This is the 1st post of my Travel Secrets series.
If you don’t know me personally, you’ve probably wondered how I afford my travels, where I find the time, the company or the inspiration to travel, and whether my parents are okay with it (it is safe to assume that most Indian parents won’t be). I have hereby decided to come clean with my secrets in a new series that I’m not very creatively calling ‘Travel Secrets’, and I hope to inspire you to follow your dream to travel the world.
Lately, a lot of people have told me that I’m lucky to be doing the things I love to do. I beg to differ sometimes, because it’s not all luck. Just until a year ago, I was stuck in the rut like everyone else, living in Singapore, bound by a desk job, aiming for the next promotion, struggling with tasks that I knew didn’t matter in the bigger picture, celebrating my monthly paycheck, cribbing about pointless meetings, finding solace in being complemented at work, always awaiting the next weekend, and often trying to convince myself that some people were just luckier than me. In retrospect, I didn’t hate my job or my boss or my team on most days, and maybe if I had stuck around for a few years, I would’ve done pretty well for myself.
Having enough disposable income, it didn’t take me long to catch the travel bug. I would save most of what I earned, and take off for a few days every long weekend. I seldom spent a day of my annual leave sitting at home or roaming the malls or partying. Neelima, a fellow travel blogger, summarizes pretty well in this post just how many days in a year we can travel without quitting our jobs. That also meant I spent most weekdays planning my trips, and wishing I could pick up my bags and travel at whim instead of relying on someone else’s mercy to grant me permission. Don’t we all?
At Halong Bay in Vietnam.
Working in the tourism industry exposed me to the largely western concepts of long term travel, travel writing, round the word travel, living out of a backpack et al. I learnt, quite enviously, that travel companies pumped in a lot of money to award loyalists & influencers. Contests offering fully paid trips as prizes were real. Press trip invitations to travel bloggers & writers were real. People not very different from me, really did travel the world for a living.
As a digital marketing and social media professional, I took to my social networks (mainly Twitter & Linkedin) to find people living my travel dream. I followed the likes of Wild Junket, Nomadic Matt and Wandering Earl, all world nomads albiet from the west. I found no reason why an Indian girl like myself couldn’t do it. I fine-tuned my then dormant blog, started thinking of a sabbatical from work to see if I could adapt to a nomadic life, and began shortlisting places I could travel to on a tight budget; I had most of Southeast Asia under my belt by then. If Paulo Coelho hadn’t already written when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it, I could’ve been famous for saying it, because that’s what happened. I took part in my first big Facebook contest run by Air Asia, and won myself 2 return tickets to France. Europe thus became the first month of my sabbatical.
Atop the Elbe mountains in Saxony Germany.
I spent the next month volunteer-travelling in the high Himalayas of Spiti, in what was also my first solo trip. I realized that solo travel or budget (value for money) travel are not imaginary concepts, and that I could do it as much as the Wild Junkets & Nomadic Matts of the west. When I went back to office after spending two months on the road, my Facebook status read, ‘Feeling sorry for myself.’ Who wouldn’t, being desk-bound after seeing the fairytale alpine countryside of Europe, and the sheer magnificence of Spiti?
I suffered some sleepless nights after I resigned from work, thinking about where I was going to find the money to travel, or well, live. (Not to forget all my parents’ warnings about life in India, not having a job, not having money to pay off my student loan, etc, which is a topic for another post). I experimented with a couple of full time positions in the responsible travel sector, before realizing that all I really wanted was to be my own boss, money or no money. Your financial instincts must frown on my thinking.
It’s okay to feel a little lost sometimes. Photo by Leland Francisco.
I initially dipped every now & then into my savings from my corporate job, but gradually stabilized my income from freelance travel writing, social media assignments, and of late, my own startup, India Untravelled. I travel on whim, sometimes for a short escape, sometimes on work, sometimes indefinitely. I continue to take part in travel contests, and recently sent my first pitch to a tourism board (fingers crossed!). I’m also slowly and steadily paying off my debt for my college education. Most of all, I love my life and what I do, despite the occasional nightmare of what happens if one day I tire of writing & living a nomadic life. Ironically, someone recently came to my blog after Googling “Travel writer stops traveling.” I hope we shall never find out!
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Do you dream about quitting your job to travel the world (or follow another dream)? What’s stopping you?
