Sharanya Iyer: The “Desi Girl “in Travelling World

 

Just Finding a Beautiful Place To Get Lost

One of the most passionate habits in the world it the habit of travelling. Backpacking across the globe and living without a permanent address is too deep a task to be simply classified as a hobby. Travel blogging is a form of expression-its a whole new feeling-the capacity to live in the moment and soak it all in- the creativity to reproduce the magic for their readers and to capture the beauty of the place and then justify it with an on-point caption.

Sharanya Iyer, who blogs at trulynomadly.com is doing everything we just mentioned and so much more. A happy go lucky girl with a passion of exploring new places who calls herself as an “An eternal student of the global classroom”. She was introduced to the world of “Catching Flights and Hotel Stays” at a pretty early age, However her Eureka moment happened in the year 2015 on a family trip to Circa that all she wants to do is explore a little more!

Team Creatorshal Presents the most touching moments from Sharanya’s Gram!

Normal is an Illusion

If we were to guess anything about Sharanya all we would say is that she is the kind of person who loves that pinch of imagination in the things! Catching a flight with a book is equivalent to undertaking some serious exploration into 2!


I want it all

Because for an explorer everything is equally exciting and diligently different!

Them Tough Days

It’s no unknown fact that struggle is always more than what officially meets the eye! Life of a blogger is never as rosy as it seems. It is not only about those “Breakfasts with views ” and some “Nature Love”. Behind the scenes of travel, a blogger is all about finding healthy food and some serious work-life balance!

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Aaaaand I'm jumping into October like ๐Ÿคธ๐Ÿฝโ€โ™€๏ธ . . This is going to be a big month, and I've been preparing for it for a while now. Big opportunities have come my way and I'm working towards making the most of them. But, amidst all of that validation and faith in my work that has opened these doors for me, I've been anxious and uneasy. Like, do I truly deserve this? Me? Why? I'm usually a very confident person. Even internally. I don't have too much trouble believing in myself and patting myself on the back. But a couple months ago, shit happened and I began to question why bad things happen to good people. And how, even hard work, talent and perserverance is sometimes not enough to carry you through to reap the benefits of your labour. It's a pointless question, really. I know. One can't expect to find logic and good karma all the time. So yes. Part of me has been afraid. Living with this nervous, disbelieving energy. Although today, I woke up feeling good. Really frikkin' good. I have a bounce in my step and I'm raring to go. More details soon! Until then, crossing my fingers and doing all I can to kick October outta the park! ๐Ÿคžโค๏ธ . . . Shot this at the awesome @cliffstories property at South Beach, Varkala. They've been some of the most gracious hosts I've ever had. And this particular spot with that massive dreamcatcher flying in the wind was my spot of peace all day, everyday. Going to go back soonest! ๐Ÿ“ธ the awesome @eyediary !

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BFF Diaries

Life is all about those moments when your eye catches the shining love in the eyes!

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Just two happy puppies in a cool purple sunset glow ๐Ÿ’œ Varkala hands down has THE best sunsets I've personally witnessed in India. Like, even though it's been raining a bit every evening, the sky just looks like a sorcerer's canvas, painted in shades and hues I legit cannot comprehend! I guess I've just been very lucky overall to come here at this time, although the only unlucky thing is that the waves are still too strong for the surf season to fully begin ๐Ÿ˜ญ This was taken last evening when @eyediary from @cliffstories and his friend @bilu_tom (who are both really really nice people and bomb photographers!) and I rode around chasing sunset until we wound up at this remote beach. I really don't know how Varkala would've turned out if I'd come to it like I usually go to a place. I'm sure I would've still witnessed the magical sunsets and the red cliffs, but I'm so glad I've had local support to get me to the back of the beyond and experience all its hidden gems. Thank you for having me over and being the wonderful hosts you've been, @cliffstories This is just what I needed, and I didn't even know it ๐Ÿ™‚ And to all of you here who've been sending me all your recommendations and meeting requests, I had no idea we have this lovely family here in Kerala! I promise to come back for longer and maybe do a meet-up too! ๐Ÿ˜

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Some Serious Stuff

The sheer realisation about the addition in her role as a content creator has made her reach out to all her followers for some heart to heart talk and we are all ears!

