You Travel And Live Better When You Are Proactive

Posted on March 21, 2018 by Oindrila Soni under Essay, Tips

Many people tell me they wish to do a lot of things, visit a lot of places, but they wonder whether they’ll have enough time and money to achieve all those dreams. The answer to the first doubt about “time” is quite plain. We are living longer, and we’ll certainly have a lot of time post retirement to pursue our hobbies and wishes once we are free of our full-time jobs. The second factor of money is a tricky one. We’ll need enough to adopt a lifestyle that lets us do whatever we like. The best way to control how money works for you is to exert your control on it early. Be proactive in following a few steps, and you’ll realize how the benefits are far-reaching.

Don’t Lose Sight Of Your #LifeGoals

I don’t fear heights anymore now that I know the beauty that can be beheld from the top. (The farmlands in Purushwadi, Maharashtra)

Doubts appear big when you have forgotten how much bigger and infinitely precious your goals are. If you have your eye set on your dreams, it won’t matter that you have no experience of the goals that you ultimately wish to pursue. When I was growing up, I didn’t know a thing about travelling alone. I learnt on the go and gained confidence when I started doing solo trips around India and the world and discovered that the doubts were only in my head. When I did my first solo hike in the Austrian Alps, I was scared of being attacked by a wild animal or losing my way. But I returned to the base that evening unscathed. And I’ve observed a similar trend with most of my former doubts which I have lost by pursuing my dreams.

Take Help And Ask Around

Manhattan (New York) urges all to lose their inhibitions and mingle.

I was all by myself in New York City last year, intimidated by the giant buildings, supersized food-portions and the swarms of people from (perhaps) every country on the world map. But I eased into the NYC culture when I started talking to the people around me. They were much friendlier than I thought they’d be. To the common man who probably fears making bad investment decisions, it would be a good idea to take advice from the experts. All of the time that I’ve spent travelling has not made me poorer financially, only richer experientially.

Put Those Thoughts Of Uncertainty Aside

The world is full of beautiful colours which you can see only when your mind is not preoccupied (Kala Ghoda Arts Fest in Mumbai).

Many of my friends are nervous of undertaking adventure sports because they fear losing a limb or something even worse. If you are so afraid of death, it makes even more sense to realize your dreams as soon as you can. If you are just worried about not being able to provide for yourself and your family in your golden years, plan for those times now! Only last month, Bajaj Allianz launched a unique ULIP that provides return of life cover charges for life maximizers. The product – Bajaj Allianz Life Goal Assure is designed to reward the policyholder for outliving the maturity period by returning the cost of life-cover when the policy matures. And if you choose to receive the maturity benefit in instalments over 5 years (and not lump-sum), you get a return enhancer of 0.5% of every due instalment. And of course, your money still remains invested in the fund(s) of your choice! When you have taken care of your old age, will you still be afraid of death?

Don’t Wait For Your Best Friend To Do It First

You never know how long the person standing next to you will be there for you (in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

I often notice that people are unreasonably hesitant to be the first to do anything, even if it is as innocuous as watching a new movie which hasn’t been critiqued yet or eating at a newly opened restaurant which hasn’t been reviewed. Do you even know how wonderful it feels to be the first to do something? When it comes to investments though, you must be careful. Put your earnings only into a product which is managed by an institution you trust and that which has good fund managers. Bajaj Allianz Life Goal Assure lets you choose among 4 portfolio strategies and gives you the flexibility to switch unlimited times between funds (you can choose from 8 available funds). Besides, benefits are maximized for long-term investors and there’s the element of convenience, thanks to the facilities that can be availed of online through their website. Being a life-insurance ULIP, the product also gives you tax benefits under section 80C and 10D.

Experience The World With Childlike Wonder

We have so much to learn from carefree kids.

The older we get the more morbid our thoughts become. Why don’t we look at children who are always excited about little things, enjoying the company of their friends and strangers, and happy with very less? They know that life is valuable and holds a lot of promise for them. If you trust your days to bring you cheer, will you still be sullen?

Are you avoiding chasing your dreams because you fear something will go wrong?

Write your comments below! 🙂

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How To Make Friends When You Travel

Posted on March 18, 2018 by Oindrila Soni under Tips, Travel

I have been asked several times how I manage to endure my solo trips without anyone to talk to or hang out with. Also, a lot of readers curious to try travelling all by themselves ask me if there’s any way they can avoid feeling lonely. My simple answer to all such questions is I am never alone in any new place. I usually find a stranger to talk to, a group of hostellers to share a room with, or a warm family to share a meal with. There have been times when I’ve been all alone (in the worldly sense) on solo treks on abandoned hills. But there was still the shuffle of leaves, the chirp of an odd bird, and always, the presence of God.

Learn To Trust New People (Just As You Trust Your Instinct)

How long can one sail alone or only with those one has already known? (I watch tourists take a shikara ride in Kolkata’s Prinsep Ghat)

I could tell you a hundred ways to meet new people, but you wouldn’t make a single friend if you are always wary of strangers or afraid to reveal anything about yourself. Friendships are forged when you make yourself available to conversations. Don’t always cuddle with a book or appear busy with your phone if you want to look approachable. And once a good Samaritan comes along and greets you, don’t instantly write him off as a characterless person out to cheat you. Trust a little, ask questions that help you get to know the person better, and also talk about your own self. Friendship is a two-way street. You can’t just take, take and take. You must learn to give.

Look For Things To Do With A New Group

Running together is a great way of making new friends!

I know so many people who would love to have a lot of friends but are too shy to initiate the conversations. For all of those shy or even introverted people, I’d suggest joining a group that does what you like to do. You will be in your comfort zone when it’s an activity you know, and yet have enough room to interact with people you are unfamiliar with. I personally find running an excellent way to connect with new people. Over the umpteen marathons I’ve run, I’ve made some amazing friends from different cities and continents. It doesn’t matter what you like to do – cycling, painting, cooking, hiking, shopping, or just about anything else. You can find people with similar interests and get those conversations started! The Cuddll app lets you create or join “cuddlls” which are informal social gatherings. You can also chat with other people joining the cuddll and plan for the meetup. Start by browsing through cuddlls based on the date, location or your interest.

Get Away From Your Phone. Get Back Into Real Life!

It’s surprisingly easy to chat with a stranger when you need someone to take your picture. (In the great White Rann of Kutch)

A strange thing about our generation is how much we love to cling to our phones. We don’t mind chatting for hours as long as we don’t actually have to meet that person. And once we do, we don’t know what to talk about. The app market is full of silly dating apps that do very little to create trustworthy bonds and a lot to encourage casual flings, most of which only remain digital. Cuddll cuts through that clutter and keeps things clean. This is an app to make new friends and meet people in a safe way in groups. And you don’t just keep things virtual but actually go out there, meet and do what you signed up for! Another tip to make friends – ditch your phone once you’re with humans. Phones are very distracting with all of the pinging and ringing that interrupt conversations. You’ll realize you can have meaningful conversations when you truly listen to the people in your group with full concentration.

Cultivate Your Interests

Cooking together or even learning to cook is a beautiful way to connect with another person. (My new-found friend from the Koli tribe in the Maharashtrian village of Purushwadi)

I once had a friend who had no hobbies. (Yes, you read that right!) He would only go to work, come back home, and watch TV with the dinner his cook had prepared. He hated talking to people and found great comfort in being passive. I used to think he was naturally reticent and liked being that way. But he later told me he envied people who could do a lot of things, and he deliberately avoided interacting with anyone because they’d find out he was good at nothing. If you also suffer from similar thoughts, you could try addressing each shortcoming once by one. Don’t have a hobby? Learn something. Don’t know what you will like? Join different classes for a while and stay with the one you like. (That friend of mine later started learning to play the guitar and now also knows how to set up his own tent. He camps with strangers and prefers homestays over hotels for the warmth of the hosts.) The second part of the problem is inferiority complex. You don’t have to be the best at everything. And that’s precisely why you need to meet people who can do things better! You’ll enjoy being around amazing people when you stop worrying about what they think of you and instead focus on how you can learn from them.

Start From Where You Are

University campuses are still one of the best places to make friends for life. (The UPenn campus in Philly)

Lastly, you don’t have to be in a foreign land to begin making new friends. Start from your very own neighbourhood or your school campus. You may have spent several months and years walking past acquaintances and yet never had the afterthought to talk to them. Perhaps you could start your first “cuddll” in your backyard over a small boardgame or potluck dinner? Or if you are a student, gather your classmates over a cricket match or plan a short trip to the mountains! Nature has a wonderful way of strengthening relationships and building trust.

Do you have any tips for making new friends?

Write your answers as comments below! 🙂

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What The Koli Tribe Of Purushwadi Has Taught Me

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Oindrila Soni under Asia, Food, I have been to, In Pictures, India, Travel

Purushwadi, a village that wakes up to the crowing of a rooster and sleeps soon after the sun has set, was my home last month. I had changed 4 modes of transport from Mumbai to get to this fully sustainable remote hamlet nestled in the Sahyadris. The people of this land are one of the most prosperous tribes in rural Maharashtra – Mahadev Koli. I did not know in the beginning how much I would learn from the simpletons of Purshwadi, but they overwhelmed me with their admirable lifestyle!

Age Is Only A Number (And Old Women Are Pro Farmers)

Advanced in age, this woman still begins her mornings tending to her field.

Every family in this village owns a small patch of land and almost everyone is a farmer. Children as young as 9 help their parents in the fields when their school is shut for summer. It is more common to see women working away on the farms as compared to men. They head to the fields at about 11 in the morning, after they have finished their housework, and return only after sunset. Their active lifestyle is perhaps the reason why they are so fit even in their golden years. It is not uncommon to find grandmothers toiling in the scorching sun.

Animals Are Not Playthings

Cattle are like extended family to the villagers of Purushwadi.

I was moved by the compassion that the Koli tribe shows towards animals. Their cows and goats have plenty of open greens to feed on. Their sheds are cleaned and they are given a bath soon after sunrise. Happy cows also mean tastier milk! It must also be mentioned that each home owns cows, goats and hens for its daily supply of milk and eggs. The self-sufficiency of these people cannot be overstated.

Women Can Carry More Than Their Own Bodyweight

Hands of steel carry firewood to run the kitchen.

Purushwadi has not seen any of our fancy kitchen gadgets. There are no gas stoves or piped gas connections here. Firewood is used for fuel. It is not unusual to find women along the streets carrying bundles of firewood on their hike up their hilltop homes. What is particularly noteworthy is their superior physical strength that enables them to carry as much as 50 kilos (perhaps more than what they weigh) on their head.

Contentment Is More Precious Than Creature Comforts

The typical kitchen in Purushwadi homes.

I was astonished at how hard each woman works to run her home in this village. Not only do they wake up before anyone else in the household, but also sleep after everyone else has slept at night. Right from cleaning the house and the cowshed to cooking and serving meals to all to packing off their kids to school to tending to their fields to serving their families again to washing the dishes, and more… these women work like superheroes, saving the day for all. And they do all of this with such calm and poise! They ask for nothing in return, knowing somewhere within that their truest joy is in contentment.

Family Is A Gift, Not An Inconvenience

My guide, Balu’s mother pounds rice to loosen the husk from the kernels as her granddaughter looks on.

During my short stay in Purushwadi, the women tried to teach me a lot of things – hulling rice, grinding it into fine flour, kneading a dough, making flat and round bhakris (roti made of rice flour). I proved to be a poor student, but they were patient and encouraging teachers. While all of this was happening, I observed how close-knit all the families are; also, how well the Koli tribe functions as a community. My guide, Balu, told me that his friend would work in his field for the day that he spent as my guide. And Balu would do the same for his friend when it is his turn to escort a visitor. They don’t compete against one another but work for each one’s benefit. The entire village is like a giant family. In stark contrast, most of us city-dwellers view family as an inconvenience that hinders our personal space and freedom. And despite all that we have, we are neither satisfied nor happy.

Authentic Organic Food Is In Little Villages

The ingredients for our meal are laid out.

I would have all of my meals in a village home, and I’d have to walk past several fields of wheat, groundnuts, rice, amaranth and more. Gorak, a young village lad, explained to me how they decide to sow seeds based on what they would like to eat. They don’t do anything in excess. Everything is grown for the family, and only some wheat is stored for emergencies (which can be traded to other villages for money). He also told me that their land is blessed with fertile soil and they also now have proper irrigation, thanks to the dam which brings them the river-water. They don’t use any pesticide or insecticide, and this is where one can have the entire farm-to-plate experience of fully organic food.

Women Are Good Leaders

A female goatherd takes her goats back home in the evening.

The Kolis astounded me with their progressive mindsets which were quite unlike those I’ve come across in other Indian villages. They don’t prefer either gender over the other. Their aim is to have equal gender distribution. Women here don’t shy away from talking to men, nor do they cover their faces or heads (as is commonplace in most traditional households). The Koli women smartly take on roles that I have generally seen men perform – herding goats, lifting heavy objects, constructing huts, and more. Here, the leadership potential of women is fully harnessed. And that’s something even modern offices have failed to do.

Entertainment Is Not Drowning In A Sea Of Apps

I enjoy the Sahyadri mountains from Matha – Purushwadi’s highest point.

It was a blessing not to have any cellphone coverage in this village. I did not have a chance to waste my time on social media. Gorak took me to the highest point of Purushwadi when we hiked up for a nice sunset view. That’s when he told me how he loves to spend his free time. He hikes with his best friend. Gorak is only 25, and does not have the time-and-money-zapping addictions (of gaming or clubbing) of the city-boys of his age. The village indeed is beautiful, not only in how it appears but also in how it has shaped its people.

Education Is Only As Valuable As You Perceive

After a friendly chat with the students of Purushwadi’s only school.

One morning, I went to the only school of this village. On my way, I saw a little boy running towards the school, a notebook in hand. He was late, and did not want to miss his classes. A village kid can only study up to class-7 in this school and will have to travel to another village to study till class-10. If students wish to study further, they’ll have to go to the nearest town. A chat with one of the school teachers revealed how precious education is to all of them. Teachers travel all the way to the nearest town to access internet required to download educational videos for the students. The respect that these students have for their teachers is of another level altogether.

Did you expect that a rural Indian tribe could teach so much?

Write your answers as comments below! 🙂

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You too can experience Purushwadi intimately through Grassroutes Journeys.

Travel Essentials For Flashpackers – Featuring Urby Wallets

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Oindrila Soni under Tips

Over years of travelling by myself, I have discovered that there is a certain thrill in ditching the itinerary and impulsively going off the plan to explore a place that has never been on my wishlist. (I recently spent a few days with the Mahadev Koli tribe in the interiors of Maharashtra, exploring their ancient way of living.) Unplanned trips also mean being invited to a popular place at very short notice. (Just last week, I was at the Rann of Kutch, attending India’s first conference on photo-tourism.) Excitement apart, sudden plans often mean you have to pack real quick and know exactly what you need for the place you’re heading to.

Backpacking To Flashpacking – The Need To Upgrade

Swiss tents are neatly set up in Kutch during the Rannmahotsav.

Many backpackers I know are gradually turning into flashpackers – backpackers who travel and stay with a little more luxury than the hardcore backpacker, but are still backpackers at heart (and obviously in their choice of luggage) and not quite luxury travellers. I knew I was on a flashpacking trip when I was invited by the White Rann Resort in Kutch to stay in their Swiss tents fitted with air conditioning, wooden furniture and an attached bathroom (which again was fully functional with running water, bath amenities and all). Although flashpacking reduces the items you’ll need to carry with you (for instance, bath towels and toiletries are mostly provided by the property), there are some essentials which you must never forget to pack.