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For more travel stories, tips & inspiration, join The Shooting Star on Facebook & Twitter.
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Featured image from Flickr by Kristaps B.
Welcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, instagrammer, social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes in the transformative power of travel.
Inspiring…..I only have recently chanced upon your blogs and tweets and was wondering how you were managing this and this blog really gave me the necessary insights and inspiration!
Thanks Dishit! Glad you found it inspiring, my day is made 🙂
Good write-up …I find the key to long term travel is, well, first off, the mentality. You have to let go of the physical things in your life, they just weigh you down …the second, yes, money. I actually quit my job to travel …did so for three years, came back home and got another, better job …at that point I said ha, “look at that”, the world didn’t end.
For me, well, I have no bills. My advice to anyone wanting to travel as a lifestyle is to drop the western thinking and the “american dream” of owning a house …and paying a mortgage for thirty years. Pay off everything, plan on bringing a carry-on, just go…
Well said. Reminds me of George Clooney’s speech in his movie Up in the Air, where he talks about how our baggage only weighs us down, and how we ought to travel with an empty backpack. It’s the only way to do it! Kudos for quitting your job for 3 years to travel. Off to read your blog now 🙂
तय रास्तोँ पे क्या चलना/या चलना सागर के किनारोँ पे /वक्त गुज़रा तितलियाँ पकड़े हुए…(what to travel on calf path/or just walk along the sea beach/it’s been ages sinced I stoped following butterflies)
may your blog inspire a million procrastinator to act and pack their bags to unwind to a far off destination who just dream for such(including me too;))!Nice truthful blog!
Always been intrigued by hindi poetry, and you’ve put it wonderfully! Hoping to inspire millions too =)
Hi Shivya, I ‘ve recently started to follow your blog and am certainly proud of you ! I understand it takes a lot of courage to cut out of the stereotype standard well- paid job and step out into the world you’ve dreamt! Good luck and God bless.
Hey Reha! The name rang a bell and your email address confirmed it 🙂 So good to see you here, thanks for dropping by & for that encouraging note. Hope you’re doing great wherever in the world you are!
Thank you for writing this post..settles many of my queries 😛
Haha, hoping to settle the rest in the upcoming posts!
Eagerly waiting for them!
hey Shivya – remember me Sylvia? We were at the comm215 class together, and that time this blog was just a “start-up”, so to say.. Glad to see how you’ve found what you like to do and even better, a way to fund it. I might be one of those few weird people that actually do like doing corporate job/desk job. Only last month I finally travelled out of my own pocket to New Zealand – loved every minute of it. Definitely caught the travel bug this time, and I’m thinking to start writing my travel experiences (I used to blog about it, but not giving it a lot of thought), so that I remember everything of it.
Cheers to you and travelling!
Good to hear from you Sylvia! Yes, I remember comm215 and Prof Tom Estad! I think that class is what got me interested in writing, took me a while to find what it was that I wanted to write about. It’s great that you like doing your corporate job (sometimes I wish I could like it too, I have other friends who do); at the end of the day, the only important thing is to be happy doing what you do =) Good luck with the travel bug (it’s addictive) and the new blog too. Send me a link when it’s up, I’d love to read it.
It’s always a pleasure to read your blogs since I started reading it. You inspire me…though you are very young..But age is not a factor for that. Way to go…Shivya..God bless and let all good things come your way.
I also got pleasantly surprised to see my earrings getting scrolled on the C.villa advt. of your page.
How does it appear on your blog??Any way I am happy…
And I remember very well when I visited your blog first, you were only a student In Singapore..
It is 12.10 am and I just opened fb and couldn’t prevent myself coming here. 🙂
Thanks Chitra, always grateful for your loyalty to The Shooting Star (and apologies for keeping you up so late, haha). I’m part of the WordAds program, which is a WordPress advertising program, and the ads are automatically served. Hope I can drive some quality leads to your earrings 🙂 Is it possible to order some online btw?
Shivya…you can message me on FB your requirement.. Would be happy to hear from you.
Hi Shivya,
I had often wondered how you manage to live the life that you do and this post answers a lot for me. So, thanks for sharing.
Like I mentioned to you, I plan to move back to India later this year and I am hoping to be my own boss too. I’d love to meet you and get better insights into what it is that I should be doing to follow this path.
Looking forward to more in this series.
Cheers!
