Confessions of an Indian Digital Nomad.
I’ve experienced varying degrees of joy, nostalgia and frustration as an Indian digital nomad. But liberation is a constant feeling.
Month: March 2014
What a WWII Polish Refugee Taught me About “Hindustan”.
It’s a lazy summer afternoon in Fleurieu Peninsula’s wine country of South Australia. Cycling along the trail of an old railway track, we are surrounded by lush vineyards stretching into the horizon. Every few kilometres, a family-owned winery lures us in, to taste some of the finest Shiraz in the world. We chat with the friendly wine makers, satisfy our hunger pangs at organic cafes, and make our way past signboards that ask us to watch out for kangaroos and koalas! For our tired feet and drowsy minds, a cosy abode at Linger Longer Vineyard awaits us. We’ve whiled away our evenings here sipping wine on the patio, watching the sun set upon the vineyards at our doorstep. Just as we’re settling in that evening, our hosts invite us for a glass of wine in the main house. They have just returned from a 3-week vacation in India, and in all honesty, I feel a little guilty thinking of the extent of touting and chaos my land must’ve offered them while pristine beauty welcomed me …
5 Quirky Ways to Discover Madrid.
Exactly a year ago, I was packing my bags for a solo trip to Madrid and Valencia. I travelled back in time to revel in the medieval era festivities of the Las Fallas in Valencia, which I wrote about in a story recently published in The Hindu. And I fell in love, almost instantly, with the vibrant colors of spring in Madrid. I strolled along quaint neighborhoods and tree-lined boulevards, and stumbled upon some of the city’s quirkiest secrets to discover why it inspired the likes of Ernest Hemingway. If you’re going to Madrid, take my list, and let the city charm you, as it charmed me. Stroll along the Manzanares river, under the cherry blossoms. I expected to find medieval architecture co-existing with a cosmopolitan vibe in Madrid. But its tree-lined walkways, gorgeous parks, and natural colors of spring caught me by surprise. Thus began my quest to traverse through the most scenic parts of the city, and when I saw a map showing the River Manzanares flowing through Madrid, I decided to journey to the far end. As I …
Travel Contest: Win a Trip to New York!
You read that right. A free trip to New York from India is on the cards! Lufthansa is flying one lucky winner to The Big Apple, and offering 4 nights at iconic hotels in Manhattan. And you can win it. Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.
10 Unforgettable Moments in South Australia.
There are some trips that make you want to give the world a big hug. South Australia was that trip for me. On my long journey back to India two days ago, I couldn’t stop feeling overwhelmed by the pristine beauty of the things I had experienced, the warmth of the people I had met, the softness of the sands I had walked on, and the love that went into every glass of wine I had tasted. These are moments that will always make me nostalgic about South Australia: 1. Winery-hopping on a bicycle in Mclaren Vale. In the verdant wine country of Mclaren Vale, we pedaled our way along the trail of an old train track, amid vineyards that stretched into the horizon. The aroma of fresh grapes lured us into some of the oldest family-run wineries in these parts, for a taste of the finest Shiraz and Moscato wines. That warm afternoon felt like poetry to me. 2. Spotting kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, penguins, seals in the wild! I never imagined that one day, I would be …