I am not sure if you guys are following me on Instagram , but a month back ever since Instagram launched “ask me a question” widget in the insta story , there had been an explosion of questions asked by many of you. I always try to take the time to reply as thoughtfully as I can to these questions and, in answering them, I’ve realized there are some things people often want to know more about when it comes to travel, whether that’s travel in general or my own travels or how do I manage to travel so much. I tried answering a lot of questions on my insta stories but then I thought of taking this opportunity and penning down some of the most frequent travel questions that have come my way.
I’ll kick off with the most frequent question :
How do you travel so much?
I travel soooooooooo much because I make it my priority. I work hard . I only get 18 vacation days. I have a full time job , so I try to work over the weekends , to save some days which I could use as vacation days. I try to be minimalistic specially when it comes to shopping or buying branded things . I save money and while ( as per my family) I should be saving for my future , I spend it on my present . Other things that help me in traveling a lot are travel hacking – points and deals , a known source of income – my full time job and above all my husband who shares the same passion as me.
Where are you travelling next ?
I am writing this blogpost on a labor day long weekend, so clearly I have not planned anything for this weekend. But I am excited about my upcoming trip . Yes, I am heading to Bavarian alps and Swiss alps. I am going to Germany and Switzerland in September 3rd week. After this trip , I am going to spend every weekend chasing fall colors in New England. I am blessed to be in place like Boston , where nature is at its best in Fall. The month of December will have to be a choice between – turkey and Jordan or New Zealand – not decided yet 
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Are your travels free or sponsored ?
I know people hear about travel blogging and they immediately perceive that travel bloggers always travel for free. All my travels are completely and solely funded by my own savings. I do not get free air tickets or free press trips . Not for now at least. I do get sometimes complimentary stays in hotels in exchange of their reviews and advertising them on my social – media . But again for me it is more like a partnership rather than calling it free. When you get an opportunity like this to collaborate with a brand , it is hard work to prove your worth and a constant push to make yours and the collaborating brand’s presence felt on all social handles.
Do you ever get tired of travelling?
I am such a home-bird , something very typical of cancerians 😉. No matter wherever I go , I do miss my home and yes after a point I just want my room , my bed, my house. So to answer to your question , I do get tired of travelling. But that feeling stays in for may be couple of weeks and I am ready to hit a new destination. If you want to know how do I shortlist my next travel destination , I have written at length about it here .
Being a vegetarian , do you ever have food problem while travelling?
Oooh my God , this is something I regularly struggle with . I have realized that being vegetarian is not easy , specially if you are travelling to Scandinavian countries. That being said , its not impossible. Generally if I know that country I am travelling to is expensive or not very vegetarian friendly – I book accommodations where I am able to cook. I crave for Indian food and cannot go without it for days . So at times I carry ready – to make food items with me. For countries , which I deem expensive , specially for eating out in restaurants – me and Manhar prefer making salads and sandwiches of our own. It helps us in sticking to our budget and staying healthy.
What do you do to stay healthy when you travel?
There are few things that I keep an absolute check on while travelling – 1) Sugar intake 2) liquor intake. Both me and Manhar try to keep away from fatty snacks or sugar items like chips, cookies, chocolates etc. . If we crave for something in between the meals while travelling , fruits are our best friends. We try to make a quick workout early in the mornings even while travelling. If our trip involves a lot of hiking , we carry trail mix and nuts with us so that we do not munch on any junk things. I absolutely love wine and IPAs but I do keep check on my intake.
Which country is your favorite you’ve traveled to?
It is so tough to pick an absolute favorite. But gun to my head and if I am asked to pick an absolute favorite , it has to be Norway. I have never in my life imagined a country so versatile , so beautiful and absolutely spectacular. When people ask me about one place that should be an absolute must see and on top of their bucket list , I always say Norway. This Scandinavian fjord-land is a pure slice if heaven.
What has been your most memorable trip?
I am not a thrill junkie , but I am definitely an adventure /experience junkie. I loved our trip to Morocco because I experienced a night below the stars in Sahara desert , making it unforgettable. I loved Norway because I was spell bound by its beauty making it as my favorite destination. Kenya instilled in me the urge to save other species and fight to let them live in their natural habitat. But to top them all , 5 day 100 km W trek in Patagonia in Chile. Never in my life had I pushed my body to this extreme , but the beauty of Patagonia and energy of fellow trekkers just kept me going.
Those are just a few of the commonly asked questions that have come my way. If there are any other questions that you would like me to answer , feel free to leave a comment and I will definitely reply. I share a ton of stuff on my instagram account , so follow me and of-course you can pop-up and ask me a question there as well. Thank you so much for stopping by 😊.
Follow me at Instagram : @TheTalkingTrails
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