Priyanka
Thanks for dropping by, Priyanka! I’m glad you’re moving back & looking to do something different. I’m in Delhi when I’m not travelling, so drop me a line once you get here & we’ll surely catch up 🙂
Good on you for following your dream and making it a reality. Happy travels, and don’t forget to come to see me in Italy one day.
I can’t wait to visit Italy again, though this year is not looking very likely. Soon, I hope =)
Such a cool story, Shivya – thanks for sharing it! I couldn’t agree more – I think there’s a lot of power in saying, hey, why can’t that be me? I get many similar questions to you – people saying, I wish I could do what you’re doing. In reality, though, it’s all about the choices you make and the risks you take. It’s great to hear it’s worked out so well for you, and I’m excited to see where the road takes you next!
Thanks Candace! And you said it, it really is about the choices you make, and the priorities you set for yourself. The road is taking me to Turkey next, my excitement knows no bounds!
lovely post, Shivya!!!!
Gracias Anu 🙂
Not exactly for travelling but I would love to quit my job for some serious writing. Right now, I am aiming to reduce my office travel time to achieve a part of it. One step at a time. 🙂
I completely get the “loan” part. I have taken a loan so I am relying on getting a higher package as time passes, so that I could travel more. 🙁
I have set myself a target of going to at least three places in a year and have met it till now. Hopefully, I will meet the target every year.
And that’s a great dream to chase too, Amit! It’s always good to have a target in mind, and kudos to you for meeting it every year. Keep making it bigger & bigger, especially to the time you devote to writing =)
Sorry for jumping in, but I couldn’t resist!
@Shivya: Great post! I’m glad to read about your aspiration and courage (not to mention things working out!).
@Amit: I too always wanted to write, but a daily job was killing me. As I see it, writers need a laid back, empty life if they are to write well. Life as a freelancer absolutely rocks: you waste far less time, gradually make more money, and are able to live life truly 80/20 style. I hope you’re able to pay off the loan soon and soar freely! 🙂
Thanks for dropping by & for your kind words, Ankush =) Can’t agree more that freelancing is the way to go, not just for the freedom of writing but of living on your own terms as well.
I have a dream. :-). Go and chase it Shivya. Write for Ghum somtimes if you feel like. There is a large travel community sitting there. Take Care and Best Wishes. – Nandan
🙂 I’ll take you up on the offer once I finish my current assignments!
Hi Shivya,
Your story was really inspiring. I am so happy that you are loving what you are doing. I also believe that “When your passion and profession are the same, even Exhaustion is about satisfaction”. Great work.
Thanks Neha, and you’re right, I think I’m working double as hard now than I ever did in my corporate life, and I’m only happy to do it. The thing with being your own boss is you can always do it better, and do more!
Absolutely loved this post. Im one of those who live in the dilema of whether to quit the corporate job or not. But Im sure I’ll never gather enough courage to quit s steady job and a steady income, even for the sake of travelling. And thats the way it is…
Make a plan & chase it, Prashanth. As Mark Twain would say, 20 years from now, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do. Go for it.
Very Inspiring. But No, thank you 🙂
Wonderful and inspiring …a really great read Shivya!
Thank you Nisa =)
Would love to leave my job and travel forever. Great going Shivya.
http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2012/06/sail-away.html
Thanks Niranjan, hope to have inspired you to take that dream forward!
nicely u have written about your journey .Happy traveling 🙂
Thanks!
how many countries u have visited till now ?
Good inspiring post both for travelers and travel bloggers 🙂
Thanks, glad you thought so!
I love the honesty of the post! It’s so inspiring and comforting to see someone go after doing something they like (and that too so successfully!). All the best 🙂
Thanks Chandni. I tried to make it no frills, no preaching, keeping it real, just facts and how it worked for me.
I like your story, I really do. So happy for you.
For me, this is my playing-stay-at-home-mom time. And because I moved to a new country a little more that a couple of years ago, I’m just exploring my backyard now.
I’ve read a few of your posts. Now that I know your story, I’m going to be coming here a lot more often and travelling with you, vicariously. 🙂
Have fun, Shivya, lots of it.
Thanks 🙂 I look forward to your virtual company too! There is nothing quite as exciting as exploring your own backyard at your own pace.
You have done what most of us yearn for but few have the heart to do. Hats off to you! The image ‘Halong Bay in Vietnam’ is a classic. The photo by Leland Francisco is hauntingly beautiful. Carry on, Shivya!
=) Loved Leland’s picture too.
Hey Nice work shivya! Do live your dream life. I really feel happy that, I could witness my travel characteristics in another person for the first time. I am a silent traveller. I mean, I am not a blogger and m not good in writing my stories but i had also done so much of travel. I had covered most the possible places in our India and quite few places in nepal. Explored Australia this year. This post reminds me my ladakh bike trip. I resigned my job and took up the ladakh bike trip in 2010. And for this year m going to quit my company(infosys) for my dream trip of this year – 17countries road trip (K2C)
Oh wow, that’s great Balu. 17 countries road trip? Which ones do you cover? Would’ve loved to read about your travels in India, Nepal & Australia. Maybe some day you’ll want to pen them down =)
Hi there,
I read your article above and have recently sold all my Industries and have been traveling. Will surely write a mail to you. It is the best decision you have ever made…
Thanks Charu, look forward to hearing from you =) And look luck for the beginning of your own travels!
Interesting and inspiring to read your travel flashback Shivya..Kudos to your new travel company…I can understand how difficult and challenging it is to follow the dream, and travel the untravelled. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Vaish, hope you’ll travel with India Untravelled sometime when you’re back from Europe =)
Dear Shivya! Being a solo traveler myself, I find your posts like spinach for the popeye! 🙂 I have always wondered there are so many places to see in this world and to not travel is very much unsettling. Hence i try to travel alone as much as possible. But I highly appreciate you leaving your job and having that nerve to travel. It makes a hell lot of difference. My nerve is not a nerve it’s like a small vein, I want to grow it into a muscle! 🙂 Your blog post just helped it strengthen! 🙂
I’m flattered being your spinach, haha =) I’m still trying to make peace with the fact that I won’t be able to see everything in the world there is to see. Good luck with the muscle, life is too short to let the vein remain!
nice read…inspiring…lucky are those who are able to live a life of their choice 🙂
Thanks Sunil, and as I said in the post, I think it’s not just all luck :p
This is Brilliant!!! Sounds like you’re living my dream for sure!!
Thanks Sharmistha! Hope you’ll be living your soon too 🙂
I remember asking you about this on another post about maybe a year ago, Good going and all the best. On a different note, I just got shackled to the corporate desk you liberated yourself from 🙂 Also, what are you reading these days?
Ah, finally got around to answering it. Seems like you’re happy being shackled for now, so good luck with that and do it only till you remain happy (I know the feeling of a bulky paycheck at the end of the month). Reading William Dalrymple’s Nine Lives, you?
Awesome. I too quit my job, but to listen to music and write about it. Music for me, is like what travel is for you 🙂 But how do you manage your freelance assignments and your blogs/sites? I find that the freelance assignments take a lot of efforts and time. That’s my biggest hurdle! But I do hope to make enough from my blogs one day, so that I can quit freelancing and represent the best of Indian music one day.
That is really awesome, Es! I’m always struggling to find more time to balance all of it, but I’m not ready to give up on either the freelancing or the blogging, so the struggle shall continue till I reach a boiling point. I’ll be looking out when you represent the best of Indian music someday, and with your passion, I’m sure the day will come soon.
Thanks for your encouraging words. I am already working on my musical blog, but it’s progressing at a snail’s pace! I get to work on it for only one hour per day, as I am working on multiple freelance assignments right now. But that one hour per day is much better than 0 hours per month which I got while working on a full-time job. Anyway, wishing you all the best on your travel venture and many more interesting things you want to do in future…
Loved it! So, my mind is also on these lines for some months now. Single female traveler in India..really want to just kick away my office chair and push off to see new places, meet new people and new experiences. So bored with corporate life. Am very positive after reading your post! So much to learn from you. Shall definitely meet you on some of the roads someday! Amen! 🙂
Thanks Naina, and glad that my story is keeping you hopeful. Hope I’ll see on the roads soon!
Reading this blog really made me proud being a woman.. I always wanted to be traveller n photographer..but being Indian girl…i was always finding it difficult…Later i thought there would be someway..now reading your post i feel more focused..thank you so much…Also i would like to connect Incase you would travel.planning on to many places this Year…let’s connect
I’m so glad it did! I think we just have to drop everything we’ve been taught and fed over the years and find the courage to follow our dreams. We are stronger than we think 🙂 Happy to connect. I’m on twitter @shivya =)
You are an inspiration Shivya! 🙂
I’ll get in touch with you to get more info on how I could emulate the great example you have set!
