My story and inspiration to start a travel blog

Many have asked me what was my inspiration to start a travel blog. The answer to this question isn’t in a simple sentence. So, I decided to write this article to tell my story. 

People who know me well know there are two things I love to do, travel the world (at least the parts of it that I can) and write about literally anything. I have to give some insight into my childhood to give you a better picture. I grew up in an Indian metropolitan city, Bangalore. It has been the IT capital of India for a long time. Living a city girl’s life had its perks, but also with no real ancestral hometown to visit as a kid unlike the rest of my friends who had their grandparents living in their greener ancestor hometowns, you know the ones which they could visit to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for their summer vacations got me dreaming to travel even as a child.. To see the world. And I’m a big-time dreamer!

Why do write about it though? 

Why can’t I say it all out? I see no fun in that. Where is the mystery in that? Where is the hidden part of me hidden in that?

Writing helps me therapeutically, I can take an eagle’s eye view of my life from up there and it feels like the most powerful thing. All the feelings that I can’t put words to while speaking, I can do it when I write. I bare my thoughts with ease when I place my finger on the keyboard. As a child, I grew into a habit of maintaining a personal journal and that habit carried on well into my adulthood in ways that I would always find time on a train or a tram while getting back from work to write these snippets on my phone notepad all the time. I would always tell people closest to me that one day I want to publish a book.

My Story before I became a blogger

For most of the last decade, I worked my ass off! Always trying to be nothing but the best in whatever I do. Aiming to earn more, that also stemmed from the fact that my career choice wasn’t usual for a child from my background, so I had to work hard to show my family I mean business lol the irony in this sentence! Let me explain, I come from a family of doctors, lawyers, engineers, finance guys, and teachers. I consider most of them to be overachievers lol. No, really! They are amazing at what they do. 

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, the world knows Indian kids are good at things like math, biology, and they always ace spelling bees. So, they grow up to become doctors, lawyers, and engineers! And here was a 15-year-old me explaining to my parents why I am not going to be a doctor just like my mother and that commerce, marketing to be specific is my career calling.

This meant I got to work hard and also get myself an MBA, get a fancy job, and fancy clothes and afford a fancy lifestyle. And I think I did all of this, at least to a certain degree. No complaints I even enjoyed it. I think I still am enjoying life in the business world, especially as a marketer. But there was this void in me, like as though something is missing from the puzzle and no that’s not because I was single. I was busy with the rat race so much that I wasn’t traveling much or even if I did travel once in a while, I didn’t write about it, which I know deep down I always wanted to write.

Discovering my hidden passion

Some of you who have read my previous articles will know how deeply I connect with my travels. How deeply? You ask. I’m in love with the planet, I sound silly to you? But honestly, I’m. My love for the planet, the animals encouraged me not only to turn vegan irrespective of some criticism I faced (“some criticism” is an understatement, however, it’s a story for another day) and to do everything I can, at least as much as possible to maintain the lifestyle choice, but also to spend as much time as I can amidst nature.

I think the interest to consider documenting my travels began when I first did my solo travel and I decided to move to Australia in 2014. A 23years old I traveled to get an MBA from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. 

This was just the beginning. However, as an immigrant student with a big loan, the first two years were tough to take too many trips. I lived my travel dreams through the virtual world and other famous travel bloggers who inspired me and gave me hope. The stories of their journey had me dreaming.

Last year, three young popular travel bloggers I used to follow from Canada lost their lives, and it shook me! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read the news! You can read about the tragedy here. These three childhood friends were only in their 30s were living the life that I always dreamt of! Traveling and writing all about it. This year I learned of another travel blogger – The blog abroad who discovered an ovarian cyst and of her struggle and fight against the health issue. Reading all of these articles about people I admire got me thinking.

Inspiration to start a travel blog

Life is short and it’s weird and it’s not easy. All of us live and die with our own set of problems and worries. But when you can dream, then why not try to make it come true during the little time you have here. It’s not going to be easy and you don’t know if you will succeed, but you won’t ever know if you don’t try! 

For me, it’s simple I had to find a balance between working my day job and traveling. I work to make money and if my travels can help me make just some of that money, I’m okay with even just a little as long as I share my travel stories, my journey and the things I have learned on the on-road with the rest of the world just to inspire others to go out there and do more with their lives than just work till their old age! If I can do this then well, I find that fulfilling!

I have a longing inside me to keep peeping outside the mundane life, you know to look outside the window and wonder what’s out there. There’s something about meeting new people on my journey and listening to their stories, visiting and learning about new places and cultures. To share a meal or laughter and to share the pain and tears and excitement with people I meet in a new city feels ecstatic!

Backpacker Shru, a travel blogger

All I am saying is that I am just another girl like anyone else with my own experiences of love, loss, pain, and healing filled inside different chapters of my life. To not only share my stories with strangers from different cultures that I meet on my journey but also to learn about their lives, their land and culture and to write about it is so raw and pure.

Did I deal with self-doubt and fear of vulnerability before I began this blog? Yes, I surely did! Did I wonder will my life become way too public to handle? Yes, I did! Do I let this stop me? No, I don’t. Does this attitude help me? 

Let’s just say my solo short stay in Colombo after a recent terror attack in the city had me thinking if I was out of my mind to do it but I still did it nonetheless! And I’m glad I did. I loved every second I spent speaking to some beautiful souls, I met there. I believe I have made a few more new friends for life. As a woman, my solo travels have always helped me feel more independent, confident, and just very appreciative of the journey. If you are a woman wondering whether you should give solo travel a shot, then read my tips for female solo travels here. 

This I believe is an affirmation of what I said earlier — life is short, and I won’t know if I don’t try.