Ever since my childhood, we always had to change cities in India because of my dad’s work. We had the opportunity to take short trips exploring nearby places. Until the year 2005, when my dad had to relocate to Kashmir. It was tough for us to stay in Kashmir because of the extremely grim situation and had to stay back in Kolkata. But that never stopped us from visiting new places. For most of the summer vacation, we went to Kashmir and explored the area. From the lush green valley to the snow-laden peaks of Gulmarg, every inch of those long & short trips was marvelous.
Before starting college in 2017, I went on a few short trips with my family around Delhi and Haryana. For the next four years, I went to university where I earned a degree in Computer Engineering. Whenever I had the chance anytime during the semester, I used to go for short trips with my friends. I had my way through parts of Orissa and Jharkhand. Since it always used to be a spontaneous plan, we never had specific things to do. From beaches in Puri to caves in Bhubaneswar and its city life, we had a blast on every trip. This was the first time in my life that I went to the beach and loved it.
I was also able to visit some famous temples according to the Hindu religion. One of them is Jagannath Temple situated in Puri. It is also one of the “Char Dham” (meaning four abodes) pilgrimage sites in India. Hindus believe in visiting all four would help them achieve salvation.
Next, it was time for a long trip Just like every other college student. It was the winter season of 2018 and time for India’s biggest Cultural Fest – Mood Indigo at IIT Bombay. We had an amazing seven days of our life, mouth-watery foods of Mumbai, partying at Edm night, strolling through the streets at midnight, enjoying the beach, and more. I was successfully steering through different trips every time. In fact, once I boarded the train in the midst of a Cyclone and visited my friends for yet another trip.
But all changed once the Coronavirus pandemic hit the world in 2020. Fast forward two years of having the same routine at home.
Wake up – Work – Eat – Sleep
We’re in the year 2022, and one year already passed since graduation. I was staying in Delhi and working as a Product Designer. Still, that one final year college trip was pending and we converted that into a workcation trip to Kasol for 10 days. This one trip outlasted all the other short trips in terms of how I can work while traveling.
I had my work till 4 or 5 pm every day and even for a few late hours on some days. But the idea of staying anywhere and being able to work felt so real and exciting for the first time. On weekends we went for treks and weekdays were all about exploring nearby places or staying in for fun activities at the hostel.
At this point, I knew that I want to travel more while working and it was absolutely possible. In just a week I again went on a trip with my family to celebrate their anniversary. This time it was a vacation to Mussoorie and Haridwar. Though it was a vacation, the idea of being a digital backpacker was already brewed inside me. Soon after coming back from Mussoorie, I started to look out for places to go in the monsoon. And the first place that came to my mind was Rajasthan. Next, I was on a bus traveling to Jaipur.
Even though I never thought of myself sharing my life activities on social media, I converted my Instagram account from private to public to professional. I started uploading stories and reels just to share what I’m up to. So from Jaipur, I went to all major places in Rajasthan namely Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Ajmer, Pushkar, and Udaipur. I continued my journey to Goa, then explored the southern part of Kerala and the temple towns of Tamil Nadu. While traveling continuously for a few months, my friends started calling me “Pan India”, “Nomad” and whatnot.
This was the time when I actually realized that I’m finally a Digital Backpacker.
I’m the guy who’s traveling and working his 9-5 job as well. I have been to 27 places across 9 states in India ever since and planning to do international trips in the coming months. I made endless friends from every corner of the world. Now I’m certain this is the ultimate thing for me to do. While traveling the idea of sharing my journey while working aroused in my mind. Thus, The Nomad Therapy was born with the idea to share how to travel and do a bunch of activities without affecting your regular job.
I believe it’s never too late. Everyone just needs that one push from themselves only, no one else can do it for anyone. Thank you to each and every one of you for your support. It means a lot that you’re here and wants to learn more about my journey.
WANT TO HAVE A DEEPER LOOK INTO MY JOURNEY
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Really Inspiring
This is so inspiring, keep exploring and inspiring!