Thanks Abhijit, I know you’re getting there soon yourself!
Shivya,
Living the dream is not every human doing or can’t. You’re one of a kind whom everyone will envy.
One of my friend’s who is doing the same, which you can read in the below article.
http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/nxg/article3424949.ece
Enjoy.
Thanks Teky, I had read Vinoth’s story a while back & it’s inspiring! I think every person has the ability to live his dream, he only needs to know how to get there & try hard enough =)
There is one thing i need to say…”You are truly inspiring”
Thanks Saptadeep, just trying to learn, live & find my place in the world 🙂
i quit my job on Monday. Now Im planning a vacation.
Congrats Fani, welcome to the world of wanderlust!
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Hi, I’m a new reader. This is absolutely fascinating!! I am so happy for you that you made your dream happen! I’m now off to read all your old posts now!!
Welcome to The Shooting Star & thanks for your kind words =) Look forward to your virtual company on my travels!
Came here via The Dreamer’s blog, and I am glad I did.
I am a married Indian woman, one of those who is comfortable in and is scared of life without her corporate job. I love travel, and there is an undeniable part of me that would love to quit my desk job and see the world. Your post gives me inspiration. I have no clue how to do it though, and whether I really am up for it. Will be following you, and introspecting, in order to find out. 🙂
Thank you so much for this post.
Thanks for your kind words =) I started with baby steps, saving all I could in my corporate job and travel as far as I could over weekends / annual leaves. Give it a shot, good luck & hope to see you here again!
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Wonderful post Shivya. I can relate in a way to this… Worked 4 yrs in the US, cleared all loans, saved everything I could so that I could return to India for good and in the final month it came to the decision of seeing US or saving that money. I spent over $3000 and did a 16 day solo cross country drive across US .. to and fro. I loved and lived every moment of it. Even to this day I maintain if I had died alone in Death Valley in that trip, it was a life well lived. Such were the sights and experiences I had in those 16 days 🙂 Thanks you are an inspiration !
Sounds awesome Chetan, although the 16 days could’ve doubled in India for a cross country trip 😉 Saving up for your next adventure now?
Nah have sufficient savings now… and its been a few years now since I did anything major. But I think my travel days will start again soon … my kid is also old enough to start travelling with me .. family comes with its own responsibilities 🙂 I discovered your blog through a friend recently and am reading all your old posts now 😀 You are an awesome person !
thanks for sharing.. i have a similar dream.. how do i start. if you can help/guide/mentor me. thanks in advance. Pankaj my email: ozapankaj@gmail.com
I hope you will find success in your future blogging venture!
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I’m turning 55 and realize that there is more then working for a retirement check and paying off a mortgage payment… I want to hear more as my dream is to travel for a year and live!
i found this blog reading about your travel page on facebook “india untravelled”…i love to travel to see the beauty and peace of nature…specially hills….i have been to different places (not many) in India…lot of people say that make your passion your work you will be happy and successful…i agree with them….i love to travel ..and want to make it to my profession…..i was working with a software company in Gurgaon….to accomplish my dream..(my love to travel)..i left that job in january..read your blog its inspiring and also showed me way…..!!!
Your story is quite inspiring. Thankfully I too am doing what I love as a freelance writer 🙂 I understand the sense of freedom and the love for what you do.
I told my boss not too long ago that i was leaving the company, and im now going through those moments of asking myself, “ahhh what are you doing?”. But, the closer the date approches to my departure, the more im getting excited and ready for adventure abroad. Nice post!
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you. are . an . inspiration. Period.
Muchas gracias 🙂
I Googled “quit job to travel without a plan” and somehow ended up here…and I’m so glad I did. I’m preparing to travel full-time (already bought my air ticket for March 2013) and support myself through freelance writing, and everyone around me is saying I’ve lost my mind.
Your story is an inspiration and a reassurance that I might just be able to make this work. I’m gonna keep reading!
