Smita Singh, works in a school in the Admin department in Gurgaon, Haryana. This daring soul developed her love for travelling 5 years back when she decided to embrak on a sudden journey to Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh. Since then, there is no stopping her. Smita loves music, good food and of course the mountains. She is someone who is fiercely independent and ridiculously emotional. In this interview series she is going to talk about how she got bitten by the travel bug and how she balances her life between worldly duties and travel.
The Power of Inner Self
1. How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
- Tragically Flawed
- Avid traveller
- Dance enthusiast
2. What made you fall in love with travelling?
Honestly I would say it was loneliness that pushed me towards travelling and once I started it I fell in love with it. But more precisely it was a breakup :).
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3. Which is your favourite destination in India and why?
Himachal Pradesh – Any day, any month, any time. I started my travelling journey with going on an all girls backpacking trip to Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh. It was a ten days long trip and we explored so many lesser known destinations, interacted with the locals, lived a life full of adventure. I think I was myself. I was carefree, I did not care about who thought what about me and I was my own person on that trip. This was almost five years back and since then I have explored Himachal Pradesh throughly.
4. What’s the longest single journey you’ve taken so far?
I explored the a bit of North-east for 14 days. Covered Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Nagaland.
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5. According to you, do you think one has to be rich to travel the world?
No, if you manage your money well and save as travel fund, one need not be rich. All you need is some financial planning and the zest for travelling. Though being rich certainly makes its easier.
6. Given a choice, would you leave your job for travel?
I wont. Job gives me purpose and its my livelihood. I will never leave my job for travel. Rather I would seek to strike a balance between my job and travel. Travel is equally important for me as it gives me hope and keeps me sane. To leave one for the other is not an option, when I can manage both so well.
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7. Did travelling make you a better person?
Of course it did. Its a life changing and liberating journey. You learn your biggest lessons of life, love and modesty.
8. What are the 5 essentials that you always carry on your travels?
- My personal blankie (cutest and the warmest blanket in the world!)
- Bagpack
- Medicines
- Headphones
- Minimal clothes
9. How do you travel sustainably?
Avoid plastic bottles, I prefer to support local businesses when I travel. Staying in home-stays and purchasing local artefacts as they are more in sync with the local communities. If we all take conscious efforts then travelling sustainably is not difficult at all.
10. Are you a planned or impromptu traveller?
Mostly planned but initial phase was impromptu. I remember, this once I just had this urge to travel and without thinking for a second I booked a morning bus to Manali. Without realising that the bus will reach Manali at night. So after a back breaking journey in a local bus to the mountains, I find myself stranded at Manali bus stop at midnight. Everything was closed, there was no transport available and I did not book a hotel in advance.
I thank my lucky stars that I found a decent person who gave me lift to Kasol at that hour in the night. But that incident thought me the value to doing some research at least before marching out.
11. One quote that expresses your wanderlust?
I took the one less traveled and that made all the difference.
Robert Frost
12. Name a person who inspired you to travel.
Suman Doogar. I met her around 6 years back through a common friend and somehow we hit it off. Initially we did not keep in touch so much but later when I wanted to travel, it was her that I could think of. We have travelled to so many places together in Himachal Pradesh, North-East, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. We at least try to do one yearly trip together.
Pottery making in Anretta 
Haveli hunting in Mandawa 
Bumla Pass in Arunachal
13. What is the one thing that scares you while travelling?
Language barrier.
14. Your advise to people who wants to start travelling.
Just go with the flow. If you have the urge to travel then just go. The moment you start planning for it or think I will do it once I achieve something, then that will never happen. Travel makes me more humane and the lessons one learns cannot be replaced with any other experience.
15. Who are your two most favourite travel bloggers/writers?
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