About the Quirky Wanderer

 

The prelude to Travel blogging:

As a kid, I looked forward to my summer vacations. Ticking off dates in the calendar waiting to fly to Delhi. A 6 hour journey would take me to a small town in the foothills of the Himalayas. Here is where my grandparents stayed.
Summer vacations were spent walking on white, rounded pebbles on the banks of the pristine Yamuna. Watching it gurgle away was one of my favourite pastimes. But not as much as plucking raw mangoes and litchis hanging low in orchards.
Somewhere in these long nature walks and chasing paper boats in brooks, I fell in love with nature. Trees became friends and mountains became protectors.

As I grew up, frequent road trips with parents made me fall in love with road travel , with rural India, it’s diversity and its people. I respected differences, valued simplicity and found beauty in the ordinary. But most of all I fell in love with my country.

I wrote in a diary. Summaries of travels, random anecdotes and memories. Then in 2006, blogging happened. Those pages of a diary were now public. It was very amateurish but it gave me friends for life.

Amidst highs and lows of life, travel was a constant companion. I never traveled solo, but found my solo moments even when I traveled with someone else.
My relationship with Mountains is therapeutic. I have always asked them questions, they have always given me answers, enveloped me and freed me from urban shackles.

Soon I longed to set out and explore. “Find a guy and go” my dad said.
I told him if he let me go to Italy I will come back and get serious about marriage.
I am running away ever since:)

Travel for me was an escape earlier but now it’s the best source of learning I can ever get. It’s an exchange, between places and me. People and me. Stories and me. It’s made me open my knots, let go of my inhibitions, accept the world with open arms and most of all bettered me as a human being.

I love long road trips, love starry skies, love the mountain chill, love walking on dry leaves, love the gurgle of streams, love the feel of forests, love the winter sun, love leaving a part of me in places I visit.

The Quirky Wanderer is a door lover, a story weaver, a travel writer, a part time social media consultant, a full time doting aunt.

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The aftermath:

 

With an MBA in marketing, I began my career as a Strategic planner in DraftFCBUlka.

In 2016, I became the first Indian Travel blogger to be featured by WordPress Discover and have been Featured by Storypick, Holdify, Thrillophilia, Tripoto, Indian express, Deccan Chronicle, Mid-day and Asian age.

Collaborated with tourism boards such as Indonesia tourism, Goa tourism, Sharjah tourism, Kerala tourism, Hong Kong Tourism, Nepal tourism.

Partnered with several brands as a strategic consultant and/or as a content creator including Google’s Touring bird, Travelibro, Tata steel ( curated their Doors of India campaign) ,Tata housing, Neemrana, Travel Dosti Etc, Club Mahindra, MakeMyTrip, ScoutMyTrip.

Have rolled out video content under the Quirky Wanderer Favourites Video series and for brands like TraveLibro, Jockey, Himalaya, Road Tripper’s club, the WOW Club.

My content has been published in print in NatGeo Traveller, Lonely Planet Magazine India, JetWings Magazine, Lonely planet Magazine, Go Getter Magazine, Gulf life magazine and Air Asia’s Travel Sixty magazine.

Workshops: Having a flair for public speaking and mentoring, I regularly conduct workshops on Travel blogging, travel photography in Mumbai and have given several Travel talks as well, including a Photography session in the Photographic Society of India. Have been conducting guest lectures in B schools on digital marketing, social media and advertising. At the junior college level have conducted motivational talks for students at VES Junior college on Goal setting, pursuing dreams, time management.

Colleges I have spoken at: Bhavans Andheri, SP Jain global school, VESIMSR, BHIS school Andheri, Mumbai University, Ruia college.

 

For collaborations, kindly reach out at divsi@quirkywanderer.com

 

90 thoughts on “About the Quirky Wanderer”

  5. Hello 🙂

    Thank you so much for visiting my blog and following.

    Looks like you have got a beautiful site here with some very interesting and diverse content.

    Let me explore 🙂

    Happy Diwali and have a great time…

    Reply
  13. Pingback: The 100th Post! | PhoTrablogger

  17. Hi there

    I love your blog and the stories are well written. I found it from Maverickbird’s Very Inspiring Blog Award post and I’m an immediate fan and new follower.

