This week marks Desi Globetrotter’s 3 year anniversary in the blogosphere!

Whoa.

I have to let that sink in awhile. Although not a milestone year, 3 years is significant especially when the survival rate of new blogs is quite low. Even with all the researching, fact checking, photo editing and hours spent writing – I love it. It’s not onerous or work for me when I’m doing something I love.

To all my Desi Globetrotter readers and fans – from Canada, US, India, UK, Australia and beyond – THANK YOU for supporting this blog and for coming along for the ride as I travel around the world with a mission in mind – to write about meaningful, experience-filled unique travel content for South Asian readers from a South Asian perspective, and to provide inspiration to travellers interested in achieving an independent travel lifestyle.

In the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of travelling to France, Turkey, Cuba, US,  Argentina, Japan, Spain, Uruguay and Holland with each trip filled with unique experiences and moments.

When I first came up with the idea for Desi Globetrotter in the fall of 2011, all I knew at the time was I wanted to create something authentic that really reflected who I was. I also had a need to feed my creativity and have a space to call my own. It didn’t take long for me to naturally gravitate towards writing and travel. I listened to my intuition and it was right. Desi Globetrotter was born and launched May 15, 2012.

To celebrate and reflect on these past three years, here are Desi Globetrotter’s top 3 highlights, top 3 challenges, top 3 most popular posts, top 3 things I’ve learned, and 3 upcoming things to watch for on Desi Globetrotter:

Top 3 Highlights

1. Receiving questions, comments and emails from readers around the world located in San Francisco, Mumbai, Chicago, Delhi, Toronto and beyond. I love hearing from Desi Globetrotter readers and helping you with travel advice.  Many of the questions I receive are from young, South Asian women who have a desire to travel, but don’t know how to convince their conservative Indian parents. I know how travel can make women stronger and I hope to help them along their journey.
2. Being published in local, national and international magazines such as Conde Nast Traveller India, Huffington Post Canada, and South Asian Woman Magazine to name a few and being rated in the Top 500 List of Indian Blogs in 2013-14.
3. Majority of my travel I pay for myself, but in just 3 years, I’ve had opportunities to work with travel brands, hotels and tourism boards, resulting in some free or discounted travel – perks of being a travel blogger.  This gives me access to a destination, interviews with locals, and behind-the-scenes info to create even better, more in-depth content for my readers. I also love connecting and taking part in discussions involving trends and the future of travel blogging – from talks on race & travel blogging and how travel media perpetuates certain myths/stereotypes to how the Indian travel industry is evolving.

Top 3 Challenges

1. Not writing enough. Originally, when I first launched Desi Globetrotter I wanted it to be a weekly publication and slowly it’s evolved into a monthly publication. I have a lot more travel stories (in my head) and will bring them to life on the digital sphere soon!
2. Not being paid or not paid enough. Writing takes time and research and in the past, writing used to be coveted. Now – everyone is a blogger/writer.  This is a sticky subject for many freelancers/writers/bloggers as so many new blogs/lifestyle magazines have cropped up in the digital sphere who don’t have the funds to pay writers and many established publications also have budget cuts. Many bloggers have other jobs or launch consultancy-based businesses to supplement their income. Fortunately,  I have a creative career I love and I’m working towards another project.
3. Finding my voice – these past three years I’ve been experimenting with different styles of writing and becoming comfortable with how I write. I’m learning the craft and have much to learn, but as most writers advise – just keep writing to hone your craft. Don’t stop. I’m picky and a slow writer – the creative process can be extremely frustrating especially when I dislike my own writing at times, but the process helps bring out the best of my writing.

Top 3 Things Learned

1. Dreams can become a reality when you listen to your intuition and align your passions with your authentic self. Authenticity is important.
2. I can have more than one passion and love them both equally. I have a passion for Arts and a passion for Travel. I need BOTH in my life and have integrated them equally. I’m the happiest when both of these worlds collide.
3. I don’t have to quit my job to become a travel blogger or to have meaningful travel experiences. I can integrate travel and travel writing into the lifestyle I already have and very much enjoy which includes owning a condo, living in one of the best cities in Canada, being married and having a creative career. **The key is flexibility, having a strong will, making travel a priority, thinking differently about money (experiences vs material goods) and going against the grain  in order to create the ideal lifestyle YOU desire.**

Top 3 Most Popular Posts

Here are the top 3 posts readers clicked on most! 

1. Honeymoon in Thailand – Two Week Itinerary
2. How to Convince Indian Parents to Let You Travel
3. Brown Girl Problems: 5 White Lies We Tell Our Parents When Travelling

Top 3 Things to Come on Desi Globetrotter

1. New content in July from an upcoming trip (where am I going? You’ll find out soon)!
2. Fresh, new visual layout – because it’s time for a change and the theme I have for Desi Globetrotter is no longer being updated. Watch out for this in the Fall of 2015 or Winter 2016.
3. New stories from guest writers and interesting interviews with desi globetrotters from around the world – an interview about family travel coming up soon.

These past three years have been fun, exciting and fulfilling especially when I can help inspire readers to travel. I urge you to travel atleast once a year to somewhere you’ve never been before, somewhere that exhilarates you, scares you a bit and fills you with wonder. You will come home with stories and adventures that will last a lifetime – I promise you.

Thanks for tuning in and supporting this blog. Cheers to many more years of Desi Globetrotter!