P.S: That colour coordination with those amazing greens is all we needed to see!

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Warning: Long, real, no-filter caption ahead. Time for some serious talk with you guys this Sunday! I recently watched the amazing @sherryshroff 's YouTube video on Influencer Scams, paid partnerships and our responsibilities as content creators. And I frikkin' loved every little truth bomb she dropped. Now look, most of us here really hate the word 'Influencer'. It comes with a whole lot of negative connotations like 'free goodies', 'money making machine', 'brand pimp' and so much more. Because the industry is messed up. There is no order, no real system in place. Some work for free on Barters, while others go ahead and endorse just about anything so long as it's paid for. And being fed too much sponsored content gets you irritated while you go about your day at work or college, because 'Man this person is such a sell out' I get it, it's hard for you, as a consumer, to watch all of this without a certain amount of skepticism and envy. It all looks so glamorous. Unboxing PR packages, free trips, free products, fancy events…it's a glitzy, unrelatable career. And most don't even call it that. Some of my own friends make fun of it. I know they mean no harm, but on a bad day it ticks me off while on good days I know where they're coming from. Which is why, I want to take this slow Sunday to tell you, if you're reading, that I'm truly thankful for your continued support and presence. And I want to promise you, that I take this responsibility very very seriously. I do not and will not be seen promoting anything and everything that comes my way. Full disclosure- On a monthly basis, I turn down atleast 3-4 opportunities from brands or travel companies that simply want me to give them a 'shoutout' in return for money or free goodies. When I haven't even experienced the product/don't relate to it or use it in my daily life/haven't traveled with the said company. I am very aware that despite the connotations the word has, my work and my voice do 'influence' a handful of you. Central Asia and Northeast India are my biggest case studies on the subject. So I KNOW that I cannot fake out and… <CONTINUED IN COMMENTS.Hey I warned you this'll be long!>

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That Huge List

If a normal person’s bucket list is = x

Then

A travel enthusiast’s bucket list is x to the power 100. Below is just a glimpse!

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Sharing this very old video from 2016 when I skydived not once, but TWICE on the same day while visiting my dad in Dubai! Thanks to a camera malfunction, after my first skydive I was given the option to get a full refund or dive again, and Duhhh I chose to go again! (I had carefully saved up to pay for it, so that was money I had parked on to this adventure already. Why take it back when I could jump off a plane again ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿฝโ€โ™€๏ธ) That's possibly why my instructor in this video signals that I'm mad, because my choice came as a royal shock to them all, haha! Someday soon, I'll save up enough to get certified to dive solo. Until then, reliving this mad rush and putting out my plans into the Universe ๐Ÿ˜ . . . #dubai #skydivedubai #skydiving #skydive #adventurenation #adventuregirls #girlswhotravel #dubaitravel #adrenalinerush #throwback

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Coming Back Cosy

This post is what we call “Dal Khichdi”, after a lavish array of fast food. Because every destination is special in its way and there is no reason why your homeland should be left out!

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Bombay. The city of dreams. The city that never sleeps. Where dreams are realized and extinguished Where chaos is order and strangers are friends Where lovers sit by the sea, hiding in open sight Where all the wealth in the world makes way for an…Antilia And all the poverty in the world produces Gully boys and warm hearts. I'm here in my home city after what seems like forever, and I couldn't have found a more confusing time to be here. One day I'm romancing the monsoons with chai and pakodas, staring out my window, And the next day I'm fuming as my auto rickshaw slams over a pot hole, cursing the rains as I sit drenched One day I'm moving to the rhythmic beat of the local train And the next day I'm forcing my ears shut to all the incessant honking around me One day I'm relishing my masala bhutta by Bandstand And the next day I'm fighting to make it home for dinner, navigating the endless bumper to bumper traffic. But Home. That's the key word. Because it is home. Always has been. Always will be. Not the space within the 4 walls I live in, not the neighbourhood shop where I pick up my groceries, not the local trains or the black and yellow cabs, not the Ganpati parading down the streets every September or the rains lashing against my window…but a heady mix of all of it. That feeling of surviving through it all. That feeling of finding my calm amidst the rushed pace. The people. My people. Bombay. Mumbai. The Maximum City. My city. Call it what you will. So happy to be back for a bit and explore parts of it I just never have. Like Bandra Fort and this spot facing the Sea Link! Sometimes you feel like a dot in the vast expanse of this city. But slow down and zoom in, and you might just see that you belong โ™ฅ๏ธ . . Shot on my new #OPPOReno2 using the 5X HybridZoom & the #20xZoom on the #QuadCam @oppomobileindia

