Travelling For Work? No Groan Anymore This is how you can make travel time interesting
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I co-founded Treks 'n Rapids in 2002. It has been over 14 years now, but we still consider ourselves a "startup", considering the definition in its correct soul and spirit is about -- an enterprise in (continuous) innovation phase; focused around new ideas; thinking outside the box and developing unconventional active holiday and outdoor education experiences.
I travel a lot, mostly adventure travel since that is my business. My "work travel" takes me from the non-touristy parts of the Thar Desert, to the less popular parts of Ladakh, from Devariyatal in Garhwal Himalayas to Yercaud in Tamil Nadu, and so on. In addition to these, I also travel between Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and outside the country from time to time. Here's how I spend my travel time:
Explore, discover
I utilize this travelling as a phenomenal opportunity to let the mind grow. For me, it is a great opportunity to know people, cultures, customs, flora and fauna of those destinations. I am also an amateur photographer, it being the best stress buster for me, hence, where ever I travel my DSLR and lenses travel with me.
Lessons to learn
Travelling also fosters my marketing skills. It gives me the time to read, research, understand consumer psychologies, learn about demographics of different parts of the country, and the world. Moreover, since my core business area is curating off-the-beaten-track and active holiday experiences, where ever I travel to, even if it is an urban setting, I end up digging out some interesting birding trails, photo walk circuits, a water body for kayaking, an open stretch fit for parasailing or a boulder for some interesting rock climbing.
Me-time
According to me, travelling is extremely important for everyone. Every religion, every guru has suggested travel as being the fodder for a broader mind and an enlightened soul. The same applies for an entrepreneur. Even if it is travelling for work, you get an opportunity to be with yourself. You learn to not limit yourself to a particular skill set but have a broader vision and sense of things.
(As told to Prerna Raturi)