I’m glad you came here too, Brooke! And even more glad that you’re taking this plunge. To be honest, freelance writing pays miserly, especially if you want to afford your travels through it. I do a lot of other freelance work on the side, and I’m sure you’ll figure that out too 🙂 Good luck! Hope to bump into you on the road sometime.
hi Shivya, i work in Hindi News channel IBN7. We make a chat show with name Zindagi Live. Want to talk you for the same. Please mail back on Journalistvikas@gmail.com. thanks
vikas pandey
Emailed you, Vikas!
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Hi Shivya,
Great post..
Have always loved traveling and spent all my money from my second job at the university on traveling around Europe..
Hope your journey as an Entrepreneur will be a lot of fun..I completely connect to the thought of loving what you are doing and being your own boss..I love every bit of being an Entrepreneur myself and being able to spend lots of time with my daughter than what i did when i was in my corporate job.
Hi shivya!
Stumbled across your blog on boots’nall and have been obssessively reading a lot of your posts. I love that you’re just 24 and you’re doing what you want. *tips hat*
I’m 23 and I joined a corporate three months ago and already want to leave and discover the world. Trying to figure out what I can do to fund my travels and your blog really helped!
Thank you. 🙂
Welcome to The Shooting Star, Anisha 🙂 Figure a way to get out sooner than later, the creature comforts that come with the corporate world are addictive!
Hehe, I know! And it’s so easy to get content. Thanks! I will vamoose soon
I’m about to quit my job and start traveling to discover the world as well as define who I actually am. I recently found no passion in anything in my life and felt like buried under tons of paperwork and pointless and useless business phone calls. This blog of yours makes me realize that there’s nothing really wrong about me to quit being a workaholic for a while and look for some meaningful things in my life. Thank you 🙂
How great to hear that, Phuong-Anh! To most people, quitting a plush job is crazy, but then, what is life without some craziness? You go live your life 🙂
Allo! This is a very encouraging post. I’m going to be giving up a desk job soon to draw comics and write. I took forever to arrive at this decision and, of course, there are tons of unanswered questions, but I’m at peace now and I guess that’s saying something 🙂
Now I shall go read off all your articles woohoo.
Keep going (literally :p )!
That’s awesome, Ramya, so proud of you! Where can we see your comics and writings? Welcome to the freedom 😉
You can see them at http://www.thetap.in 🙂
Me is very much liking your travelogues!
This is phenominal.One of its own success story. I was in Chadigarh for almost 4 years and the serenity of Himachal ,Punjab, Utrakhand has inspired me a lot . If u get time do plan a trip to Triund(Near Mc Leod Ganj Dharamsala).It has to one diffrent experience..
Lovely Shivya 🙂 Really inspiring!
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Hey Shivya.. I really loved your post and it is great to see an Indian following her passion to travel full time. I have been reading the blogs of various full time travelers and always thought that quitting your day job to travel is something that only westerners can do. I am a banker and in spite of all my corporate responsibilities, I try to cash in as much travel time as I can get.
I have seriously thought about quitting my job and traveling quite a few times but never had the guts to put in my papers. Recently I jotted down all my fears on paper and realised that I am actually not afraid of quitting my job. I am afraid of what will become of me when I am done or get tired of traveling. Questions like will I get a decent enough job after I am done with travel? Will I be able to convince my future employers that the career break was a good thing? Will I be able to sleep at night knowing that I will not have a steady flow of funds coming into my bank account each month? Will I regret leaving my well paying job once I am back home?
I know I want to travel and travel for a LONG time, but all these questions stop me from taking the next step towards my dream life. (I know that these questions cannot be answered until I quit my job, and travel.)
Thanks again for the awesome post. Your story put to rest a lot of insecurities that I had in my mind. I know now that it can be down, even by an Indian. And that too by a Delhite, like me . Cheers!
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Hi Shivya,
Hope you are still exploring some great place around.
I like your skills to set fire in the wet or boring life of office goer people like me 🙂 i will take my chances to quit my job as well in near future.
I like to travel and explore Motherland India only, just started! WalkThroughIndia
Love to read you tips and traveling experience,God bless!
-Kailash Kumbhkar
Nothing less than a fairytale. Hope this inspires to make it real for me. Shukriya!!
I am a newbie writer and traveler. And this inspires me. Thank you.
