One Year of Travelling Without a Home.
Much has been learnt, more has been loved – and the one thing that has remained constant is my desire to keep moving.
Much has been learnt, more has been loved – and the one thing that has remained constant is my desire to keep moving.
I oftenΒ look back upon my life, wondering at what point I went fromΒ being a regular, 20-something Indian girl trying to figure life out, toΒ someone who (sometimes) gets paid to travel the world! Well, I’m still the regular, 20-something Indian girl, and I haven’t quite figured life out. Someday, this blogΒ will remind me of all the things I was in my twenties, and if you’ve been following my travels, I’m pretty sure this little list is going to surprise you. Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. Iβve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, Iβm just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.
Looking back at my travels in 2013 has left me filled with nostalgia. One minute, I’m hitchhiking in Bahrain, the next, walking on a glacier in Canada. I’m going down memory lane in Singapore, and joining the Fallas street parade in Spain. I’m indulging in the most delicious Thai food in Chiang Rai, overdosing on hoppers in Sri Lanka, and sipping gluhwein in Germany. What a year it’s been! Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. Iβve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, Iβm just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.
The beginning of my journey as a female digital nomad. This was long coming. I’ve been planning and un-planning, thinking and re-thinking, and I’m finally going to do it. I’ve given up my apartment in Delhi. I’ve sold / given away most of my possessions. I’m leaving some clothes at an aunt’s place and in the boot of a friend’s car. And I’m hitting the road. Indefinitely. The concept of “location independence”, ie travelling without a fixed based, is hardly unheard of in the west. At first, I deemed it impractical as an Indian because I have no social security. But that’s exactly the excuse many of us use to not travel much. Having travelled constantly for two years, I’ve realized that I don’t need a fortune to travel. It all boils down to priorities. I know very well that I neither I want to buy a house, nor get married or have kids. In all probability, I don’t want to study further. Shopping or social events (offline) are not really my thing. So really, there is no financial goal …
After lots of reminiscing andΒ writing in the first half of this month, I’m finally off on my next travel adventure! I’m escaping the cold of Delhi for warmer shores. I’m going to a region I’ve never been before. And I’m flying tomorrow night. Enough said. With the three hints below, I will let you guess where it is that I’ll be signing in next from. And to make it more interesting, the first person to guess it right in the comments gets a little gift from this “exotic” country. Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. Iβve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, Iβm just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.
It feels like yesterday when I was waltzing down the quiet beaches of Diu on India’s west coast, and sipping tea at a blacksmith’s workshop in Turkey. 2012 has been the kind of year I dreamed about everyday, before I bade goodbye to my life in the cubicle. I feel as though I’ve come of age as a travel writer this year, having written for publications like Lonely Planet and The Times of India, and having found gratification in press invites from the likes of Spain Tourism Board and Turkish Airlines. Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. Iβve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, Iβm just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.
If you’ve been following my travel adventures on FacebookΒ or Twitter, you probably know by now which island country I’m heading to end of the month (oh yeah!). Incase you missed it, I’ll give it away with a hint: this island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Africa, has the reputation of being stunningly beautiful. Got it? In a discussion with a travel provider last week, I was told that if I intend to write about said island country for the Indian audience, I must follow an itinerary that would appeal to Indians. This itinerary, I was told, included a visit to a massive Shiva statue to “do pooja”, and this itinerary, I was told, would ditch skydiving because that’s just as good as sitting by the window seat as your flight lands along the azure blue seas, and twenty minutes of floating in mid air are not worth the money. Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. Iβve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo …