Being a travel writer and a travel fanatic, I often get carried away on the horses of narcissism by sharing only my stories. However, the events over last 3 years that started with discovering self in Thailand [Read:Unseen Countryside from Northern Thailand] to being a travel writer to quitting job as a business analyst happened because some people inspired me immensely with their work. [Read:From Business Analyst to Travel Writer]

I have met many exceptional travelers and writers during this journey, but few of them contributed in a different way and I look up to them. Here are they:

1. Ajay Jain: Three years ago, when I was swimming and often gasping in the murky waters of travel writers world trying to figure out the head or tail of this industry, a dear friend called me up and asked me to go to Kunzum cafe that is run by you. Being in a full time job, I was surrounded only by tie and suit clad sophisticated and some pretending to be sophisticated people. I found myself a misfit there but didn’t have a choice. It was during a meetup of travelers in Kunzum cafe that I met people with whom I had common things to talk to. Kunzum was, and still is an amazing ecosystem of travelers and thank you Ajay for creating it. This was my first experience of meeting bloggers outside of the virtual world.

~ Ajay is a Travel Writer and Photographer based in New Delhi, India. You can visit his travel cafe, Kunzum and meet other fabulous people over coffee. Check out: Kunzum

2. Shivya Nath: Flipping through the pages of a daily newspaper, I stumbled upon an article by you. I thought that travel writers especially those who quit their jobs to travel are only non-Indian. I searched for you casually on Google, and what I found did not let me sleep that night – ‘Literally’. Till dawn, neurons in my brain were firing at the speed of light. Ever since I was in a corporate job, I felt confined in a box. I was a spectator in the stands watching things happening in this world and unable to make any difference despite having the desire and skill. I never traveled beyond cities. Travel to a village in Rajasthan happened by chance, and, Oh! my God, I was blown away by what I was missing [Read:Why I became a Rural Traveler]. Shivya, having seen your blog at the same time inspired me to choose villages and countryside over cities. I was clear what I wanted to write on and work for.

~ Shivya is a Travel Writer who quit her corporate job and took the leap of faith into the travelers world. She blogs at The Shooting Star.

3. Candace Rose Rardon: At various stages in life, I have done caricatures, water and oil paintings and many creative crafts. And so I have a special place for art in my heart. Candace, I came in touch with you when I had to jab a knife through my heart and sell off the ticket to TBEX Dublin because Rupee had fallen and I could no longer afford the trip. You bought my ticket and I saw your blog. One can take incredible pictures from a camera, but nothing touches a heart more dearly than a hand drawn piece. Maybe that’s why I never buy a gift for anyone. I always make them. The computer engineering genes still float in my blood, and often I tend to become mechanical in my speech or writing. Candace, your drawings bring me back to being human. P.S. We finally met in TBEX Greece. 🙂

~ Candace is a travel writer and sketch/ water paint artist. She blogs at The Great Affair

~ Padma blogs at The Pink Lotus

 

Gaurav Bhatnagar Software Engineer turned Travel Writer, Photographer, and Public Speaker on Responsible Travel. Entrepreneur in Responsible Rural Travel @ www.thefolktales.com