It’s time for our 2nd interview in “TheIndia traveller interview series”. Today, you will learn about this amazing personality who did solo bike trip across India for 50 days. Very experienced travel blogger who keep sharing his travel stories helps tourist planning their trip across India.
Lets talk with Mr. Pawan Kumar
1. Thank you for taking time for interview, Will you please tell us something about yourself (your brief bio)?
I’m a confused soul, most of the time, not sure of what to do other than eating, staying with family and friends, and doing what I love. Parents wanted me to complete Engineering degree and get a job but, I end up becoming a Travel Blogger at Highwaymonks.
2. What does traveling mean to you and what inspired you the most to start traveling?
My Mother tells me this story, every time I ask her to go out. That she used to lock me inside the room when I was a child. So, this zeal is, I think, inside me since then! Till the age of 25, I have managed to live with my parents, going out nowhere than they didn’t allow. Later, I got them on board with my weird plans to travel and explore more places.
I still don’t know if I am good at a particular thing, other than walking down the road. So, thought of why not writing about it and one day, I might have a career out of it as travel blogger!
3. Last year in Monsoon you completed 50 days solo bike tour across India, share your experience with us.
That was the Prison Break moment for me as I left everything I once cared about. I was all set to start with my traveling plans but, was waiting for the push. Then in 2016, I got bankrupt and it was a good-big push to break the chains.
My best memory of that bike trip is that I had nothing to worry about. I had like hundreds of reasons to be worried of but, I somehow kept my brain busy in the sightseeing. I had only one plan, to go south then return back to North. Hence, the idea to not carry a GPS device came into my mind.
4. Any Biggest cultural shock you have experienced while traveling in India?
Earlier I have traveled till Goa. So, the moment I entered Karnataka while traveling from West direction towards South, I was shocked to see how different culture of Southern part is! It was all new to me.
5. How do you manage your fitness to adjust in tough travel situations?
My father tells me that every person is built to do a particular job. Later I found the same statement in Bhagvada Gita. Since then, I have been asking this question to myself, that what’s the thing I’d love doing, like, forever. I’ve done different jobs in past, part-time, full-time but, wasn’t satisfied. I once had a good habit of following everything in the tech industry but, then one day, it bored me like hell. After spending and surviving the Indian roads, I think I’m built for this. After meeting a lot of like-minded travelers, I knew I’m not alone!
So, once you put everything into a single frame, things start adjusting. If you check my health records (not that I had any), I have been gaining and losing weight while traveling. Other than normal cough and back-pain, I haven’t faced any severe problems.
6. What did you learn from different states of India, from local people or from their culture? Recent North East trip experience?
North East is totally amazing, way better than any other place I have ever seen in India. I’ve learned a great deal of things from different states and our cultural differences which I use to make better future travel plans. This knowledge is going to help me, forever, in my personal and professional life, too.
One thing I would like to point is that I’ve seen and experienced racism in India. I think we should start talking about it, because it’s present, and should start posting updates about the superiority of our state over other on social media platforms.
7. How do you decide or plan your upcoming trips?
(Laughs), I’m not lying if I’m telling this…. I usually don’t plan. I don’t check much about a place I’m going to, as I treat this easily accessible information (text, pictures, and videos about a place) as spoilers.
I read a little, just like we watch a trailer of a film then leave the rest of the story to be disclosed, well, when I’m in theater!
8. Any Funniest or most embarrassing travel moment?
Whether I’m traveling alone or with a group, I make new friends and have been lucky to have hundreds of friends from blogging community. So, I have like a hundreds of funny moments with many of these new friends.
Similarly, I have a lot of embarrassing moments. Life is full of both!
One thing I would like to share here, as I’m getting a chance to speak about it. During AIDSM, I had to play the role of a Controller. I had a job to take care, because of which I had to get angry over other members. I tried my best to keep my intentions fair & related to the road trip and I’m feeling glad that we did it all safely. Still, I knew it’s not a good thing to do, as you’re entering someone’s personal space which they might not like!
9. How do you afford to travel – are you rich?!
I don’t take money from my parents, and I belong to a middle-class family. Before 2016, I used to contribute in family activities like marriage and all, and played my role in helping my parents financially.
However, since the day I have started traveling, I haven’t been of much help to anyone except myself. I earn a fair amount of money, once I sit at the desk, and then I make a sudden plan and go out.
My last trip (to Northeast) was done by hitchhiking and asking help from friends (Vinayak, Aindrilla, Rahul, Jay, Nishant, Pranjal, and Vipin) to take care of my food and stay expenses. I’m really lucky to have such a wonderful friends. Every time I look back in time, these people I have been friend with, are my real earning. I hope I’d be of some helpful to all of them in near future.
10. Changes you want to see in the way people travel?
Answer is straight – unless you have a career to worry about, don’t waste time in clicking pictures and later, worrying about backup of them. Click essential pictures, which are good enough to save memories and share them later with your loved ones. Also, don’t disrespect someone’s culture because you have a different.
I have seen a South Indian and North Indian (both young, educated, even “elite class” as per standards we make via Facebook profiles) fighting over the superiority of their states.
11. What is your next mission or aim in life?
I once had a normal dream and plan to have a normal life but, then it didn’t work out. I have to live with this current, weird one for a while. Or maybe forever, no one knows!
12. Say few words for TheIndia users.
I’ve been connected to just one, Niraj Bariya. He is a good friend but, our meet up plans didn’t work so far. It’s a good community to be part of and as a travel blogger, I hope I’ll be of help here.
:: Some Quick Fire Questions ::
1.Three Places from your travel bucket list?
Do you know Imtiyaz Ali and Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra? These are my favorite directors from Bollywood. I’ve been hunting down places they use for shooting and I’ll keep doing that. This is the only bucket list I have!
2. Which is your favorite travel quote?
I don’t have any! I’m not a strong believer of those “Monday Motivation Quotes” or “favorite “Quotes” strong enough to get you out from comfort zone and do the dream thing.
What I believe is that if a person is not interested and self-motivated all these things are just wallpaper which we can change anytime.
3. Which is your favorite movie or book based on travel?
“Into Thin Air” is what I loved the most (I haven’t read a lot but, I want to, maybe in old age) and when it comes to movies, I’ve a small list. Highway, Rockstar, Into the Wild, and Guide!
4. One word to describe your desire of traveling.
I don’t know but, if I tell someone about my traveling plans (of past, as I’ve no plans for future), then they end up calling me “A Bird.”
5. If anyone create movie based on your life then what would be the movie title? And actor?
It will be a very stupid move, if anyone is even 1% interested in producing that! There are many other interesting stories out there. Mine involving a lot of traveling, doesn’t make it interesting!
