The Story Of A Girl Who Ditched Her Dream Job and Did Something She Never Planned To Do

I always wanted to be a pilot. Always.

The take-off moment gave me a high like none other. I would always be curious as a kid and insist a meeting with the pilot in the cockpit once the plane landed.

I read and researched. Then one day realized I hated physics and gave it up. Even today when a plane takes off, I feel a pang of regret.

How I Ended Up In My Dream Job, And Yet, I Didn’t!

During undergrads, I nurtured another dream. This time it was to join advertising. And this time I was determined. I had to fulfill this and with a concentrated focus, I strived. Did an MBA, searched an internship in strategic planning, determined to get an ad job in strategic planning which was close to impossible for freshers.

Only one ad firm came to campus for an interview, I knew I had to crack this. I did. After a 2 month rigorous training, gave a presentation in front of the Board to secure the dream job: Account planning in an ad agency. Only to realize months later, that it gave everything but happiness.

In life, we chase things, do all we can for them and once we get them, we realize we never needed them.

Rescue From My Dream Job!

All this while, from childhood till my first job. There were two constant companions giving me solace: Travel and writing. All through the years, neither did I leave them nor did they leave my side. All this while, my passions were there right in front of me and I was chasing something else.

Reading was incorporated at the age of 6 and poetry writing at 9. The seed of travel was embedded through long road trips initiated by parents and summer vacations in Himachal with grandparents.

Photography came much later. A random photo competition I won in college boosted confidence and led me to pursue photography.

And when everything combined, Quirky wanderer was born.

The travel with family continued, but there was another meaning to travel, an exploration of new cultures, stories, people, places and an exploration of self while doing all the above. Slowly travel pieces started getting tiny amounts of money and the same money was pooled back to travel to newer destinations.

From Capturing Doors As A Hobby To Being A ‘Door Consultant’

Doors were my favourite photography subjects. I was always very curious about what could possibly be behind a door and clicking a painted door would make my day. Soon, I started documenting colourful doors from across India on my blog and Instagram.

One day this was recognized and featured in WordPress.com and they interviewed me for my love for doors in 2016. I was humbled and grateful to be the first Indian travel blogger to be interviewed by them and the fact that my beloved Indian doors were featured worldwide!

One thing led to the other and this door love led me to the #doorsOfIndia campaign, a Tata Steel project where I was roped into curate the doors for this national level campaign.

The Love For India Travel: #QWIndiatravel

 

As a travel blogger, I have travelled to various countries for collecting stories, exotic destinations, bucket list countries. But if there is one country I would love to keep traveling in, it is India. My love for India stems from my countless road trips with my parents where I passed the enchanting Indian countryside and fell in love with simplicity.

To take this love for India further and to showcase hidden gems on social media, I started the twitter series #QWINDIATRAVEL where every day all throughout 2017, I shared one picture from one destination in India.

The series received an overwhelming response and I found so many people smitten by India, just the way I was. It was an effort to encourage people to travel within our own country and it wouldn’t be wrong to say, one lifetime isn’t enough to witness the beauty of this amazing country.

Advice For Someone Who Wants To Travel The World

If anyone has a passion, they MUST pursue it. It may be odd, maybe quirky may be weird. But if your heart is there. Pursue it. It will lead somewhere. The key is to not leave it.

Travel Hack That I Swear By, And You Should Definitely Try

The best way to explore the culture of a place is visit the local markets. Not the touristy ones, Where the locals buy stuff. It’s a great place to collect not just souvenirs but also stories and catch up on local interactions

What Travel Means For Me, And Could Mean For You Too

Travel for me was an escape earlier but now it’s the best source of learning I can ever get. It’s an exchange, between places and me. People and me. Stories and me. It’s made me open my knots, let go of my inhibitions, accept the world with open arms and most of all bettered me as a human being. I love long road trips, love starry skies, love the mountain chill, love walking on dry leaves, love the gurgle of streams, love the feel of forests, love the winter sun, love leaving a part of me in places I visit.

The Quirky Wanderer is a door lover, a story weaver, a travel writer, a part-time social media consultant, a full-time doting aunt. You can know her dreams on Quirky Wanderer, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.