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I wouldn’t lucky “cuz its quite clear how you made your own way… U are indeed ‘a shooting star girl’. Way to go… After reading this post i feel like you were in my head and a dream that i chase for… I so relate to that desk job syndrome {getting pale day by day 🙁 } …but the good news is having Job and getting that monthly paycheck is whats keeping me living my dream { of being a gypsy}. Its a new job and a new found money , so its exciting still but i know deep with , m gonna leap for a bigger pasture and rocky terrains … 🙂
well nice to know you… {stumbled upon you blog while i was researching about pondi and auroville , my this weekend getaway }
tc 🙂
this is incredible…..amazing……I have a dream of making world tour…..just backpack……thankfully I got an opportunity to travel across India for 7 months. That too with the single train. However, this blog has made me to give second thoughts on my current living style…..good job
Hi Shivya,
I’m a typical Indian girl who quit my full-time 100% benefits covered job to meet my sick grandparents and travel to India.. srinagar, goa .. My parents, relatives, uncle aunts everyone back home is discouraging me.. Really Don’t know what to do… HELP!!! I’m listening to my heart and scared with all the warnings..
Thanks for this post Shivya, I think most of us can relate to you… I definitely can… in a similar situation… Wish me luck..!!
Wow Shivya,Just came across this blog.Truly Inspiring.
Would love to join to Join you.This is definitely an Inspiration to start my Travel Blog and penn down my travels 🙂
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Hey Shivya, super inspirational story !! even though we dont know each other i am super proud of you 🙂
i love travelling and try to travel as much as possible
wish u lot more travels …. xoxoxo
Nice article…I also left my corporate job of 9 years to do what I love…and enjoying the new path and more time to myself and the family. Kudos to you. I also love travelling, would be nice to catch up and share the interests. Gud luck to you.
I came across your blog when I searched for jobs with travel in India, so I am pretty sure you understand me well. I just took 2 International vacations with friends and I realized even I can’t go back to my desk job. You truly motivated me..and I think I work will only involve researching 🙂
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Wow, marvelous blοg layout! How long have you beren blogging
for? yyou make blogging loߋk easy. Thhe overall loοk off youir site is magnificent,
let alone the content!
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This is exactly how I want to spend my life :):)
Appreciating the time and energy you put into your website and detailed information you provide.
It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a
while that isn’t the same old rehashed material.
Excellent read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
Love that I stumbled upon your blog. I’m contemplating leaving my job to travel as well, and have been struggling with being practical vs. taking a risk. Great piece!
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You are living a dream Shivya!!!
Hai,
My English chat will be not good as every one… But i like to be a part of travelling because i am interested in travelling,I like to be travel around in India but it cannot happening.. is there any ways???
I landed on your website while searching for Delhi cafes with Wifi (very useful post, Thank you!). The URL seemed oddly familiar and I recalled viewing some of your travel pics while browsing Instagram yesterday. Nice coincidence. It was very inspiring to read your story, Shivya. Thank you, and wish you all the best!
Hi! 🙂 I just stumbled upon your blog and read this story. Seriously, this is so inspiring! I am 23 and about to obtain my MA degree. I will be moving to LA in February for a job (6 months) but hope to really be able to live a life of travel from then on. I cannot imagine staying in one place and this is what my year in London (I am originally from Germany) and a few journeys have made me realize. Becoming a full time travel writer is probably my life goal as well as bringing cultures and thus people closer together and raising cultural awareness. It was good to read your story…now I know it’s not impossible.
Always Shining and Inspiring !!!
Hey Shivya..I like the way you began your journey towards an awesome writing career and how you left your job for the passion of writing..It is remarkable.I am also a travel writer,loves to write about my experiences while travelling.I also write blogs.So can you just give me some tips as in how to make this writing as your career and what are the websites where I can showcase my writing.I write a lot.I hope that you will drop me a email soon.My email id is nits6648@gmail.com .Hope to hear from you soon.
Can i join you with some money.
Hi there
Call me your minion but I want my life exactly filled with the same colors of travel and new memories ..i have so many queries …a reply would be a blessing 🙂
Hi Shivya,
Thanks for the post, I think many people can relate with you. I hope in near future i will be able to gather enough courage & resources to follow this path. 🙂
Hello Shivya, I would say the beginning of your blog as you described is the same what I do everyday. It’s just that you were in Singapore and I’m here in Mumbai. Every up weekend I end up with just thinking about places I wanna go and get nothing more to do than just thoughts. I’m neither a writer nor a blogger nor a wildlife photographer etc. But I still like to travel places meet people with different cultures and traditions. All where I’m stuck is I don’t know how to start off with. I’m still at an age where I can study learn and stuffs. This night I was trying to do some serious research as to make a career in the tour and travel industry and saw your blog. I must say your story was really inspiring and has motivated alot for me to take a step ahead. Thanks for writing this. Hope you have your wonderful journeys and it goes on and on.
