For the past decade or so, many people all around the world have left their corporate jobs to fulfill their dreams by pursuing their passion. And one such successful person is Sahib Singh Sadana. The digital nomad, as called by many people, hails from a beautiful town Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.
He left his job as an investment advisor to become a full-time travel blogger with a cause. He is a B.Com (Hon) graduate from Delhi University and believes that everyone should travel responsibly to places they visit. I recently interviewed this ground-to-earth and talented travel blogger and we discussed insights of what he does and how he does it in length.
Thank you so much, Sahib Singh Sadana, aka @travellingindian, for joining us today!
Today, we see countless travel bloggers on the internet. So, can you tell us what makes your blog stand out from the crowd?
My blogs convey my true emotions. I never take a photo unless that frame tells me a story or convey an emotion. I explicitly write about those emotions and experiences which I felt at that time. My blogs are generally filled with a lot of photos as I believe in conveying stories using the photos. Apart from that, I try to provide my audience with unique and in-depth details and try to endorse travelling responsibly as nature has given us these places as gifts and we need to preserve it for the future. Apart from that I personally reply to all the relevant messages, comments and emails, so that people understand that their views are of extreme importance, and their valuable feedbacks also help me in getting better every day.
Can you tell us what made you start this journey of becoming a digital nomad?
My father once told me something and it motivated me to start travelling. He said, “Life is like travelling; the journey sooner or later comes to an end but people often forget to enjoy the journey in the hope of reaching the destination quicker.” So, I made travelling my life, and I can proudly say that I am enjoying the journey without thinking about my destination. Travelling for me is like meditation; it helps me be happy, and in my opinion, we should always do what makes us happy. So in order to follow my passion for travelling, I became a digital nomad.
We see that you are from a technical background. Can you share with us what challenges you faced while choosing this path of becoming a globetrotter?
When you understand how money works you never want to take uncalculated risks in life and becoming a full-time travel blogger was that uncalculated risk for me. In the beginning, no one is really interested in sponsoring you, so you have to self-sponsor your trips. I am from a commerce background and I never imagined myself earning from my photography and writing skills. I had to teach myself everything and it has its own learning curve. In my profession, learning never stops, I am still learning new things each day.
It takes a lot of courage and continuous efforts to do what you are doing. Can you give us some insight into how you do it what you do?
Apart from being your own fund manager you also need to be your own editor in chief, director of marketing and web developer. So, lots of planning and learning goes on, and besides this, even when you get sponsorship you must remember to be objective. Initially, I worked as a part-time investment advisor to arrange fund for my travels. Although, it took a while when sponsorships started coming in.
What advice would you like to give to people who are planning to start their own travel blog?
It is very important to have a niche. When you have a niche stick to it. Think about your blog as a full-time job and be professional about it. The best way to thrive and maintain a certain level of professionalism is to keep the focus on your readers and provide cutting-edge information. Your aim should be when people search for your niche; they find extremely captivating and valuable information while navigating through your blog.
Who has been your greatest inspiration in life? And Why?
My parents and my sister are my biggest inspiration. My parents sacrificed a lot to see me and my sister have an amazing life. Since childhood, my parents inspired me to follow my passion and my dream. I feel extremely proud and side by side inspired when I see them smiling. I am lucky that they always have my back.
Sustainable tourism is the concept new to most of the people. What plans you have to spread awareness of this concept to the crowd?
Sustainable tourism is my passion and one of the main reasons behind turning me into a travel blogger. My blog posts not only give details about beautiful valleys, mountains and unexplored beaches but also emphasize on how we must co-exist without harming the environment. We must and should be responsible for the places we visit. To spread awareness about it, I will be talking about the importance of travelling responsibly in several schools. I believe that sustainable tourism should be part of the school curriculum so that students can get more exposure to this emerging concept. Further, they will go home and talk about it with their friends and parents.
What are your closing words for readers?
Nature is one of the most beautiful gifts we have inherited from our ancestors, and it is our responsibility to pass it on to our future generations unharmed. We must understand that we have the responsibility of protecting our beautiful nature from any undue damage. Most of us do not realise the impact of human carelessness on these unexplored places and do irreversible damage to the ecosystem. We should be a responsible traveller at all times.
What’s the best way people can you reach you online?
They can follow me on Instagram @travellingindian and on twitter @SahibSadana