    In a few months, my wife Diane and I are trying early retirement due to an unexpected layoff from my crappy job exactly one year ago. Since we’re both kind of young,(I am 49, Diane is 43) we chose an overseas destination because it’s more affordable.

    We love travel, want to immerse in other cultures and always had intentions of retiring young enough to experience the world while still young and fit enough to really enjoy it.

    I recently started my blog ahead of our upcoming move and populated it with stories of our transition to early retirement and previous travels to places we researched as retirement destinations. I’m constantly scouring through other blogs with similar topics looking for new friends, contacts, ideas and advice. I’d love it if you check us out at http://www.experimentalexpats.com. and give us a follow or share if you enjoy my writing.

    We’ve never visited our intended destination (Penang) so our move is a real leap of faith. Anyway, I look forward to reading a lot more of your blog and thanks for sharing !!

    Best wishes
    Rob and Diane

    Reply

    1. Hello!
      Welcome to my blog 🙂 Thanks for taking out the time to read my posts and appreciating them. I am humbled 🙂

      I am happy to connect with you guys as we share a mutual interest (travel) 🙂

      Would love to read your travel stories 🙂

      Best regds
      Divsi

      Reply

  20. Hello! Thank you very much for following Rusty Travel Trunk 🙂 I look forward to checking out your blog here, especially that huge bucket list you mention as I have a huge one, too!

    Reply

  25. Divsi….just love your pics and awesome blogs….u have clicked some really stunning pics and have got a really nice gallery…..fan of urs…@devforu007

    Reply
  26. Pingback: People Around the World – India | twobrownfeet

  27. It’s very interesting how you view the world. India tends to be a fascinating place, so has it been for thousands of years, This is the only country in the world that has preserved its ancient religion more or less in tact. Everything in India-meaning the religion-gets its roots for the vedas. And if you look very closely it can blow your mind. It is the source of so many things in the world, thats putting it mildly. Invaders and empires that came to India came to rule and change, they may have ruled but never changed it. In fact they were changed in the process.

    Splendid photographs by the way, I thoroughly enjoyed them…Thanks!!!

    Reply

  29. Finally we met in person and what a small world it is indeed!!! Enjoy your travels wherever the road leads you and hope to see many more exotic doors open in your journey in life!!!

    Reply

  33. I represent Million Screens, a firm specializing in connecting social media publishers with brands.

    At present, I am writing to invite you for a blogger’s meet we are organizing on behalf of a large brand.

    Please share your mail id or number.

    Regards,

    Gopika.

    Reply

  34. Hi there,

    This is Saul at GPSmyCity. We are interested in sponsoring a giveaway on your blog for mutual benefits. If you wish to know more about this opportunity, please reply to my email at your earliest convenience. Thank you.

    Kind regards,
    Saul Tarasoff
    GPSmyCity.com

    Reply

  36. Hi! I’m a new subscriber of your’s. So glad I found this blog! Your writing and pictures are so relaxing to read and I too am a lover of starry skies, mountains and long road trips 🙂

    Reply

  39. Hello,

    This is Saul at GPSmyCity, a publisher of travel apps on iTunes App Store and Google Play.  We have reviewed your blog and are interested in working with you to convert some of your blog posts into mobile apps so they can be sold on iTunes App Store and Google Play.  There is no cost to you – we work with blogger on a revenue share basis.

    If you wish to learn more about this opportunity, please reply to my email so I will send you additional information.

    Thanks and regards,
    Saul Tarasoff
    GPSmyCity.com

    Reply

  40. I checked out your blog thanks to the interview with Cheri Lucas Rowlands regarding doors. Amazing photos and posts. I look forward reading more.

    Reply

  43. I am very impressed with the content of this blog. While capturing the beauty and timelessness of these places, the Quirky Wanderer is also able to provide the information and stories behind it all to kindle the curiosity of the reader. I hope to continue being a supportive follower of this photographic documentation.
    Best of luck,
    Quinn Hollows from theperceptiveteen.WordPress.com

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much! I am glad you liked the blog:) thanks for following and reading. Would look fwd to your feedback on the posts:)

      Thanks again! Have a great day!

      Reply

  57. This is terrific! I’m glad I found your blog in Discoverer. I enjoy travel blogs, it’s like having my own personal national geographic. I look forward to your adventures! Best, ~Dave

    Reply

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