Slovenia’s highest mountain Triglav before my sick leave, when I was climbing the much lower Jošt hill years later, I felt as if I was conquering our tallest peak once again. And this sense of achievement, when I reached the top, when I breathed in the fresh air and looked at the surrounding views … Something shifted inside of me – I felt the hills and truly connected with them for the first time.
This means I climbed them out of my own desire, without anyone pushing me to do it. And this is how it all started, even though I should have taken it easy at that time. But it helped me to bring joy into my life and fill myself with energy. My outlook on life suddenly gain a different picture. The belief that work is the only thing that keeps me going was slowly replaced by the hilltop views that make my heart sing. I cannot describe all the feelings that overcome me, when I reach the peaks. But I can say that this is the time when I feel truly happy.
Thus, even during my sick leave, hiking became a weekly activity. I admit, I often overdid it, but nowadays I know exactly when my body is not ready for such feats. On those days, I listen to it and stay at home.
Even then, I played with the thought of creating a small collection of hiking clothes and accessories. It was more a joke than a serious idea. But clearly, the wish was big enough that I can write this story today. During the Coronavirus epidemic, I came up with the brand name “LUFT”, which is a Slovenian colloquial name for air, and started creating the first designs with the help of my friend Katja. Sadly, the timing was not right, which is why the idea was pushed back into a drawer for a year. I used the time to search and play out different options to create something that was high quality and made in Slovenia, because I like supporting local businesses. After a few missteps, my favourite LUFT headbands and socks finally saw the light of day. The entire product line was completed by hoodies.
I truly stand behind each LUFT product because I have been testing them myself for quite some time before I showed them to anyone. Today, I can guarantee you that they are made with the greatest love for hiking and achieving your dreams.
Finally, we can write the story of Luft together. Be it on top of the mountains or in the lush valleys.
