Travel journeys are experiences that make people feel alive and accomplished. Unfortunately, we live in a world that considers travelling to be a luxury. Varun Vagish is a man set out to bust this urban myth.
The journalist turned travel blogger worked with different companies and institutions for 15 long years before he gave it all up for his one true calling.
From taking up annual LTC trips with parents to bunking school to explore nearby destinations, Varun had always been a travel junkie.
But when he shifted to Delhi for to get his Bachelor’s degree, developed a strong penchant for backpacking to the hills every now and then.
It was during these trips that he was introduced to the idea of economic travelling.
‘Like most Indians, I used to think travelling requires a lot of money, but when I met with a lot of hitchhikers in the hills, I learnt the art of travelling without being bankrupt’
This was a revelation that changed his life forever. The amount of money he would spend on a single trip could now fund at least three more.
Once he cracked this magical code, nothing could stop him from backing packing to his trip to freedom. He would take offs from his work to satiate his ever-growing hunger for going places and exploring.
“The biggest challenge for a traveller with a regular job is to convince your boss to let you take offs. I took sick leaves, and even lied at work to take up trips”
The exhausting charade finally came to an end when Varun took a hitchhiking trip to Thailand. He curated a youtube blog of his travel and experience, and to his surprise, people really liked his work.
From being a blogger who did not even know the right angles of the camera holding to getting thousands of followers, Varun realised the importance of his stories. His blogs introduced people to a whole new world that redefined travelling and made it more accessible.
The PHD holder believes that travelling is the only way to truly learn about people, cultures, lifestyles and humanity. It is an experience that teaches you lessons that stay with you forever.
From picking offbeat destinations to exploring remote villages in the Himalayan haven, Vagish’s love for travelling grew stronger by each passing day. But quitting a full time job for travelling seemed a crazy idea. It was the love and assurance from his youtube fan following that helped him take this big leap.
His ideas of cheap travelling, staying at hostels and hitchhiking hooked people to his Youtube channel. His work has inspired many youngsters who had been holding on their travel plans to step out and discover what the world has to offer.