Regards,
Abhishek Chatterjee 🙂
how do you manage your expenses with out earning?
Hey Shivya, I am inspired to know the way you find out to minimize the surplus expenditure and to use it for the best purposes what we have in our heart and mind…AAAHHH !!!! the real pleasure
!
You are living my dream 🙁
That’s hope which you gave me…
hi shivya l am sidharth and i am working professional which i don’t like,,,i like the same work you are doing but have no idea i will be thankful to you if you will help me out ,,,,so that me also live my dream work with lot of travelling,,,,,i lives in delhi…near saket, can reach me at sid_tomar@yahoo.co.in or 9013246871 ,,,,do let me know some tips and tricks.Thanking you
NIce…
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I want to work with you , I love travelling i just love this thing .. please just give me a chance … my e-mail – inderjit.it2013@gmail.com .. just one chance , thank you .
It was a gr8 read indeed, my story is some what the same. I also save maximum just to travel, all i need some times is just my travelling bag. And i just feel unstoppable, but since money is constrain so i have to work also.
Thanx shivya for sharing your story, let me know if you have something interesting for a traveller like me in ur kittie
Regards
Dhruv
hi
It was a great read indeed, i’m a traveller to in my own ways. when ever i get some time and just pack my bags and travel any where i feel like. Although because of money constrain i have to also focus on my job. So is there anything by which i can make my passion my job. Can you suggest me something!!!
Just came across this inspiring post – (it may help you)
https://the-shooting-star.com/2015/12/12/funding-my-adventures-through-travel-blogging/#comment-419882
I share some “commonalities” with initial half of your story, except for I haven’t won any contests yet, and I haven’t quit my job(yet). It’s the same feeling of debt and money that attacks me from all sides whenever I get serious about it. And it still does, forcing me cling on to the same boring and more exhausting office walls, waiting for something. Waiting for what, I don’t know either! Confused. 🙁
Shivya, first of all i applaud you for this.
after coming across The Shooting Star am spellbound. i have lost all the words which could really express my thoughts.
i would love to travel and explore. am a wanderer. will always walk miles alone, that might be college, classes or anywhere else. there are so many things one comes across while walking, the petty bargaining scenes at some stalls, a fight on the road thanks to the so called “careful” driving, birds chirping on the tree, a master taking his dog on a walk, malls flooded with people courtesy to the weekend offers, children going to school, then there’s some function and festival small kids dressed up as ram and krishna, the traffic police gone nuts at the junction, then there’s some hot pakoras with tea at the roadside: the smell compels you to have some then and there. they say live big, earn big. i say true life is in these small things.
keep up the work girl!!! you have earned a fan here. all the best to your journey!!!
regards,
janhavi
I dream about travelling the world the same as you did but I’m just a little scared. My dream is to become a travel blogger, my passion is writing and to see the world. Can someone really make a living from travel blogging? And would it be a good one? Not one where you are on such a tight budget that every morsel of food and penny counts
Well, Shivya, I feel quite late to the party on this! I am so excited to have found you and to start following your adventures though! It’s very uplifting and inspiring to encourage myself on my own adventures. It is my goal to become my own boss, live on my own turns, free of the shackles of time and money. Just starting out now it’s nice to see people who are already successful in what I want out of life. Look forward to reading more of your articles!
I have had a chance to know about you and the work you are doing through yourstory.com.
The posts you have written on your blog is enough motivational to make someone to think about following his passion( At least for the time he is reading your blog hahaha).
By the way, I was quite moved by the way you have written a post about how a someone can fund his travel expenses or can generate revenue from writing blog. Thnks for the advise
Hey lady, you are such a great inspiration! I think we are of same age. I wondered for a couple of years about my career and landed as a business Analyst, but to think of life will be spent data crunching makes me feel frustrated. I have started writing my travel blog for little over a month now. Let’s see what come next.
After a hectic day of twelve hours work, this blog and my long lost and newly revived penchant for writing are what keeps me going. 🙂 love your work. And know for sure, you are inspiration for one and many!