Travel Wallets For Quick Packers

My leather wallet by Urby lets me store the bare essentials I need before I head outdoors.

Smart travellers pack light. For short trips, let your bag weigh no more than 7kg to ensure you have everything as carry-on luggage on flights (and avoid wasting time waiting for your checked bags to appear on the baggage belts). Apart from your carry on bag, it helps women to have a small travel wallet to keep on their person at all times. I’m happy to own one of Urby’s wallets for women which lets me carry stuff I cannot do without – my phone, IDs, money, credit cards and a lip balm. The smartphone wristlet is perfectly sized to fit my passport and boarding passes also. There’s a money-sleeve and coin/card pocket inside for organization.

Pick A Phone That Doesn’t Make You Cry For A DSLR

A good camera phone comes handy when you have an instant travel plan.

When I would travel within the city in Philadelphia, I would often be in a dilemma whether to take my bulky DSLR and the lenses out on every little walk. I also didn’t want to come across as a tourist in a country where I knew I’d be spending a few good months (unlike the regular short trips I usually did). My iPhone really helped me with that quandary by getting me some great shots that didn’t exactly make me run to my DSLR. It is a good idea to invest in a phone with a great camera, especially if you are going hiking and don’t unnecessarily wish to pile up the weight on your back.

Put Your Name On It!

I love having my stuff personalized with my name (it also makes it pointless for pickpockets to steal such things).

Personalization is a double-edged sword that not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your possession but also avoids cases of it being mistakenly (and sometimes intentionally 😉 ) be picked up by someone else. My Urby wallet has my name etched on it in a golden colour. When you travel to crowded places, you often tend to lose your belongings. The wrist loop makes this wallet harder to lose. The loop is detachable and can be used to latch the wallet to a bigger handbag. The ring that helps lock the wrist loop can also be used to hold a bunch of keys in a keyring. There’s good news also for the men reading this. Urby has a nice collection of wallets for men as well.

Travel Maps Will Never Lose Their Charm

Paper maps are surprisingly really useful even in this generation of Google maps.

The joy of walking across the winding lanes of small towns in Europe are not the same without the near-accurate maps that are folded several times over to fit into your pocket. Hostels and Airbnbs are rated higher when they delight their guests with a handy map of the place with points of interest clearly marked out and a big red dot for where the stay is located. It is hard to lose one’s way when a map guides one back home (or at least temporary home). Even though you have Google Maps for emergencies, it helps to grab a map for your self-designed walking tours, especially when you are on international roaming in no Wi-Fi zones.

When You Return From A Holiday

This Urby leather wallet can be stored safely in this clothbag that comes with it.

As travel bloggers, we often stress on packing and never the need for unpacking. But you must know that proper unpacking is just as important. All your leather bags must be protected from moisture (more so in monsoon) or else they have fungal growth and give out foul smell. Urby wallets come with their own cloth bags with drawstring for long-term storage. This helps lengthen the life of this premium leather product. The same goes for your rucksacks, hiking poles, trekking shoes, etc. Always clean your luggage when you’re back home and arrange for their proper storage so you find them as good as new for your next trip.

If You Don’t Have The Patience To Plan

When I look back at all the trips I’ve done, the impromptu ones have been the most fun. (Picture from Diu – I wait for the sun to set.)

I will never deny the benefits of a well planned holiday. Those are generally more value for money as you assumably have your tickets and stay booked at discounts and know how to make the most of your time. But every once in a while, it feels special to go on an impromptu trip to surprise your own self. You don’t have to go to the “must-visit” places or eat the famous grub of a place. Some journeys show you more of your soul than the outer world.

Have you tried flashpacking yet?

Write your answers as comments below! 🙂

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter for more tips on traveling. Do share this article with your friends who wish to backpack but with some creature comforts!