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That Earned Wisdom

This is one of the few posts where we can spot her love for her profession with a naked eye! That long straining caption and that breathtaking picture is an example of how good she is with her work!

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Throwing it back to this Arabian Nights dream from when I backpacked across Central Asia for 2 months last summer to quickly discuss THE most frequently asked question in my DMs and comments- How do you fund your trips?/You're so lucky/You must be rich…and so on & so very presumably forth. Assumptions aside, I get that you're curious about how I make my money and how I fund my trips. Here's 3 top ways I do that- 1. A lot of the travel content you see here is monetized. I work with brands & travel companies and use my content to seamlessly integrate the products and services I believe & trust in. Most of you know of the phrase Influencer Marketing. That is my primary source of income. So I do make money. And I don't have a sugar daddy. Unlucky like that ๐Ÿ˜‰ 2. I'm really really good at digging out deals on the internet. Discount coupons for flight bookings, referral codes on accommodation platforms, cashback deals on credit cards, collecting air miles..I'm relentless when it comes to all of this. And when coupled with my general 'low maintanence' travel approach (read shared hostel dorms, shared local transport/public transport, cheap meals aka non-fine dining, etc), I manage to get more bang for my buck. Here's a new offer I'm going to help you with- @icicibank and @mastercardindia are running a special offer right now where you can get cashback when you travel abroad with them. Keep scouting for these deals and use them, every penny saved is a penny better spent! 3. I take up freelance writing gigs on the side every now and then, travel or not. Writing is a skill I've honed & continue to practice and exploit, especially because it helps me remain location independent and draw an income on a project to project basis. I've also been meaning to begin teaching English online & completed my TEFL course early this year, but it's been an avenue I'm yet to open up & explore. That's most of the main ways I make money and travel, alongwith choosing to ditch high-value purchases when I shop (Sarojini Market FTW), eat and drink (House Parties yasss!) and investing part of my income regularly! . . #StartSomethingPriceless #TravelWithMastercard #ICICIBank #TravelHacks

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Travelling Senorita

This is a travel blogger version of — Senorita!

P.S: Replace the ballroom gown with a wide smile and those pointy heels with sneakers and swap those headgears for them colourful umbrellas!

Spotted @ Stories

Embracing It All

This one is all about the spontaneity in her blog, one day you find her at a private pool and the very next day she may be onto an Airbnb or a hostel or anyplace else. She may show you some bluest skies or may take you for a walk along the beach, all you have to do is stay tuned and ready to be surprised.

Nature Love

Sunsets- Loads of Pets- River Terrains-& Underwater Plains

G Talk

This one is some more gyaan for all the girlies and a classic example of this one explored herself while on a journey to explore the world

NUM-YUM-YUM

If you are a regular to Creatorshala then you would be aware of my undying love for food. So as soon as I started working on this piece my mind started to wonder on the yummy savouries she must have had while on those trips and once on the stories, I made a mental note to try out all the mentioned places. So coming back to the point there were some momos from Ladakh, super classy wine and bread, drool worthy choco-samosa and ofcourse Rajma Chawal

Sarcasm and Gyaan

If you go across her Instagram posts or her stories you are sure to come across a lot of sarcasm and a lot of gyaan and just when I was thinking about the how and when of I came across the story where she stated that she is a fan of Big Bang Theory and i had it all sorted out! So maybe she is our Sheldon, who is all lost in the world of well the world itself!