In Conversation with Parampara Patil Hashmi

Hello travelers! This is your always-online friend Neha aka @pwneha, bringing you a new series #TravelTalkWithNeha, where I bring you interesting, fascinating people who inspire me. Today we are in conversation with Parampara aka @cinemawaali, who I met online years ago! Parampara Patil Hashmi is a digital marketer and content entrepreneur. She blogs about travel on Awara Diaries and produces travel and culture based videos for World Culture Network to promote tourism across the globe. 

In Conversation with Parampara Patil Hashmi

1) First I must ask you, how did you decide to become a travel blogger?

I started blogging in 2011, at that time it was just about movies and random musings. When I took to travelling in 2014, it was no surprise that I also started a travel blog. In fact, with the experience and the amazement that I was filled with, there couldn’t be a better subject for blogging. Each of us has a separate experience, a story to tell, which makes our content unique. That’s when and why I chose to take travel blogging seriously!

I started travelling as a solo traveler and then with friends, family. Solo travel gave me the confidence that I don’t have to compromise on my choice and ways of travel to fit others’ liking. Personally, travelling solo and culturally rich destinations defines my ideal travel plan. Travelling is always about stories.

 

2) I saw your posts about Europe. Fascinating! I believe that was your most recent trip? What was your favorite destination so far?

Ans: My most recent trip was a 2 months long trip across Europe. I started 2018 by taking a flight to Berlin and for 2 months, I wandered across 13 countries, 28 cities exploring their culture, cuisines, attractions, history. We also covered lesser visited destinations such as Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, San Marino.

Other than travelling, exploring and blogging, the key purpose of the trip was to create travel videos around tourism and culture in these cities for a parallel venture, World Culture Network.

Having covered such major regions in the little time, it was interesting to explore the similarities despite the diversity, people’s side of the story of their city and most importantly the work-life spirit and professional risks that people were taking to follow their passion. Apart from everything else, I came back home highly inspired! As far as favorite goes, Istanbul has always been my favorite destination. I was fortunate enough to take my first solo trip there, spend an entire week exploring my top bucket list destination.

 

3) How do you manage your work with all the traveling?

Ans: Travelling and travel blogging demands a lot of time and resources. To me, the returns aren’t always enough to pay all my bills. So there has to be an alternate job. Blogging is a superhuman job, considering you have to do everything by yourself. I took up digital marketing for movies as an alternate job very early. And I still plan digital strategies for movies when not travelling. Additionally, I also take up freelance content writing and digital strategy related jobs.

The pros being you can work on these projects from anywhere in the world. The biggest con being, it’s a 24*7 job because internet is a dynamic space.

I take up digital consultancy for brands and movies so that I can make time without any legal limitation for travel based assignments. Rest, Internet is GOD.

 

4) With so much traveling, how do you prepare for a trip?

Ans: No matter how hard I try, I’m not great on planning for trips. I’m usually a last minute person and plan my trips quite instinctively. But I always have certain rules that I follow while prepping for a trip like packing light, reading up on the cultural do’s & don’ts, having the ideal outfits as per the trip itinerary and weather, first aid kit and cash.

 

5) Do you have one favourite picture from your travels? 

Picking just one picture is a herculean task, there are so many. But Giethoorn in Netherlands, was such a revelation on my recent trip. It’s called the Venice of the North. Imagine being the only travelers in such a beautiful place!

 

6) What are your tips for other travel bloggers who want to travel and work around the world?

The only way to travel and work around the world is make it a part of your present. It’s a lot of hard work, but don’t wait until tomorrow or till you have a lot more money! There’s never such a thing as ‘enough money’.

So discipline yourself, chalk out your plan and act upon it.

Take interest in the lives of people.

Opposing to what we think, it’s a kind world and people are way more trustworthy and generous than we think they are.

Finally, remember that travel is not just about the good days and Insta worthy moments. They are a lie. Real travel and the best stories are all about the travel gone wrong, missed trains, lost wallets, nights on the road, and a budget meal! But it’s definitely something that will make you a better person! 🙂

 

Checkout the interviews with people who love to follow their dream over here. And do read the other conversations in #TravelTalkWithNeha series over here.

While you are around checkout the 15 best road trips in India and go ahead plan your trip to your next destination. We have just the article to help you pack your essentials for your road trip.